"Say Something" is a song by American pop duo A Great Big World from their debut album, Is There Anybody Out There? (2014). Written by the duo members—Ian Axel and Chad King—alongside Mike Campbell, the song was originally recorded by Axel for his solo album This Is the New Year (2011). It was later released as a single by the duo on September 3, 2013, by Epic Records. Following its usage on American reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance, the track gained attention from singer Christina Aguilera, who wanted to collaborate with A Great Big World on the song. Soon afterwards, a re-recorded version of "Say Something" with Aguilera was released on November 4, 2013.
"Say Something" is a slow-tempo piano ballad that talks about a breakup, where the lover is implored to say something because the singer is giving up on them, with the singers expressing humility, sadness, and regret. In the single version with Aguilera, she plays a ghost of the lover to whom the song is addressed as she traces the steps of the lead vocal. The song received mixed reviews; it was praised by some music critics for its lyrics, composition and Aguilera's vocal delivery. At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, the song earned A Great Big World and Aguilera a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
"Say Something" did not sell significantly well until the version with Aguilera was available. It debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after A Great Big World and Aguilera performed the song on The Voice. It eventually peaked at number four and has since sold over six million copies in the United States. It also topped the singles charts in Australia, the Flanders region of Belgium, and Canada, while reaching top 5 in Austria, Israel, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom. A music video was released on November 19, 2013, featuring the trio singing as people "act out the heartbreaking lyrics." To further promote "Say Something", A Great Big World and Aguilera performed the track at the American Music Awards of 2013. Numerous covers of the song were released, including those by Luke Evans and Nicole Kidman, and Tiësto.
Background and release "Say Something" was originally released on February 8, 2011, on band member Ian Axel's solo album This Is the New Year with the song featuring harmonies by guest vocalist Jenny Owen Youngs, but the track went largely unnoticed until it received attention after being used on the TV series So You Think You Can Dance on season 10's semi final episode contemporary dance routine by the eventual champion Amy Yakima. This sparked a chain reaction that eventually made its way to Christina Aguilera. "'Say Something' was danced to on So You Think You Can Dance almost two months ago, and so many people responded to it," Axel tells Billboard. "In that whole process, someone on our team played it for someone on Christina's team, and we got a call that Christina wanted to record it, and then, literally a week later, we were in L.A. recording it with her." The pair considers Aguilera as having "one of the top voices in the world," says Chad King, and re-recorded "Say Something" with her in two hours. "We look at Christina as this icon who can say anything and make it sound amazing," says King.
About approaching the duo to re-record the track, Aguilera said, "Somebody sent me the song (...) and it's just the most simplest song that doesn't have to fit a formula to be heard and to be appreciated, so I just heard it and I've never done anything like this before and I was just like, 'You know', I just started to hear a harmony part over it and I was like, 'get in touch with these guys and see if they wanna get in the studio and sit behind the piano and just vibe together and see what happens...' and we did, and they're so humble, so sweet, so down to earth, and I'm all about that and supporting that, and we came together so organically and it was fun." Aguilera also added, "It's so quiet and still and steady and in a way pleading," she describes the song. "I'm only taking on projects that feel good to me and represent, as always, a purpose of the here and now in my life."
Composition and lyrics
"Say Something" was written by Ian Axel, Chad King, and Mike Campbell while production was handled by Dan Romer. Sonically, the piano ballad is underlined by a piano and string arrangement, which was performed by Los Angeles string players Mark Robertson, Andrew Duckles, and Vanessa Freebairn-Smith. The lyrics evoke the emotion felt when choosing to leave a failed relationship even though love still remains, imploring the lover say something because the singer is giving up on them.
For Bill Lamb of About.com, the chorus "Say something, I'm giving up on you", "is brilliant." Lamb also explained the song, writing that, "instead of being filled with anger and desperation, it is a song expressing a powerful combination of humility, sadness and regret." The song was written at a time when both members were experiencing individual heartbreak. "Writing the song was part of the healing process," says Axel. "Whenever we perform it, it's like revisiting the scar. It's always a part of me, and I can always go there and feel it." Lewis Corner of Digital Spy noted that with its "stripped-down melody and emotive lyrics", the song becomes the antithesis of the club-thumping blow-outs radio currently prefers."
The song is written in the key of D major.A Great Big World "Say Something" Sheet Music
Critical response
"Say Something" received mixed reviews from music critics. Rick Florino of Artist Direct gave the song five out of five stars, calling it "Oscar-worthy", with "a cinematic heft to the track that makes it utterly vivid and vibrant." Florino also praised Aguilera's performance, calling it "one of her best ever, fortifying the hook and harmony masterfully." Writing for The New Orleans Advocate, Keith Spera opined that the song is "a forthright, unadorned break-up ballad". Lewis Corner of Digital Spy praised Aguilera for "reminding us why she always sounds infinitely better when heading up a ballad", calling it "a beautifully simplistic ode to heartache that evidently connects."
Robert Copsey also of Digital Spy called it "one of [Aguilera's] most understated outings in recent memory, and it's all the better for it." Jon O'Brien of Yahoo! Music noted that the song features Aguilera's "most restrained and indeed impressive vocal in years", calling the song " as emotive as it is theatrical." Melinda Newman of HitFix praised Aguilera for "show[ing] admirable restraint vocally, beautifully pairing with Axel's vocals." Sam Lansky of Idolator wrote that the song "was already pretty heartrending, but Aguilera's vocals provide some lovely support and additional pathos; it's a relief to hear that she enriches, rather than overwhelms, the track." Bradley Stern of MuuMuse praised the "slow, sad piano melody", the "mournful strings," calling it "a haunting production – made even better by the Stripped diva, proving once again that less is often more." Stern also praised Aguilera for showing a simple side of her voice, writing that she "doesn't even have her own verse or chorus – she resigns to delivering subtle, yet effective, backing vocals for the entirety of the re-recording. It's only in the song's final few moments that she allows her powerhouse pipes to blow in the background. And those whispers at the very end? 'Say something, I'm giving up on you...' Gulp."
Alfred Soto of Billboard, Spin and the Village Voice rated the song 1 out of 10, writing " Of course he feels small and is giving up on her and it’s over his head — who wants that voice over that piano?". Crystal Leww of Pitchfork wrote "The line “Say something, I’m giving up on you” is desperate and lonely in the best of ways. The rest of this is saccharine and clichéd in the worst." Josh Langhoff of the Village Voice criticized the song's saccharine quality and Aguilera's performance, writing "I’m sure Xtina could still be a potent force in the culture, though I couldn’t hum anything more recent than “Keeps Gettin’ Better,” but hopping aboard this song feels like a gruesome mix of hauteur and desperation to read her name in Billboard. We wouldn’t be talking about “Say Something” if not for her, so her largesse counts for something. But these guys landed a tune on Glee, and they could’ve won over The Voice‘s audience without her breathy solemnities in the background. Up and coming soft poppers, they’re in no position to refuse a favor. I’m worried, though, that they make that Five For Fighting guy look like an austere sonofabitch." Brad Shoup of Pitchfork panned the song, writing "A compelling portrait of a sociopath who knows he’s about to utterly dominate yet another game of emotional chicken, “Say Something” is the sound of someone who only knows how to fall in love with Sigur Rós videos. It’s goosed by the name, if not the presence, of La Aguilera; she’s so tiny here, it’s as if she’s echoing her lover’s words on the drive home, cratered by the idea that she gave herself for so long to something so monstrous. Great work, all.".
Chart performance United States
The original version of the song had sold only 52,000 downloads before the version with Christina Aguilera was released, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Say Something" debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, following the impact of the performance on The Voice, as the song started at number-one on Digital Songs with 189,000 sold, with the remix featuring Aguilera accounting for 86% of the song's overall download sales in the chart's tracking week. The song was also a success on the Canadian Hot 100, debuting at number 9 and peaking at number one.
After the performance on the AMAs, the song jumped to number 3 on the Digital Songs chart, with 197,000 copies. It also jumped from number 18 to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming A Great Big World's first top-ten single and Aguilera's 11th top ten and second in 2013 (with the other being "Feel This Moment" at number eight), becoming the second time she achieved multiple top 10s in a single year, with the first being in 2000, when 'What a Girl Wants' (number-one for two weeks), 'I Turn to You' (number three) and 'Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)' (number-one for four weeks), all from her self-titled debut album, reached the top tier. The song is also Aguilera's first top 10 with lead billing since October 2008, when her single "Keeps Gettin' Better" debuted at its number seven peak.
"Say Something" also became Epic's first top-ten hit since 2008 with You Found Me by The Fray. "Say Something" peaked at number 4 on the chart in the sixth week of release, with 39 million radio plays and sales of 233,000 copies for the week. The following week, the song sold 355,000 downloads and climbed to number 14 on Radio Songs, although it fell to number five. In February 2014, the song reached the Radio Songs top 10, becoming the band's first top 10 and Aguilera's ninth, marking her first Radio Songs top 10 in a lead role since "Beautiful" in 2003. The song reached its 3 million sales mark in February 2014, and was certified triple platinum on March 5, 2014. In June of the same year, the single was certified 4× Platinum. As of December 2014, the song had sold about 4 million copies in the US. In May 2017 the single was certified 6× platinum in the United States for sales in excess of 6 million units.
Australia and Europe