"I Will Never Let You Down" is a song by English singer and songwriter

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, " Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut stud ...

. The song was written and produced 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 ...

. It was released as a single for digital download and streaming by

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

and

Roc Nation Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, ma ...

in various countries on 31 March 2014. It is an upbeat

electro-pop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a ...

and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

love song with dance and

EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstra ...

influences. The song opens with a hip hop tinged beat and transitions into a disco and dance party. During the empowering and optimistic lyrics, the singer promises her love interest that she will never let him down. The song received critical acclaim from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

upon release, many of whom applauded the song's music, sound and lyrics as well as Ora's vocal delivery. "I Will Never Let You Down" topped the record charts of the United Kingdom, marking her fourth number-one single on 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 ...

. The song reached number 77 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as ...

as well as number 62 on the Canadian Hot 100. It further entered the top 50 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland. The song was certified gold in Denmark, Germany, Italy and New Zealand, and received platinum certifications from the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...

(ARIA) in Australia and the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company wi ...

(BPI) in the UK. The official

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 devi ...

for "I Will Never Let You Down" was directed by Francesco Carrozzini and premiered on Ora's

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 most ...

channel on 31 March. Filmed in Los Angeles, it contains sequences of the singer depicted in several settings, alternating between black-and-white and color shots. The video attracted praise for its theme as well as Ora's appearance, fashion and clothes. To further promote the song, the singer performed it at a number of televised shows and events, among others at the Bambi Awards, BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, '' Germany's Next Topmodel'' and ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh in ...

''.

Background and composition

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Prior to its release, Ora started to tease "I Will Never Let You Down" in mid-March 2014, by uploading the single's cover art and a preview of the music video. The song was written by Scottish disc jockey

and intended for her second studio album. Produced and written by him, Harris explained that the song was reminiscent of American singer

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

and singer

Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

. ''Note: Click on the three dots on the right of the track to display the credits.'' Ora further stated, "I'm in a very good place and I really wanted people see how I felt and how I want other people to feel when the listen to ithappy!" Her album was scheduled to be released in the summer 2014, but was postponed. In her 2015 lawsuit against Roc Nation, Ora stated that the record label had delayed her second album. "I Will Never Let You Down" was released as a single for digital download and streaming by

and

on 31 March 2014. Ora's vocals in the song span from a low note of B₃ to a high note of E₅. It was composed in time and the key of

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable com ...

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 (ofte ...

of 128 beats per minute and a

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

of E–B–Cm-Gm-A. Musically, it is an upbeat 80's-sounding

and

love song, incorporating a dance production and

elements. The song begins with an intro utilising

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

s and synths as well as hip hop beats, which progresses into a disco and dance-described party. Featuring an empowering and optimistic message, Ora lyrically promises her love interest that she will never let him down even when he feels like giving up. On the chorus, she sings, "When you're feeling low on love / I'll be what you're dreaming of / Oh, oh, I will never let you down."

Reception

Upon release, "I Will Never Let You Down" has since received critical acclaim from

. Writing for ''

Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to '' Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since 2015, following ...

'', Phillip Picardi proclaimed the song as "the feel-good anthem you need to cure your Monday blues", while Casey Lewis of the same magazine felt that " tis one of those tracks that makes an enormous head-bobbin', toe-tappin' impression just a few seconds in, and then halfway through you already can't wait to start it over again." While Devin from ''

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 th ...

'' characterised the song as "uplifting", Matthew Anness for ''Urbanology'' named the song as "radio-friendly". Jason Lipshutz 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 advertis ...

'' complimented the song as a "stylish spring jam", labelling it a "contented grin of a single". Lindsey Weber from ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North a ...

'' commended the song as "extremely catchy", writing that one should "beware of nearworm". Liza Darwin for ''

Nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pet ...

'' elaborated "if your Monday is in dire need of a dance party, then Rita Ora is here to help." Kelsey McKinney of '' Vox'' stated that "it showcases her voice better and gives a slower take on her skills between ' How We Do (Party)' 012and '

Black Widow Black widow may refer to: Spiders * Black widow spider, a common name for some species of spiders in the genus ''Latrodectus'' American species * ''Latrodectus apicalis'', the Galapagos black widow * ''Latrodectus curacaviensis'', the South Amer ...

014 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 * BIND-014 * 014 Construction Unit * Divi Divi Air Flight 014 * Pirna 014 * Tyrrell 014 The Tyrrell 014 was a Formula One car, designed for Tyrrell Racing by Maurice Philippe for use in the season. The cars wer ...

. ''

Renowned for Sound ''Renowned for Sound'' is an Australian online magazine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a prin ...

's'' David Whiteway further highlighted the collaboration between Ora and Harris, concluding that " heisn't shying away from that fact that she has and intends to continue to develop ..she has definitely found clarity and direction." "I Will Never Let You Down" debuted at number one on the

issue dated 24 May 2014, marking Ora's fourth chart-topping single in the United Kingdom, after " Hot Right Now" (2012), " How We Do (Party)" (2012) and " R.I.P." (2012). In 2016, the song received a platinum certification from the

(BPI) for shifting more than 994,000 units. It further topped the Scottish Singles Chart and reached the top 10 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 b ...

. Elsewhere in Europe, the song reached number 12 in Switzerland, number 15 in Austria, number 18 in Romania, number 23 in Germany, number 79 in Italy and number 128 in France. It further earned gold certifications by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) in Germany, Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) in Italy and IFPI Danmark in Denmark. In Australia, "I Will Never Let You Down" peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Singles Chart and reached number 9 on the

New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Mus ...

in New Zealand. The song attained a gold certification by the Recorded Music New Zealand (RMNZ) in New Zealand and a platinum award from the

(ARIA) in Australia for selling more than 7,500 and 70,000 units, respectively. In the United States, "I Will Never Let You Down" entered the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 99 and rose to number 77 on 6 September 2014. The song also topped the

chart and reached number 22 on the Mainstream Top 40 ranking. In Canada, the song peaked at number 62 on the Canadian Hot 100 issue dated 30 August 2014, and entered the top 50 on the CHR/Top 40 and

Hot AC Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, qui ...

, respectively.

Promotion

The

for "I Will Never Let You Down" was uploaded to Ora's official

channel on 31 March 2014. Behind-the-scenes footage from various stages of filming the video was published on the platform on 16 April. Taking place in LA, the three-minute and 27-second video was directed by Italian director Francesco Carrozzini and displays several sequences of Ora, alternating between black-and-white and color segments. The attires worn by the singer in the video included designs by Adidas, Chanel, Hervé Leger and

Moschino Moschino () is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino in Milan known for over-the-top, campy designs. The company specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, and fashion accessories. History Founding and 1990s Franco ...

. The video opens with a sequence of a camera panning over several black-and-white photographs of Ora in a vessel filled with water. The camera then focuses on one of the photographs, which starts to transform into an animated picture, displaying the singer singing in a darkly lit surrounding. Next, a close-up segment shows her in a outdoor-setting walking and dancing into the camera's direction, before being accompanied by two backup dancers, namely Polly and Sophie Duniam. Both black-and-white and colorful sequences of Ora are interspersed throughout the video, with her dancing in the aforementioned settings, in front of a pink setting as well as in a bright hallway. Edwin Oritz from '' Complex'' labeled the video as "sweet" and "sexy", writing that " tshow off ra'splayful side." Garibaldi for MTV noted the video's '80s theme, feeling "like a high-fashion photo shoot as it fully encompasses the fun vibe of the song." Marissa G. Muller of the latter publication commended Ora's "killer" clothes, commenting that "We're left wanting to see more, which—hey—is the mark of a great video." Lewis from ''Teen Vogue'' described the video as a "masterpiece on its own", applauding the singer's appearance and fashion as a "'90s extravagance". Lipshutz for ''Billboard'' likewise praised her presence in the video, adding that " tre-imagines the carefree rabble-rouser from the 'How We Do (Party)' clip as an elegant model." Ora performed "I Will Never Let You Down" for the first time in the first season of the American talk show ''

'' on 22 April 2014. In May, the singer appeared to perform the song at the ninth season final of German reality show '' Germany's Next Topmodel'' as well as at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Glasgow. On 24 June, she performed at Capital's Summertime Ball in London and finished her performance with it. On 12 November 2015, Ora sang the song as a medley with her single " Body on Me" (2015) at the Bambi Awards in Berlin. Other performances of it took place at the Summertime Ball in 2015, 2018 and 2019 as well as at the Jingle Bell Ball in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Several remixes, including ones done by Digital Dog, DJ Escape, Gregor Salto, R3hab, Steve Smart, Tony Coluccio and WestFunk, accompanied the single's release on 11 May. Ahead of the

2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting rig ...

, another remix of "I Will Never Let You Down" created by English songwriter

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type ...

followed on 10 June, as part of American company

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...

's compilation album '' Pepsi Beats of the Beautiful Game'' (2014).

Track listing

*Digital download and streaming #"I Will Never Let You Down"3:23 *Digital download and streamingRemixes #"I Will Never Let You Down" ( R3hab Remix)4:11 #"I Will Never Let You Down" ( Gregor Salto Vegas Remix)6:17 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (Gregor Salto Radio Remix)3:41 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (Gregor Salto Radio Instrumental)3:42 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (Steve Smart and WestFunk Club Mix)4:51 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (Steve Smart and WestFunk Radio Edit)3:08 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (DJ Escape and Tony Coluccio Main Mix)7:41 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (DJ Escape and Tony Coluccio Radio Mix)4:38 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (DJ Escape and Tony Coluccio Dub)6:41 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (Digital Dog Remix)5:52 #"I Will Never Let You Down" (Digital Dog Radio Edit)4:00

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2014 singles 2014 songs Rita Ora songs Songs written by Calvin Harris Columbia Records singles Electropop songs Number-one singles in Scotland Roc Nation singles UK Singles Chart number-one singles