Knock You Down
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"Knock You Down" is a song by American singer and songwriter Keri Hilson, recorded for her debut album, '' In a Perfect World...''. The song features guest vocals from Ne-Yo and Kanye West. All three artists co-wrote the song with its producer Nate "Danja" Hills, as well as Kevin Cossom and
Marcella Araica Marcella Christina Araica is an American recording and mixing engineer, who has recorded and mixed tracks for artists including Britney Spears, Duran Duran, K. Michelle, Keri Hilson, Madonna, P!nk and Timbaland. Biography Araica started her prof ...
. The song was released first released to rhythmic and urban airplay in the United States as the album's fourth single in the US, and it would later serve as the third worldwide single. The song is an R&B and hip hop song, which includes elements of pop music. The lyrics of the song pertain to how love "knocks you down." Part of the song refers to Michael Jackson; coincidentally it was released at the time surrounding the death of the singer. The song received generally mixed to positive reviews, with critics divided as to whether Ne-Yo and West overwhelmed Hilson's appearance. However, reviewers also complimented that the song was radio-friendly. It was nominated for multiple awards, including Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the
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. "Knock You Down" peaked at number one in New Zealand, and was certified Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
. It also reached the top ten in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The song's music video was directed by Chris Robinson. It sees Hilson caught in a love triangle with her former partner West, and new-found love Ne-Yo. The video received positive reviews, which appreciated the given performances given by the artists. Hilson performed the song a number of times, including television appearances such as on '' The Rachael Ray Show''. She also notably performed the song at the 2009 BET Awards, where she used the Jackson reference of the song to give a tribute performance to the late singer.


Background

Hilson and Ne-Yo knew each other from their days as co-songwriters. Hilson had appeared as Ne-Yo's love interest in the video for his song " Miss Independent," the second single taken from his 2008 album, ''
Year of the Gentleman ''Year of the Gentleman'' is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings on September 16, 2008 in the United States. As with his previous albums ''In My Own Words' ...
''. In a September 2008 interview with ''
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 ...
'' about a recent crop of songwriters becoming singers, Ne-Yo said "For one, I think Keri Hilson’s too freakin’ pretty to be in the background. For two, her voice is incredible—on top of the fact that she can write. So I think that she's definitely one that deserves the spotlight." In "Knock You Down", Kanye West makes multiple references to Michael Jackson, and coincidentally, the song was released in numerous territories around the death of the singer.


Composition

"Knock You Down" is a R&B song with a length of five minutes and twenty six seconds. The song also includes electro tones, and derives from pop and hip hop genres. The song is set in common time, and composed in a "moderate R&B groove." It is written in the key of G minor, and vocals span from F3 to D5. It follows the chord progression E–F–B–E–F–Gm. The song begins with a rap intro by Kanye West, accompanied by a "stabbing synth riff." According to Chris Williams of ''
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'', The verses contain a "thumping bass-beat" while the chorus is in a "frenetic midtempo groove." Dan Nishimoto of Prefix Magazine said the song had a "4/4
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feel on the verses and stuttering drums on the chorus." Hilson performs the first verse and chorus, while Ne-Yo sings the second verse. West then has a rap interlude before Hilson sings an additional part before the song ends with the chorus by Hilson, accompanied by Ne-Yo. In West's lines, he references Michael Jackson and his song "
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" in the lines "This is bad, real bad, Michael Jackson." Coincidentally, the song was released in numerous territories around the death of the singer. West also refers to the domestic abuse accusations against Jackson's father, Joe, in the following lyric "Now mad, real mad, Joe Jackson." Lyrically, the song is about how a great love goes wrong.


Critical reception

Chris Williams of ''
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'' said "with a vocal assist from Ne-Yo and a clever guest rap by Kanye West, it appears Hilson is intent on a knockout punch of her own." Dan Nishimoto of Prefix Magazine said the song was one of the better radio-friendly tracks on the album. Melinda Newman of HitFix said that "the mid-tempo track is undeniably catchy and will embed itself within your brain after only a few listens." Sophie Bruce of BBC Music positively received the song, calling it the album's "biggest potential hit." Although Nick Levine of
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gave the song three out of five stars, complimenting production by Danja, and saying that the song sounded like a more obvious hit than " Return the Favor", he complained that "getting two R&B A-listers to appear on your track should be a real coup, but not when one's got a more distinctive voice than you and the other steals the show with some typically ballsy rapping." Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters criticized the repetitive hook, stating "Hook-wise, it’s a little like listening to an album of kids chanting while playing double-dutch." He also said that Hilson's vocals "show promise but fail to distinguish the Hilson brand from the crowd." "Knock You Down" was nominated for three awards. At the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards, the song was nominated for Record of the Year (Songwriters Award) as well as Best Collaboration. At the
52nd Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...
, it was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, but lost to
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 of ...
's " Run This Town", another song in which West is featured. '' Entertainment Weekly'' named "Knock You Down" the fourth best song of 2009. ''
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'' listed it the 19th on its list of the best songs of 2009.


Chart performance

"Knock You Down" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number sixty-five, and would later go on to peak at number three. Along with "The Way I Are", it was Hilson's highest-charting single on the Hot 100. It also achieved successes in other ''Billboard'' component charts, topping the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and reaching number three on the Pop Songs chart. "Knock You Down" became Hilson's biggest airplay single to date, topping the Hot 100 Airplay for four consecutive weeks. It has sold over 2,100,000 digital copies as of April 2011. "Knock You Down" spent a total of thirty-one weeks on the Hot 100. The single appeared on numerous charts internationally. On the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
, and the
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 ...
the song peaked at number three. It debuted at number forty on the UK Singles Chart, and five weeks later, it reached number five, where it remained for two weeks. In Ireland, it peaked at number two on the
Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...
, while it reached number eight on the
Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica ...
. The song performed best on the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it reached number one, and was eventually certified Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
(RIANZ). "Knock You Down" charted in the top twenty of Norway, Sweden, and Slovakia, the top thirty of Germany, Belgium (Wallonia), and Denmark, and in the top forty of the Czech Republic. It reached number forty-nine on the Belgian Singles Chart in Flanders. its success in Europe allowed it to chart at number thirteen on the
European Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and '' Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
.


Music video

The music video for "Knock You Down", directed by Chris Robinson, premiered on March 23, 2009. The video begins with Hilson slowly falling backwards onto a bed, and then West appears and raps the introduction. Both start reflecting on their previous relationship, before the clip flashes back to the previous events. West is shown to be an artist, who is painting a portrait of Hilson. Hilson and West begin to caress each other, as she is shown in several seductive poses in a bed and sings in front of a white backdrop. The video returns to the present, showing Hilson and West breaking up, as both of them fall backwards onto the floor, similar to the way Hilson falls onto the bed in the opening sequence. Visual effects come into play greater in this scene, as when West falls, he shatters into pieces. Ne-Yo then appears, and sings his lines in front of a grey backdrop. Ne-Yo and Hilson proceed to go on a date at a party in West and Hilson's apartment, and are seen being affectionate by West. He then confronts Hilson, and Ne-Yo also approaches the duo before Hilson walks off, torn between the two men. The clip ends with Hilson falling backwards onto a bed, in similar fashion as the opening scene. Melinda Newman of HitFix positively received the video, stating "its success lies solely in the charisma and believability that the trio brings to the small screen, which is considerable." A writer for BET Sound Off called the video a "tantalizing visual" and said he adored it, commenting, "sans Kanye and Neyo’s unbearable showdown, I could watch this video over and over and over and over!" Margeaux Watson of '' Entertainment Weekly'' said, "Though their scenes together are G-rated in comparison to Ciara's steamy romp with
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
in their new clip for ' Love Sex Magic,' Hilson’s solo shots in bed are undeniably hot. Indeed, a tasteful flash of booty never hurt nobody." In an interview on the '' Today Show'', anchor Hoda Kotb made a remark to Ne-Yo, stating, "You have this really hot new video that you do with Kanye West and another woman named Keri. You nd Kanyeare such big stars. How did this happen?" Blogs reported this as a possible "diss" toward Hilson, however, neither camps reported anything after the fact.


Live performances

Hilson performed the song for Walmart Soundcheck to promote the album. She also performed the song while being a supporting act to Ne-Yo, on his Year of the Gentleman tour in 2009. Hilson and West performed the song on May 5, 2009, on the ''
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''. Hilson also performed the song, along with a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "
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" on July 21, 2009, for Yahoo! Music sponsored by Pepsi. She performed the song with " Turnin Me On" at the 2009 BET Awards in June 2009. She used the Michael Jackson reference in the song to perform a dance routine paying homage to Jackson, at the awards ceremony. On July 28, 2009, Hilson performed the song on '' It's On with Alexa Chung''. Hilson performed the song and " Energy" with British singer-songwriter Taio Cruz at the
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, which she co-hosted, on October 4, 2009. On January 1, 2010, she performed the song as a part of her set list of '' Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest''. On January 29, 2010, Hilson performed an acoustic rendition of the song on '' The Rachael Ray Show''. On February 5, 2010, she performed the song at BET's SOS: Help for Haiti Telethon, to benefit the victims of the
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. On October 22, 2010, she performed the song in Chicago at Collins Academy High School during for the Get Schooled National Challenge and Tour.


Track listing

;Digital download remix bundle #"Knock You Down" (Electrolitz Remix) eat. Rye Rye">Rye_Rye.html" ;"title="eat. Rye Rye">eat. Rye Rye– 4:55 #"Knock You Down" (Moto Blanco Club Remix Extended) – 8:59 #"Knock You Down" (Moto Blanco Club Remix) – 5:54 #"Knock You Down" (Moto Blanco Dub Remix) – 7:44 #"Knock You Down" (Random Soul Synthetic Remix) – 7:52 #"Knock You Down" (Bimbo Jones Club Remix) – 7:41 #"Knock You Down" (Bimbo Jones Dub Remix) – 7:41 #"Knock You Down" (Bimbo Jones Radio Remix) – 4:28 ;Europe CD single #"Knock You Down" (Radio edit) – 4:12 #"Knock You Down" (Radio edit instrumental) – 4:12


Credits

* Nathaniel "Danja" Hills – writer, record producer * Keri Hilson – writer, vocals, vocal producer * Kevin Cossom – writer * Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith – writer, vocals *
Marcella Araica Marcella Christina Araica is an American recording and mixing engineer, who has recorded and mixed tracks for artists including Britney Spears, Duran Duran, K. Michelle, Keri Hilson, Madonna, P!nk and Timbaland. Biography Araica started her prof ...
– writer, recording engineer, audio mixer * Kanye West – writer, vocals *Josh Mosser – recording engineer *Bryan Jones – recording engineer *Ben Reid – recording engineer *Anthony Palazolle – recording engineer *Jared Newcomb – audio mixing assistant Source


Charts


Weekly charts


Monthly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Covers and parodies

*
Rucka Rucka Ali Rucka Rucka Ali (born January 27, 1987) is an Israeli-American rapper, singer, radio personality, comedian, YouTuber, and parodist. He is best known for his dark humor, political and topical song parodies on YouTube. Much of his content pokes fu ...
made a parody of "Knock You Down" called "Crips & Bloods".


References

{{authority control 2009 singles Kanye West songs Keri Hilson songs Music videos directed by Chris Robinson (director) Ne-Yo songs Song recordings produced by Danja (record producer) Songs written by Keri Hilson Songs written by Ne-Yo Songs written by Kanye West Song recordings produced by Kanye West Songs written by Danja (record producer) Number-one singles in New Zealand Songs written by Kevin Cossom Songs written by Marcella Araica 2009 songs