Gotta Be Somebody Explained

Gotta Be Somebody
Cover:Nbsplash.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Nickelback
Album:Dark Horse
Recorded:March–July 2008
Studio:Mountain View (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
Genre:
Length:4:13
Label:Roadrunner
Producer:
Prev Title:Side of a Bullet
Prev Year:2007
Next Title:Something in Your Mouth
Next Year:2008

"Gotta Be Somebody" is the first official single released from Canadian rock band Nickelback's sixth studio album, Dark Horse. It reached number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their sixth and final top-10 hit.

Background

Originally, the lead single from the album was set to be "If Today Was Your Last Day"[2] but was changed instead to "Gotta Be Somebody". The song was digitally delivered to all formats on September 29, 2008.[3] [4] "Gotta Be Somebody" has been covered by American country music singer Bucky Covington in 2009, and English pop singer Shayne Ward in 2010. It was used in a video package for the 2008 Tribute to the Troops show.

Music video

In October 2008, it was reported that an official video from the commercial shoot had been shot with director Jessy Terrero.[5] However, after claims that the band was dissatisfied with the video, it was scrapped. A new video was shot in Vancouver with long-time collaborator Nigel Dick, three months after the release of the single.[6] The video debuted at AOL on Monday, December 15, 2008.[7]

The video for "Gotta Be Somebody" starts out in Outer Space, showing various planets before zooming in on Earth. Nickelback is shown playing at the Colosseum in Rome, which is empty. During the chorus, an earthquake occurs and cracks the ground the band is standing on. During the second verse, the band is then shown playing on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Another earthquake begins during the chorus and finally, the band is shown playing an outdoor concert to fans in a Southwestern United States desert inside an Aircraft boneyard for the third verse, bridge, and final chorus. One last earthquake is shown during the final chorus as well. After the band finishes the song, the video zooms out of the boneyard concert and back into outer space, focusing on Earth before fading out.

The video swept the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards, winning awards for best video, best rock video, and best post-production.[8]

Track listings

International CD Single

  1. "Gotta Be Somebody"
  2. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"

Japanese Promo "Best of" EP[9]

  1. "Gotta Be Somebody" (edit)
  2. "Photograph"
  3. "Far Away"
  4. "If Everyone Cared"
  5. "Rockstar"
  6. "Someday"
  7. "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good"
  8. "How You Remind Me"
  9. "Too Bad"
  10. "Breathe"
  11. "Leader Of Men"
  12. "Gotta Be Somebody" (album version)

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2008)Position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 95
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] 82
Chart (2009)Position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] 27
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[14] 162
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 98
US Billboard Hot 100[16] 51
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)[17] 5

All-time charts

Bucky Covington version

Gotta Be Somebody
Type:single
Artist:Bucky Covington
Album:Good Guys
Released:October 19, 2009
Length:3:48
Label:Lyric Street
Producer:Mark Miller
Prev Title:I Want My Life Back
Prev Year:2009
Next Title:A Father's Love (The Only Way He Knew How)
Next Year:2010

Country artist Bucky Covington released a version of the song as his fifth single on October 19, 2009. The song is the second single released from his second studio album, Good Guys.[19] The song debuted at number 58 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of November 14, 2009 and ultimately peaked at number 51 a few weeks later. The music video, which was directed by Devin Pense, premiered on CMT on October 26, 2009.[20]

Charts

Shayne Ward version

Gotta Be Somebody
Cover:Gottabesomebody.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Shayne Ward
Album:Obsession
B-Side:Future Love
Released:November 7, 2010
Recorded:2009–2010
Length:3:42
Label:Sony
Producer:
Prev Title:Breathless
Prev Year:2007
Next Title:Obsession
Next Year:2011

The song was covered by British pop singer Shayne Ward for his third studio album, Obsession. It was the album's lead single, released on November 7, 2010.[21] Ward performed the single for the first time on The X Factor results show on November 7, 2010.

Background

"Gotta Be Somebody" was produced by Ray Hedges, Nigel Butler, Cutfather and David Kopatz. In an interview with Digital Spy Shayne Ward spoke about the decision to release a cover song as the album's lead single: "The whole transition from being rock to pop/R&B was really exciting for me and it's definitely made it into my own track. It's the perfect first single to kick-start my Obsession album. I don't look it as a cover. It's just a great song. I hadn't heard the song for a while before I recorded it, but I got into it again straight away because it's got such a catchy chorus."[22] According to Ward, the song is about hope, "It's got a great message too – it's about hope, that there's someone out there for all of us. The music video for the single was shot in Los Angeles on 27 September 2010, and was directed by Bille Woodruff. The video for "Gotta Be Somebody" premiered on YouTube on October 29, 2010.The single's B-side, "Future Love", written by Ryan Tedder and Evan Bogart, is a cover of Kristinia DeBarge's version of the Varsity Fanclub original.

Track listing

CD single
  1. "Gotta Be Somebody" – 3:42
  2. "Future Love" – 3:08
Digital download
  1. "Gotta Be Somebody" – 3:42
  2. "Gotta Be Somebody" (Moto Blanco remix) – 5:38
  3. "Gotta Be Somebody" (Almighty mix) – 7:02

Chart performance

"Gotta Be Somebody" debuted first on November 12, 2010 on the Irish Singles Chart at number 10, giving Ward his sixth top 10 hit in the country. On November 14, 2010, the single debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 12; having been predicted to chart within the top 10 earlier that week.[23] This marks Ward's seventh top 20 hit and second single that failed to crack the top 10.

Release history

CountryDateFormat
United KingdomNovember 7, 2010Digital download
November 8, 2010CD single

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Top 100 Pop Songs of 2008 (100-91) - Page 4. Bill Lamb. About.com Entertainment. December 25, 2015. December 25, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151225174611/http://top40.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/top100songs2008.03.htm. dead.
  2. http://www.nickelback.com/new/content/nickelback-currently-recording-new-album Nickelback Currently Recording New Album
  3. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/nickelback/ Nickelback announce new album
  4. http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16691 Mainstream Top 40 Add Dates
  5. Web site: Video Static: Music Video News: SHOT: Nickelback - Jessy Terrero, director . VideoStatic . December 1, 2008 . October 18, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091018173113/http://www.videostatic.com/vs/2008/10/shot-nickelback.html . dead .
  6. Web site: Video Static: Music Video News: SHOT: Nickelback - Nigel Dick, director . VideoStatic . December 1, 2008 . December 1, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081201064248/http://www.videostatic.com/vs/2008/11/shot-nickelback.html . dead .
  7. Web site: AOL Radio - Listen to Free Online Radio - Free Internet Radio Stations and Music Playlists . Music.aol.com . January 17, 2014.
  8. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=13332 Gotta Be Somebody Songfacts
  9. Web site: Nickelback. Discogs. Discogs.com. March 20, 2017.
  10. Web site: Nielsen Music Control Airplay - Germany Top 5. Nielsen Music Control on behalf of BVMI. February 17, 2023. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081108160250/http://www.nielsenmusiccontrol.com/. November 8, 2008.
  11. Web site: 2008 Annual ARIA Singles Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 1, 2020.
  12. Canadian Hot 100 - Year-End 2008. Billboard. August 13, 2019.
  13. Canadian Hot 100 - Year-End 2009. Billboard. March 31, 2012.
  14. Web site: Éves összesített listák - MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 (súlyozott). Mahasz. Mahasz.
  15. Web site: Årslista Singlar – År 2009. Sverigetopplistan. sv. January 1, 2020.
  16. Web site: Hot 100 Songs - Year-End 2009 . Billboard. November 10, 2010.
  17. Web site: Adult Pop Songs - Year-End 2009 . Billboard. March 15, 2018.
  18. Web site: Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs : Page 1. Billboard. March 18, 2016. February 14, 2020.
  19. Web site: Bucky Covington - "Gotta Be Somebody". Roughstock. Bjorke. Matt. September 17, 2009. September 17, 2009. December 26, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101226042939/http://www.roughstock.com/blog/bucky-covington-gotta-be-somebody-. dead.
  20. https://web.archive.org/web/20091030011234/http://www.cmt.com/videos/bucky-covington/449065/gotta-be-somebody.jhtml?id=1624591 CMT Videos: Music Binge - 10.26.09 : Gotta Be Somebody
  21. Web site: Nick Levine, Tom Mansell. Exclusive: Listen to the new Shayne Ward single. September 24, 2010. Digital Spy. September 25, 2010.
  22. Web site: Levine. Nick. Music - News - Shayne Ward defends cover single - Digital Spy. October 5, 2010. Digital Spy. October 6, 2010.
  23. Web site: How are Take That, Shayney & SuBo doing? - Music Blog . Digital Spy . November 9, 2010 . January 17, 2014.