Use Somebody

"Use Somebody"
Single by Kings of Leon
from the album Only by the Night
Released	December 9, 2008
Format	Digital download, 7", CD
Recorded	2008
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	3:50 (album version) 3:24 (radio edit)
Label	RCA, Sony
Writer(s)	Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill
Producer(s)	Jacquire King, Angelo Petraglia
Kings of Leon singles chronology
"Sex on Fire" (2008) "Use Somebody" (2008) "Revelry" (2009)

	"Use Somebody" Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" from Only by the Night
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"Use Somebody" is a song by the American alternative rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night (2008), released on December 8, 2008.^[1][2]

The single received heavy airplay in Scandinavia, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia, where it was number one on the Official Airplay Chart for six consecutive weeks.^[3] It was a huge success in the U.S., where it topped multiple airplay formats and reached number four on the Hot 100 and number one on the Pop Songs chart.^[4] The song received positive reviews and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song and was also nominated for Song of the Year.^[5]

Critical reception

The song has received generally positive reviews from music critics. Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly called "Use Somebody" a highlight of the album, describing the song as "a too-cool hipster's cry for comfort".^[6] Nick Levine of Digital Spy said, "With its Springsteen-style 'oooah-woooah's, gathering storm of guitars and lusty, longing vocals from Caleb Followill, it's nearly as infectious as 'Sex on Fire'."^[7] Gavin Haynes of NME praised the song as "easily the best 80s power ballad of 2008", but cautioned that the band "may be in danger of mistaking bluster for brilliance".^[8]

Chart performance

In the United States, "Use Somebody" became the band's mainstream breakthrough. Peaking at number four on the Hot 100, it gave the band their first top five hit there, and spent 57 weeks on the chart.^[9][10] On United States radio, the song was a multi-format smash, becoming just the fourth song in history to top the Mainstream Top 40, Adult Top 40, Alternative Songs, and Triple A charts.^[11] (Preceding it were "Slide" by the Goo Goo Dolls, "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray, and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day.) The song first reached number one on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart (now called the "Alternative" chart), their second of three consecutive singles to top that chart. "Use Somebody" also reached number one on the Adult Top 40 Chart,^[12] and later topped the Mainstream Top 40 as well. It reached over 4 million in sales in the US by July 2013.^[13] As of January 2015, the song has sold 4.3 million copies in the US.^[14]

In the United Kingdom, "Use Somebody" peaked at number two on the official UK Top 75 and spent an unbroken 40 weeks on the chart, only dropping out due to the surge in sales of Michael Jackson titles immediately after his death; after an absence of just one week it was back for another 20 weeks, peaking at #25. It has reappeared on further occasions since, and has now spent 77 weeks on the Top 75, making it the 5th longest runner of all time, just two places behind "Sex on Fire" with its 90 weeks.^[15]

Notable cover versions

• Pixie Lott performed a cover version of the song which peaked at number 41 in the UK Singles Chart, due to it being a B-side to her number 1 single "Mama Do (Uh Oh Uh Oh)".^[16]
• Dutch singer Laura Jansen covered a piano ballad-version of "Use Somebody". The song debuted in the Dutch Top 40. It entered the charts on the 35th spot but quickly rose towards number 14.^[17]
• Country singer Margaret Durante did a cover and released a single on October 2009.^[18]
• English electronic music group Ultrabeat released their cover as a single in 2009. The song peaked at No. 100 on the UK Singles Chart^[19]
• Scala & Kolacny Brothers covered the song with the all-girls choir for their album Circle. A video produced for their cover was nominated for an MTV freshman video award.

Track listing

CD single

1. "Use Somebody" - 3:51
2. "Knocked Up" (Lykke Li vs. Rodeo Remix) - 5:34

iTunes exclusive EP

1. "Use Somebody" - 3:51
2. "Knocked Up" (Lykke Li vs. Rodeo Remix) - 5:34
3. "Frontier City" - 3:36
4. "The Bucket" (CSS Remix) - 3:43

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2008–09) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[20] 2 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[21] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[22] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[23] 19 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[24] 8 Denmark (Tracklisten)[25] 9 France (SNEP)[26] 44 Germany (Official German Charts)[27] 9 Ireland (IRMA)[28] 2 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] 7 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[30] 5 Norway (VG-lista)[31] 5 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[32] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[33] 7 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[34] 2 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[35] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[36] 4 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[37] 1 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[38] 13 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[39] 1 US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[40] 1 US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[41] 2 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[42] 25 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[43] 1 Chart (2013) Peak position South Korea (Gaon)[44] 188

Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments Australia (ARIA)[45] 2× Platinum 140,000 Austria (IFPI Austria)[46] Gold 15,000 Belgium (BEA)[47] Platinum 30,000 Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[48] Gold 7,500 Germany (BVMI)[49] Gold 150,000 Mexico (AMPROFON)[50] Gold 30,000 New Zealand (RMNZ)[51] Platinum 15,000 Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[52] Gold 15,000 United Kingdom (BPI)[53] Platinum 1,008,400[54] United States (RIAA)[55] Platinum 4,300,000[14] ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone Year-end charts Chart (2008) Position UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[56] 51 Chart (2009) Position Australia (ARIA)[57] 38 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[58] 10 New Zealand (RIANZ)[59] 47 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[60] 47 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[61] 13 US Billboard Hot 100[62] 14 Decade-end charts Chart (2000–09) Position UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[63] 32

See also

• List of best-selling singles
• List of best-selling singles in the United States
• List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2009 (U.S.)
• Ultratop 50 number-one hits of 2009
• Number one modern rock hits of 2009

References

1. "New Video: Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"". Spin.com. 2008-11-05. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
2. "Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody Contact Music". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
3. "Australian Music Report Weekly Hot 100". Aumreport.com. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
4. "Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Album Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
5. Haynes, Gavin (2008-09-17). "Kings of Leon - Album Reviews". NME. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
6. Wood, Mikael (2008-09-16). "Only by the Night - Music Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
7. "Music - Singles Reviews - Kings of Leon: 'Use Somebody'". Digital Spy. 2008-12-08. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
8. On December 2, 2009, it was announced that the song had been nominated for the 52nd Grammy Awards in the categories of in the categories of Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song; it won the last three on January 31, 2010. Haynes, Gavin (2008-09-17). "Kings of Leon - Album Reviews". NME. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
9. http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2009-02-21
10. http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2010-03-13
11. Gary Trust (30 September 2009). "Chart Beat Wednesday: Kings Of Leon, Toby Keith, Maxwell". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
12. "Chart Beat Wednesday: Carrie Underwood, Kings Of Leon, Miley Cyrus - Chart Beat". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
13. Grein, Paul (July 17, 2013). "Week Ending July 14, 2013. Albums: Jay-Z Back On The Throne". Yahoo Music. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
14. Grein, Paul (January 31, 2015). "The 15 Most Downloaded Songs in Rock History". Yahoo! Music.
15. "Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody". Chart Stats. 2011-09-24. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
16. "UK Singles & Albums Chart Archive - Pixie Lott - Use Somebody". Chart Stats. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
17. "Dutch Chart Stats : Dutch Top 40 - January, week 4". Top40.nl. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
18. "Margaret Durante - Use Somebody". YouTube. 2009-12-24. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
19. "The Official Charts Company – The home of UK Charts". Theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
20. "Australian-charts.com – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
21. "Austriancharts.at – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
22. "Ultratop.be – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
23. "Ultratop.be – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody" (in French). Ultratop 50.
24. "Kings of Leon – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Kings of Leon.
25. "Danishcharts.com – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". Tracklisten.
26. "Lescharts.com – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody" (in French). Les classement single.
27. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". GfK Entertainment Charts.
28. "Chart Track: Week 50, 2008". Irish Singles Chart.
29. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kings of Leon search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
30. "Charts.org.nz – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". Top 40 Singles.
31. "Norwegiancharts.com – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". VG-lista.
32. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100.
33. "Swedishcharts.com – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". Singles Top 100.
34. "Swisscharts.com – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". Swiss Singles Chart.
35. "Archive Chart: 2008-12-14" UK Singles Chart.
36. "Kings of Leon – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Kings of Leon.
37. "Kings of Leon – Chart history" Billboard Adult Alternative Songs for Kings of Leon.
38. "Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks". Billboard.com. 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
39. "Kings of Leon – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Kings of Leon.
40. "Kings of Leon – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Kings of Leon.
41. "Kings of Leon – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for Kings of Leon.
42. "Kings of Leon – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for Kings of Leon.
43. "Kings of Leon – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Kings of Leon.
44. Gaon Digital Chart: 2013년 12월 1주차 (in Korean). gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
45. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
46. "Austrian single certifications – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Kings of Leon in the field Interpret. Enter Use Somebody in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
47. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2009". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
48. "Danish single certifications – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". IFPI Denmark. Click on næste to go to page if certification from official website
49. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Kings of Leon; 'Use Somebody')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
50. "Certificaciones – Kings of Leon" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas.
51. THE FIELD id (chart number) MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION.
52. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Kings of Leon; 'Use Somebody')". Hung Medien.
53. "British certifications – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Use Somebody in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
54. Decant, Charles (21 May 2013). "UK CHARTS: DAFT PUNK ALWAYS IN MIND, ROD STEWART BACK TO TOP". OZAP. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
55. "American single certifications – Kings of Leon – Use Somebody". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
56. "Charts Plus Year-end 2008" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
57. "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2009". ARIA. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
58. "Canadian Hot 100 Year-End 2009". Billboard. 2009. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
59. "RIANZ". RIANZ. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
60. "2009 Year End Swiss Singles Chart". Swiss Music Charts. 2009. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
61. "Charts Plus Year-end 2009" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
62. "Year End Charts - Year-end songs - The Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
63. Radio 1 Official Chart of the Decade, as broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on 29 December 2009, presented by Nihal

External links

• "Use Somebody" Official music video on YouTube
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics