Us (James Bay song)

"Us"
Duet single cover
Single by James Bay
from the album Electric Light
Released30 March 2018 (2018-03-30)
Genre
[1]
Length3:01
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
James Bay singles chronology
"Pink Lemonade"
(2018) 		"Us"
(2018) 		"Just for Tonight"
(2018)
Alicia Keys singles chronology
"Blended Family (What You Do for Love)"
(2016) 		"Us"
(2018) 		"Calma (Alicia Remix)"
(2019)

"Us" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter James Bay, from his second studio album, Electric Light (2018). The song was released by Republic Records on 30 March 2018 as the third single off the album.

Background and release

[edit]

Bay told Entertainment Weekly: "I've been lucky enough to meet people all over the world and witness the phenomenal strength of crowds. I wrote this song to explore unity and inclusion. Looking through the lens of my own personal relationships, this song turned out to be a particularly important moment on the album for me."[2]

The song was re-released as a duet with Alicia Keys on 22 May 2018.[3][4][5][6]

Music video

[edit]

The official music video to accompany the release of "Us" was directed by Bryan Schlam and first released on YouTube on 18 April 2018, through James Bay's official YouTube account.[7]

Throughout the clip, Bay plays piano in an empty room. The visuals cycle through intimate shots of ordinary life: one person stares into a bathroom mirror, another reclines in the grass next to sprinklers, eats at a diner, daydreams in church. The video ends with the diverse cast united for the camera, emphasizing the title "Us" with the words "me", "you", "them", "him" and "her" crossed out.[8]

Reception

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Ruth Kiane from Entertainment Weekly said: "The guitar-led track is more mellow than up-tempo second single "Pink Lemonade" and electro-inspired album lead "Wild Love" its smooth lyrics and sultry notes fit well into the singer's oeuvre. "I believe in something, I believe in us," sings Bay, which is reminiscent of his work on his debut Chaos and the Calm.[2]

Live performances

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Track listing

[edit]
Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Us" (album version)3:01
Digital download – acoustic version[9]
No.TitleLength
1."Us" (acoustic)3:01
Digital download – duet version[10]
No.TitleLength
1."Us" (with Alicia Keys)3:07

Charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11]
Duet version 		4

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[12] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[13] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[14] Gold 35,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[15] Platinum 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[16] Gold 25,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[17] Gold 5,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[18] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[20] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Country Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various 30 March 2018
Original Republic [2]
27 April 2018 Acoustic [9]
Various 22 May 2018
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 Duet Republic [10]

References

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  1. ^ "James Bay - Us Lyrics". Genius.
  2. ^ a b c Kinane, Ruth (29 March 2018). "James Bay performs acoustic version of 'Us' before its release". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Us – Single by James Bay & Alicia Keys on iTunes". iTunes Store (US). 22 May 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Alicia Keys joins James Bay for surprise performance of 'Us' on the Voice finale".
  5. ^ a b Reed, Ryan (May 23, 2018). "'The Voice': See Alicia Keys Surprise James Bay With 'Us' Duet During Finale". Rolling Stone.
  6. ^ Enos, Morgan (May 23, 2018). "James Bay and Alicia Keys Release 'Us' After Teaming Up For 'Voice' Performance: Listen". Billboard.
  7. ^ "James Bay - Us". 18 April 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ "James Bay Reflects on Power of Personal Connection in New 'Us' Video". Rolling Stone. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  9. ^ a b "James Bay Us (acoustic)". iTunes Store (Aus). 27 April 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  10. ^ a b "James Bay & Alicia Key Us". iTunes Store (Aus). 22 May 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  11. ^ "James Bay – Us" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – James Bay – Us" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Danish single certifications – James Bay – Us". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Italian single certifications – James Bay – Us" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  15. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – James Bay – Us". Radioscope. Retrieved 21 December 2024. Type Us in the "Search:" field.
  16. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – James Bay – Us" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Spanish single certifications – James Bay – Us". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  19. ^ "British single certifications – James Bay – Us". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  20. ^ "American single certifications – James Bay – Us". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
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