"Gotta Be You" is a song by English-Irish boy band
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
from their debut studio album, ''
Up All Night'' (2011). Written by
August Rigo
Dan August Rigo (born August 6, 1986) is a Filipino-Canadian recording artist, songwriter, producer and musician. August Rigo is signed to a publishing contract with Sony/ATV as a songwriter.
Early life
Rigo was born on August 6, 1986, in Toronto ...
and the song's producer,
Steve Mac, it was released in the United Kingdom by
Syco Music
Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...
in November 2011, as the album's second single. The track is a mid-
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 ...
Pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
incorporating an
orchestral
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...
arrangement. The lyrical content is characterised by love sentiments.
The single debuted and peaked at number three in both the United Kingdom and Ireland, marking the group's second top ten appearance in both countries. Upon the United States release of ''Up All Night'', "Gotta Be You" peaked at number 24 on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. Directed by John Urbano, 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 device ...
depicts the group spending time on the banks of
Lake Placid, New York. One Direction performed the ballad on televised programmes and during their
Up All Night Tour (2011–12).
Background and release
After being formed and finishing third in the
seventh series of ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' in 2010, One Direction were signed to
Syco Music
Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...
. The number was written by
August Rigo
Dan August Rigo (born August 6, 1986) is a Filipino-Canadian recording artist, songwriter, producer and musician. August Rigo is signed to a publishing contract with Sony/ATV as a songwriter.
Early life
Rigo was born on August 6, 1986, in Toronto ...
and
Steve Mac, and was produced by Mac.
One Direction premiered the single on
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, ...
on 19 October 2011, with confirmation that it would serve as the second cut from ''Up All Night'', following their debut single, "
What Makes You Beautiful
"What Makes You Beautiful" is the debut single by English-Irish boy band One Direction. It served as their debut single and lead single from their debut studio album, '' Up All Night'' (2011). Written by Savan Kotecha and producer Rami Yacoub, ...
", which topped 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 ...
in September of that year.
Member
Zayn Malik
Zain Javadd Malik ( ; born 12 January 1993), known mononymously as Zayn, is an English pop and R&B singer. Zayn auditioned as a solo contestant for the British music competition television series ''The X Factor'' in 2010. After being eliminate ...
, in an October interview with
Digital Spy, characterised "Gotta Be You" as "a bit more emotive" than their debut single.
[ It was released by Syco Music via digital download in Ireland and United Kingdom on 11 November 2011 and 13 November, respectively.][ In both countries, the digital download contains the principal recording, its B-side, "Another World", and two remixes of the song itself.][
]
Composition and lyrics
"Gotta Be You" is a mid-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 ...
pop ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
. According to the digital sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...
, One Direction's vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of st ...
in the song span from the note of E4 to E6. Written in the key of A major, the song is set in 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 ...
at a moderate 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 85 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 ...
.[ Set in an ]orchestral
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...
arrangement, its instrumentation
Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making.
Instrumentation can refer to ...
includes a guitar, piano lines, and abundant strings.[ The chorus of the song opens with falsettos that are followed by vocal harmonies.][ The lyrical content is characterised by love notions and prominently revolves around its main declaration, "It's gotta be you, only you".]
Critical reception
Both ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' writer Brian Mansfield, who appreciated the lyrical content, and PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
contributor Zachary Houle, who favoured the instrumentation, described "Gotta Be You" as one of ''Up All Night'' highlights.[ '' Billboard'' reviewer Jason Lipshutz commended the vocal elements at play in its refrain and the track's "smooth" lyricism.][ Robert Copsey for Digital Spy opined that the single's memorable refrain is its strongest attribute and rated it four out of five stars.] Matthew Horton of Virgin Media
Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, England. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint ventu ...
classified the song as one of the record's "superior tracks", and credited the ballad with keeping the album's "pecker up". ''Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
'' Sarah Kwong lauded the lyrics and instrumentation of "Gotta Be You" and noted its appeal to a more mature audience in comparison to their debut single "What Makes You Beautiful
"What Makes You Beautiful" is the debut single by English-Irish boy band One Direction. It served as their debut single and lead single from their debut studio album, '' Up All Night'' (2011). Written by Savan Kotecha and producer Rami Yacoub, ...
". Writing for Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
, Matthew Chisling, however, described the ballad as "a bit tepid."
Commercial performance
"Gotta Be You" debuted and peaked at number three on the Irish Singles Chart on the chart dated 17 November 2011, marking the group's second top five appearance in Ireland. In the United Kingdom, the piece sold substantially less than their first single "What Makes You Beautiful", selling 59,461 copies in its first week. Despite the single reaching number one on the mid-week chart update, it entered the UK Singles Chart dated 20 November 2011 at number three behind the seventh week sales of Rihanna's "We Found Love
"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011). Scottish DJ Calvin Harris wrote, produced, and features on the song, which also appears on his third album '' 18 Months'' (2012). "We F ...
" and the release of " Good Feeling" by Flo Rida.[ The song marks their second top ten hit and was One Direction's third best-selling track in the UK by August 2012.][ Upon the release of ''Up All Night'' in the United States, "Gotta Be You" did not enter the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but peaked at number 24 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in the week of 28 April 2012.]
Music video
The single's 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 device ...
was directed by John Urbano, who had previously directed the band's music video for "What Makes You Beautiful". While predominantly filmed in Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303.
The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsburg ...
, in October 2011, the clip's opening sequences were shot at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh
The State University of New York College at Plattsburgh (SUNY Plattsburgh) is a public college in Plattsburgh, New York. The college was founded in 1889 and officially opened in 1890. The college is part of the State University of New York (SUN ...
.[ In October, the group told Digital Spy that they feared a crocodile attack when shooting the video. They also told Capital FM correspondent Kevin Hughes that the clip would be a significant transition from their previous music video; Malik described it as poignant and Louis Tomlinson reflected, "The first one was all about having a very fun song, but this song is a bit different."][
The music video premiered on 8 November 2011 on ]YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and 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 Google, and is the second mo ...
, and predominantly depicts the group spending time on the banks of Lake Placid. As of February 2016, the music video has garnered more than 180 million Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
views. In the music video, the five-some end up meeting with girls in a camping spot in a forest. As the music ends, the group watch fireworks as Malik walks towards his significant other and kisses her. The clip attracted positive commentary from fans of the group.[
]
Live performances
One Direction performed the single for the first time on ''The X Factor UK
''The X Factor'' is a British reality television music competition, created by Simon Cowell. Premiering on 4 September 2004, it was produced by Fremantle's Thames and Cowell's production company Syco Entertainment for ITV, as well as simulc ...
'' on 13 November 2011, to open the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. One Direction also performed the track during their first headlining
. "Gotta Be You" was performed as the sixth song on the
, in the second segment of the show's synopsis.
on 3 December 2012.