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"In Common" is a song by American singer and songwriter
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
from her sixth studio album, ''
Here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a TV ...
''. The song was written by Keys,
Illangelo Carlo Montagnese (born July 29, 1987), known professionally as Illangelo, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, musician and mixing engineer from Calgary, Alberta, who came to attention as long-time collaborator of the Weeknd. A Grammy Awa ...
, Billy Walsh and
Taylor Parks Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) **List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Plac ...
, and produced by Illangelo. It is a departure from her R&B sound, having a
tropical music Tropical music ( es, música tropical) is a term in the Latin music, Latin music industry that refers to music genres deriving from or influenced by the Spanish-speaking areas of the Caribbean. It includes the islands of Music of Cuba, Cuba, Music ...
and
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
sound, with
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beat,
Afrobeat Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting ...
instrumental, collage of electronic beats, tropicalia-infused rhythms and icy drum patterns as its main instrumentation. Keys uses a hushed tone throughout the song. The song's accompanying music video was shot in
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
and released on May 20, 2016. It features Keys grooving on a fire escape alongside dancers of all ages and races. Keys gave the first televised performance of the track on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' and later at the
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. The song is solely available on the deluxe edition of ''Here''.


Background and release

After the success of her fifth studio album, '' Girl on Fire'' (2012), Alicia Keys took a break and in 2014 announced she was expecting her second child with husband
Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
. In September 2014, Keys released " We Are Here", a song about
social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...
that at the time was announced as the lead-single of her upcoming sixth studio album by ''
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 ...
''. In the same year, Keys confirmed production by her husband, producer Swizz Beatz, and
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
, revealing the album was almost done. However, in July 2015, Keys released "
28 Thousand Days "28 Thousand Days" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was written by Keys, Swizz Beatz, Mark Batson and Harold Lilly and produced by Keys, Batson and Beatz. The song was released on July 31, 2015, through RCA Records as the so ...
", a song that she dedicated to her husband and that was released to
Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, to o ...
ad campaign An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ideas, beliefs, and conce ...
. In an interview for
Vogue magazine ''Vogue'' is an American monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine that covers many topics, including haute couture fashion, beauty, culture, living, and runway. Based at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, ''Vogue ...
, in late 2015, Keys revealed that the album would only be released in early 2016. After teasing new music in April, and performing it at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival in the same month, the singer released "In Common" on May 4, 2016. It was simultaneously released to digital download on
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,
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and
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, and
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 ...
on
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, as well as
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 ...
.


Composition

"In Common" was written by Alicia Keys, Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese,
Taylor Parks Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) **List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Plac ...
and Billy Walsh, and produced by
Illangelo Carlo Montagnese (born July 29, 1987), known professionally as Illangelo, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, musician and mixing engineer from Calgary, Alberta, who came to attention as long-time collaborator of the Weeknd. A Grammy Awa ...
. The song is heavily influenced by
tropical music Tropical music ( es, música tropical) is a term in the Latin music, Latin music industry that refers to music genres deriving from or influenced by the Spanish-speaking areas of the Caribbean. It includes the islands of Music of Cuba, Cuba, Music ...
, as well as
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
, having a
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
beat. It is also marked by clipped phrasing over a minimal beat with trendy Caribbean vibes,
Afrobeat Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting ...
instrumental and icy drum patterns. The instrumentation also features collage of electronic beats and tropicalia-infused rhythms. Its sounds were compared to
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
's "
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",
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
's "
One Dance "One Dance" is a song by Canadian rapper and singer Drake from his fourth studio album ''Views'' (2016). It features guest vocals from Nigerian afrobeats artist WizKid and British singer Kyla. The artists co-wrote the dancehall and afrobeats son ...
", as well as their duet on Drake's " Take Care" - songs heavily influenced by dancehall. Keys uses a hushed tone during the lines, "We used to talk 'til midnight/All those days that you stayed at my house/We were just passing the time/When we were young and we ain't had no vows." A writer of the website
American Top 40 ''American Top 40'' (previously abbreviated to ''AT40'') is an internationally syndicated, independent song countdown radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, and Ron Jacobs. The program is currently hosted by Ryan Seacr ...
compared her vocal styling to that of
Dawn Richard Dawn Angeliqué Richard (born August 5, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter. She started her career after auditioning for ''Making the Band 3'' in 2004. During this time, Richard became a member of girl band Danity Kane, from 2005 to 2009, a ...
. During the chorus, she sings: "If you could love somebody like me, you must be messed up too." Lyrically, "In Common" talks about the similarities between two lovers, with the lyrics "paint nga picture of a couple who mirror one another in ways never before experienced with past lovers."


Critical reception

Brittany Spanos of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' called it a "hypnotic, catchy single." A writer of ''
Fact A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...
'' described it as a "chart-ready polish, hitting the sweet spot between
Jamie xx James Thomas Smith (born 28 October 1988), known professionally as Jamie xx, is an English musician, DJ, record producer and remixer. He is known for both his solo work and as a member of the English indie pop band The xx. He has been described ...
's bass-heavy pop and the post-
Popcaan Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican singer. In 2008, Popcaan joined Vybz Kartel's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Clarks" with Kartel, an ode t ...
trend for featherlight dancehall a la
Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter B ...
,
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
and
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
." Jessica Goodman of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' named it a "hazy and club-ready
rack Rack or racks may refer to: Storage and installation * Amp rack, short for amplifier rack, a piece of furniture in which amplifiers are mounted * Bicycle rack, a frame for storing bicycles when not in use * Bustle rack, a type of storage bin ...
" Rachel Sonis of ''
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'' opined that the song is "subtle but infectious. It shows off the 35-year-old singer’s vocal restraint and still manages to keep things light and feisty." Lewis Corner of
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was also positive, noting that it is "a pretty decent effort" ..subtly infectious with its tropical electronics and buoyant beats." Katie Rife of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' praised its tropical vibe, saying that it "suggest you’ll be hearing this song on outdoor patios and mall PAs alike this summer." Rife also compared Keys to
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
and
Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...
, a sentiment echoed by Maeve McDermott of ''
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'', who noted that "the singer's new look sounds good on her," calling it "a song clearly positioned for a big summer." Jamieson Cox of ''
The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts. The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
'' labelled it "humid and subdued, and Keys turns in a vocal take that impresses with subtlety rather than firepower." Sal Cinquemani of
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
was very positive, writing: "With its sensual, forward-minded production and more mature themes, the song recalls Keys's under-appreciated 2009 single '
Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released as the second single (third in the UK) from her fourth studio album, '' The Element of Freedom'' (2009). The ballad has been hailed by many mus ...
.'" ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' would later list "In Common" on their ranking of the 100 best songs of 2016 at number 87: “If you follow Alicia Keys on
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 ...
, you already know she’s drawn to Nigerian pop acts like Wizkid and Davido, part of the ascendant
Afrobeats Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing), or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion (or Afropop or Afrofusion), is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and ...
sound. Part UK funky, part soca, part dancehall, part soda pop bubble, this Nigerian/Ghanaian hybrid became the sound of the year, so it made sense that Ms. Keys and producer Illangelo wove those vibrant tropical patterns into “In Common.” It's a rare, welcome instance of Keys moving out of her musical comfort zone and riding the humid groove, and she took it all the way to the DNC stage. It would have been easy enough to pair that genre's bubbling rhythm with a lyrical bauble, but Keys instead twists the love song trope of “opposites attract.” “If you could love somebody like me/You must be messed up too” simultaneously indicts and embraces the dysfunction, insecurity, and maddening laws of attraction that undergird modern love.”


Music video

On May 20, 2016 Keys uploaded the music video for "In Common" on her
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and
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, di ...
account. The music video was directed by Pierre Debusschere and Keeley Gould. The video of the single was shot in
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
and, as stated by Dylan Kickham of
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, " tfeatures various dancers freestyling contortionist body movements in front of a bare, grey backdrop, with only a few urban mainstays (a fire escape, a chain link fence, a fire hydrant) as props. As the video progresses into the song’s bridge, the dancers form into couples who embrace each other, echoing the song’s loving sentiments. Afterwards, the video erupts into an all-out dance party." In a statement, Keys wrote about the video: "This video is about celebrating our individuality, and how in the brilliance of our uniqueness, the magic of it all is at the core, we are all the same. We want the same things. We all want to experience love, the freedom to be our truest selves, to love whomever we want and to be accepted and celebrated for all of our nuances and so called imperfections that make us, us."


Live performances

"In Common" was performed for the first time at
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...
on April 21, 2016. Keys performed the song for the first time live on television on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' episode of May 7, 2016, along with a new track, "Hallelujah". For "In Common", she "delivered a simmering, sensual rendition of the song bolstered by a locked-in backing band," as described by Daniel Kreps of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''. Dennis Perkins of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' added that she was "standing in silhouette at her piano on the darkened stage," while praising her "striking stage presence." On May 17, 2016, Keys also appeared on ''
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'' finale to perform the track. She performed the song at the
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in
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on May 28, 2016. She performed the song at
BET Awards 2016 The 16th BET Awards were held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2016. The ceremony celebrated mass achievements in black entertainment and honored music, sports, television, and motion pictures released between April ...
on June 26, 2016 and later at the
2016 Democratic National Convention The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the majo ...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 26, 2016. A remix of the song is performed alongside a cover Crystal Water’s Gypsy Woman as part of The Alicia + Keys World Tour.


Track listings

*Digital download #"In Common" – 3:29 *Digital EP (The Remixes) #"In Common" (Lil Silva Remix) – 3:52 #"In Common" (Xpect Remix) – 4:29 #"In Common" (Kenny Dope Remix) – 3:33 #"In Common" (Kenny Dope Extended Remix) – 6:37 #"In Common" ( Black Coffee Remix) – 4:58 *Digital download #"In Common" (
Kaskade Ryan Gary Raddon (born February 25, 1971), better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. ''DJ Times'' voted Kaskade "America's Best DJ" in 2011 and 2013. ''DJ Mag'' named Kaskade fifty-first on its 200 ...
Radio Mix) – 3:17 *Digital download #"In Common" (Kaskade Remix) – 4:22 *Digital download #"In Common" (J Farell Remix) – 3:40 *Audiomack download #"In Common" (ZEE Calvin Remix) – 2:26


Credits and 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 ...
. *Alicia Keys — vocals, composer, lyricist * Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese — composer, lyricist, producer, mixing engineer *Billy Walsh — composer, lyricist *
Taylor Parks Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) **List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Plac ...
 — composer, lyricist


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{authority control Alicia Keys songs 2016 songs 2016 singles Song recordings produced by Illangelo Songs written by Alicia Keys Songs written by Illangelo RCA Records singles Reggae fusion songs Black-and-white music videos LGBT-related songs South African Airplay Chart number-one singles Songs written by Tayla Parx