Rock Me (One Direction song)
"Rock Me" is a song by One Direction from their second album Take Me Home. The song was written by Peter Svensson, Sam Hollander, Lukasz Gottwald, Henry Walter, and Allan Grigg and was produced by Dr. Luke, Cirkut, and Kool Kojak. The song has a mid-tempo beat and a clapping riff reminiscent of "We Will Rock You" by Queen. The song received mixed reviews from critics, some of whom criticized its lyrics and others of whom praised its rock elements and production. "Rock Me" appeared on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
| "Rock Me" | |
|---|---|
| Song by One Direction | |
| from the album Take Me Home | |
| Recorded | 2012 |
| Genre | Pop rock |
| Length | 3:20 |
| Label | Syco |
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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Background
change"Rock Me" was written in one day by guitar player Peter Svensson of the Swedish band the Cardigans, Sam Hollander, and Allan 'Kool Kojak' Grigg for One Direction's second album Take Me Home, which was released in November 2012.[1] Grigg began by making a mid-tempo beat.[1] Svensson has said that Hollander "had an idea for a title that's like 'rock me' instead of ‘rock you,’ and the melody just came."[1] Lukasz 'Dr. Luke' Gottwald and Henry 'Cirkut' Walter co-produced the song.[1]
Music and lyrics
change"Rock Me" is a mid-tempo pop rock song.[2][3] Both Billboard and BBC Music said that the song was a departure from One Direction's signature bubblegum pop sound.[4][5] One Direction's members’ voice ranges on the song span from F4 to C6.[6] The instrumentals feature guitar strings and piano lines.[6] The song is in the key of Ab major, the time signature is common time, and the tempo is a moderate 84 beats per minute.[6]
Critics have also remarked that the song has beat and clapping riff similar to those in Queen's "We Will Rock You".[1][3][7] The lyrics have a nostalgic message about a former significant other and a double entendre for sexual intercourse.[1][8] Regarding the double entendre, Grigg noted, "but at the same time, there's a vulnerability in it that's, like, so sweet for girls. It's a little self-deprecating. There's not a lot of overt machismo in the song.”[1] "I approached it like high school," said Hollander, who wrote lyrics for "Rock Me": "On the first record, they were freshmen, innocent and wide-eyed. Now it's sophomore year, there are parties and driver’s licenses, and the world is theirs for the taking. That's what I wanted to capture."[1]
Critical reception
changeAlexis Petridis of The Guardian criticized the song as “excruciating” and called the lyrics tedious and uninspiring.[8] The New Zealand Herald writer Lydia Jenkin deemed "Rock Me" one of "the most banal songs ever written," but noted that the group "know what teenage girls want to hear."[9] Idolator critic Sam Lansky praised the track as "irresistible" and commended its sonic palette as "explosively punchy."[10] Writing for HitFix, Melinda Newman favored its "nearly hypnotic anthemic" beat, and noted that "Rock Me" seemed perfectly tailored to become a live staple.[3] Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star thought the song's Queen references were “clever” and “show[ed] that One Direction’s puppeteers aren't totally operating on autopilot."[2] Robert Copsey from Digital Spy opined that the song's "simple-yet-genius catchiness" was its strongest attribute.[7] Billboard reviewer Chris Payne applauded its rock elements, regarding it as a “welcome” deviation from the rest of Take Me Home's bubblegum pop sound.[4]
Chart performance
changeDuring the week of November 18, 2012, "Rock Me" debuted at number one on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart due to very high digital download sales.[11] As a result of an "end-of-year download rush" in the week ending December 30, 2012, the track made it onto the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 98, which was its peak position on the chart.[12][13]
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 98 |
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Douglas Wolk (13 November 2012). "One Direction's songwriters: They're what make the boy band beautiful". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ben Rayner (11 November 2012). "One Direction album review: cookie-cutter pop for 12-year-olds". Toronto Star. Star Media Group. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Melinda Newman (12 November 2012). "Album Review: One Direction's 'Take Me Home' masterfully hits its target". HitFix. HitFix Inc. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chris Payne (8 November 2012). "One Direction, 'Take Me Home': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Al Fox (12 November 2012). "Music – Review of One Direction – Take Me Home". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "One Direction – Rock Me sheet music". Musicnotes.com (EMI Music Publishing). Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Robert Copsey (11 November 2012). "One Direction: 'Take Me Home' — album review". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Alexis Petridis (8 November 2012). "One Direction: Take Me Home — review". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ↑ Lyndia Jenkin (15 November 2012). "Album review: One Direction — Take Me Home". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Sam Lansky (13 November 2012). "One Direction's 'Take Me Home': Album Review". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved 23 March 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 – Issue Date: 2012-12-01". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 2015-08-24. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ↑ Paul Williams (4 January 2013). "US charts: One-track downloads hit record high". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "One Direction Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
Other websites
change- "Rock Me" at Musicnotes.com (EMI Music Publishing)