“ | After Max sent it over, I rewrote some of the song and made it feel more me. I put my vocal on it, and it just felt special, exciting. David Guetta walked past the studio and was like, “I like this song.” Emeli Sandé was like, “Oh, I heard that song and it sounded sick.” And then Max was like, “I want to get Ariana to jump on it.” I was like, “Yeah.” She recorded her part in the following two days. Then, within a week, Nicki had heard it and was like, “I want to get on this,” and it kind of became this female anthem, like a girl band. Not a feature, but a moment where all of us can really show off what makes us us. And do it together. I only met them at the video shoot, but I looked at Nicki and myself and Ariana, all three of us look so different, and we’re all equally confident. I was pointing at Nicki in the video, I was like, “she’s got a booty like a Cadillac, but I can send you into overdrive!” I’m not going to rival what she has, but I’ve got what I’ve got. That’s what I feel like young women, especially, need to hear. You have to love yourself, before anyone else can even come in. So for me, as a slim, tall-legs-no-boobs-no-bum kind of girl, I’ve got to represent. | ” |
–Jessie on Bang Bang[1] |
"Bang Bang" is the third single and first bonus track on the deluxe edition of Ariana Grande's second studio album, My Everything, and is also the lead single from Jessie J's third studio album, Sweet Talker. It is sung by Jessie J, Grande, and Nicki Minaj. It was released on August 17, 2014 through Republic Records. The song debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 3.
It was released through Republic Records on August 17, 2014. An official Remix Package of the song was released on October 13, 2014. It features the Dada Life Remix, Kat Krazy Extended Mix, 3LAU Extended Mix, Imanos & Gramercy Remix, Super Stylers Remix and the iLL BLU Mix Radio Edit. A "bundle" release of the song including a capella and instrumental variants was released on August 27, 2024, in celebration of 10 years of My Everything. It was the only single to not receive a new cover artwork, however.
Background[]
"Bang Bang" was originally written for Grande, and recorded by Grande, but she did not like it. However, Wendy Goldstein, the head of Republic Records, sent it to Jessie J and Nicki Minaj and finished the song without Grande knowing. When Grande heard the final version, she changed her mind and was happy to release it.
“ | [It] was written for Ariana. She cut it, and she hated it. [...] So I sent it to Rob Stevenson, got Jessie J on it and then sent it to Nicki Minaj. I made them finish the record anyway [...] and then I was scared to send it to Ari. So I sent it to Monte Lipman and he said, 'Play this for Ariana.' When she heard it, she was like, 'I want it back.' | ” |
–Wendy Goldstein, Executive VP/Head of Urban A&R of Republic Records.[3] |
On June 30, 2014, Jessie J tweeted that she was revealing the single's then-unreleased title a day later and that it featured two artists. On July 1, she announced the single was called "Bang Bang", and it was a collaboration with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. The official release date was revealed to be July 29, 2014. In a press release, it was revealed to be the lead single from Jessie J's new album and would be included on Grande's album as well. On iTunes it's an album-exclusive track for My Everything, which can only be bought with the rest of the album.
On May 24, 2024, a snippet of Grande's solo version leaked, as it was being sold by the same site that sold "Everything I Do" and "Eternally". ( listen)
Composition[]
"Bang Bang" is an up-tempo, "soulful" song, that features a "clap-heavy" production, built over "big bouncy beats and horn blasts." It's in the key of C minor, with the vocals making use of the C blues scale. The tempo is 150 BPM (Allegro). The melody of the chorus has been compared to that of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!.
Critical reception[]
Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called the song a "perfect Max Martin throwdown" that "fuses Nelly's 'Country Grammar' with Wham!'s 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,' which is some truly twisted pop archaeology." Carolyn Menyes from Music Times called the song "[a] Huge successful hit of Summer 2014" and thought that "[the] song is going straight to the top of the charts". Zach Frydenlund from Complex praised Jessie J's and Ariana's heavenly vocals in the song but concentrated more on Nicki's "catchy killer verse" stating that "it's Nicki who really steals the show with her verse". Jason Lipshutz from Billboard responded positively to the song, saying that the song itself "[is] composed of piercing vocals courtesy of two contemporary crooners, as well as rapid-fire spitting from the hottest female MC on the planet, "Bang Bang" rests tidily upon the Ariana Grande assertion, "See anybody could be good to you/You need a bad girl to blow your mind."
Vulture's Lindsey Weber thought the song was "No Lady Marmalade" but praised it saying "it's catchy enough to make a huge splash in the music history". Chris Martins from Spin stated that the song is "powerful", and credits Minaj for the song's noteworthy energy. "What makes the track so big? Well, um, ask Nicki Minaj." He goes on to further praise Minaj's performance on the song, affirming that "The "Anaconda"-taming MC rips a few mics on the loud and proud pop-soul song". Simon Cowell praised the song via his Twitter account, writing, "The best pop single I have heard this year is Bang Bang. It is going to be huge".[4] Lewis Corner from Digital Spy gave the song four and a half stars out of five and said that is "one of the year's most electrifying pop anthems"
Commercial performance[]
The song debuted on the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart at number one with 230,000 digital downloads sold in its first week. This marked the third-largest sales debut for a song in 2014, behind Grande's "Problem" and Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off", both of which were co-written by Max Martin. The song debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 6, making it the third highest new entry of 2014 on that chart, also behind Grande's "Problem" and Swift's "Shake It Off". The song is Jessie J's second, Grande's fourth, and Minaj's tenth top 10 single in the United States, peaking at number 3. It became Grande's second consecutive top ten hit of 2014, after "Problem" peaked at number two. It was kept off the top spot by Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" and Swift's "Shake It Off". Internationally, the song has since peaked within the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, and South Korea. In the UK, "Bang Bang" debuted at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart with 92,000 downloads, becoming Jessie J's third, Grande's second, and Minaj's first number one single in the UK.
On Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) chart, the song reached number two, becoming Minaj's highest charting single on that chart since her appearance on Canadian artist Justin Bieber's 2012 single "Beauty and a Beat" peaked at two, Jessie J's highest since her 2012 single "Domino" also peaked there, and Grande's second-highest peak after "Problem" hit number one.
Chart History[]
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Live performances[]
- On August 24, 2014, Grande performed "Break Free" and "Bang Bang" at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, in Inglewood.
- On October 19, 2014, Grande performed "Problem", "Bang Bang" and "Break Free" at the 2014 BBC's Radio 1 Teen Awards, in London.
- On October 24, 2014, Grande performed "The Way", "Break Your Heart Right Back", "You'll Never Know", "Right There", "My Everything", "Break Free", "Bang Bang" and "Problem" at We Can Survive 2014, in Hollywood.
- On November 5, 2013, Grande performed "Bang Bang" at the 2014 CMA Awards, in Nashville.
- On December 2, 2014, Grande performed "Love Me Harder", "Bang Bang", "Break Free" and "Problem" at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, in London.
- On December 31, 2014, Grande performed "Bang Bang", "Hands On Me", "Best Mistake", "Break Your Heart Right Back", "Be My Baby", "Right There", "The Way", "Tattooed Heart", "One Last Time", "My Everything", "Love Me Harder", "Break Free", "Problem" and "Focus" at the New Year's Eve Special Concert, in Las Vegas.
- "Bang Bang" is featured as the first performance on set 1 on the Honeymoon Tour.
- Grande performed "Bang Bang" with Nicki Minaj at the Sweetener World Tour, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Music Video[]
The music video for "Bang Bang" was shot all day on July 30 and July 31, 2014. It was directed by Hannah Lux Davis. It features the three singers singing in their own personalized room. They later walk through the streets of New York and meet up on the top of a building for the final chorus. The video premiered at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, after which it was uploaded to Jessie J's VEVO account. It is currently available on YouTube here.[6]
The music video contains Beats, the first time Ariana would use a product placement in her career
Trivia[]
- Bang Bang is certified 8x Platinum in the US.
- It was later certified diamond (10x platinum) on May 23, 2024.
- Grande said she hates performing this song live[7], and she hates her own verse of the song and enjoys Minaj's verse the most.
- Bang Bang is Ariana Grande's fifth song to reach 1 million streams on Spotify.
- "Bang Bang" is featured on Just Dance 2015 with "Problem".
Merchandise[]
Physical Releases[]
Videos[]
Gallery[]
“deep breaths, tight chest, life, death” To view the Bang Bang gallery, click here.
|
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1: Jessie J]
She got a body like an hourglass
But I can give it to you all the time
She got a booty like a Cadillac
But I can send you into overdrive
(You've been waiting for that, step on up, swing your bat)
See, anybody could be bad to you
You need a good girl to blow your mind, yeah
[Hook: Jessie J]
Bang bang into the room (I know you want it)
Bang bang all over you (I'll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)
Wait a minute 'til you (ahhh, hey!)
Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it)
Back, back seat of my car (I'll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)
Wait a minute 'til you (ahhh, hey!)
[Verse 2: Ariana Grande]
She might've let you hold her hand in school
But I'mma show you how to graduate
No, I don't need to hear you talk the talk
Just come and show me what your momma gave, oh yeah
(Okay you've got a very big shhh, mouth but don't say a thing)
See anybody could be good to you
You need a bad girl to blow your mind
[Hook: Jessie J & Ariana Grande]
Bang bang into the room (I know you want it)
Bang bang all over you (I'll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)
Wait a minute 'til you (ahhh, hey!)
Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it)
Back, back seat of my car (seat of my car) (I'll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)
Wait a minute 'til you (ahhh, hey!)
[Collision/Spoken: Nicki Minaj]
You know what, girls?
Let me show you how to do
[Verse 3: Nicki Minaj]
It's Myx moscato, it's frizz in a bottle
It's Nicki Full Throttle, it's oh, oh
Swimming in The Grotto, we winning in the lotto
We dipping in the powder blue, four door
Kitten so good, it's dripping on wood
Get a ride in the engine that could go
Batman, robbin' it, bang bang, cockin' it
Queen Nicki dominant, prominent
It's me, Jessie, and Ari, if they test me, they sorry
Ride his uh like a Harley then pull off in this Ferrari
If he hanging, we banging, phone ranging, he slanging
It ain't karaoke night but get the mic 'cause I'm singing
[Bridge: Jessie J & (Nicki Minaj)]
(Uh, B to the A to the N to the G to the uh)
(B to the A to the N to the G to the hey)
See, anybody could be good to you
You need a bad girl to blow your mind
[Hook: Jessie J, (Ariana Grande) & Nicki Minaj]
Bang bang into the room (I know you want it)
Bang bang all over you (I'll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)
Wait a minute 'til you (oh, yeah!) (ahhh, hey!) yeah uh-huh
Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it)
Back, back seat of my car (I'll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (let me take you there) (ah)
Wait a minute 'til you (ahhh, hey!)
Bang bang into the room (I know you want it)
Bang bang all over you
Yo I said, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang
Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it)
Back, back seat of my car (I'll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)
Wait a minute 'til you (ahhh, hey!)
[Hook]
(I'll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (Ah)
Wait a minute 'til you (Ahhh, hey!)
Track Listing[]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) | 3:19 |
Total length: | 3:19 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) (Dada Life Remix) | 3:34 |
2. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) (Kat Krazy Remix) | 3:57 |
3. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) (3LAU Remix) | 3:06 |
4. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) (Imanos & Gramercy Remix) | 3:44 |
5. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) (Super Stylers Remix) | 3:33 |
6. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) (iLL BLU Mix Radio Edit) | 3:45 |
Total length: | 21:39 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) | 3:19 |
2. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) (A Capella) | 3:16 |
3. | "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) (Instrumental) | 3:18 |
Total length: | 9:54 |
References[]
- ↑ Rolling Stone - Jessie J: Why ‘Bang Bang’ Is a Song Young Women Need to Hear
- ↑ https://twitter.com/AG7Source/status/1745265788720656629/photo/1
- ↑ "Ariana Grande initially rejected one of her biggest bangers"
- ↑ MTV - "Nicki Minaj Is Thrilled That Simon Cowell Loves 'Bang Bang'"
- ↑ Music Charts Archive - "Bang Bang by Jessie J"
- ↑ Instagram photo of Jessie J on set
- ↑ Twitter - Post about Bang Bang
My Everything | |
---|---|
August 22, 2014 • 40:31 • Republic Records | |
Songs | |
Released | Bang Bang • Be My Baby • Best Mistake • Break Free • Break Your Heart Right Back • Cadillac Song • Hands On Me • Intro • Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart • Love Me Harder • My Everything • One Last Time • Only 1 • Problem • Too Close • Why Try • You Don't Know Me |
Unreleased | Ain't About What You Got • In The Morning • Lighter • Not Afraid of Love • Nothing Lasts Forever • Ridiculous • The Way It Is |
Artists | |
Ariana Grande • A$AP Ferg • Big Sean • Cashmere Cat • Childish Gambino • Iggy Azalea • Jessie J • Miley Cyrus • Nicki Minaj • The Weeknd • Tori Kelly • Zedd | |
Tour | |
The Honeymoon Tour |