Hey You (Madonna song)
"Hey You" | ||||
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Warner Bros. | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Madonna | |||
Producer(s) |
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"Hey You" on YouTube |
"Hey You" is a charity song written and recorded by American singer Madonna. She co-produced the song with Pharrell Williams for the Live Earth campaign. It was released digitally on May 24, 2007 and was available on the CD and DVD of the Live Earth concerts on December 4, 2007.[2] Musically it is a stripped-down, folksy ballad with straightforward, anthem-like lyrics talking about how to save the world from destruction. The song received generally mixed reviews, with one group of reviewers commenting that the modest message of the song was uninspiring while others called the song sweet and commended Madonna's commitment to charity.
"Hey You" was initially released as a free download for a period of seven days before being made available as a regular digital single. Once it had been released as a regular digital single, it entered the lower reaches of the sales charts of a few countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland. Madonna only performed the song once at the Live Earth concert, London, where she was joined by a choir of school children who provided backing vocals to her singing while the backdrops displayed images relevant to the song's message, like natural devastations, different cultures and political leaders.
Background
"Hey You" was written by Madonna,
Composition
"Hey You" is a stripped-down, straightforward mid-tempo
Critical reception
Sarah Hall from
Michael Hirschorn from The Atlantic Monthly said that the song was proof that Madonna's heart was in the right place.[7] Responses from the Madonna fansites were also mixed with some fans decrying the track's message as overly sentimental and the lyrics as weak, while others defended the song as "sweet" and "not that bad," while commending the singer's commitment to charity.[6] Daryl D from Blogcritics felt that "even if the lyrics are slightly clichéd, Madonna gives her best vocal performance since the Evita years and adds feeling when the lyrics falter.... The production on this record is outstanding. It also proves that Madonna brings more to the table on her own records than her critics give her credit for because this sounds absolutely nothing like a song Pharrell Williams would produce. The acoustic guitars at the beginning lead to an instrumental chorus that is simple and touching."[9]
Chart performance
"Hey You" was promoted through the official Live Earth website and the July 7, 2007 concert in London. There was no physical single released. However, it managed to chart in countries like Canada, Sweden and Switzerland in its second week of release based purely on paid downloads. In Canada the song entered for one week on the
Live performance
On May 17, 2007,
Madonna started singing the song while holding the amplifier in her hand. The backdrop imitated the song's message by displaying a procession of images of environmental devastations like fires,
Credits and personnel
- Madonna – songwriter, producer
- Mirwais Ahmadzaï – guitar
- Pharrell Williams – producer, guitar, keyboards
Charts
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
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Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] | 57 |
Croatia (HRT)[25] | 4 |
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[17] | 9 |
Italy ( FIMI)[18]
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36 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[15] | 57 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] | 55 |
UK Singles ( Official Charts Company)[16]
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187 |
References
- ^ "Hey You (Single) – Madonna". US: iTunes Store. May 24, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Press Release (October 16, 2007). "Live Earth – Digital Album Available Now". Live Earth. Archived from the original on January 21, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
- ^ Warner/Chappell Music. Archived from the originalon February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^ Crueger, Andie (May 17, 2007). "Madonna pens song for Live Earth". BBC. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c Press Release (May 17, 2007). "Madonna writes new song 'Hey You' for Live Earth". Live Earth. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Hall, Sarah (May 17, 2007). ""Hey You," Madonna's Got a New Song". E!. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ ISSN 1072-7825.
- ^ a b Pareles, Jon (July 27, 2007). "Live Earth: Madonna's Uplifting Waltz". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ a b Davis, Daryl (May 17, 2007). "Music Review: Madonna – "Hey You" – Page 2". Blogcritics. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (July 9, 2007). "An Alignment of the Stars in a Plea for Green Heard Round the Planet". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (April 27, 2008). "Material Woman, Restoring Her Brand". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ a b Stanley, Alessandra (July 7, 2007). "Sounding the Global-Warming Alarm Without Upsetting the Fans". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ a b "Madonna Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "Madonna – Hey You". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "Madonna – Hey You". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "UK Charts: 2007 July 7". Music Week (Doc). Official Charts Company.
- ^ a b "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200728 into search. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "Classifica settimanale WK 26 (dal 2007-06-25 al 2007-07-01)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (July 6, 2007). "Ask Billboard: Free To Be... On The Charts?". Billboard. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
- ^ Sutherland, Mark (July 7, 2007). "Live Earth London Wraps With Madonna Spectacular". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ a b Staff Reporter (July 7, 2007). "Madonna brings Live Earth London to its climax". NME. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ Cooper, Glenda (July 8, 2007). "Live Earth London's Glacial Pacing". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ "Live Earth gigs send eco-warning". BBC News. July 8, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ Lewis, Derence (July 7, 2007). "Madge closes Live Earth with a bouncing, planet-saving set". MTV. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija" (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision. June 9, 2007. Archived from the original on July 12, 2007. Retrieved May 13, 2021.