Earned It

"Earned It", alternatively titled "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)",[2] is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd. The song was released as the lead single from the soundtrack to the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey and was included on the Weeknd's second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015).

"Earned It"
Single by the Weeknd
from the album Fifty Shades of Grey: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side"Where You Belong"
ReleasedDecember 23, 2014
Recorded2014
StudioMaison de Musique (Santa Monica, California)[1]
Genre
Length
  • 4:10 (single / soundtrack version)
  • 4:37 (album version)
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Stephan Moccio
  • Jason Quenneville
The Weeknd singles chronology
"Love Me Harder"
(2014)		 "Earned It"
(2014)		 "The Hills"
(2015)
Fifty Shades soundtrack singles chronology
"Earned It"
(2014)		 "Love Me like You Do"
(2015)
Music video
"Earned It" on YouTube

"Earned It" was lauded by critics upon release, and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the Weeknd's first top five single. The song's popularity made Fifty Shades of Grey the latest soundtrack to generate concurrent top-ten singles with Ellie Goulding's "Love Me like You Do", which also peaked at number three. Its music video was directed by the film's director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, features the film's lead actress, Dakota Johnson, and has the same BDSM theme. The song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 88th Academy Awards and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background

The Weeknd was involved in the project very early on. Tom Mackay, a manager at Republic Records, explained: "He worked on a number of songs for a number of scenes. Some were working and some weren’t, but he just kept at it, and kept at it, and kept at it. In the end, he wrote ‘Earned It’ and it's the biggest song of his career to date. It's the only song that's in the movie twice."[3] Director Sam Taylor-Johnson said the Weeknd's voice is instantly seductive, which fit the film perfectly. The singer agreed saying the film and his music is like "a match made in heaven."[4] An alternative version of the single, with a new slightly long intro, was later included in the Weeknd's album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015).

Composition

"Earned It" is a chamber pop and R&B song.[5] It is written in the key of D minor with a slow tempo of 40 beats per minute (Largo) in 6
8 time. There is an alternation between the chords Gm7 and Dm7, and Tesfaye's vocals span two octaves from D3 to D5.[6]

Critical reception

"Earned It" received critical acclaim. Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 39 on its year-end list to find the 50 best songs of 2015; the Weeknd appears an additional two times on this list with his following singles, "The Hills" and "Can't Feel My Face".[7]

Accolades

The song won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, while also being nominated for Best R&B Song, and Best Song Written for Visual Media.[8] The song also received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 88th Academy Awards.[9]

Chart performance

In the Weeknd's native Canada, "Earned It" peaked at number eight on the Canadian Hot 100. "Earned It" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, the second single from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack to enter the top 10, after Ellie Goulding's "Love Me like You Do", which also peaked at number three. It became the Weeknd's second top 10 hit, after his collaboration with Ariana Grande on the number seven peaking hit, "Love Me Harder" and his highest-selling song on the chart.[10] The song has also been a commercial success overseas, reaching the top ten in 10 other countries, including the United Kingdom and New Zealand, while attaining a top twenty position in countries that include Australia, Germany, and Ireland.

Music video

The music video, directed by the film's director Sam Taylor-Johnson,[11] was shot at the Palace Theater in Los Angeles.[12] It was released on Vevo and YouTube on 21 January 2015, and features the film's leading star Dakota Johnson. It includes the BDSM theme as seen in the film.The video shows The Weeknd performing on stage as a group of topless women with black tape over their breasts perform a BDSM themed burlesque routine behind him.

Track listing
European CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)"4:11
2."Where You Belong"4:56

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[70] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[71] Gold 15,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[72] 5× Platinum 400,000
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[73] 2× Platinum 120,000^
Germany (BVMI)[74] Gold 200,000
Italy (FIMI)[75] Platinum 50,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[76] Platinum 15,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[77] 2× Platinum 20,000
Poland (ZPAV)[78] 2× Platinum 40,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[79] Platinum 40,000
Sweden (GLF)[80] 3× Platinum 120,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[81] 2× Platinum 644,064[82]
United States (RIAA)[83] 7× Platinum 2,110,000[84]

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

Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States 23 December 2014 Digital download Republic [85]
13 January 2015 Rhythmic contemporary radio [86]
24 February 2015 Contemporary hit radio [87]
Europe 10 April 2015 CD [13]

References
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