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| "I Feel It Coming" | ||||
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| Single by the Weeknd featuring Daft Punk | ||||
| from the album Starboy | ||||
| Released | November 17, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | July 2016 | |||
| Studio | ||||
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| Length | 4:29 | |||
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| Songwriter(s) | ||||
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| The Weeknd singles chronology | ||||
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| Daft Punk singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "I Feel It Coming" on YouTube | ||||
"I Feel It Coming" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his third studio album, Starboy (2016), featuring the French duo Daft Punk. The song was written and produced by the Weeknd, Daft Punk, Doc McKinney, and Cirkut, with additional writing from Eric Chedeville. It was released for digital download through XO and Republic Records. on November 17, 2016, as the third single from the album. Conceived in four days during a session at a Paris recording studio, "I Feel It Coming" is a disco-pop and funk track where the Weeknd convinces a woman to not be scared of falling in love again.
"I Feel It Coming" was praised by music critics for the Weeknd's vocals and the song's production, many comparing it to the works of Michael Jackson. It was included on multiple listicles, and won the 2018 BMI R&B/Hip Hop Song of the Year. The song reached the top of the charts in France, and peaked within the top five in twelve countries. In the United States, it reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 26 weeks on the chart, and received a 6× platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Warren Fu directed the music video for "I Feel It Coming" in one day at a Los Angeles soundstage. The video features a couple, played by the Weeknd and Kiko Mizuhara, dancing together on a desert planet until they are turned into stone. The Weeknd has performed the song on three of his concert tours: the Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour (2017), his Asia Tour (2018), and the After Hours til Dawn Tour (2022–2024).
Background and release
Following the commercial success of his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), the Weeknd started to record new music in May 2016, inviting Mark Guiducci of Vogue to Conway Recording Studios, and revealed that him and the team who produced his debut mixtape, House of Balloons (2011), were recording new material.[1] During an interview with Billboard on July 15, 2016, the executive vice president for Republic Records revealed that the Weeknd and the French electronic duo Daft Punk were set to have a session two days from then.[2]
On September 21, 2016, the Weeknd announced his third studio album, Starboy.[3] A day later, he released the album's title track, which featured Daft Punk.[4] In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on November 4, 2016, the Weeknd revealed that his and Daft Punk's recording sessions together had led to the making of another song for the album, alongside the title track.[5]
On November 17, 2016, he announced and released for download Starboy's third and fourth single, "I Feel It Coming" and "Party Monster", through ITunes simultaneously.[6][7] Later, XO and Republic Records sent the track to contemporary hit radio in the United Kingdom on November 24.[8] Universal Music Group also sent it to Italian radio on December 9.[9] In the United States, XO and Republic sent the track to rhythmic contemporary radio on December 6,[10] and contemporary hit radio on January 3, 2017.[11]
Music and recording
In an interview with Zane Lowe, the Weeknd talked about recording with Daft Punk, stating that he had first met one half of them, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, at a party in Los Angeles. The Weeknd had a desire to get closer to them, telling Variety's Jem Aswad:
I just wanted to get into the studio with them — I didn’t even care if we made music, I just wanted to be friends. I met Guy-Man first, out partying in L.A., and I actually partied with him more than I worked with him. He’d would tell me, with loud music playing over drinks, how much he liked my work.[12]
At a Paris recording studio, Daft Punk presented him with the song's draft instrumental. After freestyling over it, the Weeknd wrote the song in one hour, and started recording. Daft Punk directed him through the process, wanting his vocals to be "authentic and retro",[13] alongside using vintage microphones and signal chains.[14] Work on the song was paused after the Weeknd heard the drum beat for Starboy's title track.[13] The songs were finished in four days.[12] "I Feel It Coming" was initially recorded in Los Angeles with live musicians; the song was later sent to the producers Doc McKinney and Cirkut, where they finished production at Conway Recording Studios.[14] The song's placement on the album's tracklist was revealed to not have been chosen until November 2016, during an interview with The Guardian.[15]
"I Feel It Coming" is a disco-pop[16][17][18] and funk track.[19][20] The song's sheet music, published by Songs Music Publishing at Musicnotes, shows that the song is written in the key of E-flat major and follows a tempo of 93 beats per minute in compound duple (6
8) time. The vocals in the song span from the low note of E♭4 to the high note of B♭5.[21]
Lyrically, the Weeknd reassures his lover to not be scared of falling in love again.[22] Complex's Ross Scarano described the line "Tell me what you really like" as being sung in a way that does not sound like the Weeknd will insist the listener "really like anonymous sex in a cramped bathroom stall followed by a crying jag."[23] In the pre-chorus, he persuades his lover that he is the right one for her, despite her failed relationships in the past: "You've been scared of love and what it did to you / You don't have to run, I know what you've been through,"[24] which Spin further added on, describing the lines as a "crisp, convincing ode" to a heartbroken woman, who needs to be persuaded to try him out.[25] He further reassures his lover, telling her: "Just a simple touch and it can set you free / we don't have to rush when you're alone with me".[26] The song has a five-note chorus, which repeats the title of the song, "I feel it coming/I feel it coming, babe",[16] which Scarano wrote as possibly referring to an orgasm.[23]
Critical reception
Reviews
Music journalists complimented the vocals and production of "I Feel It Coming", with the Weeknd's vocals drawing comparisons to Michael Jackson. Sam Wolfson of The Guardian named the song as the "track of the week", stating that the song sounded like "Michael Jackson singing over a Shalamar beat". Wolfson said the lack of originality in the song was outweighed by its "spectacular" execution. He complimented the Weeknd's vocals, saying it was "pained and perfect over a bassline that sounds like it has a soul."[27] PopMatters staff gave the track a score of 7.75 out of 10, with one staff, Adriane Pontecorvo, writing; "The Weeknd sounds more like Michael Jackson than ever as he glides up to those high notes."[28] Delenda Joseph of Uproxx wrote that the Weeknd's vocals were similar to Michael Jackson's, stating that the song may as well have said "featuring Michael Jackson." Joseph later called the song "a straight up dance jam perfect for your weak attempts at recreating footwork in the comfort of your bathroom."[29] In a more mixed review, Angus Harrison of Vice called the song "enchantingly average," and referred to it as "Daft Punk's magnum opus", calling the song a "four and half minute slab of Kiss-FM pop about female orgasms." He described the song's instrumental as "clean", and further wrote that the song could "herald a new era for chintzy disco-pop". He further stated that although the song was "so ostensibly unimpressive," it was "equally so beguiling."[16]
In Rolling Stone's review of Starboy, Mosi Reeves stated that it was "surprisingly sunny and fresh", calling it a "gem of Ibiza disco love.'[17] Reviewing the album for Pitchfork, Mehan Jayasuriya wrote that "both of the Daft Punk collaborations are satisfying, if hardly groundbreaking", describing the song as a slowed-down version of the duo's 2013 single, 'Get Lucky'".[30] Reviewing the album track-by-track, The Independent's Christopher Hooton praised the song and said it "initially fall in with Michael Jackson and Toto on a Venn diagram but, crucially, thrown off kilter by a melancholy keyboard line low in the mix in the chorus. could definitely become an iconic track".[31]
Listicles
Entertainment Weekly ranked "I Feel It Coming" at number 51 on its list of their best 100 songs of 2016, calling it a "quest for pop-perfection," and a "sleek and-sexy cut from Starboy."[18] Complex placed the song at number ten on their list of best songs of 2016, with Alex Gardner writing that it would be the track from the Starboy album to be played "next year, and the year after, and in ten years time," calling it a "timeless pop song" and likening its disco influence to "Get Lucky".[32] Billboard ranked it at number nine on their list of the 100 best songs of 2017, saying that it "offered hope to lovers who craved more out of a relationship," and called Daft Punk's production "yearning but distinctly danceable."[33] Consequence ranked "I Feel It Coming" as the Weeknd's sixth best song, noting the song's departure from his usual "hedonistic approach to romance," and calling the Weeknd's vocals tender, while describing Daft Punk's production as "nostalgic '80s pop."[34]
Commercial performance
"I Feel It Coming" peaked within the top five in national record charts, number two in Israel[35] and Portugal,[36] number three in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia)[37][38] and Poland,[39] number four in Argentina,[40] Hungary,[41] and the Netherlands,[42] and number five in the Czech Republic,[43] Norway,[44] Slovakia,[45] and Sweden.[46] Elsewhere, it topped the chart in France,[47] and peaked within the top ten in Australia (7),[48] New Zealand (7),[49] the United Kingdom (9),[50] and Canada (10).[51] It received a platinum certification in New Zealand,[52] multi-platinum in Australia (8× Platinum),[53] Canada (5× Platinum),[54] the UK (2× Platinum),[55] and diamond in France.[56]
In the United States, "I Feel It Coming" jumped 26 spots to number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 after the release of Starboy, due to an increase to 11.2 million streams in the country.[57] Later, it climbed to number four on the chart dated April 15, 2017, and spent 26 weeks on the chart.[58][59] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the single 6× platinum, which denotes six million units based on sales and track-equivalent on-demand streams.[60]
Music video
Development
Warren Fu directed the song's music video, which was shot in a Los Angeles soundstage within one day in Christmas 2016.[61] In an interview with Billboard, Fu stated that his elevator pitch for the video was a "love story in a cursed land." He found inspiration from people entombed in volcano ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, particularly an image of the casting of a man who was reaching out before being buried in ash.[61] While filming, Fu asked the Weeknd to reach his hand out as if he was yearning for something. For the aesthetic of the video, Fu wanted a more vintage look compared to his past works, using pink and blue to "reinforce" the overall aesthetic, likening it to the 1980s TV series Knight Rider. In order to make the video have a "worldwide, non-national feel", he pushed for the Japanese-American model Kiko Mizuhara to be the female lead.[61]
It premiered on March 10, 2017, on the Weeknd's Vevo channel.[61][62] It stars the Weeknd and Mizuhara as a romantic couple, with Daft Punk appearing at the ending of the video.[61] Writing for iHeartRadio, Trey Taylor noted that some scenes in the video shared similarities to the music videos for Michael Jackson's songs, specifically for the 1982 single, "Billie Jean". Taylor further noted that the video takes inspiration from the films 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).[63]
Synopsis
The video features the Weeknd dancing in a deserted planet, as he waits for a woman entombed in stone to return to life. As he dances, she suddenly appears in a glowing form,[61] and they watch sunsets and shooting stars together,[64] until she returns to her stone state following an eclipse. To the horror of the Weeknd, she crumbles. After seeing a black snake emerge from the rubble, the Weeknd attempts to reach for it, before turning into stone himself. Over time, he erodes and is covered by snow. Daft Punk appears at the end, playing cloaked explorers, finding the remains of the Weeknd.[65]
Live performances
The Weeknd performed "I Feel It Coming" for the first time on November 24, 2016, as a medley with "Starboy" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[66] The song was later performed the following night at the iHeartRadio Canada Jingle Ball.[67] On February 12, 2017, he performed the song with Daft Punk at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. For the performance, the duo entered a stage which Rolling Stone's Elias Leight described as being "covered with fake ice formations" and the Weeknd made movements based on hand gestures.[68] The song was included on the set list for three of the Weeknd's concert tours—the Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour (2017),[69] Asia Tour (2018)[a] and the After Hours til Dawn Tour (2022–2024).[74]
On November 4, the Weeknd performed the song at the NRJ Music Awards.[75] The song was included on the set list for his headlining performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on 2018 and 2022.[76][77] He performed it during his festival appearances throughout 2018, such as the Mawazine Music Festival,[78] the Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival,[79] and the Global Citizen Festival.[80] On February 7, 2021, the song was included in the set list of the Weeknd's Super Bowl LV halftime show.[81]
Accolades
| Organization | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASCAP Pop Music Awards | 2018 | Award Winning Songs | Won | |
| Billboard Music Awards | 2017 | Top R&B Collaboration | Nominated | |
| BMI Film & TV Awards | 2018 | BMI R&B/Hip Hop Song of the Year | Won | |
| Juno Awards | 2018 | Single of the Year | Nominated | |
| NRJ Music Awards | 2018 | International Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| SOCAN Music Awards | 2018 | Pop Music Award | Won |
Credits
Adapted from the liner notes of Starboy.[88]
Recording and management
- Recorded at Gang Studio (Paris, France), Henson Recording Studios, and Conway Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
- Engineered at Mixstar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
- Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
Personnel
- The Weeknd – lead vocals, co-production, songwriting
- Daft Punk – production, vocals, songwriting
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
- John "J.R." Robinson – drums
- Chris Caswell – keyboards
- Nathan East – bass
- Dylan Wiggins – additional bass
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Cirkut – co-production, engineering
- Doc McKinney – co-production, engineering
- Florian Lagatta – sound engineering
- Josh Smith – engineering
- John Hanes – engineering
- Tom Coyne – mastering
- Aya Merrill – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts |
Year-end charts
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