Find U Again

"Find U Again" is a song by English record producer Mark Ronson featuring Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello. It was released on 30 May 2019, as the fourth single from Ronson's fifth studio album ''Late Night Feelings'' (2019). The song contains elements of synth-pop and disco-pop, and is accompanied by synthesizers and vocodered vocals. It was compared to bedroom pop songs by Lesley Gore and the Shangri-Las from the 1960s. The lyrics describe the process of searching for a new relationship after a previous heartbreak. The song was written by Cabello, Ilsey Juber, and the producers Ronson and Kevin Parker.

"Find U Again" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised Ronson's production and Cabello's vocal delivery. The song peaked at number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart after several remixes were made, and charted at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart where it received a silver certification. An accompanying music video was directed by Bradley & Pablo and depicts Ronson rescuing Cabello from bounty hunters. The video was compared to the film noir and western movie genres, in addition to Quentin Tarantino-directed films such as ''Kill Bill'' (2003).

Background and release

In 2017, Mark Ronson and Tame Impala musician Kevin Parker collaborated on the melody of "Find U Again" while they were on tour. Ronson offered to finish the song for his next album when Parker needed to return to Perth, stating that he needed "the perfect person whose voice is just gonna cut through, and it's gonna be the right person to write the lyrics". He decided to include Camila Cabello after hearing her 2017 song "Never Be the Same" on the radio, stating that it "cuts so hard, but she delivers a lot of emotion". She immediately accepted when he texted her about the concept of his fifth studio album ''Late Night Feelings'' (2019), particularly about the theme of heartbreak. During the recording session, Cabello contributed her own lyrics to the song's chorus, some of which she had had since the age of 16. According to other sources, however, she thought of the lyrics the night before entering the recording studio. Ronson was surprised by how fast Cabello formulated the lyrics, admitting that writing lyrics to a pre-existing melody can be challenging. Describing Cabello's vocals, he compared them to a laser which "cuts through," acknowledging that not many artists have that capability.

In January 2019, Ronson, Cabello, and songwriter Ilsey Juber shared a picture from a recording studio and hinted at a possible collaboration. While Ronson was on the red carpet at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, he confirmed that Cabello would appear on a track titled "Find U Again". Prior to its release, Cabello posted a video of herself singing the song in a car, while Ronson posted a teaser on Instagram. "Find U Again" premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 station on 30 May 2019. It was distributed to streaming services and made available for digital download on the same day.

Composition

"Find U Again" is a synth-pop and disco-pop song, accompanied by a 1980s synthesizer and Auto-Tuned vocals. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by BMG Rights Management, the song is based on common time, with a tempo of 104 beats per minute, and is played in the key of C minor. Cabello's vocal range spans from the low note of B₃ to the high note of C₅. She croons throughout the song over twinkling keys and synth-bass, which was described as an experimental sonic track compared to 1960s bedroom songs by Lesley Gore and the Shangri-Las. The instrumentation challenged Cabello's vocals, as they deviated from her previous pop songs, which consisted of a trap drum kit and top 40 sounds. Writing for ''Billboard'', Andrew Unterberger stated that Cabello's versatile vocals were similar to that of Charli XCX and Kim Petras, noting that both artists had songs which were included on Spotify's New Music Friday playlist the same week.

The song's middle eight contains a mellifluous vocoder, as Cabello transitions from singing in a ballad-style manner in the chorus, to each verse in a "sing-speak-y falsetto" with a bubblegum pop cadence. She despairingly sings the lyric in the second verse with an increased pitch, "Have mercy on me please / I messed up to the third degree". Brittany Spanos of ''Rolling Stone'' compared her vocodered vocals on the ramped up second verse to Taylor Swift's 2018 song " Delicate". Couplets are used in the lyric, "this crush is kind-of crushing me / I do therapy at least twice a week", which is described as a "breathy falsetto plea for patience". Cabello modulates her voice when she sings the lyric, "tears in your eyes".

The lyrics describe the process of finding a new relationship while recovering from heartbreak, as Cabello sings about losing a person that she would never see again. She attempts to forget the memories by seeking new lovers and reacquainting with past haunts. Lyrically, "Find U Again" portrays the intense emotions of breakup sadness similar to the Backstreet Boys' 1999 song " I Want It That Way", which accentuates "soul-destroying sadness". Amanda Mitchell of '' O, The Oprah Magazine'' suggested that the song was written about Ronson's divorce from French actress Joséphine de La Baume.

Critical reception

Kat Bein of ''Billboard'' described "Find U Again" as a "a sugary-sweet, vocoded crush song". '' Variety'' staff member Jem Aswad stated that it was "the most pop-friendly track" on ''Late Night Feelings'', commending the "sultry melody" and "comfortable groove". Writing for ''Bandwagon'', Indran Paramasivam stated that "Find U Again" is a "mood-perfect herald" for ''Late Night Feelings'', describing it as "high-gloss, bass-forward pop with a tear-stained heft". Mitchell described "Find U Again" as "dance floor magic". Spanos praised Ronson's light and fresh production, which "never overshadows Cabello's effectively minimalistic delivery" and acknowledged that she has the "innate ability to add that extra, inexplicably something to anything she touches".

Writing for Uproxx, Chloe Gilke stated that Cabello's vocals perfectly matched the song's "moody melancholy" theme, which she similarly compared to her debut 2018 studio album '' Camila'' in "finding the beauty in distress and ugly feelings". ''Paper'' staff member Brendan Wetmore acknowledged that "Find U Again" "far exceeded expectations", commending the drastic shift in tone from Cabello's previous ventures such as Fifth Harmony and ''Camila''. Shaad D'Souza of ''The Fader'' noted that the song displayed an emotional intensity of breakup sadness despite containing lyrical clichés and generic phrases, praising Cabello's lyrical depth in the track that was disguised as "wide-reaching simplicity".

Commercial performance

"Find U Again" topped the US Dance Club Songs chart on the ''Billboard'' chart dated 9 October 2019, after it was remixed by MK, Robert Eibach and The Scene Kings. It was Cabello's first number one song on the chart, while it was Ronson's fourth after "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" (2018), "Electricity" (2018), and " Uptown Funk" (2014). The song ranked at number 32 on the Dance Club Songs 2019 year-end chart in the United States. "Find U Again" peaked at number 67 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart dated 15 June 2019, where it remained for nine weeks. The song was certified gold by Music Canada (MC) on 3 September 2019, for selling 40,000 units in Canada.

On the UK Singles Chart, "Find U Again" debuted at number 41 on the chart dated 13 June 2019. It peaked at number 27 on the chart dated 26 July 2019, and charted for 13 weeks. The song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 27 September 2019, for track-equivalent sales of 200,000 units in the United Kingdom. In Australia, "Find U Again" peaked at number 53 on the ARIA Singles Chart on the chart dated 8 June 2019, and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales of 70,000 track-equivalent units in Australia. The song was certified gold by the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) on 10 February 2021, for selling 10,000 units in Poland.

Music video

Background and development

On 8 July 2019, Ronson announced the release date of the music video on his social media accounts with a promotional poster, while RCA Records released a trailer. Cabello also shared an image on Instagram, which showed her with blonde hair and a fringe, pink lips, and kohl surrounding her eyes. She is seen wearing a silver dress with embellished sleeves, while holding a coffee cup. The music video was officially released on 9 July 2019. It was directed by Bradley & Pablo, and filmed in Los Angeles. Scenes filmed outside were shot in grayscale while scenes filmed inside contained "pops of colour", with an emphasis on blue.

Synopsis

In a motel, a bounty hunter called the Duke receives a call to pursue Cabello after learning that there is a bounty placed on her. Other bounty hunters were notified, including a duo named as the Twins. Ronson is also offered a $5,000 bounty to capture her "dead or alive". Cabello is disguised as a cabaret performer at Club Heartbreak, wearing a blonde wig and rhinestone-encrusted sequined bodysuit, while performing the song alongside two backup dancers. Ronson is the first person to arrive, but decides to watch her performance instead. A line of text is displayed with the sentence, "he has no idea he is about to fall in love".

The Duke is seen driving a muscle car and wearing a cowboy hat, while the Twins share a motorcycle. A truck driver by the name Nova Mercedes follows after them, who is stated to be a "curious opportunist" by the accompanying text. Club Heartbreak is raided and ripped apart by various bounty hunters led by the Duke, as they search for Cabello. The lights continuously flicker as Cabello is missing from the stage; she is seen crouching beside Ronson in the dark. Both artists drive off in Ronson's car when Cabello rips off her wig, revealing her natural brunette hair. She begins to smile as they make a getaway into the night.

Reception

Writing for ''Billboard'', Kirsten Spruch stated that the music video's retro and vintage atmosphere matched Ronson's production, which reminded her of old western films. Shakiel Mahjouri of ''Entertainment Tonight Canada'' noted that it contained "an Old Western vibe". Karen Gwee of ''NME'' opined that the music video contained film noir elements. Spanos compared it to 2003 martial arts film ''Kill Bill''. ABC News Radio staff also considered the video to be similar in style to Quentin Tarantino-directed films. Israel Daramola of ''Spin'' thought that it was complete with a car chase and the evocative presence of people, while Gilke considered the music video to be "strikingly cinematic".

Other cover versions

Mabel performed a cover of "Find U Again" on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge segment, which was uploaded to its official Vevo account on 7 August 2019.

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Late Night Feelings''.

Recording
* Recorded at Zelig Studios, Los Angeles, California and Diamond Mine, Queens, New York
* Mixed at MixStar Studio, Virginia Beach, Virginia
* Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City, New York

Personnel
* Mark Ronson – production, songwriting, programming, synthesizer
* Camila Cabello – vocals, background vocals, songwriting
* Kevin Parker – production, songwriting, background vocal, guitar, synth bass, programming, recording engineering, synthesizer
* Ilsey Juber – songwriting
* Nick Movshon – bass
* Homer Steinweiss – drums
* Leon Michels – synthesizer
* Phil Joly – engineering
* Randy Merrill – mastering engineering
* Serban Ghenea – mixing engineering
* Riccardo Damian – programming, recording engineering
* Beatriz Artola – recording engineering
* Jens Jungkurth – recording engineering
* Todd Monfalcone – recording engineering
* Abby Echiverri – assistant engineering
* John Hanes – assistant engineering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

See also

* List of number-one dance singles of 2019 (U.S.)

References

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2019 songs
Songs written by Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson songs
Songs written by Camila Cabello
Camila Cabello songs
Songs written by Ilsey Juber
Songs written by Kevin Parker (musician)
Song recordings produced by Mark Ronson
Song recordings produced by Kevin Parker
Black-and-white music videos
Torch songs
2019 singles