"Salt" is a song by American singer
Ava Max
Amanda Ava Koci (born Amanda Koçi; February 16, 1994), known professionally as Ava Max, is an American singer and songwriter. She signed with Atlantic Records in 2016, through which she released her breakthrough single "Sweet but Psycho" in ...
, released on December 12, 2019, through
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
. The
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
was later included on her debut studio album, ''
Heaven & Hell'' (2020). The song was initially released on
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 ...
and
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
in 2018, before being re-released on
streaming services
An over-the-top media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributors of s ...
. It was written by Max,
Autumn Rowe
Autumn Rowe (born May 25, 1981), is an American singer-songwriter, TV personality, DJ and activist from South Bronx, New York, United States. In 2010, she helped write the song "Happiness" by Alexis Jordan, with producers Stargate and Deadmau5, w ...
,
Madison Love
Madison Emiko Love is an American singer and songwriter. She is signed to Artist Publishing Group.
Early life
Madison Emiko Love was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Roger Love, is a vocal coach. Love moved to New York ...
,
Nicole Morier
Nicole "Coco" Morier (lives in Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American singer-songwriter and producer. She began her career in 2002 as one half of the electronic rock duo Electrocute before becoming a songwriter for artists includ ...
, and the producer
Cirkut
Henry Russell Walter (born April 23, 1986), known professionally as Cirkut, is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has co-produced and co-written for Dr. Luke, Katy Perry, Becky G, Ava Max, Nicki Minaj, R. City, The Weeknd, Kesha, Ciar ...
. The
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
song is regarded as a "fan-favorite" by several publications, who praised the upbeat production. "Salt" peaked at number one in Poland, and charted in the top 10 in Austria,
CIS
Cis or cis- may refer to:
Places
* Cis, Trentino, in Italy
* In Poland:
** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central
** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north
Math, science and biology
* cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
, Finland, Germany, Norway, Russia, Ukraine, and Switzerland. The song received a quadruple platinum
certification
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
in Poland and Norway, and was certified platinum in four countries.
Background and composition
"Salt" was initially released on
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 ...
and
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
in 2018, where it gained 4 million views on the former by December 2019.
On December 5, 2019, Max revealed the release date on social media, which was subsequently re-released as a digital single on several
streaming services
An over-the-top media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributors of s ...
on December 12, 2019.
She acknowledged that the song's re-release was due to its high streaming numbers, despite containing no prior marketing or promotion. It was written by Max,
Autumn Rowe
Autumn Rowe (born May 25, 1981), is an American singer-songwriter, TV personality, DJ and activist from South Bronx, New York, United States. In 2010, she helped write the song "Happiness" by Alexis Jordan, with producers Stargate and Deadmau5, w ...
,
Madison Love
Madison Emiko Love is an American singer and songwriter. She is signed to Artist Publishing Group.
Early life
Madison Emiko Love was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Roger Love, is a vocal coach. Love moved to New York ...
,
Nicole Morier
Nicole "Coco" Morier (lives in Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American singer-songwriter and producer. She began her career in 2002 as one half of the electronic rock duo Electrocute before becoming a songwriter for artists includ ...
, and the producer
Cirkut
Henry Russell Walter (born April 23, 1986), known professionally as Cirkut, is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has co-produced and co-written for Dr. Luke, Katy Perry, Becky G, Ava Max, Nicki Minaj, R. City, The Weeknd, Kesha, Ciar ...
.
"Salt" is a
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
song,
with elements of
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
.
It contains "pumping disco beats from the
seventies
File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...
and
eighties
File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, '' Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to t ...
" blended with Max's "vocal inflexions". A violin is heard in the introduction, while
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
and
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
are lyrically mentioned throughout the song, due to their icon status in
femininity
Femininity (also called womanliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviors considered fe ...
.
The song's lyrics describes the carefree nature of not crying over an ex.
Critical reception
Several publications have regarded "Salt" to be a "fan-favorite" since its 2018 release.
Rania Aniftos of ''
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 ...
'' described the song as an "upbeat, sassy track about having fun after a sad spell",
while Madeline Roth of
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
called it "dance-pop blissfulness".
Writing for ''
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
'', Chris DeVille wrote that "Salt" is the best song out of Max's discography despite sounding similar to
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
.
Shaoni Das of ''Music Talkers'' stated that the song is an "exhilarating
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
number, awash in pools of glitter, glamour, and confidence".
However, Nicholas Hautman of ''
Us Weekly
''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...
'' criticized the song's lyrics for being cliché, specifically noting that it is "about crying so much that you literally run out of the
electrolyte
An electrolyte is a medium containing ions that is electrically conducting through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water. Upon dis ...
s needed to form tears".
Commercial performance
"Salt" topped the
Polish Airplay Top 100 on the chart issued April 4, 2020, where it was ultimately certified quadruple platinum by the
Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry
The Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry ( pl, Związek Producentów Audio-Video, ZPAV) is the trade organization that represents the interests of the music industry in Poland, and the Polish chapter of the International Federation of the ...
(ZPAV) for track-equivalent sales of 80,000 units on August 11, 2021.
In Norway, the song debuted at number 37 on the
VG-lista
VG-lista is a Norwegian record chart. It is presented weekly in the newspaper '' VG''. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continents around the world. The data are collected by Nie ...
, before peaking at number five.
On the
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Tuesdays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as ...
chart, "Salt" debuted at number 71 on the chart dated March 13, 2020. It peaked at number eight on the chart dated April 17, 2020, and was certified platinum by the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...
(IFPI) for track-equivalent sales of 30,000 units in the country.
In Germany, "Salt" debuted at number 99 on the
Offizielle Deutsche Charts
The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustr ...
dated February 21, 2020, and peaked at number 10 on the chart issued April 10, 2020.
The song received a platinum certification by the
Bundesverband Musikindustrie
The Bundesverband Musikindustrie (English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, which ...
(BVMI) for track-equivalent sales of 400,000 units in the country.
"Salt" charted in the top 10 in Finland, Russia, Ukraine, and Switzerland,
while receiving a platinum certification in Brazil,
and gold certifications in France and the United States.
Track listing
Digital download /
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
# "Salt" 3:00
Digital download / streaming – acoustic
# "Salt" (Acoustic) 3:10
Digital download / streaming – The Remixes
# "Salt" (
Syn Cole
Rene Pais (born 25 March 1988), better known by his stage name Syn Cole is an Estonian DJ and record producer.
Syn Cole started out on Avicii LE7ELS record label and management. His singles and remixes have amassed over 1 billion total streams o ...
Remix) 3:11
# "Salt" (Toby Green Remix) 2:47
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
# "Salt" 3:00
# "
Torn
Torn may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Torn'' (2009 film), an American film by Richard Johnson
* ''Torn'' (2013 American film), directed Jeremiah Birnbaum
* ''Torn'' (2013 Nigerian film), directed by Moses Inwang
* ''Torn'' (TV series), a ...
" 3:18
# "
Freaking Me Out
"Freaking Me Out" is a song by American singer Ava Max, released as a promotional single through Atlantic Records on July 31, 2019, and charted on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart at number 29. The song was written by Max, Jon Bellion, Jonathan ...
" 3:12
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from "
Torn
Torn may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Torn'' (2009 film), an American film by Richard Johnson
* ''Torn'' (2013 American film), directed Jeremiah Birnbaum
* ''Torn'' (2013 Nigerian film), directed by Moses Inwang
* ''Torn'' (TV series), a ...
" German CD single and
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
.
Recording
* Recorded at A Studios,
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...
Personnel
*
Amanda Ava Koci vocals, songwriting
*
Henry Walter songwriting, production, mixing, programming, vocal recording
* Autumn Rowe songwriting
* Madison Love songwriting
* Nicole Morier songwriting
*
Chris Gehringer
Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered recordings such as Gwen Stefani's '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004), Rihanna's '' Loud'' (2010), Lady Gaga's '' Born This Way'' (2011) and Drake' ...
mastering
*
Serban Ghenea
Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer.
Early life and education
Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...
mixing
* John Hanes engineering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
*
List of number-one singles of 2020 (Poland)
This is a list of the songs that reached number-one position in official Polish single chart in ZPAV in 2020.
Chart history
Number-one artists
See also
* Polish music charts
* List of number-one albums of 2020 (Poland)
References
{{P ...
References
{{Ava Max
2019 singles
2018 songs
Atlantic Records singles
Ava Max songs
Number-one singles in Poland
Songs written by Cirkut
Songs written by Nicole Morier
Songs written by Autumn Rowe
Songs written by Madison Love
Song recordings produced by Cirkut
Songs written by Ava Max