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"Coming Home" is a song by the rapper and producer Diddy and his group
Dirty Money Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
, from their debut album '' Last Train to Paris'' (2010). It was released on November 21, 2010, as the album's fourth single. The song was written by
J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...
,
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...
,
Alex da Kid Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British musician, record producer, songwriter, record executive and fashion designer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for p ...
, and Skylar Grey, with Kid and Jay-Z handling the production. The song also features Grey lending vocals on the song's chorus. Jay-Z and Kid gifted the song to Diddy for ''Last Train to Paris''. "Coming Home" is a
biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
ly written hip hop and
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...
ballad inspired by moments in Diddy's life, the loss of his close friend
the Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...
, and references to classic songs by
Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles ch ...
,
McFadden & Whitehead McFadden and Whitehead were an American R&B duo, best known for their signature tune " Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". They wrote and produced some of the most popular R&B hits of the 1970s, and were primarily associated with the Gamble and Huff r ...
, and
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups ...
. Critics praised the redemptive ballad for the personal themes and lyrics which were a snapshot of Diddy's life. Praise was also given for Grey's soft vocals, which complemented the warmth of the song. An accompanying music video, directed by Rich Lee, follows the trio wandering through the desert in search of home only to find burned belongings and the shell of a home. Singled out as one of the album's highlights, "Coming Home" was promoted with live TV performances including at the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Pro ...
on November 21, 2010, the ''
WWE Tribute to the Troops ''WWE Tribute to the Troops'' is an American annual professional wrestling event held by WWE and Armed Forces Entertainment. Since 2003, the show airs as a television special during the month of December (specifically during the holiday season), ...
'' concert, and the March 10, 2011, episode of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...
'' which marked the first live performance of the song featuring Skylar Grey. "Coming Home" became Diddy – Dirty Money's most successful song to date. Aside from amassing one million digital sales, it peaked at number eleven on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number nine in Canada. Internationally, the single topped both Belgium
Ultratip Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
charts and the Swiss Singles Chart, as well as reaching top five in the UK. This comes in addition to breaking onto the A-playlists on British urban music radio and
mainstream radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
, and topping the UK R&B Singles chart for three consecutive weeks.


Inspiration and composition

"Coming Home" is a downtempo hip-hop and
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...
song, that opens with a "simple piano intro" and a "delicate vocal verse from Skylar Grey". It was written by Grey,
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...
,
J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...
, and Alex "da Kid" Grant, and produced by Jay-Z and Grant. When speaking to Kid about what he wanted, Diddy said, "I want a beat that makes me feel like a white man in a basement in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
". Diddy later called "Coming Home" a gift from Jay-Z and Kid. On
Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabili ...
, Grey wrote: "This is actually crazy. I wrote "Coming Home" for T.I. originally because he was getting out of prison, so it was originally written about that. But Puff wanted he songwhen he heard it and the song I had originally written for Puff, which is called "Castle Walls," ended up on T.I.'s album. So they swapped songs. The meaning of "Coming Home" changed and that's the beauty of music: it's open to interpretation." A demo of the song leaked in April 2010, performed by
J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...
and Skylar Grey. The only remnants of the demo in the final song is the intro. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, by
EMI Music Publishing EMI Music Publishing Ltd. is a British multinational music publishing company headquartered in London, owned by parent company Sony Corporation of America. In May 2018, Sony Music Publishing agreed to increase its stake in EMI to 90%, pendi ...
, the song was performed in the key of
D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...
with a
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
of
common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
and a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
of 69
beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...
. It follows the basic
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
of GDBmFm. Jayson Rodriguez of
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
noted that the concept and theme of the song were similar to events in Diddy's life, "referencing mistakes he has made in the past and that he wants to put behind him." Rodriguez also noted the song's tribute to
the Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...
, in the line "I miss you, B.I.G." The chorus features vocals from the group's female members,
Kalenna Harper Kalenna Harper (; born August 13, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, television personality, and record producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She perhaps is best known as a member of the musical duo Dirty Money with Dawn Richard; lat ...
and Dawn Richard, as well as
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
from fellow
Bad Boy Records Bad Boy Records (or Bad Boy Entertainment) is an American record label founded in 1993 by rapper Sean "Puffy" Combs. It operates as an imprint of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. It has been home to many artists, including ...
recording artist
Cassie Cassie is a feminine given name and a short form of various other given names mostly used in English-speaking countries. It is more rarely a surname. People and fictional characters named Cassie include: People with the name Given name or nickna ...
. The trio use a vocal range of A3–A4. Grey also sings some of the vocals during the song's opening chorus. ''
Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...
'' magazine reflected on the lyrics of the song, calling them a personal reflection of Diddy's life and career thanks to lines like "What am I ‘posed to do when the club lights come on/ It’s easy to be Puff, but it’s harder to be Sean/ What if my twins ask why I ain’t married their mom?" Scott Schetler from
AOL Radio AOL Radio powered by Slacker (formerly AOL Radio powered by CBS Radio, and prior AOL Radio featuring XM) was an online radio service available in the United States only. It had over 200 free internet radio stations. History Roots AOL Radio ...
Blog noted how Diddy referenced a different popular song in each verse. Lamb particularly noted the strong autobiographical lyrics, and the references to the 1979 hit song "
Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is a 1979 disco song performed by American R&B duo McFadden & Whitehead, from their debut album ''McFadden & Whitehead''. They wrote and produced the song along with keyboard player Jerry Cohen. McFadden & Whitehead wou ...
" by
McFadden & Whitehead McFadden and Whitehead were an American R&B duo, best known for their signature tune " Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". They wrote and produced some of the most popular R&B hits of the 1970s, and were primarily associated with the Gamble and Huff r ...
. Other songs referenced include
Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles ch ...
's " A House Is Not a Home" (1964) and
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups ...
' "
The Tears of a Clown "The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla Records label subsidiary of Motown, first appearing on the 1967 album '' Make It H ...
" (1970). Rodriguez said "Diddy do ssome soul-searching in his rhymes as the chorus echoes his need for salvation." Lamb compared the song to Diddy's early releases, saying that "'Coming Home' elcomesDiddy back to the upper ranks of pop-oriented hip hop artists". Additionally, Diddy told MTV that although the track had
autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
elements, it was part of the album's "conceptual love story narrated by his character". When asked by Live Lounge's Trevor Nelson what "Coming Home" was based on, Diddy said:


Critical reception

Upon release, "Coming Home" was generally met with a positive reception from music critics, who praised the autobiographical lyrics and composition of Skylar Grey's vocals with the
Alex da Kid Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British musician, record producer, songwriter, record executive and fashion designer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for p ...
and
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...
production. Becky Bain of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
wrote, "We have to give some credit to Diddy (or Jay-Z, if he did indeed write he lyrics for dropping some truly introspective lyrics instead of the usual not-so-subtle
Cîroc Cîroc is a brand of alcoholic beverages produced in France since 2003 and distributed by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. The brand family includes vodka, flavored products containing vodka, and brandy. Since ...
vodka promotions." Simon Vozick-Levinson from ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' agreed, and noted "Coming Home" as one of '' Last Train to Paris'' highlights, saying it was a "must download" as the album's only "redemptive ballad". Jim Farber of the ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ...
'' also noted the song's redemptive themes. He said 'Coming Home' is the "only song which breaks the flow" of ''Last Train to Paris'', "Diddy confesses to everything from bad parenting to fear of commitment. It's an interesting moment but an unnecessary one." Meanwhile,
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
's Bill Lamb awarded the song four out of five stars, calling it the first "pop hit single" in a long time "
hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
matches the size of his public persona". He praised the "beautifully sung chorus by Skylar Grey" and Diddy's deep "autobiographical lyrics". Lamb noted that the song "didn't have the same intensity of emotional impact" other
Alex da Kid Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British musician, record producer, songwriter, record executive and fashion designer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for p ...
productions (
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing Hip hop music, hip hop in Middle America (United Sta ...
's " Love the Way You Lie") but it did "deliver a warmth and sense of hope that is a good match with the current holiday season." A reviewer from Sound Savvy said "The latest single 'Coming Home' is another example of some of the great work found on the album. ... it’s a heartfelt anthem of triumph and survival – somber but not depressing."


Chart performance

"Coming Home" premiered on October 31, 2010, just prior to the fourth game of the Baseball World Series. It made its U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart debut at number sixty-one on December 11, 2010, three weeks after its release. In its third week on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the single experienced a 92% increase in sales, which amounted to 65,000 copies. As a result, the song vaulted from number forty-four to number seventeen on the
Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally star ...
chart causing the single to move from number fifty-one to twenty-four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song peaked at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot Digital Songs chart, number nine on the U.S.
Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
, number seven on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record ...
chart, and number eleven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It also peaked at number fifteen on the Radio Songs. Consequently, "Coming Home" outperformed all of the group's previous singles on the Hot 100 and Digital Songs charts. Additionally, "Coming Home" also peaked higher than two of the three songs mentioned in the lyrics. "
Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is a 1979 disco song performed by American R&B duo McFadden & Whitehead, from their debut album ''McFadden & Whitehead''. They wrote and produced the song along with keyboard player Jerry Cohen. McFadden & Whitehead wou ...
" by
McFadden & Whitehead McFadden and Whitehead were an American R&B duo, best known for their signature tune " Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". They wrote and produced some of the most popular R&B hits of the 1970s, and were primarily associated with the Gamble and Huff r ...
reached number thirteen, while
Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles ch ...
's " A House Is Not a Home" only reached number seventy-nine. The song experience some crossover success, including on the
Rap Songs Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stati ...
chart where it reached number twenty-one. By the end of January 2011, "Coming Home" had sold one million digital copies in the United States. It was certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA) on April 19 and 2× platinum on May 17, 2011. Internationally, the single got off to a strong start in Belgium, debuting on both the Flanders Tip and Wallonia Tip charts at number twenty-six. "Coming Home" would later top both Tip charts, before impacting on the main
Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
charts. On the Flanders Ultratop Singles chart, the song peaked at number seventeen, while on the Wallonia chart it peaked at number twenty-seven. "Coming Home" debuted in Switzerland at number forty-eight, and dropped seven places to number fifty-five in its second week. In its third week, the single rose fifteen places to number forty, and then continued to rise, eventually reaching number one on the Swiss Singles Chart. As a result of reaching number one, "Coming Home" is Diddy's highest-charting single in Switzerland in fourteen years; his last number one in Switzerland was "
I'll Be Missing You "I'll Be Missing You" is a song by American rapper Puff Daddy and American singer Faith Evans, featuring R&B group 112, in memory of fellow Bad Boy Records artist (and Evans's husband) Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, who was murder ...
" with
Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al ...
and 112 in 1997. "Coming Home" made its
Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
debut at number forty-nine and is thus the first single from Diddy-Dirty Money to chart within the top-fifty. It is since peaked at number four, and number two on the Australian Urban Singles Chart. The single had equal success in Germany, peaking at number four for two weeks. "Coming Home" was also successful in other territories too, also peaking in the top-ten in Austria, France, Ireland, New Zealand and Poland. On December 15, 2010, the single was added to the playlists on British mainstream radio and a week later to the playlists on British
urban music Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, Hip hop music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music ...
radio. Following its release, "Coming Home" debuted at number four on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, becoming Diddy's most successful single in that country since 2006's " Come to Me" with
Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
. Additionally the single topped the
UK R&B Chart The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Albums, or simply the UK Urban Chart) are 40-posi ...
and as a consequence, "Coming Home" is Diddy-Dirty Money's most successful single in the United Kingdom. In its second week, the single held on to its position of number four on the singles chart, which came in addition to maintaining its position at the top of the UK R&B Singles chart for three consecutive weeks. According to a press release by
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...
, as of March 25, 2011, "Coming Home" has sold 1.8 million digital downloads worldwide.


Music video


Background

The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...
made its worldwide premiere through
E! Online E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUniver ...
on November 29, 2010. It was filmed entirely in the Mojave Desert, just outside Palm Springs, CA. The video was the first of three released in the three weeks counting down to the album's release. Album cuts "Somebody to Love Me" and " Ass on the Floor" (featuring
Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
) received video releases on December 10 and 13, respectively. "Coming Home" was directed by
Rich Lee Richard "Rich" Lee is an American music video and commercial director. He has directed music videos for Eminem, Lana Del Rey, Maroon 5, The Black Eyed Peas, Norah Jones, Michael Bublé and The All-American Rejects. Rich Lee started his professio ...
and according to Steven Gottlieb, of Video Static, the theme drew comparisons to some of Diddy's earliest work. "'Coming Home' has Diddy choppering onto a dry lake bed which is dotted by the charred remains of a luxurious lifestyle."


Synopsis

"Coming Home" starts with scenes of a black helicopter (an
AgustaWestland AW109 The AgustaWestland AW109, originally the Agusta A109, is a lightweight, twin-engine, eight-seat multi-purpose helicopter designed and initially produced by the Italian rotorcraft manufacturer Agusta. It was the first all-Italian helicopter to ...
) flying over the desert. In some of the shots, Diddy can be seen looking out on to the horizon. As the song progresses into its main verses, the camera follows Diddy walking through the desert. In the background and foreground, the fire-damaged remnants of a home such as a TV set, fur coats and a stereo system are scattered across the landscape. During the chorus Dawn Richard and
Kalenna Harper Kalenna Harper (; born August 13, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, television personality, and record producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She perhaps is best known as a member of the musical duo Dirty Money with Dawn Richard; lat ...
take place in front of the camera, walking behind Diddy miming Grey's words. Later in the clip, during the second verse, Diddy sits in a burned out building singing to himself. Outside, a burned out vehicle is parked. Then during the song's
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...
, red smoke surrounds Diddy as the helicopter, from the opening scene, comes to land. However, this time Richard and Harper are seated inside waiting for Diddy. As the song fades, the helicopter flies over the desert toward the horizon.


Reception

Staff from
E! Online E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUniver ...
seemed impressed with the video's concept and choice of background scenery. They said "what better place for some introspection than the desert, right? No sexy bikini-clad ladies or blue-haired
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents ...
s to distract you, and when you're done, just call up the helicopter to pick you up (Pro tip: Hang your leg outside of the chopper for extra cool points.)". Stephen Gottlieb from Video Static said "It's a nice bookend with Diddy's – then Puff Daddy – first solo video, "
Can't Nobody Hold Me Down "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" is the debut single by rapper Puff Daddy. It appears on Puff Daddy's debut studio album '' No Way Out'' and it was released as his first single in 1997. The single was released through BMG Music, Arista Records and Puf ...
," which featured him and
Mase Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his mononym Mase (formerly Murda Mase and stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper and minister. In the late 1990s, he recorded on the Bad Boy Records label alongside its founder Sean ...
introducing an era of big budget hip-hop while driving a Rolls convertible across the desert." While Ed Easton Jr. from 92.3 Now FM drew comparisons to Diddy's earlier video for his 1997 hit single " Been Around the World", thus awarding the video six out of ten. However Easton was annoyed with the number of videos being released and said that fans were waiting for the actual album to be released.


Live performances and usage in media

Diddy-Dirty Money performed the song live for the first time at the 2010
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Pro ...
on November 21, 2010. For the performance the group were joined on stage by a full orchestra, with Diddy dressed in all-black but the other half of the group dressed in white gowns. The group reprised this performance on the December 4, 2010, airing of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' along with the debut performance of the next scheduled single "Ass On the Floor". On December 14, 2010, the group performed "Coming Home" on two separate occasions. First Diddy appeared on daytime chatshow, '' The View'', for an interview and was then joined by Richard and Harper to perform "Coming Home" then later the trio performed on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production ...
''. Four days later, the group performed the ballad at the ''WWE Tribute to the Troops'' concert. On January 20, 2011, the group performed the song live in the United Kingdom, on the ''
Radio 1 Live Lounge ''Radio 1's Live Lounge'' is a collection of live tracks played on Jo Whiley's Radio 1 show. It consists of both covers and the bands' own songs. Originally, it was scheduled for release in May 2006, but later changed to be released on 16 Octob ...
''. Diddy-Dirty Money then returned to the United States, where they performed "Coming Home" for the first time with Skylar Grey, on season ten of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...
'', on March 10, 2011. The song was used as entrance music by UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Bones Jones before his successful title defense against Quinton Rampage Jackson. Also, during the pre-game introductions for the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
' 2010–11 NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 23, 2011 (and home debut of newly acquired
Syracuse Orange The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is Ott ...
alumnus
Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team ...
), the song was used in a pre-game video, welcoming Melo "home" (he started his NBA career with the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
after leaving the Orange) to New York. There is also a friendly version of the song recorded by the cast of
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
's popular TV show ''
iCarly ''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and host ...
'', which can be heard on the show's second soundtrack, entitled ''
iSoundtrack II ''iCarly: iSoundtrack II'' is the second and final soundtrack album of the Nickelodeon television series ''iCarly''. It was released on January 24, 2012 as the follow-up album to ''iCarly''. It features Miranda Cosgrove's single " Dancing Crazy" ...
''. It was the official theme song to WWE's
WrestleMania 29 WrestleMania 29 (billed in print ads as WrestleMania NY/NJ) was the 29th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. N ...
, and at the event, Sean Combs and Skylar Grey performed it live in front of a sold-out venue of 80,676 in
MetLife Stadium MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. Opened in 2010 to replace Giants Stadium, it serves as the home for the New York Giants a ...
. Though not used as the official theme song, "Coming Home" has been used in almost every advertisement for the ABC drama series ''
Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...
''. On December 4, 2013, ''
The Fast and the Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...
'' team released a tribute video to
Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gaining recogniti ...
after the actor's untimely death, which contained excerpts from ''Coming Home''. On December 30, 2014, newly hired
Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...
head
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...
Jim Harbaugh James Joseph Harbaugh (; born December 23, 1963) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current and 20th head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He play ...
was introduced to the public during a brief halftime ceremony with the song playing as he walked onto center court.


Track listing

*Digital single # "Coming Home" featuring Skylar Grey – 3:59 # "Coming Home" featuring Skylar Grey (Instrumental) – 3:59 *UK CD single # "Coming Home" featuring Skylar Grey (Album Version) – 3:59 # "Coming Home" featuring Skylar Grey (Clean Version) – 3:59 *Digital download #"Coming Home" featuring Skylar Grey – 3:59 *Germany CD Single # "Coming Home" featuring Skylar Grey – 4:00 # "
Hello Good Morning "Hello Good Morning" is a song by American rapper and producer Diddy and his group Dirty Money, from their debut album, ''Last Train to Paris''. It was released from March 30, 2010 as the album's third single. The electronic dance song inco ...
" featuring T.I. – 4:29


Credits and personnel

"Coming Home" was recorded at
Chalice Recording Studios Chalice Recording Studio is located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States. Chalice opened in 2002 and is known for its elaborate interior decor and its large collection of rare and vintage analog recording equipment. When Chalice ...
and End of Era Studios in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. * J Browz – additional
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
and
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...
*
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...
producer (co-producer) * Diddy – lead vocals * Steve "Rock Star" Dickey –
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...
*
Dirty Money Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
(
Kalenna Harper Kalenna Harper (; born August 13, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, television personality, and record producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She perhaps is best known as a member of the musical duo Dirty Money with Dawn Richard; lat ...
, Dawn Richard) – lead vocals * Alex "da Kid" Grant – producer * Zack Gurka – engineer * Skylar Grey – featured vocals * Eric Hudson – Additional keyboards * Sly Jordan – vocal production * Chris Kasych – assistant engineer * Erik Madrid – assistant
mix engineer A mixing engineer (or simply mix engineer) is responsible for combining ("mixing") different sonic elements of an auditory piece into a complete rendition (also known as "final mix" or "mixdown"), whether in music, film, or any other content of a ...
* Manny Marroquin – mix engineer * Jarrod Newcomb – assistant engineer * Matthew Testa – engineer *
Cassie Ventura Casandra Elizabeth Ventura (born August 26, 1986), known professionally as Cassie, is an American singer, songwriter, model, actress and dancer. Born in New London, Connecticut, she began her career as a result of meeting record producer Ryan Le ...
– additional
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
* Jeffrey Walker (J-Dub) – additional keyboards


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Radio and release history


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coming Home (Diddy-Dirty Money Song) 2010 singles 2010s ballads Sean Combs songs Songs written by Jay-Z Songs written by J. Cole Song recordings produced by Alex da Kid American hip hop songs American pop songs Pop ballads Bad Boy Records singles Interscope Records singles Number-one singles in Switzerland Songs written by Alex da Kid Songs written by Skylar Grey Skylar Grey songs 2010 songs Music videos directed by Rich Lee