Perfect (One Direction song)

"Perfect" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction. Released on 16 October 2015 as the second single from their fifth studio album Made in the A.M., it debuted at number one in Ireland, and reached the top 10 in several countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, France, New Zealand and Australia. The song was written by members Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, along with the band's regular collaborators, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan among others.

"Perfect"
Single by One Direction
from the album Made in the A.M.
Released16 October 2015
RecordedJuly 2015
Genre
Length3:50
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Julian Bunetta
  • Shatkin
  • AFTERHRS
One Direction singles chronology
"Drag Me Down"
(2015)		 "Perfect"
(2015)		 "History"
(2015)
Music video
"Perfect" on YouTube
One Direction EP chronology
Live While We’re Young EP
(2012)		 Perfect
(2015)

Background and composition

In various interviews, the band members and co-writers describe differing aspects of the composition and overall meaning of the song. The song is in D major and has a tempo of 100 beats per minute. Long-time writer and producer for the band, Julian Bunetta described the writing process as 'difficult' due to the writing occurring whilst the members travelled from country to country during their 2015 On the Road Again Tour.[2] Bunetta called the single "a jam" and stated that he plays it in his car frequently.[2][3]

Critical reception

Digital Spy's Lewis Corner praised "Perfect", describing it as a "scintillating slice of '80s pop" and also said that the song was a "delicious retort" to Taylor Swift's (ex-girlfriend of band member Harry Styles) song "Style".[4] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone commented that the song was "a catchy ode to bad boys and the rebellious personas" while noticing that "Styles seems to directly respond to the songs Taylor Swift is rumored to have written about him on her album 1989.[5]

Former band member Zayn Malik was less complimentary about the song; in his January 2016 cover story interview in Billboard, he said that the first single was "quite cool" but heard the second single and decided not to buy the album.[6]

Chart performance

In the band's native United Kingdom, "Perfect" debuted at number two. In the United States, the song became the band's second consecutive top-10 hit from their Made in the A.M. album and sixth overall when "Perfect" debuted at number 10 on the Billboard issue dated 7 November 2015, after "Drag Me Down" debuted at number three.[7] This debut also broke The Beatles' record for the most top 10 Hot 100 debuts among bands.[8]

Music video

The music video was directed by Sophie Muller with additional help from actor Giovanni Ribisi[9] and premiered on Vevo on 20 October 2015. The video, filmed in black and white, depicts how the band lives while on tour, and was filmed at the Intercontinental Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York City in early September 2015.[10] The video features shots of the members as they relax in a hotel room during their 2015 tour.

Live performances

The group performed "Perfect" for the first time at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland on 16 October 2015 during the last leg of their On the Road Again Tour and continued to perform the song in their concerts until their last before their hiatus on 31 October in Sheffield, England.[11] The band also performed "Perfect" at the 2015 American Music Awards,[12] BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge,[13] The Ellen DeGeneres Show,[14] Jimmy Kimmel Live!,[15] British The X Factor[16] as well as Jingle Ball festivals across the United States.[17][18][19] In November 2015, the band performed the song in front of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex at the Royal Variety Performance and Ed Power from The Telegraph listed the performance as "the fifth standout moment of the night."[20]

Track listing
  • Digital download[21]
  1. "Perfect" – 3:50
  1. "Perfect" (Stripped) – 3:51
  2. "Home" – 3:14
  3. "Perfect" (Matoma Remix) – 3:43
  4. "Drag Me Down" (featuring LunchMoney Lewis) (Big Payno x AFTERHRS Remix) – 3:08

Note: "Home" was written by Jamie Scott, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.

Charts and certifications

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[60] 3× Platinum 210,000
Canada (Music Canada)[61] 2× Platinum 160,000
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[62] Gold 30,000^
Italy (FIMI)[63] Platinum 50,000
Mexico (AMPROFON)[64] Gold 30,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[65] Platinum 15,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[66] Platinum 600,000
United States (RIAA)[67] None 817,000[68]

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

References
  1. "10 Signs One Direction's "Perfect" Is About Taylor Swift And Harry Styles - J-14". j-14.com. 21 October 2015.
  2. "One Direction Collaborator Breaks Down Group's New Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  3. ")u1!@n on Twitter: ha i dont know if i could say that. But its a jam. I play it in my car all the time". Twitter. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  4. "EXCLUSIVE: 1D's new album Made In The AM first listen". Digital Spy. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  5. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-one-directions-perfect-ode-to-bad-boys-162521/
  6. "Zayn Malik Speaks Out in Revealing Billboard Cover Story: 'I'm Not Censoring Myself Anymore'". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  7. "The Weeknd No. 1 for Sixth Week, Adele No. 1 next week?". Billboard.com.
  8. Gary Trust (27 October 2015). "One Direction Breaks The Beatles' Record With Fifth Top 10 Debut on Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  9. "One Direction 'Perfect' by Sophie Muller on Promo News". Promo News. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  10. Steiner, Amanda Michelle. "One Direction cause trouble in hotel rooms in 'Perfect' music video". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
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  15. "One Direction Perform Medley of Songs on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  16. "One Direction Returns to 'X Factor' U.K. to Perform 'Perfect': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
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  19. "Jingle Ball L.A. Recap: One Direction's Last Gig, The Weeknd Gets Sexy & Selena Gomez Slays". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  20. "The Royal Variety Performance 2015: the top 5 acts". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
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  67. "American single certifications – One Direction – Perfect". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 December 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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