I Will Be (song)

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Florence and the Machine song, see
Songs from Final Fantasy XV
.

"I Will Be"
Picture of a woman who is looking back as she sightly smiles. The She wears a black dress and she has long hair of the same colour. Above her head, the words "Leona Lewis" and "I Will Be" are written in white and golden capital letters, respectively.
Single by Leona Lewis
from the album Spirit
Released6 January 2009
Recorded2007
GenrePop rock
Length3:58
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dr. Luke
Leona Lewis singles chronology
"Run"
(2008) 		"I Will Be"
(2009) 		"Happy"
(2009)
Music video
"I Will Be" on
YouTube
Audio sample
"I Will Be"

"I Will Be" is a song written and originally recorded by Canadian singer Avril Lavigne for her third studio album The Best Damn Thing (2007). It appeared on select editions of the album as a bonus track before English singer Leona Lewis covered it for her debut studio album Spirit (2007). Max Martin and Lukasz Gottwald co-wrote the song, whilst production was helmed by Gottwald under his production name Dr. Luke. It is a piano and guitar-led ballad. The song was sent to contemporary hit radio as the fourth US single, and seventh and final single from Spirit on January 6, 2009, by J Records.

"I Will Be" garnered mixed reception from

UK Singles Chart due to strong digital download sales, but failed to attain a higher peak due to not being released as a single in the United Kingdom. However, it peaked at number 66 on the US Billboard Hot 100. An accompanying music video for the song was filmed in New York City and featured Chace Crawford as Lewis' love interest. Lewis performed the song live on the Late Show with David Letterman
.

Production and recording

Avril Lavigne co-wrote and originally performed the song.

"I Will Be" was written by

Sarm West, London, England.[1] The production coordinators were Gary "The Shredder" Silver and Emily Wright.[1]

A multitude of engineers were involved with the process of recording the song, including Doug McKean,

percussion.[1]

Composition

"I Will Be" is a

octaves, from the low note of B3 to the high note of B5, on the song.[5] The song opens with the lyrics, "There's nothing I could say to you, nothing I could ever do to make you see what you mean to me."[5] Chad Grischow for IGN described the song's piano led instrumental to be "overblown", but noted that Lewis has enough "vocal strength to prevent her from being overshadowed by the drowningly lush sound."[3] Eric R. Danton wrote on his review of Spirit for the Hartford Courant daily that "I Will Be" begins with a "spare piano introduction" that "blossoms into an arrangement buoyed by strings and then drums and guitar". Danton described Lewis's vocals as "delicate" and that "take flight on the chorus".[7]

Response

Critical reception

The song garnered a mixed response from music critics. Nate Chinen for The New York Times was complimentary of Lewis's cover, and praised her "powerhouse vocals".[8] Matt O'Leary for Virgin Media wrote that Lewis's rendition of the song was "epic", and that when the production is kept minimal, "her uniqueness is allowed to shine."[9] Although Sarah Rodman for The Boston Globe described the song as "predictable", she praised Lewis's ability to sing with "believable pathos" and hit clean notes.[4] Sal Cinquemani for Slant Magazine was also critical of the song, writing that it is "dangerously middle-of-the-road."[10] Danton from the Hartford Courant considered the song as "ready-made for awards shows or emotional on-screen montages." He concluded that "I Will Be" is a "powerful stuff, and it would make for a gem of a pop record if it kept up."[7]

Chart performance

Upon the release of Spirit in the United Kingdom, "I Will Be" debuted and peaked at number 160 on the

Hot Digital Songs chart on 21 February 2009,[23] which was also its peak.[24] In Canada, the song entered the chart at number 86,[25] and peaked at number 83.[26]

Music video

Gossip Girl actor Chace Crawford appears as Lewis' love interest and partner in crime in the music video.[27]

The

car bonnet in which they were shown sitting in previously. As she sings the first chorus, she stands up and faces Crawford in the car, and begins to walk away in a car park as she sings the second verse. For the second chorus, Lewis is shown to evade the police by trying to escape by car park stairways, but is confronted by policemen wherever she goes. For the final chorus, Lewis makes it out onto the road and runs from the police in their cars, but is ultimately blocked from escape in all directions as they close in on her, arrest her, and place her in the back of a police car. People ranked the video as one of the most anticipated videos to be released in January 2009.[27]

Live performances

On 20 January 2009, Lewis performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman.[citation needed]

Credits and personnel

Recording
  • Recorded at Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Dr. Luke's, NYC; Opra Music, Hollywood CA; Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, CA; Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Atlantic Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Sarm West, London, England.
  • Mixed at Resonale Studios, Burbank, CA.
Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Spirit, Syco Music, J Records, Sony Music.[1]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Will Be"
Chart (2007–2009) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[28] 83
Canada
Hot AC (Billboard)[29]
 44
CIS (TopHit)[30] 193
UK Singles (OCC)[11]
 160
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 66
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[31] 23
US
Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[32]
 24

Release history

Release dates and formats for "I Will Be"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 6 January 2009 Contemporary hit radio J
[33]
United States 26 February 2009 Digital download
[34]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Spirit (liner notes). Leona Lewis. Syco Music, J Records, Sony Music. 2007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  3. ^ a b Grischow, Chad (23 April 2008). "Leona Lewis - Spirit - Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b Rodman, Sarah (8 April 2008). "Lewis's huge voice lifts 'Spirit'". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  5. ^
    Peer International Music Publishing. 2007. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help
    )
  6. ^ "Spirit - Deluxe Edition". iTunes Store (Great Britain). Apple. 28 November 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  7. ^
    Tribune Company
    . Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  8. ^ Chinen, Nate (7 April 2008). "New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  9. ^ O'Leary, Matt. "Leona Lewis: Spirit review". Virgin Media. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  10. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (1 April 2008). "Leona Lewis: Spirit". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  11. ^ a b "UK Singles Chart: CLUK Update (24.11.2007 – Week 46)". Zobbel.de. Official Charts Company. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  12. ^ "Pop Songs - Week of January 31, 2009". Billboard. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  13. ^ a b "Pop Songs - Week of February 14, 2009". Billboard. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Leona Lewis Chart History - Pop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Pop Songs - Week of March 21, 2009". Billboard. 21 March 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  16. ^ "Hot 100 - Week of February 14, 2009". Billboard. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Leona Lewis Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  18. ^ "Hot 100 - Week of March 19, 2009". Billboard. 19 March 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Adult Pop Songs - Week of March 7, 2009". Billboard. 7 March 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  20. ^ "Adult Pop Songs - Week of March 14, 2009". Billboard. 14 March 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  21. ^ "Adult Pop Songs - Week of March 28, 2009". Billboard. 28 March 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Adult Pop Songs - Week of April 11, 2009". Billboard. 11 April 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  23. ^ "Hot Digital Songs - Week of February 21, 2009". Billboard. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  24. ^ "Leona Lewis Chart History - Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  25. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 - Week of February 21, 2009". Billboard. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  26. ^ "Leona Lewis Chart History - Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  27. ^ a b c d Garcia, Jennifer (20 December 2008). "Chace Crawford pairs up with Leona Lewis". People. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  28. ^ "Leona Lewis Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  29. ^ "Leona Lewis Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  30. ^ Leona Lewis — I Will Be. TopHit. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  31. ^ "Leona Lewis Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  32. ^ "Leona Lewis Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  33. ^ "R&R Going For Adds: Mainstream". Radio & Records. 6 January 2009. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  34. ^ https://m2.melon.com/album/music.htm?albumId=508384

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Will_Be_(song)&oldid=1188066747"