"Closer"
Single by Ne-Yo
from the album Year of the Gentleman
ReleasedApril 15, 2008
Genre
Length3:54
LabelDef Jam
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Ne-Yo singles chronology
"Finer Things"
(2008)		 "Closer"
(2008)		 "Miss Independent"
(2008)
Music video
"Closer" on YouTube

"Closer" is a song by American recording artist Ne-Yo. The song was produced by Stargate.[2] It was released as the lead single from Ne-Yo's third studio album, Year of the Gentleman (2008).

"Closer" peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Closer" topped the charts in the United Kingdom and peaked within the top 10 of the charts in several other countries, including Australia, Austria, Germany, Finland, Ireland and New Zealand.

Background

"Closer" marked a musical departure for Ne-Yo, taking on a dance-pop style over the more rhythmic and urban sound his songs usually possess. In the song, Ne-Yo sings of having an urging attraction to a woman he sees, having the desire to "come closer" to her. His attraction to her becomes stronger, and almost hypnotic, as he sings, "And I just can't pull myself away, under a spell I can't break/I just can't stop." The song was featured in episodes of The CW shows Gossip Girl and 90210.

Speaking in May 2008 to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul, Ne-Yo explained the inspiration behind the song: "It was very much inspired by just the vibe of some of these house and techno clubs we went to while we were in London. You know, kinda smoky, kinda dark and mysterious... With just that constant, four-on-the-floor house beat that just really gets bashed into your skull the whole time you're there, by the way the music makes you feel. I basically tried to capture that energy and put the Ne-Yo spin on it. And 'Closer' was the end result."[3]

Chart performance

"Closer" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his seventh top ten hit on the chart. While having a relatively weak peak on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs for a Ne-Yo song, peaking outside of the top twenty at number 21, "Closer" instead had surprising success on Top 40 radio. After losing its bullet and falling down the charts on CHR/Top 40, suddenly the track exploded and frequently had the biggest bullet on pop radio, at times with over +1000. It has become his biggest U.S. radio hit, despite the lack of Urban airplay, becoming his first song to top the Hot 100 Airplay chart. As of August 2011, "Closer" has sold nearly 2,000,000 digital downloads in the US alone, making it Ne-Yo's best-selling song as a lead artist.[4]

In the United Kingdom, "Closer" debuted at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart based solely on downloads. After seven weeks on the UK Singles Chart, and upon the release of the physical CD single, "Closer" climbed to the summit of the chart on June 29, 2008 – for the week ending date July 5, 2008 – becoming Ne-Yo's second number one single in Britain following "So Sick" in March 2006. "Closer" spent a total of 11 weeks in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart. In Ireland, "Closer" initially peaked at number 12 on the Irish Singles Chart for four weeks before jumping to number three. In Germany, the song peaked at number four on the German Singles Chart, becoming Ne-Yo's highest charting single there at that time. In Italy, "Closer debuted at number 37 on the Italian Singles Chart. In addition, it peaked within the top 10 or top 20 in Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland.

In New Zealand, the song jumped 15 spots from number 20 to number five on the New Zealand Singles Chart and eventually reached a peak of number three on the chart. It has also been certified Platinum, with sales of over 15,000.[5] In Australia, "Closer" debuted at number 17 on the ARIA Singles Chart before peaking at number eight on the chart, becoming Ne-Yo's second top ten single in Australia after "So Sick" in 2006.

Music video

The video was filmed at Santa Clara Studios, California.[6] It was directed by Melina Matsoukas who also directed his "Because of You" and "Do You" video. Ne-Yo wore a "gentleman-looking" suit dancing with a woman. Other shots also show him alone in the center of the spotlight being backed up with four dancers, or with a Matchless motorcycle. A number of on-set pictures from the video leaked over the Internet.

The video premiered on BET on April 25, playing every hour of the day with the last airing being at 7 pm.[7] It features Ne-Yo performing dance moves, with lyrics from the song occasionally appearing on-screen.

The video was nominated in the "Best Dancing in a Video" category at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, but it lost to Pussycat Dolls's "When I Grow Up" which both songs would appear in Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 3 and Dance Dance Revolution X2 (PlayStation 2) a year later.

Awards and nominations

"Closer" was ranked number 60 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.[8] The song was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards held in February 2009, while the Stonebridge Radio Edit was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical.[9]

Track listing

UK CD single

  1. "Closer" – 3:54
  2. "Closer" (Agent X Bassline Remix) – 5:22
  3. "Closer" (Instrumental) – 3:54
  4. "Closer" (Video)

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[69] Platinum 70,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[70] Gold 15,000^
Germany (BVMI)[71] Gold 150,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[72] Platinum 15,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[73] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[74] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

See also

References

  1. ↑ Breihan, Tom (January 25, 2023). "The Number Ones: Ne-Yo's "So Sick"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Ne-Yo's 'Gentleman' Inspired By Davis, Sinatra". Billboard.biz. March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  3. ↑ "NE-YO: IN HIS OWN WORDS". www.bluesandsoul.com.
  4. ↑ Grein, Paul (August 24, 2011). "Week Ending Aug. 21, 2011: Rolling to a Record". Yahoo! Chart Watch. new.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
  5. ↑ "October 18, 2009: New Zealand Platinum Certification". RadioScope New Zealand. October 18, 2009. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  6. ↑ Top Billboard Today – Online Accessed July 8, 2008
  7. ↑ Nigel D (April 11, 2008). Ne-Yo On The Set Of His New Video For Closer Archived April 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Real Talk NY. Accessed April 22, 2008.
  8. ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2008". Rolling Stone (December 25, 2008). Retrieved January 12, 2009
  9. ↑ Coldplay, Jay-Z and Ne-Yo Lead Grammy Nominations Accessed February 8, 2009
  10. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Airplay Top 10 NMC Week44 (27.10.2008 - 02.11.2008)". Bulgarian Association of Music Producers (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  16. ↑ Ne-Yo — Closer. TopHit. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  17. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200840 into search. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer". Tracklisten. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Hits of the World: Euro Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 28. July 12, 2008. p. 50.
  20. ↑ "Ne-Yo: Closer" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  21. ↑ "lescharts.com – Français" (in French). Les classement de telechargement single.
  22. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  25. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Closer". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer". Top Digital Download. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Ne-yo Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Ne-Yo" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  29. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  31. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer". VG-lista. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  33. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200835 into search. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  34. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  35. ↑ "Ne-Yo – Closer". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  36. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  37. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  39. ↑ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  40. ↑ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  41. ↑ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  43. ↑ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  44. ↑ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  45. ↑ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  46. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2008". ARIA. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2008" (in German). Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2008" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  49. ↑ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  50. ↑ "Top Canada CHR/Top 40 Songs". R&R. December 12, 2008. p. 35.
  51. ↑ "CIS Year-End Radio Hits (2008)". TopHit. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  52. ↑ "2008 Year-End European Singles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  53. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2008" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  54. ↑ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2008" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  55. ↑ "Jaarlijsten 2008 singles" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  56. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2008" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  57. ↑ "End of Year Charts 2008". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  58. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2008" (in German). Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  59. ↑ "2008 UK Singles Chart" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  60. ↑ "Urban Top 20 Of 2008" (PDF). Music Week. January 10, 2009. p. 16. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  61. ↑ "2008 Year-End Billboard Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  62. ↑ "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  63. ↑ "Dance/Mix Show Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  64. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  65. ↑ "2008 Year-End Billboard Mainstream Top 40 Singles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  66. ↑ "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  67. ↑ "Популярные хиты 2009" [Popular hits 2009] (in Russian). TopHit. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  68. ↑ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2009" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  69. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  70. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Ne-Yo – Closer". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 29, 2012. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2013 to obtain certification.
  71. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Ne-Yo; 'Closer')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  72. ↑ "Latest Gold / Platinum Singles". Radioscope. August 21, 2011. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  73. ↑ "British single certifications – Ne-Yo – Closer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  74. ↑ "American single certifications – Ne-Yo – Closer". Recording Industry Association of America.
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