No (Meghan Trainor song)
"No" | ||||||||
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File:Meghan Trainor - NØ (Official Single Cover).png | ||||||||
Single by Meghan Trainor | ||||||||
from the album Thank You | ||||||||
Released | March 4, 2016 | |||||||
Format | Digital download | |||||||
Recorded | 2015–16 | |||||||
Genre | ||||||||
Length | 3:33 | |||||||
Label | Epic | |||||||
Writer(s) |
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Producer(s) | Ricky Reed | |||||||
Meghan Trainor singles chronology | ||||||||
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"No" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor from her second major-label studio album, Thank You (2016). The song was released on March 4, 2016, as the lead single from the album. Produced by Ricky Reed, the song was written by Trainor, Eric Frederic, and Jacob Kasher Hindlin.[1]
Backed by an instrumental of ripping guitars, the dance-pop and R&B song draws some influences from doo-wop, with lyrics about men who "can't take the hint" when their advances towards women are rejected. Its composition was compared by several critics to various pop artists of the late 1990s and early 2000s, namely Britney Spears, NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, and Destiny's Child. It debuted at number 21 on Radio Songs, becoming the highest debut on the chart since Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The accompanying music video for the song was set at a warehouse. The video was noted to be visually darker than Trainor's previous clips and features her dancing alongside an all-female dance troupe. The clip drew comparisons to the works of Spears and Madonna for its sexual nature.
Contents
Background and recording
In an interview with Fuse's Jason Lipshutz, Trainor stated the song is "a big anthem for ladies about telling a dude, 'Nah, I'm good—I’m out here on my own, and I'm good with it.'" She also said "The scene is me in a club, and the dude comes up to me and I go, 'No no no. I don't need your hands all over me. I'm good. I'm gonna dance on my own with my girls.'"[2] Billboard gave a preview of the lyrics: "My name is 'no'/My number is 'no.'"[3] Musically, she described the material as "something that's not on the radio" and "different."[4] Trainor wanted "No" to resemble the Britney Spears song "Overprotected", as well as the music of NSYNC and Destiny's Child.[5] Referring to the meeting, Trainor revealed label director L.A. Reid told the singer she didn’t have a proper lead single yet for her upcoming album: “he said I have an album of Nice Meghan". Trainor said it took little time to craft the song with producer Ricky Reed. “I told my producer we needed a big eff-you song, an anthem about girl power that sounded like nothing on the album. We wrote it that day.” She added “I was too scared to go by myself [play the final result for Reid]. L.A. played it 29 times—and we kept counting. I’ll never forget that moment.”[6] Ultimately, the song changed the direction of its parent album, as they started experimenting with new musical styles and produced six more tracks.[7]
Composition
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A 21-second sample of "No", featuring Trainor singing the track's chorus, which is complemented by a ripping guitars leading instrumentation.
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Problems playing this file? See media help. |
Lyrically, the song discusses men who approach women and "can’t take the hint" when their advances are rejected.[7] Musically "No" is a dance-pop and R&B song that draws some influence from doo-wop, with ripping guitars leading instrumentation.[8][9][10] The song opens with modern doo-wop vocals, before it charges up into an early millennium-pop vibe with its beat and crunchy guitar;[11] for Billboard's Joe Lynch "there's a twist - the retro music plays through an old-timey crackle, and then it suddenly comes to a stop. A massive, Neptunes-esque beat kicks in."[8]
Trainor half-sings, half-raps "My name is no / My sign is no / My number is no / You need to let it go."[9] Music Times' Carolyn Menyes noted influences from early 2000s girl groups and pop stars a la In the Zone Britney Spears and NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me".[9] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by WAMA, Inc., "No" is written in the key of C♯ minor in common time. The song begins with a tempo of 73 beats per minute for the introduction before increasing to 94 beats per minute. Trainor's vocals span one and a half octaves throughout the song, from G♯3 to C♯5.[12]
Critical reception
Writing for Billboard, Joe Lynch stated Trainor "is making one thing clear from outset of her new song "NO," it's that there's a lot more to Meghan Trainor than what you think you know", adding "Trainor was confident on 'Bass', but on "NO," she's entirely in charge."[8] In a positive review, Brennan Carley from Spin wrote “NO” "is definitely a new direction for Trainor, who’s mostly tossing aside her sock-hopping persona for no-nonsense truth-telling."[13] Digital Spy's Amy Davidson described the song as "gloriously '90s".[14] Forbes contributor Hugh McIntyre thought it is "a noticeable departure from her previous hits. It’s sultrier and a little more aggressive."[15]
Carolyn Menyes from Music Times wrote "No" "is the sort of anthem that women have been looking for. She sings in an out-of-character show of female empowerment and independence."[9] Lucy Bacon of MTV News also called it a "girl power anthem."[16] Also noting the early 2000s sound, Lucas Villa of AXS wrote, "Trainor's latest time warp to the peaks of Britney Spears and *NSYNC served up with a side of her signature sass is a big yes in our book."[17] Mike Wass of Idolator praised the song, describing it as "slinky, turn-of-the-millennium R&B/pop" and tipped it as a cross between Christina Aguilera and Destiny's Child.[18]
Chart performance
"No" debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated 26 March 2016, marking her highest entrance among seven entries so far. The single opened at number 2 on Digital Songs with 113,000 sold in its first week of release. "No" also debuted at number 21 on Radio Songs (46 million in airplay audience), marking the highest debut on the chart since Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" debuted at number 6 more than five years prior. Also, "No" added 3.3 million first-week domestic streams, without an official music video or audio on Trainor's Vevo channel.[19] In its third week, "No" entered the Hot 100's top ten on the chart dated 9 April 2016, ascending from 12 to 6 and becoming her fourth top-ten hit. The song marked her fastest climb to the top ten, besting the four-week ascent of "All About That Bass." Additionally, "No" became Trainor's second number-one song on the Digital Songs chart, after selling 128,000 downloads during that week.[20] The following week, besides descending to number 2 on the Digital Songs chart with 147,000 downloads sold, "No" ascended from 6 to 3 on the Hot 100, becoming Trainor's second top-three song.[21] "No" debuted at number 59 on the UK Singles Chart. It later reached number 11.
Music video
In an interview with Time magazine, Trainor confirmed the filming of the accompanying music video took place on March 4, 2016.[23] The music video was released on March 21, 2016 on Trainor's Vevo page. Visually darker than her previous clips, the singer joins a female dance troupe in a warehouse.[24] Joe Lynch from Billboard opined "Trainor gives serious early '00s Britney and mid '90s Madonna vibes. It's a much sexier look than we're used to seeing from Trainor, but she owns it."[22] For Fuse's Emilee Lindner, Trainor is "shedding the bubblegum pink and pastel blues of her Title era and delving in the darkness of her new brown-haired persona."[25] As of May 20, 2016 it has over 200 million views on YouTube.
Live performances and cover versions
Trainor performed "No" live for the first time at the 3rd iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 3, 2016.[26] She performed the track on The Graham Norton Show on April 8,[27] on The Voice UK final on April 9,[28] and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 20.[29] Trainor was set to perform at the 2016 Radio Disney Music Awards,[30] but did not do so. She is scheduled to perform the track at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
A-cappella group Pentatonix covered "No" in a video released via their YouTube channel, in April 2016.[31] The song was also covered by Allison Iraheta and other alumni at the series finale of American Idol on April 7, 2016.[32]
Charts
Certifications
Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[69] | Platinum | 70,000 |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[70] | Gold | 7,500 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[71] | Gold | 20,000 |
United Kingdom (BPI)[72] | Silver | 200,000 |
United States (RIAA)[73] | Platinum | 1,000,000 |
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
Release history
Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | March 4, 2016 | Digital download | Epic | [74] |
United States | [75] | |||
March 7, 2016 | Modern adult contemporary | [76] | ||
March 8, 2016 | Contemporary hit radio | [77] |
References
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- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Meghan Trainor – No" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Meghan Trainor – No" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Meghan Trainor – No" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Meghan Trainor – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Meghan Trainor. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201620 into search. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201618 into search. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Musicline.de – Meghan Trainor Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ↑ "Chart Track: Week 15, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Meghan Trainor – No Media Forest". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
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- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Meghan Trainor search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Meghan Trainor – No" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 2016-04-15". Scottish Singles Top 40. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201612 into search. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201612 into search. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Meghan Trainor – No" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Meghan Trainor – No". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 2016-04-21" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 2016-04-21" UK Download Chart. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Meghan Trainor – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Meghan Trainor. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Meghan Trainor – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Meghan Trainor. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Meghan Trainor – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Meghan Trainor. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Meghan Trainor – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Meghan Trainor. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Meghan Trainor – Chart history" Billboard Rhythmic Songs for Meghan Trainor. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select the "Chart", enter 2016 in the field "Year". Select '' in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts"
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter No in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
- Use mdy dates from March 2016
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with empty listen template
- Singlechart called without song
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- Singlechart usages for Czechdigital
- Singlechart usages for Hungarytop10
- Singlechart usages for Israelairplay
- Singlechart usages for Poland
- Singlechart usages for Scotland
- Singlechart usages for Slovakdigital
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- Certification Table Entry usages for Australia
- Certification Table Entry usages for New Zealand
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- 2016 songs
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- Meghan Trainor songs
- Songs with feminist themes
- Songs written by Jacob Kasher
- Songs written by Meghan Trainor
- Songs written by Ricky Reed