Count On Me (Bruno Mars song) explained

Count On Me
Type:single
Artist:Bruno Mars
Album:Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Genre:
Label:
Producer:The Smeezingtons
Prev Title:Young, Wild & Free
Prev Year:2011
Next Title:Locked Out of Heaven
Next Year:2012

"Count On Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The song was first unveiled on Mars's debut extended play, It's Better If You Don't Understand (2010). It was serviced to Australian contemporary hit radio and adult contemporary radio on November 7, 2011, as the overall sixth and final single from the album. It was composed by Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine, under their alias, the Smeezingtons. Musically, "Count On Me" is a folk and tropical record that lyrically details the importance of friendship and conveys a positive message.

The song received generally positive to mixed reviews. Some music critics praised its arrangement and "uplifting" vibe, others criticized its "saccharine sound" and cheesy lyrics. The single peaked at number two in the Czech Republic and it was able to reach the position of 19 in Australia and 13 in New Zealand. It was certified three platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Mars performed "Count on Me" on television shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show and included it on The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour (2010–12), the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour (2011), and once on the Moonshine Jungle Tour (2013–14). It has been covered a number of times and used in a couple of commercials.

Production and release

"Count On Me" was first recorded by Bruno Mars for his debut EP, It's Better If You Don't Understand, which was released on May 11, 2010, under Elektra Records.[1] It was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, while production was handled by the same three under their alias, the Smeezingtons. Levine was responsible for engineering the song, which he did at Levcon Studios in Los Angeles. Levine and Mars played all of the instruments on the track. The single was mixed by Manny Marroquin and assistants Christian Plata and Erik Madrid at Larrabee Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. It was mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. "Count on Me" was issued to contemporary hit radio and adult contemporary radio on November 7, 2011, in Australia by Atlantic Records and Warner Music Australia as a single.[2]

Composition

"Count On Me" has been labelled as a folk by reviewer Pete Rivas from The AU Review and as tropical song by critic Bill Lamb from ThoughtCo (former About.com).[3] [4] The Scotsman found it to be influenced by reggae.[5] It features a laid back groove and tropical vibes, resembling Mars's "Hawaiian background."[6] [4] An acoustic guitar and "beach-bound bongos" are part of its instrumentation.[3] [7] According to the sheet music, the song is composed in the key of C major with a time signature in common time, and a moderate groove of 88 beats per minute.[8]

AllMusic's Tim Sendra called the song a "bittersweet ballad", while Katie Hasty from HitFix classified it as a "sandy-sweet tune".[7] It draws inspiration from the works of Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson and David Cook.[5] [9] MTV UK Joanne Dorken and Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine said the recording's sound was "reminiscent" of "Over The Rainbow" (1993) by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole.[10] [11] It conveys the message of comfort found in a friend and being present for those who are important in your life.[4]

Critical reception

"Count On Me" received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Rivas gave the song a 7 out of 10 saying that it is an "uplifting and chilled sounds" and that it "hits all the right spots". Rivas found the lyrics to convey a "nice" and "positive" message, adding that the single "shows some similarities with his other singles but not to much detriment".[3] The Boston Globe critic Ken Capobianco exalted Mars's vocals on the recording as "one of his best" on the album.[12] While reviewing Mars's debut EP, It's Better If You Don't Understand, Bill Lamb of About.com stated that "there is a dreamy wistfulness here that is irresistible, regarding "Count On Me". He added, that the song is "perfect for summer days".[6] However, while reviewing the parent album, Sendra found that the song lacked deepness and that "it's not poetry". Nevertheless, Sendra did say that the track is "sweetly played and sung" and is able to "project a cuddly image and will melt hearts".[13]

On the other hand, Nows Kevin Ritchie criticized the song for its "cutesy lyrics" and "insipid rhymes like "You can count on me like one, two, three". He added that the song doesn't contribute for the album cohesion, but add for a "no-brainer radio references to Coldplay, U2, Michael Jackson, Sade, Feist and so on".[14] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian concurred with the latter on the "saccharine sound" and explained that during the recording "you start to boggle that Britain's teens are being fed something so sugary without Jamie Oliver getting a campaign up about it".[15]

Commercial performance

In New Zealand, "Count on Me" spent two weeks at its peak position of 13, after debuting at number 21 on August 29, 2011. It was awarded a platinum plaque by Recorded Music NZ (RIANZ). The single first appeared on the UK Singles Chart on September 24, 2011, peaking at number 78 on the following week. It was able to spend four weeks on the chart and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). In 2012, the song debuted at the Ö3 Austria Top 40 at number 15, peaking at number five on the following week. It was able to spend 14 weeks on the chart and it ended up being certified gold. "Count On Me" debuted on Switzerland on the issue date of June 24, 2012, spending six weeks on the chart and peaking at number 55.

"Count on Me" debuted in Australia on December 11, 2012, at number 41, peaking at number 19 four weeks after its debut. It was the eleventh most played song in the Australian radio in 2012 and was certified three times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[16] In 2013, it peaked at number seven on the Spanish Singles Chart and left the charts after two weeks. Despite never charting at German Top 100, the track reached the top position of the German airplay chart and was certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). It was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), despite never being promoted as a single in the US.[4] In 2020, the song entered the Scottish Singles Chart, peaking at number 21.

Live performances

In September 2010, Mars performed "Count on Me" in front of a small crowd of fans at the Waterloo Records in Austin, Texas.[17] He sung it live on September 27, 2010, during a MTV Push Live session held in the United Kingdom.[18] Mars, who was the opening act in an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in December 2012, performed the track as a tribute to the victims of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.[19] It was included on his debut world tour, The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour (2010) and on the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour (2011).[20] [21] It was performed only once during the Moonshine Jungle Tour (2013–2014) in Jakarta.[22]

Cover versions and usage in media

"Count on Me" has been covered by British child singer Connie Talbot and included on her album Beautiful World (2012).[23] South Korean artists Lee Ki-chan and G.NA released a cover of the song as a CD single on May 12, 2011. The CD single, also includes an acoustic version, instrumental version and acoustic instrumental version of the track.[24] It was sung live by 5,000 children from the Voice in a Million Choir at the Wembley Arena.[25] In 2015, Olivia Holt performed a cover of the song on the series finale of I Didn't Do It.[26] In 2019 it was covered by Gabriel Mann on Season 2 Episode 4 of the television show A Million Little Things (ABC Signature).[27] It was also covered by the Willis Family for the first episode of the second season of their show by the same name, aired by TLC.[28] In 2020, American singer-songwriter Josie Dunne and Australian singer-songwriter Wafia covered "Count On Me", in different instances, as part of the tenth anniversary of Mars's debut album.[29] [30]

The recording is part of the Belgian/American animated film and the TV show Suburgatory.[31] [32] It has been featured on two different commercials for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, both took place one in Illinois.[33] and was used for a Hyundai 's commercial, during the Super Bowl XLVIII’s fourth quarter, entitled "Dad's Sixth Sense", that featured the 2016 Hyundai Genesis and Mars's song. It was chosen "for reasons separate and coincidental from Mars' previously announced Half Time gig".[34] The track was included on the Songs for the Philippines relief album, which was compiled to help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan since "all proceeds" were donated to the Philippine Red Cross.[35] It is featured in the film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) and on a commercial for Ferrero SpA.[36] [37] The song is also featured in the official trailer for the 2021 film, Tom & Jerry.[38]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Elektra Records:[39]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2011–2013)Peak
position
Germany Airplay (Official German Charts)[40] 1
Portugal Digital Songs Sales (Billboard)[41] 6
Slovenia (SloTop50)[42] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (2011)Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[43] 42
Chart (2012)Position
Australia (ARIA)[44] 86
Chart (2013)Position
Slovenia (SloTop50)[45] 49

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
AustraliaNovember 7, 2011Contemporary hit radio
Adult contemporary radio

Notes and References

  1. Bruno Mars Blasts Off into the Top Ten Albums Chart on iTunes With New Digital EP. May 5, 2010. Marketwire. August 26, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120927234537/http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Bruno-Mars-Blasts-Off-Into-Top-Ten-Albums-Chart-on-iTunes-With-New-Digital-EP-Acclaimed-1258360.htm. September 27, 2012.
  2. . Bruno Mars – Count On Me. 861. Australia. November 7, 2011. The Music Network. Peer Group Media. January 10, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120403114737/http://www.themusicnetwork.com/music-releases/singles/2011/11/07/issue--861/bruno-mars---count-on-me/. April 3, 2012.
  3. Web site: Single Review: Bruno Mars – Count on Me (2011). The AU Review. November 21, 2011. Pete. Rivas. June 29, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20151225070825/http://www.theaureview.com/albums/bruno-mars-count-on-me-2011-single. December 25, 2015.
  4. Web site: Top 10 Graduation Songs for 2014. Lamb. Bill. ThoughtCo. June 30, 2016. July 25, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170725135243/https://www.thoughtco.com/top-graduation-songs-for-2014-4059900. July 25, 2017.
  5. Web site: Album review: Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The Scotsman. January 14, 2011. January 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170116173933/http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/album-review-bruno-mars-doo-wops-amp-hooligans-1-1496996. January 16, 2017. dead.
  6. Web site: Bruno Mars – It's Better If You Don't Understand. Lamb. Bill. May 11, 2010. June 20, 2011. About.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203027/http://top40.about.com/od/albums/fr/brunomarsep.htm. March 3, 2016.
  7. Web site: Album Review: Bruno Mars' solo debut 'Doo-Wops and Hooligans'. Hasty. Katie. HitFix. October 4, 2010. July 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161017100131/http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/immaculate-noise/posts/review-bruno-mars-solo-debut-doo-wops-and-hooligans. October 17, 2016.
  8. Web site: Bruno Mars – Count on Me Sheet Music (Digital Download). Musicnotes. February 3, 2011. June 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305200000/http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0090213. March 5, 2016.
  9. Web site: David. Jeffries. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1821054/review|pure_url=yes}} It's Better If You Don't Understand > Review]. AllMusic. August 26, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120721190539/http://www.allmusic.com/album/its-better-if-you-dont-understand-mw0002003296. July 21, 2012.
  10. Web site: Dorken. Joanne. Live Review: Bruno Mars. MTV UK. January 25, 2011. January 26, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20160424063233/http://www.mtv.co.uk/bruno-mars/news/live-review-bruno-mars. April 24, 2016.
  11. Web site: Bruno Mars: Doo-Wops & Hooligans. October 7, 2010. Eric. Henderson. Slant Magazine. October 7, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101010122929/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/bruno-mars-doo-wops-and-hooligans/2279. October 10, 2010.
  12. News: Bruno Mars, 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans. October 25, 2010. Ken. Capobianco. The Boston Globe. November 29, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175253/http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2010/10/25/bruno_mars_doo_wops__hooligans/. March 3, 2016.
  13. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0002043948|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic (Doo-Wops & Hooligans > Overview)]. Tim. Sendra. AllMusic. October 6, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20160109015642/http://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0002043948. January 9, 2016.
  14. Web site: Bruno Mars: Now Toronto Magazine. Ritchie. Kevin. Now. November 11, 2010. June 29, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160816231031/https://nowtoronto.com/music/album-reviews/bruno-mars/. August 16, 2016.
  15. Petridis. Alexis. Bruno Mars: Doo-Wops & Hooligans – review. The Guardian. January 20, 2011. August 26, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120714060440/http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jan/20/bruno-mars-doo-wops-review?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487. July 14, 2012.
  16. Web site: The biggest songs on radio this year. Radio Today. December 4, 2012. July 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161017073846/http://www.radiotoday.com.au/news/whats-new/1689-the-biggest-songs-on-radio-this-year.html. October 17, 2016. dead.
  17. Book: Watson, Stephanie. Bruno Mars:: Pop Superstar. January 2014. United States of America. ABDO Publishing Company. 70. 978-1-62403-225-7.
  18. Web site: Count On Me (MTV Push Live Session). MTV (UK and Ireland). September 27, 2010. June 29, 2016. September 11, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911135127/http://www.mtv.co.uk/bruno-mars/videos/count-on-me-mtv-push. dead.
  19. Bruno Mars Performs 'Count on Me' in Tribute to Newtown Victims. Rolling Stone. December 18, 2012. March 12, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20121218231524/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/bruno-mars-performs-count-on-me-in-tribute-to-newtown-victims-20121218. December 18, 2012. limited.
  20. Web site: Bruno Mars at Martini Ranch Last Night (Video). November 21, 2010. Nicki. Escudero. Phoenix New Times. November 22, 2010. May 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160513164919/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/bruno-mars-at-martini-ranch-last-night-video-6619969. live.
  21. Web site: Last Night: Bruno Mars & Janelle Monae At Reliant Arena. Gray. Chris. Houston Press. May 19, 2011. May 28, 2020. October 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201029180235/https://www.houstonpress.com/music/last-night-bruno-mars-and-janelle-monae-at-reliant-arena-6779831. live.
  22. Web site: Bruno Mars Thrills Jakarta. Asih. Ratnaning. Tempo. March 26, 2014. July 9, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161017075553/http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/03/26/240565500/Bruno-Mars-Thrills-Jakarta. October 17, 2016.
  23. Web site: Beautiful World by Connie Talbot. iTunes Store. November 26, 2012. July 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161127222615/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/beautiful-world/id582406991. November 27, 2016. dead.
  24. News: Count On Me – G.NA & Lee GiChan. Daum. May 12, 2011. January 25, 2012. ko. https://web.archive.org/web/20120808145503/http://music.daum.net/album/main?album_id=560835. August 8, 2012. dead.
  25. Web site: 5000 children sing – Bruno Mars' Count on Me. VIAMTV. March 20, 2015. July 9, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161017073724/http://viamtv.voiceinamillion.com/5000-children-sing-bruno-mars-count-on-me/. October 17, 2016. dead.
  26. Web site: I Didn't Do It Count On Me by Olivia Holt. October 10, 2015. YouTube. December 4, 2016. January 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200117080214/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcevOZ3Txcg. live.
  27. Web site: Every song from S2E4 - A Million Little Things, "the perfect storm" .
  28. Web site: The Willis Clan Cover Bruno Mars "Count On Me". Longs. Herb. The Christian Beat. March 18, 2016. July 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161017073658/http://www.thechristianbeat.org/index.php/news/1805-the-willis-clan-cover-bruno-mars-count-on-me. October 17, 2016. dead.
  29. Web site: Josie Dunne - Count On Me (Bruno Mars Cover) - 10th Anniversary 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans'. Youtube. November 23, 2020. January 30, 2020. December 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201227124232/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYWB7pzjpSM. live.
  30. Web site: Wafia - Count On Me (Bruno Mars Cover) - 10th Anniversary 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans'. Youtube. December 4, 2020. January 30, 2020. December 4, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201204181632/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJF2jx8Hh7Q&gl=US&hl=en. live.
  31. Web site: Sammy's avonturen: De geheime doorgang Soundtrack. de. theost.com. December 28, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20160408215117/http://theost.com/2010/sammys_avonturen_de_geheime_doorgang.html. April 8, 2016.
  32. Web site: Suburgatory: "Catch And Release". Nowalk. Brandon. The A.V. Club. March 26, 2014. July 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20140328161218/http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/suburgatory-catch-and-release-202723. March 28, 2014. dead.
  33. Blue Cross and Blue Shield commercials
  34. Hyundai Taps Bruno Mars' 'Count On Me' For Super Bowl Spot. Andrew. Hampp. Billboard. December 13, 2013. December 13, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160309233110/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/5885223/hyundai-taps-bruno-mars-count-on-me-for-super-bowl-spot. March 9, 2016. dead.
  35. The Beatles, U2, Eminem, One Direction Contribute To 'Songs for the Philippines' Relief Album. Billboard Staff. Billboard. November 26, 2013. December 3, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160511080850/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5800792/the-beatles-u2-eminem-one-direction-contribute-to-songs-for-the-philippines. May 11, 2016. dead.
  36. Web site: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) – Song Credits. Soundtrack.Net. Autotelics, LLC. May 19, 2017. May 29, 2017. May 28, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170528133829/http://www.soundtrack.net/movie/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-the-long-haul/. live.
  37. Web site: Bruno Mars : ses chansons utilisées par le cinéma. fr. HREF. NRJ. December 26, 2019. December 29, 2019. December 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191229170740/https://www.nrj.fr/artistes/bruno-mars/actus/bruno-mars-ses-chansons-utilisees-par-le-cinema-71327225. live.
  38. Web site: Tom and Jerry trailer out. The cat and mouse chase begins. Sharma. Divyanshi. India Today. November 18, 2020. January 30, 2020. November 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201118055347/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/hollywood/story/tom-and-jerry-trailer-out-the-cat-and-mouse-chase-begins-1741544-2020-11-18. live.
  39. Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Doo-Wops & Hooligans. 2010. CD booklet. Elektra Entertainment Group. 2-525393. United States.
  40. Web site: Airplay Charts Deutschland – Woche 18/2012 . German Charts . January 30, 2017 . February 4, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170204191021/http://germancharts.com/airplay_charts.asp?week=201218 . live .
  41. Bruno Mars Portugal Digital Songs Sales. Billboard. September 1, 2019. August 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190826095826/https://www.billboard.com/music/Bruno-Mars/chart-history/portugal-digital-song-sales. dead.
  42. Web site: SloTop50: Slovenian official singles weekly chart. SloTop50. sl. January 27, 2013. December 30, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171230230137/http://www.slotop50.si/Glasbene-lestvice/Tedenske-lestvice/?year=2013&week=4. live.
  43. Web site: New Zealand Top Selling Singles of 2011. Official New Zealand Music Chart. July 24, 2016. March 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306162408/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart?chart=1862. live.
  44. Web site: ARIA End of Year Singles Chart 2012. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 27, 2020. February 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200224042136/https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2012/singles-chart. live.
  45. Web site: SloTop50: Slovenian official singles year end chart. SloTop50. sl. December 29, 2013. December 22, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161222152201/http://www.slotop50.si/Glasbene-lestvice/Letne-lestvice/?year=2013. live.

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