"Team" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Lorde | ||||
from the album Pure Heroine | ||||
B-side | "White Teeth Teens" | |||
Released | 13 September 2013 | |||
Studio | Golden Age (Morningside, Auckland, New Zealand) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:13 | |||
Label | Universal NZ | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Joel Little | |||
Lorde singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Team" on YouTube |
"Team" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, taken from her debut studio album, Pure Heroine (2013). The song was released on 13 September 2013 as the album's third single in Australia and New Zealand by Universal Music New Zealand, and the second in the United States and the United Kingdom by Lava and Republic Records. The track was written by Lorde and Joel Little and produced by Little, with additional production from Lorde herself. "Team" is a hybrid of alternative pop and electropop featuring synthesiser, bass and snare drum instrumentation over a handclap-based beat. Lyrically, the track is a tribute to her friends and country.
"Team" was well received by contemporary critics, who praised its musical style, lyrical content and Lorde's vocal delivery on the track. The single garnered success on charts internationally, peaking at number 1 in Lebanon, number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and at number 3 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. In Oceania, it peaked at number 19 in Australia and debuted and peaked at number 3 in New Zealand. "Team" was certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association and Recorded Music NZ, and was certified quintuple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
A music video for the song was directed by Young Replicant and was released on 4 December 2013. Filmed in the abandoned Red Hook Grain Terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the video's content was inspired by Lorde's dream of teenagers in their own world. Upon its release, the clip crashed Vevo's channel due to a high number of views. [1] To promote "Team" and Pure Heroine, Lorde performed the song on several occasions, including on Late Show with David Letterman and at the ARIA Music Awards of 2013.
"Team" was written by Lorde and Joel Little while Lorde was travelling the world. [2] The track was recorded, produced and mixed by Little at his Golden Age Studios in Morningside, Auckland, with Lorde providing additional production. [3] [4] The song was produced using the software Pro Tools. [5] On 13 September 2013 "Team" was leaked, justifying an earlier rush out release. [6] Within hours the audio was uploaded on YouTube and Universal Music New Zealand released the digital download single for sale in Australia and New Zealand. [7] [8] The track was sent to US modern rock radio on 30 September 2013, and to US contemporary hit radio on 19 November 2013 by Lava and Republic Records. [9] "Team" was also sent to US rhythmic contemporary radio on 6 January 2014. [10]
"Team" is a hybrid of alternative pop [11] and electro-hop. [12] Written in the key of G-flat major, [13] "Team" features synthesiser, [14] bass, [15] and snare drum instrumentation over a handclap-based beat. [16] Amanda Dobbins of New York magazine and Maura Johnston of Spin likened the chorus of the song to that of Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die" (2011), [17] while Drowned in Sound 's Sammy Maine compared the beats to works produced by Timbaland for Missy Elliott. [18] Lorde's vocal range spans from B♭ 2 to D♭ 5. The song moves at a tempo of 100 beats per minute. [13]
Lyrically, "Team" is a "tribute to her friends and country". [19] During an interview with Billboard , Lorde described the song as "her take on most modern music" and explained, "no one comes to New Zealand, no one knows anything about New Zealand, and here I am, trying to grow up and become a person." [20] Lorde explained that the line "We live in cities you'll never see on screen" was "to be speaking for the minority" from small cities. [21] She also expresses distaste in common contemporary popular music lyrics telling listeners to "put your hands in the air" through the verse "I'm kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air". [15] [16] Writer Lily Rothman for the magazine Time commented that the lyrics "we sure know how to run things" in "Team" were a response to the lyrics "we run things, things don’t run we" in Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" (2013). [22]
"Team" received critical acclaim from music critics. Brenna Ehrlich from MTV News lauded it as an "insanely catchy jam". [23] The A.V. Club critic Kevin McFarland labelled "Team" as a "club-ready" and "sparkly thumper", [24] while Nathan Jolly from The Music Network simply described it "interesting". [25] John Murphy, in his review of Pure Heroine for musicOMH, commended the lyrics "I'm kinda over getting told to throw my hands up in the air" for being catchy. [26] Marlow Stern writing for The Daily Beast listed "Team" as the fifth best song of 2013. [27] In 2019, Uproxx named the song the thirteenth best song of the 2010s. [28]
On 23 September 2013, "Team" debuted at number three on the New Zealand Singles Chart, becoming Lorde's third consecutive top-three single in the country following number-one singles "Royals" and "Tennis Court". [29] Recorded Music NZ certified the single double platinum due to the sales figure of over 30,000 copies in the country. [30] "Team" peaked at number nineteen on the Australian Singles Chart, [31] and was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). [32]
Following its impact on US radio stations, "Team" debuted at number thirty-two on the Billboard Rock Airplay, and topped the chart on 7 October 2013. [33] It also topped the Adult Top 40, [34] and charted at number two on the Mainstream Top 40, number two on the Hot Rock Songs and number two on the Alternative Songs. [35] On the Billboard Hot 100, "Team" peaked at number six, becoming her second US top-ten hit (following her debut number-one hit "Royals"). [35] [36] The song reached over two million in sales in the US by April 2014. [37] By December 2014, "Team" had sold 2.45 million copies in the US. [38] The single also reached number three on the Canadian Hot 100, [39] and was certified double-platinum by Music Canada, which denotes 160,000 downloads. [40]
The music video for "Team" was directed by Young Replicant. [41] Filmed at the disused Red Hook Grain Terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn, [42] the video was inspired by Lorde's dream of "teenagers in their own world, a world with hierarchies and initiations, where the boy who was second in command had acne on his face, and so did the girl who was Queen". [43] The director explained that Lorde was one of the "kids who have a unique look", which fit the clip's "sad story" concept. [41]
The video begins with shots of the ocean; The Daily Beast's editor Marlow Stern drew comparisons between the shots to Paul Thomas Anderson's drama film The Master (2012). [44] The scene revealed an unseen city with ruins of factories on an island and full of teens "without any parental guidance". [45] [46] On Lorde's Facebook account, she further explained that world was "so different to anything anyone had ever seen, a dark world full of tropical plants and ruins and sweat". [43] Inside the ruins, she is seen as the "self-anointed" queen of the city's citizens in a "blue, foliage-filled universe". [44] [45] Stern compared her image to that of The Hunger Games' fictional character Katniss Everdeen. [44] A young boy is transported to the island; [46] following his arrival, he must joust on a motorbike to become a part of Lorde's "team". [41] [47] He loses; [47] Lorde commented that "sometimes the person who loses is stronger". [43]
On 4 December 2013, the video was released on Lorde's official Vevo channel on YouTube at 10 am (NZDT). [48] Lily Rothman from Time magazine compared the video for "Team" to Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" music video for their same "mythical settings" –a party ("We Can't Stop") and an island ("Team"). [22]
On 12 November 2013, Lorde performed several songs from Pure Heroine during the Late Show with David Letterman to promote the album, including "Team". [49] The track was also performed by Lorde during the ARIA Music Awards of 2013. [50] It also featured during April Kepner's bridal shower on "Man on the Moon", the eleventh episode of the tenth season of Grey's Anatomy which aired in December 2013.[ citation needed ] At the 2014 MuchMusic Video Awards, Lorde performed a Goth-influenced medley of "Tennis Court" and "Team". [51] American alternative rock band Local H recorded a cover version of "Team" at Electrical Audio in Chicago, Illinois. [52] The Local H version was released as a single on 21 April 2014. [53] J Gramm released a remix of "Team" in December 2013. Noisey gave the remix a positive review, stating that J Gramm "turns the ballad up a notch—with some triumphant drums and overall, a more victorious feel for the stories of the cities she's dreaming up." [54] In November 2020, Chanel featured a cover of the song, performed by French actress Marion Cotillard, in their Chanel No. 5 perfume advertisement. [55]
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [110] | 3× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [111] | 3× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [40] | 4× Platinum | 320,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [112] Streaming | Platinum | 2,600,000† |
Germany (BVMI) [113] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [114] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [115] | 3× Platinum | 45,000* |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [116] | 2× Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [117] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [118] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [119] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [120] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Country | Date | Format | Record label |
---|---|---|---|
Australia [7] | 13 September 2013 | Digital download | Universal NZ |
New Zealand [8] | |||
United States [9] [10] [121] | 30 September 2013 | Modern rock | |
19 November 2013 | Contemporary hit radio | ||
6 January 2014 | Rhythmic contemporary | ||
Italy [122] | 24 January 2014 | Contemporary hit radio | Universal |
United Kingdom [123] | 12 April 2014 | 7-inch vinyl |
Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor, known professionally as Lorde, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is known for her unconventional style of pop music and introspective songwriting.
The Love Club EP is the debut extended play (EP) by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. At the age of 12, she was discovered by Universal Music Group scout Scott MacLachlan, and began writing songs. In December 2011, MacLachlan paired Lorde with producer Joel Little, and within three weeks, the pair had co-written and produced all five songs on the EP. In November 2012, Lorde self-released the EP for free download via SoundCloud. On 8 March 2013 the record was commercially released by Universal Music Group and Virgin Records.
Joel Little is a New Zealand record producer, musician and Grammy Award-winning songwriter. He is best known for his work as a writer and producer with artists Lorde, Taylor Swift, Broods, Sam Smith, Imagine Dragons, Ellie Goulding, Khalid, Elliphant, Jarryd James, Shawn Mendes, Marina Diamandis, Amy Shark, Goodnight Nurse, Noah Kahan, Years & Years, the Jonas Brothers, and Niall Horan.
"Royals" is the debut single by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, included in her debut extended play (EP) The Love Club EP (2012) and debut studio album Pure Heroine (2013). Lorde wrote the song with producer Joel Little. "Royals" is a minimalist art pop and electropop song with influences of hip hop, R&B, and indie pop. The track's lyrics critique the sumptuous lifestyle presented in songs and music videos by popular musicians, making them appear like modern-day royalty.
"Hold On, We're Going Home" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, featuring R&B duo Majid Jordan. The song was produced by Noah "40" Shebib, OVO Sound's Majid Jordan and Nineteen85, and it is the second single from his third studio album, Nothing Was the Same, and was released for digital download on August 7, 2013, following the 2013 OVO Fest. It was later released to mainstream and rhythmic contemporary radio on August 13, 2013.
"Roar" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on August 10, 2013, by Capitol Records as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Prism (2013). Perry co-wrote the song with Bonnie McKee and its producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut. It is a power pop song containing elements of arena rock and lyrics centering on standing up for oneself and self-empowerment.
"Tennis Court" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. She co-wrote the song with Joel Little, with production handled by the latter. Universal Music Group (UMG) released the song as the second single from her debut studio album Pure Heroine (2013) in Australia and New Zealand on 7 June 2013. On the same day, the label released an extended play (EP) of the same name containing three additional tracks throughout Europe. It combines alternative pop, art pop, and downtempo music over hip hop beats, minimalist synthesisers, and an electronic pulse. Inspired by Lorde's fresh insights into the music industry, the lyrics address her newfound fame and nostalgia for Auckland.
Pure Heroine is the debut studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was released on 27 September 2013 by Universal, Lava, and Republic Records. After several unsuccessful sessions with songwriters, Lorde was paired with Joel Little by A&R representative Scott Maclachlan, who assisted with the album's production. Recording took place at Golden Age Studios in Auckland. Pure Heroine has been described as an electronica, electropop, and dream pop album with minimalist production, deep bass and programmed beats.
New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde has released three studio albums, four extended plays, 12 singles and 13 music videos. At the age of 13, she was signed to Universal Music Group (UMG) and started to write music. In November 2012, when she was 16 years old, she self-released The Love Club EP via SoundCloud. It was released for sale by UMG in March 2013; a song from the EP, "Royals", topped numerous single charts internationally, including the US Billboard Hot 100. The track sold over 10 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.
"Buzzcut Season" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, taken from her debut studio album, Pure Heroine (2013). It was released on 23 September 2013 by Universal Music Group (UMG) as a promotional single from the album. Written by Lorde and Joel Little, "Buzzcut Season" is an electropop song that features elements from tropical music and discusses the "ridiculousness of modern life."
"Glory and Gore" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde from her debut studio album, Pure Heroine (2013). The song was released on 11 March 2014 as the album's fourth and final single by Lava Records and Republic Records. The track was written by Lorde and its producer, Joel Little. "Glory and Gore" is an electropop song influenced by chillwave and hip hop music. It speaks about modern society's fascination with violence and celebrity culture, comparing these to gladiators.
"Ribs" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, from her debut studio album Pure Heroine (2013). Universal Music Group (UMG) released it as a promotional single on 30 September 2013. Written and produced by Lorde and Joel Little, "Ribs" is an electronica, indietronica and electropop song discussing Lorde's stress over ageing.
"Bravado" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, originally included on her debut EP The Love Club EP. It was later featured on her Tennis Court EP and the extended version of her debut album Pure Heroine (2013). The song was written by Lorde and Joel Little and was produced by the latter. The track was released as a single on 6 September 2013, via iTunes Stores, in a number of European countries and India. Characterised as a chamber pop and electropop song, "Bravado" addresses Lorde's introverted nature and the need to feign confidence in the music industry. The single was well received by music critics and peaked at number five on the New Zealand Artist Singles chart.
"No Better" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, taken from the extended version of her debut studio album Pure Heroine (2013). The track was released on 13 December 2013 by Universal Music Group as a promotional tool for the album. "No Better" is an electropop and trip hop ballad with elements of hip hop, in which Lorde discusses an infatuation. Music critics opined that the single has similar musical style to songs from Pure Heroine.
"Yellow Flicker Beat" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde released on 29 September 2014 as the lead single from the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 by Republic Records. Written by Lorde and Joel Little and produced by Little and Paul Epworth, it is as an art pop and electropop song with minimal synthesisers, drums, and vocal samples in its production. Music critics compared its instrumentation style to the singer's work on her 2013 debut album Pure Heroine. The track's lyrics refer to the rise of Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of The Hunger Games (2008–2010) young adult dystopian novel trilogy.
"Magnets" is a song by British electronic duo Disclosure featuring vocals from New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was written by Howard Lawrence, Guy Lawrence, Lorde and produced by James Napier and Disclosure. The single was released on 23 September 2015, by PMR and Island Records, as the fourth single from their second studio album Caracal (2015). "Magnets" is an electronica and dancehall song with influences of reggae fusion along with electronic beats, percussion loops, synthesizers and tribal drums in its instrumentation. Its lyrics describe the risk taken by two lovers restricted from being together for moral reasons.
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"Homemade Dynamite" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde from her second album, Melodrama (2017). She wrote the lyrics with Tove Lo and composed the music with Lo, Jakob Jerlström, and Ludvig Söderberg, and produced it with Frank Dukes and vocal producer Kuk Harrell. Critics described "Homemade Dynamite" as a R&B and synth-pop song with vocal sound effects, reverberated percussion, a staccato hook, electronic flourishes, synthesizers, and hip hop beats. In the lyrics, Lorde talks about having a feeling of euphoria at a house party with friends.
"Perfect Places" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was released on 1 June 2017 through Universal Music New Zealand as the second single, following "Green Light" (2017), from her second album, Melodrama (2017). Lorde co-wrote and co-produced the song with Jack Antonoff and Andrew Wyatt, with additional production from Frank Dukes. "Perfect Places" was described as an atmospheric electropop song that blends bass, synths and drum machine beats. In the lyrics, Lorde follows the conclusion of the "teenage party circuit" in Melodrama, wondering where her perfect places are.
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