Green Light (John Legend song)
"Green Light" | ||||
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Atlanta, Georgia) | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:49 (album version) 3:56 (US radio edit) 3:38 (International radio edit) | |||
Sony | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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John Legend singles chronology | ||||
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André 3000 singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Green Light" on YouTube |
"Green Light" is a song recorded by American
"Green Light" was well received by contemporary music critics who praised it for its departure in musical style and called it a "certified club banger". The single performed well on the charts, reaching number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, tying for "Ordinary People" as Legend's highest peaking single on the chart at the time. It also stood as his best-selling single, earning a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) until "All of Me" sold 4 million downloads by September 2014. It reached its highest peak in Belgium, reaching number two on the singles chart. The music video for "Green Light" was directed by Alan Ferguson. It features Legend and Benjamin pursuing women at a house party while including visual effects created by Baked FX.
Background
"Green Light" was written by
After listening to the final product, they decided to enlist American rapper André 3000 Benjamin, saying "‘Cause it just sounded like something he’d do!" They sent it to Benjamin, who "loved it" and expressed interest in being featured on it, almost immediately writing and recording his rap. Legend commented that once he heard Benjamin on "Green Light", he stated "to me it straightaway felt like the album’s first single! It seemed like the kind of thing that would grab people’s attention, it sounded like a great record, and it felt like it would be a big hit... And to me it STILL feels like that!”"[1] "Green Light" was released as the first single from Evolver (2008). The song was serviced to rhythmic and urban radios on August 19, 2008, through GOOD Music and Columbia Records.[2][3] Through Columbia, the song was released for digital distribution on August 26, 2008.[4]
Composition
"Green Light" represents a departure from Legend's previous musical works. Nathan S. of DJ Booth noted that the song still uses the "same smooth vocals and spare melodies" present in his previous ballads.
Response
Critical reception
Andy Kellman of
Chart performance
On September 20, 2008, almost a month after the single's release, "Green Light" debuted at number ninety-six on the
In Canada, the single debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 94 on August 16, 2008. Three weeks later, the song peaked at number eighty.[22] "Green Light" is Legend's only single to chart in Canada.[22] In the United Kingdom, "Green Light" entered the singles chart at number ninety-five on September 27, 2008.[23] On November 1, 2008, the song peaked at number thirty-five.[23] "Green Light" debuted on the Belgium Singles Chart at number thirty on August 18, 2008.[24] The song rose to its peak at number two on September 27, 2008, but fell off the chart the following week.[25] In Italy, the song peaked on the singles chart at number nineteen on October 30, 2008.[26]
Music video
A music video has been filmed and was released on August 22, 2008 on FNMTV. André 3000 appears in the video along with Legend. Singer Estelle also makes an appearance in the video. Visual effects and editorial for the video were created by Baked FX, previously Baked Goods. The video starts with John Legend singing on the piano to his best-selling single, "Ordinary People". After that, the video proceeds to a wild party. At the end of the video, a snippet from Legend's song "Good Morning", also on Evolver, is played during the morning after, while Legend and André 3000 leave the house and other party guests remain asleep.
"The song is simple. It's just me trying to pick up a girl at a club and convince her to come have some fun with me. [The video] definitely has that story line in it, but we just take it kind of different places to do some unexpected visual things. We have this surreal kind of dance sequence, and it features synchronized swimmers and showgirls. We just throw a little extra twist on it. We wanted to mix a current, modern feel with an old-school, classic Hollywood feel because the song has kind of a big-band quality to it as well as a more modern dance-song quality. We wanted to mix the two different parts."[27]
Credits and personnel
- Recording, mastering and mixing
- Recorded at Wine-O-Cellar in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Mastered at The Mastering Place in New York City, New York
- Mixed at Larrabee North Studios in North Hollywood, California.
- Personnel
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Credits taken from Evolver liner notes.[8]
Formats and track listings
- UK CD
- "Green Light" (International radio edit)
- "Green Light" (Johnny Douglas radio edit)
UK Remixes Promo
- Greenlight (Original) 4:49
- Greenlight (Johnny Douglas Remix Club) 7:15
- Greenlight (Johnny Douglas Remix) 5:00
- Greenlight (Johnny Douglas Remix Radio Edit 3 Without Rap) 3:13
- Greenlight (Johnny Douglas Instrumental) 4:58
- Greenlight (Tom Neville Remix) 7:52
- Greenlight (Tom Neville Dub) 6:38
- Greenlight (Kings Of Tomorrow Remix) 7:26
- Greenlight (Afroganic Remix) 4:13
- Greenlight (Afroganic Instrumental) 4:04
UK Remixes Promo (2)
- Greenlight (Johnny Douglas Remix Club) 7:15
- Greenlight (Tom Neville Remix) 7:52
- Greenlight (Sandy Rivera's KOT Remix) 7:26
- Greenlight (Afroganic Instrumental) 4:04
- Greenlight (Tom Neville Dub) 6:38
- Greenlight (Johnny Douglas Radio Edit 1) 4:02
U.S. Dance Remixes Promo
- Green Light (Slang Remix Radio Edit) 4:25
- Green Light (Slang Remix) 6:05
- Green Light (Karmatronic Radio Edit) 3:33
- Green Light (Karmatronic Club Mix) 6:23
- Green Light (MKL Radio Edit) 4:35
- Green Light (MKL Remix) 6:47
- Green Light (Diplo Mad Decent Remix) 3:51
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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References
- ^ Lewis, Pete (October 9, 2008). "John Legend: An Evolving Legend". Blues & Soul. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- Radio and Records. Archived from the originalon September 16, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- Radio and Records. Archived from the originalon September 16, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c "American single certifications – John Legend – Green Light". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ Nathan S. "John Legend - Evolver - Hip Hop Album Review". DJ Booth. The DJ Booth LLC. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- ^ a b Brown, August (October 28, 2008). "Album review: John Legend's 'Evolver'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- ^ a b Ogle, Ryan (October 31, 2008). "Album Reviews: Evolver by John Legend". ARTISTdirect. Rogue Digital, LLC. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "John Legend – Evolver (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ a b "John Legend - Evolver". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ a b c Danton, Eric R. (October 27, 2008). "CD Review: 'Evolver' by John Legend". Sound Check. blogs.courant.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- ^ All Media Network. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ Macpherson, Alex (October 16, 2008). "Urban music review: John Legend: Evolver". The Guardian. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- ^ a b c "John Legend - Green Light Sheet Music (Digital Download)". Musicnotes.com. BMG Rights Management. 3 August 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ DJ Z. "John Legend ft. Andre 3000 - Green Light - Listen". DJ Booth. The DJ Booth LLC. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- Paste Magazine. Paste Media Group. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ Allfree, Claire (October 19, 2008). "John Legend still evolving". Metro. Associated Newspapers Limited. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ Henderson, Eric (October 27, 2008). "John Legend: Evolver". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ a b "John Legend Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ a b "John Legend Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ a b Paul Grein (June 11, 2014). "Chart Watch: Sam Smith Zooms Into Top 10". Yahoo Music.
- ^ a b c "John Legend Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ a b c "John Legend: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- Ultratop 50. Ultratop& Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- Ultratop 50. Ultratop& Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- ^ Top Digital Download. Hung Medien.
- ^ Ochoa, John (July 23, 2008). "John Legend Says Synchronized Swimmers, Showgirls Set 'Green Light' Video Apart - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
- Ultratip.
- Ultratip.
- ^ "John Legend feat. André 3000 – Green Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- Mega Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- ^ "John Legend Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "John Legend Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ "Year End Charts - Year-end songs - The Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2009". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
External links
- "Green Light" (Edited video) on YouTube