What About Now (Daughtry song)
"What About Now" | ||||
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Single by Daughtry | ||||
from the album Daughtry | ||||
Released | July 1, 2008 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:10 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Howard Benson | |||
Daughtry singles chronology | ||||
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"What About Now" is the seventh single from American rock band Daughtry's self-titled debut album. The song is a ballad, that was written by Ben Moody, David Hodges (both former members of Evanescence), and Josh Hartzler, who is married to Amy Lee (the lead singer of Evanescence). It is one of only two songs on the album not at least co-written by Chris Daughtry. The song was announced as the band's next single on their website.[1] It was officially released in the U.S. on July 1, 2008.[2]
A year later, pop group
Music video
The music video, directed by Kevin Kerslake, premiered Friday July 11, 2008 on FNMTV Premieres, where it got a standing ovation at FNMTV Studio.[5] The video can now be viewed on the band's official site.
The video is a social commentary, depicting several people and places affected by poverty, natural disasters, war, and other world issues. Several comments are made about these issues, and the video also asks introspective questions to the viewer. Certain people who are working to help these problems are shown throughout the video, with their names and what they're associated with listed. The video features a light bulb that has yet to burn out, which symbolizes that it's still possible to make a difference. The video concludes with one final question to the viewer, "What About Now?", shown next to the burning light bulb. A few shots of the band playing the song live are also shown in the video.
Song usage
The song was used on the February 21, 2008 episode of the
The song was used in various episodes of
On December 11, 2009, it was performed at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize concert in honor of US President Barack Obama by the Irish pop band Westlife.
Release history
Region | Date | Format |
---|---|---|
United States | July 1, 2008 | CD, digital download |
United Kingdom | October 2009 |
Chart performance
Raising money for Idol Gives Back, the acoustic performance of "What About Now" was put onto iTunes and debuted at number eight on the
Following "What About Now"'s official release, the song has become the band's fifth consecutive top ten hit on the
The song entered the UK Singles Chart in May 2009 after being featured during a montage on Britain's Got Talent, and in August 2009 re-entered after being featured during the premiere of the 6th season of The X Factor.
On October 4, 2009, Daughtry re-entered the UK Singles Chart Top 40 again at number 39, due to Westlife's version being released.
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (2008–09) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[7] | 17 |
Canada | 3 |
Canada | 43 |
Canada | 11 |
Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 30 |
9 | |
11 | |
US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 18 |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] | 3 |
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[16] | 3 |
US | 19 |
Year end charts
Chart (2008) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)[18] | 21 |
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[19] | 4 |
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)[20] | 25 |
Westlife version
"What About Now" | ||||
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Syco Music | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Steve Robson | |||
Westlife singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
What About Now on YouTube |
"What About Now" (Titled as "What About Now / You Raise Me Up" on Amazon UK)[21] was covered by Irish boy band Westlife for their ninth studio album Where We Are (2009) and it was released as the album's lead single on October 23, 2009.[22] This song would go on to be the only single released from that album. Steve Robson retooled the original version of the song and serves as the producer for the Westlife version. It was composed in the traditional verse–chorus form in A minor, with Filan and Feehily's vocal ranging from the chords of B3 to G5.[23] The single officially sold over 270 000 copies in UK thus far and eleventh highest single sales of the band.[24]
On October 25, 2009, the group appeared on
Westlife was recently asked by Daily Star about the success of the song for the band. Egan stated: "It is amazing that after 11 albums we can still do things we haven't done before, or set new records for ourselves. What About Now definitely changed things. It might not have sold millions of copies, but I was on YouTube yesterday and the video has almost two million plays or something. That's not just me watching it either! I think it shows that we can still reach new people and audiences with everything we do."[27]
After the band split in 2012, band member Shane Filan made a solo acoustic and live performances of the song. It is the band's tenth most streamed song, ninth best selling single in paid-for sales category and eighth best selling single combined sales category in the United Kingdom as of January 2019.[28][29]
Chart performance
In the first week of its release Westlife's cover of What About Now reached number two in the Irish singles chart taking the place of
Weekly charts
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
---|---|
Armenia[30] | 8 |
Czech Republic[31] | 68 |
Euro Digital Tracks (Billboard)[32] | 5 |
Europe[33] | 23 |
Ireland (IRMA)[34] | 2 |
Ireland Digital Tracks (Billboard)[35] | 2 |
Ireland Download ( Chart-Track)[36]
|
2 |
Russia Airplay (TopHit)[37] | 107 |
2 | |
South Korea[39] | 97 |
South Korea (Gaon International Digital Chart)[40]
|
35 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[41] | 13 |
Taiwan[42] | 2 |
2 | |
UK Digital Tracks (Billboard)[44] | 4 |
Year-end charts
Chart (2009) | Position |
---|---|
UK Singles Chart[45]
|
85 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
BBC | [47] |
Digital Spy | [48] |
MusicRiot | [49] |
Female First | [50] |
The song has received mixed reviews. Nick Levine from Digital Spy commented that: "Their version for the "Daughtry song" is no great reinvention, adding a lick of extra pop gloss to the manly balladry of the original. The strings swell like Louis Walsh's bank balance, the chorus is as big and stirring as Goliath's sugar spoon, and the boys deliver every line with their usual note-perfect earnestness. Cynical and predictable? Oh yes, but this is ruthlessly effective too."[48]
Music video
UK's The Mirror released an article about the shooting of their music video on October 26, 2009. The article described it: "I was listening to the song and it spontaneously came into my head that it would be nice to film it in front of ice. If you remember
Track listing
- "What About Now" - 4:11
- "You Raise Me Up" (Live at Croke Park) - 5:00
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Ireland | October 23, 2009 | Digital download, CD single | RCA Records |
United Kingdom | October 25, 2009 | Digital download | Syco Music , RCA Records
|
October 26, 2009 | CD single | ||
Germany[52] | October 27, 2009 | Digital download | Sony Music Entertainment
|
Sweden | October 28, 2009 | ||
New Zealand | November 18, 2009 | ||
Hong Kong[53] | November 26, 2009 |
Tours performed at
- Where We Are Tour (2010)
- Gravity Tour (2011)
- Greatest Hits/Farewell Tour (2012)
- The Twenty Tour (2019)
- The Wild Dreams Tour (2022-23)
References
- ^ "DAUGHTRY ON AMERICAN IDOL THIS WEEK; SUPPORT THE ONE CAMPAIGN". The Official Daughtry Website. Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
- ^ "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Nielsen Ratings, Music News and more!". fmqb.com.
- ^ a b "Official News (GB) - New Westlife Blog : Mark". Westlife. April 16, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ YouTube
- ^ "New Music Videos, Reality TV Shows, Celebrity News, Pop Culture - MTV". mtv.com.
- ^ "8/24/08 Hot AC Chart: 3 Doors Down returns to #1, Daughtry goes top 10 « Hotacguru's Weblog". Hotacguru.wordpress.com. August 27, 2008. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "Daughtry Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Daughtry Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ "Daughtry Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ "Daughtry Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – What About Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Daughtry Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Daughtry Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Daughtry Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Daughtry Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Adult Pop Songs: 2008 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs: 2009 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
- ^ "Adult Pop Songs: 2009 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
- ^ "What About Now / You Raise Me Up". Amazon UK.
- ^ "Preview of the track What About Now". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
- ^ "What About Now BY WESTLIFE - DIGITAL SHEET MUSIC". Musicnotes.
- ^ "Westlife - Official Top 20". MTV UK.
- ^ "Official News (NL) - Welcome To The All New Westlife.com". Westlife. February 1, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "Tubridy thrilled with Toy Show figures". RTÉ Entertainment. November 30, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
- ^ "What's on: Westlife". Lancashire Telegraph.
- ^ "Westlife | Official Top 20". MTV. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (January 12, 2019). "Westlife's Top 20 biggest songs on the Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "Westlife- What About Now". musicchartheaven.com. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Westlife- What About Now". musicchartheaven.com. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Euro Digital Song Sales - Westlife - Chart Search". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Westlife- What About Now". musicchartheaven.com. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – What About Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Ireland Digital Song Sales - Westlife - Chart Search". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "TOP 20 DOWNLOADS, WEEK ENDING 29 October 2009". GfK. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Russia Airplay Chart for 2009-11-02." TopHit.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Westlife- What About Now". musicchartheaven.com. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Gaon Digital Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
- "What About Now". January 5, 2010.
- ^ "Westlife – What About Now". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Westlife- What About Now". musicchartheaven.com. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "UK Digital Song Sales - Westlife - Chart Search". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Charts Plus Year end 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
- ^ "British single certifications – Westlife – What About Now". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- ^ Fraser McAlpine (October 28, 2009). "Chart Blog: Westlife - 'What About Now'". BBC. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ a b Levine, Nick (October 25, 2009). "Westlife: 'What About Now'". Digital Spy. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "Westlife – What About Now". MusicRiot.co.uk. October 30, 2009. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "The Soldiers Review : Westlife - What About Now".
- ^ "Westlife shoot new video for Where We Are in Iceland". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "What About Now: Westlife: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "Westlife / What About Now - Hmv Hong Kong". Hmv.com.hk. November 20, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2010.