"Don't Let Me Down" is a song by American production duo

the Chainsmokers The Chainsmokers are an American electronic DJ and production duo consisting of Alexander "Alex" Pall and Andrew "Drew" Taggart. They started out by releasing remixes of songs by indie artists. The EDM- pop duo achieved a breakthrough with the ...

featuring vocals from American singer Daya. It was released on February 5, 2016, through

Disruptor Records Disruptor Records is an American record label founded by Adam Alpert in September 2014, as a joint venture with Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment. The label has sold more than 15 million singles worldwide as of 2016. History Alpert founded ...

and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. The song was written by Andrew Taggart,

Emily Warren Emily Warren Schwartz (born August 25, 1992) is an American singer and songwriter signed to the label Prescription Songs. She is best known for the songs she has written for several high-profile pop artists, including Backstreet Boys, The Cha ...

, and Scott Harris. It was released as the radio single follow-up to "

Roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

". "Don't Let Me Down" became both the Chainsmokers' and Daya's first top-five single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number three. It also became the Chainsmokers' second consecutive top 10 entry after "Roses", which peaked at number six. It reached the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. A set of remixes for the song, was released on April 15, 2016. A music video for the song was released on April 29, 2016, with appearances from the Chainsmokers and Daya. The song won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for

Best Dance Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...

. In 2021, the song received a diamond certification by the

RIAA 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/o ...

for selling 10 million units in the United States.

Background and composition

In an interview, Taggart stated that he first created the drop during a flight. The duo later added a "big, echoey guitar sound" to the song, inspired by the bands

the xx The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), a ...

and

Explosions in the Sky Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The quartet originally played under the name Breaker Morant, then changed to the current name in 1999. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elabora ...

, by using a Fender electric guitar and a software plugin.

and Scott Harris convened with the duo to create the melody and lyrics. However, the vocalist was not chosen until Taggart heard Daya's " Hide Away", after which the duo enlisted her to record the vocals in the studio. The song was originally intended for

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

, but her team rejected it. The key of the song was originally a step lower, but the duo changed it in order to better accommodate Daya's range. The third drop, which includes the saxophone, was created later in the process. The song has a

double-time In popular music, half-time is a type of meter and tempo that alters the rhythmic feel by essentially ''doubling the tempo resolution'' or metric division/level in comparison to common-time. Thus, two measures of approximate a single measure o ...

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 (often ...

of 80 beats per minute and a key of G♯ minor. "Don't Let Me Down" follows a chord progression of EBFGm, and Daya's vocals span from G₃ to C₅.

Critical reception

“Don’t Let Me Down” received critical acclaim. Robbie Daw 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 ...

stated " on't Let Me Downkicks off with a haunting guitar loop and 17-year-old Daya lamenting that she's 'crashing, hit a wall, right now I need a miracle.' By the time the chorus sweeps in, the song shifts into full-on trap mode" and called it a "trappy collaboration". Popdust's Jason Scott claimed " on't Let Me Downis an enormously engaging strip of gritty dance-club euphoria. Percussion vibrates underneath a well-constructed skyscraper of synth and evocative vocals from the 17-year-old Daya." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' named "Don't Let Me Down" one of the 30 best songs of the first half of 2016, writing "EDM may not dominate the charts the way it used to but the Chainsmokers' swirling, turnt-up love song proves the genre has a little fight left in it. Newcomer Daya goes to battle with the aggro, big room beats and ends up coming out on top."

Chart performance

In the United States, the single debuted at number 85 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the week of February 27, 2016 but fell off the chart the next week. It made a re-entry at number 81 for the week of March 12, 2016. The song reached a peak of number three for the week of July 16, 2016, and spent 23 weeks in the top 10; it was later named the eighth best-performing single of the year by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' (two spots above the duo's number-one hit " Closer"). In the United Kingdom, "Don't Let Me Down" became the Chainsmokers' highest-charting hit (until "Closer" which reached the top of the chart in September 2016) when the song reached number two 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 ...

on the issue dated July 21, 2016, spending 11 weeks in the top 10.

Music video

The music video for the song was released to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

on April 29, 2016. In the video, Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall (the Chainsmokers) get into a yellow

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

, lowrider at sunrise and begin to drive down a wooded mountain road. Intercut with shots of them driving is Daya, dressed in black leather pants and jacket, singing in a misty field full of bushes. Taggart and Pall stop the car when Daya, surrounded by dancers dressed similarly to her, stand in the middle of the road, blocking it. Daya sings as the girls perform dance moves around her while Taggart and Pall watch from the car. Suddenly, the cars hydraulic suspension begins bouncing up and down on its wheels. As the beat progresses, the rocking of the car becomes more violent and aggressive. Towards the end of the song, the rocking lifts Taggart and Pall out of the car and they are suspended in the air as the girls disperse. The music video was based around the show Supernatural, Taggart and Pall, representing Sam and Dean as they encounter and face in the woods a group of witches. As of September 2022, the video has received 1.8 billion views on YouTube.

Cover versions

Usher covered "Don't Let Me Down" in

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...

on September 5, 2016. Denver, CO heavy metal band, Immortal Sÿnn, released a cover of the song on November 3, 2016. Singer Joy Williams released a cover of the song on March 12, 2017.

Lyca Gairanod Lyca Jane Epe Gairanod (born November 21, 2004) is a Filipino singer and actress. She won the first season of '' The Voice Kids Philippines'', where she landed a recording contract with MCA Music Inc. (Philippines) She subsequently made her ...

, winner of

The Voice Kids Philippines ''The Voice Kids'' is a Philippine reality singing television competition on ABS-CBN. It premiered on May 24, 2014. A spinoff of The Voice of the Philippines, ''The Voice of the Philippines'', the series, like its parent show, is based on the or ...

first season, covered the song in a local morning show

Umagang Kay Ganda ''Umagang Kay Ganda'' (, also known as UKG) was a Philippine Breakfast television, morning show that aired on ABS-CBN from June 25, 2007, to May 5, 2020. Prior to ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy, broadcast stoppage and the COVID-19 pand ...

( Lit. ''A Morning So Beautiful'') in early 2017.

In other media

The song was featured in the television series ''

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...

,'' '' Degrassi: Next Class'' and '' Younger.'' In March 2017, the Joy Williams version of the song was used in a State Farm Insurance commercial. The song is featured as exclusive content on ''

Just Dance 2017 ''Just Dance 2017'' is a 2016 dance video game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on June 13, 2016, during its E3 press conference as the eighth main installment of the series, and was released in October 2016 for PlayStation 3 ...

''s subscription-based content, ''Just Dance Unlimited''. An instrumental version was used prominently as part of the BBC's 2017 UK General Election coverage. It was played during the swimsuit competition of ''

Miss Universe 2016 Miss Universe 2016 was the 65th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines on January 30, 2017. This is the second time in the history of the competition that the pageant skipped an entire year, ...

''.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2016 singles 2016 songs The Chainsmokers songs Daya (singer) songs Songs written by Andrew Taggart Songs written by Emily Warren Songs written by Scott Harris (songwriter) Indie pop songs Trap music (EDM) songs Disruptor Records singles Columbia Records singles Sony Music singles Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording