Neon Lights (Demi Lovato song)

"Neon Lights"
Single by Demi Lovato
from the album Demi
Released	November 19, 2013
Format	Digital download, CD Single
Genre	Electropop dance-pop
Length	3:53 3:38 (radio edit)
Label	Hollywood
Writer(s)	Demi Lovato Mario Marchetti Tiffany Vartanyan Ryan Tedder Noel Zancanella
Producer(s)	Ryan Tedder Noel Zancanella
Demi Lovato singles chronology
"Let It Go" (2013) "Neon Lights" (2013) "Somebody to You" (2014) Music video "Neon Lights" on YouTube

"Neon Lights" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato from her fourth studio album, Demi (2013). The song was released as the album's third single on November 19, 2013.^[1] Ryan Tedder and Noel Zancanella produced and co-wrote the song along with Lovato, Mario Marchetti, and Tiffany Vartanyan. On September 29, 2013, Lovato announced the name of her concert tour, the Neon Lights Tour, and soon after that "Neon Lights" would become the third single from the album.^[2][3][4] The song, with its prominent EDM influences, covered new ground for Demi, who had been previously known for her pop ballad singles. The song received mixed reviews, with critics praising the song, but criticizing its placement on the album, despite the single beginning relatively well, with the accompanying music video being released on November 21, 2013.^[5]

The song has since reached number 2 on the Ukraine Dance Charts. The song has done moderately well internationally, most significantly in New Zealand, where it has since peaked at number 12 and been certified Gold. It reached number 36 on the Hot 100, peaking at this position for three non-consecutive weeks. It also topped the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart at number one and became Lovato's third top 10 single at Mainstream Top 40, reaching number 7. The song has since been certified Platinum in the US.

An accompanying music video for "Neon Lights" was directed by Ryan Pallotta, and was premiered through Vevo on November 21, 2013. Lovato has performed the track on several television programs, and has also included the song on the set list of her Neon Lights Tour (2014).

Background and composition

"Neon Lights" is a dance pop^[6][7] and electropop^[8] song.In October 2013, Tedder explained his idea to produce the dance record, stating "That record, Neon Lights, we did intentionally because I wanted to. I heard it on [a friend's] demo-reel and the next day I woke up and the melody was in my head, and I couldn't get it out of my head for two days, that's when I knew."^[9] Tedder also went on to compliment Lovato's vocals, stating, "She came in and just ripped it. She in pop music has one of the biggest ranges, possibly the highest full voice singer I've ever worked with. She can belt full voice like three octaves above middle C, it's just crazy, and with complete power and complete control. At the beginning she's singing the lowest note she's ever done and by the end she's going as high as she's ever gone." Tedder says the song was a "fun dance record."^[6] According to Musicnotes.com, Lovato's vocals span from the low note of C♯₃ to the high note of D_5. The song moves at a tempo of 126 beats per minute in the key of F♯ minor.^[10]

Release

Lovato announced that the song would be the third single from Demi on September 27, 2013 by posting a short teaser video to her Facebook page featuring the words "Neon Lights" formed out of neon light tubes, with the background music being "Neon Lights". The words "SUNDAY 6 PM EST" appeared on screen just before it ended, suggesting the release of the music video or the new single.^[11] However, this was actually a reference to a live Facebook chat Lovato had with her fans on September 29, where she confirmed "Neon Lights" as the next single of Demi and also announced her associated tour of the same name in support of the album.^[12] Despite the announcement in September, the official release of the single was on November 19, with the music video being released two days later on November 21.

Critical reception

The song received mixed to positive reviews from critics upon the release of Demi. Although critics praised the song overall, its placement upon the album was criticized. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard called "Neon Lights" a "misguided dance stunt". He explained that the song "covers well-worn electro-pop territory" and does so very effectively. He also states that the song is well done for "the blinking synthesizers and clomping bass that receive a boost from the singer's unflappable power." ^[8] Alter The Press! gave the song a positive review, stating that "Most recent single Neon Lights is certainly a standout track on the album, and well deserving of a solo release, with a huge chorus that allows Lovato to push her voice and show off the power harbored in her vocal chords, it's an ideal seller for the whole album."^[13]

Music video

The music video was released on November 21, 2013.^[14] The video was directed by Ryan Pallotta, who previously worked with Lovato, who co-directed for the music video, "Made in the USA". The video begins as Lovato emerging from a pool of water. In the next scene, Lovato performed the introduction of the song in a room wired with neon lights and another scene where Lovato is later shown dancing and singing with the backup dancers in a club. During the video, Lovato is wearing neon makeup and neon rain starts falling down. The scenes are shown repeatedly throughout the video.

Live performances

Lovato first performed the song at We Day on September 20, 2013.^[15] She then promoted it on October 3, 2013 at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with a performance, the first on television.^[16] On October 7, 2013, Lovato performed the song during her interview at the The Ellen DeGeneres Show.^[17][18] Lovato performed the song during the results show of the third season of The X Factor (U.S.) on November 28, 2013. On December 31, 2013, Lovato performed it at ET Canada's New Year's Eve televised show.^[19] On May 21, 2014, Lovato performed the song along with "Really Don't Care" at the thirteenth season finale of American Idol along with the Top 13 female contestants. The song was also a part of Lovato's setlist for The Neon Lights Tour (2014) and the Demi World Tour (2014–2015). On August 31, 2015, Lovato sang it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well as promoting "Cool for the Summer".^[20]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2015	Vevo Certified Awards	100 Million Views	"Neon Lights"	Won

Formats and track listings

• Digital and download

1. "Neon Lights" - 3:53

• US/Europe CD Single/Digital download

1. "Neon Lights" – 3:53
2. "Neon Lights" (Cole Plante with Myon & Shane 54 Remix) – 6:04

• Digital remixes – EP^[21]

1. "Neon Lights" (Radio Version) – 3:38
2. "Neon Lights" (Betty Who Remix) – 3:17
3. "Neon Lights" (Cole Plante with Myon & Shane 54 Remix) – 6:04
4. "Neon Lights" (Jump Smokers Remix) – 4:06
5. "Neon Lights" (Belanger Remix) – 5:17
6. "Neon Lights" (Tracy Young Remix) – 7:26

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2013–14) Peak position scope="row" Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[22] 11 Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[22] 38 scope="row" Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[23] 15 Belgium Dance (Ultratop Wallonia)[23] 17 Bulgaria (Singles Top 40)[24] 35 scope="row" Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[25] 40 scope="row" Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[26] 22 scope="row" Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[27] 35 scope="row" Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[28] 46 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[29] 62 scope="row" Ireland (IRMA)[30] 67 scope="row" Israel (Media Forest)[31] 32 Israel (Media Forest TV Airplay)[32] 1 Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20)[33] 32 Luxembourg (Billboard)[34] 14 scope="row" New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[35] 12 Portugal (Singles Top 50)[36] 27 scope="row" Scotland (Official Charts Company)[37] 9 scope="row" UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[38] 15 scope="row" US Billboard Hot 100[39] 36 scope="row" US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[40] 20 scope="row" US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[41] 17 scope="row" US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[42] 1 scope="row" US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[43] 7 Venezuela Pop Rock (Record Report)[44] 10

Year-end charts Chart (2014) Peak position US Pop Songs (Billboard)[8] 39 US Hot Dance/Club Songs (Billboard)[8] 31 Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments New Zealand (RMNZ)[45] Gold 7,500 United States (RIAA)[46] Platinum 1,000,000[47] ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone Since May 2013 RIAA certifications for digital singles include on-demand audio and/or video song streams in addition to downloads.[48]

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Ref.
United States	November 19, 2013	Digital download	[1]
United Kingdom	June 15, 2014		[49]

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 2014 (U.S.)

References

1. Kitchener, Shaun (September 27, 2013). "Demi Lovato Announces 'Neon Lights' As New Single (LISTEN)". Entertainment Wise. Giant Digital. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
2. Kitchener, Shaun (September 27, 2013). "Demi Lovato Announces 'Neon Lights' As New Single (LISTEN)". Entertainmentwise. Entertainmentwise.com. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
3. Harris, Jamie (September 30, 2013). "Demi Lovato announces 'The Neon Lights' tour for 2014". Digital Spy. Digitalspy.co.uk. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
4. Vena, Jocelyn (September 30, 2013). "Demi Lovato's Neon Lights Tour Kicking Off On Valentine's Day". MTV. MTV.com. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
5. Lovato, Demi (November 21, 2013). "Demi Lovato - Neon Lights (Official)". YouTube.
6. "OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder Hails Demi Lovato's Voice And "Incredible" Range". Capital FM. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
7. "Demi Lovato’s ‘Demi’ – amazing album alert!". Maximum Pop!. May 29, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
8. "Demi Lovato, 'Demi': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
9. "Ryan Tedder Talks About Working With Demi Lovato". YouTube. Capital FM. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
10. Lovato, Demi. "Demi Lovato "Neon Lights" Sheet Music". musicnotes.com.
11. "Demi Lovato's Facebook Video". Retrieved 9 October 2013.
12. "Demi Lovato's Facebook Tour Announcement". Retrieved 9 October 2013.
13. Wilce, Tasmyn (December 2013). "2013: Albums Of The Year". Alter The Press!.
14. "Demi Lovato - Neon Lights (Official)". Youtube.com. November 25, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
15. "Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, Darren Criss, Chris Hadfield and Imagine Dragons Take the Stage Today for We Day Toronto". Market Wired. Yahoo! Finance. September 20, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
16. "Demi Lovato Performs 'Neon Lights' For The First Time On TV". NOW 100.5 FM. 3 October 2013.
17. "Demi Lovato Performs "Neon Lights" On 'Ellen,' Talks About Her Parents' Haunted House: Watch". Idolator. 7 October 2013.
18. "Demi Lovato Performs 'Neon Lights'". ellentv.com. 7 October 2013.
19. Kennedy, John R. (January 1, 2014). "Miley, Demi, Rob Ford: NYE shows had something for all". Globalnews.ca. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
20. "Demi Lovato Oozes Confidence as she Performs 'Cool For The Summer' and 'Neon Lights' for 'Kimmel'". Billboard. September 1, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
21. "iTunes - Music - Neon Lights Remixes - EP by Demi Lovato". itunes.apple.com.
22. "Ultratop.be – Demi Lovato – Neon Lights" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
23. "Ultratop.be – Demi Lovato – Neon Lights" (in French). Ultratip.
24. "Neon Lights by Demi Lovato - Music Charts". acharts.co. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
25. "Demi Lovato – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Demi Lovato.
26. "Demi Lovato – Chart history" Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 for Demi Lovato.
27. "Demi Lovato – Chart history" Billboard Canada Hot AC for Demi Lovato.
28. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201415 into search.
29. "The Official Finnish Charts - Demi Lovato". BGTop40. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
    • "Demi Lovato: Neon Lights". ifpi.com. Retrieved March 2014.
30. "Chart Track: Week 03, 2014". Irish Singles Chart.
31. "Demi Lovato – Neon Lights Media Forest". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
32. ""Demi Lovato – Neon Lights Media Forest". Israeli TV Airplay Chart.". Mediaforest.biz. January 25, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
33. "The Official Lebanese Top 20 - Demi Lovato". Olt20.com. 14 January 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
34. "Luxembourg Digital Songs - December 14, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
35. "Charts.org.nz – Demi Lovato – Neon Lights". Top 40 Singles.
36. "Neon Lights by Demi Lovato - Music Charts". acharts.co. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
37. "Archive Chart: June 22, 2014". Scottish Singles Top 40.
38. "22, 2014/ Archive Chart: June 22, 2014" UK Singles Chart.
39. "Demi Lovato – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Demi Lovato.
40. "Demi Lovato – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Demi Lovato.
41. "Demi Lovato – Chart history" Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay for Demi Lovato. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
42. "Demi Lovato – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Demi Lovato.
43. "Demi Lovato – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Demi Lovato.
44. "Pop Rock General". Record Report (in Spanish). R.R. Digital C.A. April 6, 2013.
45. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart - December 30, 2013". RIANZ. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
46. "American single certifications – Demi Lovato – Neon Lights". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
47. "Ask Billboard: Baseball Hits, Gwen Stefani's Delay & & Demi Lovato's Best-Selling Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 12, 2014.
48. "RIAA Adds Digital Streams To Historic Gold & Platinum Awards". Recording Industry Association of America. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
49. "iTunes - Music - Neon Lights - Single by Demi Lovato". itunes.apple.com.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics