"Us" is a song by American singer
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
. It was written and produced by
Poo Bear
Jason Paul Douglas Boyd, better known by his stage name Poo Bear, is an American songwriter, singer, and music producer. He is best known for being one of Justin Bieber's main collaborators, having co-written many of Bieber's hits (including " ...
and
Skrillex
Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead sing ...
. The song was released digitally on February 2, 2018, by
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
. The song premiered at Calibash 2018, sung part in Spanish and part in English however the version released as a single is sung in English. Lopez performed the song live at
DirecTV
DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. It ...
's pre-
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
Super Saturday Night concert, and despite teasing a remix with Scottish DJ
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
, no remixes or further promotion took place. "Us" debuted at number five on the Finland Digital Songs chart and top-thirty on the
Hot Canadian Digital Songs
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
.
Background and composition
In March 2017, Lopez revealed through an
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
post that she was in the studio with
Skrillex
Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead sing ...
and
Poo Bear
Jason Paul Douglas Boyd, better known by his stage name Poo Bear, is an American songwriter, singer, and music producer. He is best known for being one of Justin Bieber's main collaborators, having co-written many of Bieber's hits (including " ...
.
In the video, she could be heard singing along to the hook "could it be us?" "Us" is Lopez's first English single since "
Ain't Your Mama" (2016).
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 was written and produced by Skrillex and Poo Bear. Describing its composition, David Klemow of the website
Dancing Astronaut
Dancing Astronaut is an American media platform founded in 2009 that primarily covers the electronic dance music industry. The website covers concerts and festivals, reports on entertainment news, reviews music, and publishes original content sy ...
observed its use of "playful vocal chops in the melody and comfortable percussion rhythms." Described as a "hopeful love song", it features lyrics about longing for more.
Lopez revealed that the song is inspired by her relationship with then-boyfriend
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
.
"Us" is characterized by a "pulsing beat", with its chorus being followed by a "synth-and-drum-driven breakdown".
It is performed in the key of
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major.
According to Paolo Pietropaolo, it is the cont ...
with a
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 124 beats per minute. The song was previewed during Lopez's set at Calibash 2018, where the first verse was sung in Spanish. She also teased a remix by
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
.
At the time of writing, the version of "Us" released for streaming and download is sung entirely in English and no further versions or remixes spawned.
Reception
Mike Nied 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 ...
praised the song's "strong vocals and a fiery production" and compared it to her 2011 single, "
On the Floor
"On the Floor" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her seventh studio album, ''Love?'' (2011). Featuring American rapper Pitbull (rapper), Pitbull, it was released by Island Records on February 8, 2011, as the lead single ...
", calling it "another massive pop moment".
''
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 ...
'' writer Kat Bein observed: "It sounds a lot like Skrillex and Poo Bear's previous work, using similar vocal pitch techniques to create counter melodies and a cartoonishly-joyous hook (...) This tune has the island warmth you need to get through the rest of winter."
Hugh McIntyre of
Fuse
Fuse or FUSE may refer to:
Devices
* Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current
** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles
* Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...
described its production as "simultaneously odd and alluring", writing: "Unlike many of her other recent pop efforts, Lopez's vocals soar higher than the music, which is kept decidedly mid-tempo. Whether or not it ends up being one of her biggest hits, 'Us' perfectly defines the superstar's career, while still feeling incredibly fresh and forward-thinking. It's pop, it's dance, it's Latin-influenced...it's J.Lo!"
Live performances
Lopez first performed the song during her set at Calibash 2018, which took place at the
Staples Center
Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it was ...
. At the time, its title was not revealed.
On February 3, 2018, Lopez headlined
DirecTV
DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. It ...
's pre-
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
Super Saturday Night concert, where she gave her first televised performance of "Us".
Personnel
Credits adapted from
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 ...
.
*Jennifer Lopez – vocals
*
Sonny John Moor (Skrillex) – lyricist, producer
*
Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd – lyricist, producer
*Josh Gudwin – mixing engineer
*Michelle Mancini – mastering engineer
*Trevor Muzzy – recording engineer
Charts
Release history
References
{{Jennifer Lopez songs
Jennifer Lopez songs
2017 songs
2018 singles
American dance songs
American pop songs
Songs written by Poo Bear
Songs written by Skrillex
Song recordings produced by Skrillex