A Lonely Night

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"A Lonely Night"
Song by the Weeknd
from the album Starboy
ReleasedNovember 25, 2016 (2016-11-25)
StudioMXM (Los Angeles, California) MXM, Wolf Cousin Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)[1]
GenreElectro-funk
Length3:40
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Ali Payami
  • Max Martin

"A Lonely Night" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his third studio album Starboy (2016).[2] It was written by the Weeknd, Peter Svensson, Savan Kotecha, Belly, DaHeala, and produced by Ali Payami and Max Martin.[3] The song was the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit.[4]

Composition[edit]

"A Lonely Night" is a post-disco inspired electro-funk song with a prominent staccato bassline[5][6] and a drum beat reminiscent of that used on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean".[7] It is composed in the key of G minor.[8]

Lyrically, the song is a warning against a woman getting too attached in a relationship.[9] Where he states "There’s nothing between us". Making connections to the album's reoccurring theme of teetering on the verge of greatness but being held back by loneliness and the need for a relationship.[9]

Critical reception[edit]

The song was well received by music critics, with many complimenting the song's catchiness, production and the Weeknd's throwback sound inspired by Michael Jackson.[10] Kirsten Spruch from baeblemusic.com named it "Song of the Day" on November 29, 2016, saying that "The bubbly synth-basses and catchy chorus make for a song you can't not dance to."[11]

Chart performance[edit]

Like the rest of the tracks from Starboy, "A Lonely Night" charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 69.[12] The song also charted and peaked at number 40 on the Canadian Hot 100.[13] Despite not being released as a single, the song managed to chart within the Canadian Hot AC Airplay chart, peaking at number 45 and charting for three weeks.

Copyright infringement lawsuit[edit]

In 2019, three British songwriters: Williams "Billy" Smith, Brian Clover and Scott McCulloch sued the Weeknd and Belly for copyright infringement.[14] They claimed that the 2016 Starboy track was a blatant copy of their 2004 song "I Need to Love". The songwriters demanded an unspecified amount of damages, alongside $150,000 per infringement and forensic accounting to figure out how much they felt they were owed.[15] During the trial, the Weeknd was represented by UK law firm Russels. The copyright case was later won by the Weeknd after a ruling by the Central District Court of California.[16] The Smith, Clover, McCulloch v. The Weeknd case was the second infringement lawsuit against a track from Starboy.[17]

Charts[edit]

Chart (2016–2017) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] 40
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[19] 45
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[20] 72
France (SNEP)[21] 117
Ireland (IRMA)[22] 69
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 72
Portugal (AFP)[24] 57
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[25] 29
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 67
UK Singles (OCC)[27] 53
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[28] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[29] 69
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[30] 37

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[31] Gold 40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Starboy Credits (PDF). November 23, 2016.
  2. ^ "The Weeknd shares two new tracks from 'Starboy'". DIY.
  3. ^ "Smith, Clover, McCulloch v. The Weeknd" (PDF). Digital Music News. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  4. ^ "Hitless musicians to sue The Weeknd". November 22, 2018 – via www.bbc.com.
  5. ^ Petridis, Alexis (November 25, 2016). "The Weeknd: Starboy review – an artist in an awkward state of flux" – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. ^ Reeves, Mosi (November 28, 2016). "Review: The Weeknd's 'Starboy' Treads Murky Water in Innovative R&B Era".
  7. ^ "The Weeknd channels Michael Jackson in "Starboy"". Sonoma State Star - The university's student-run newspaper.
  8. ^ Abel, Tesfaye; Max, Martin; Savan, Kotecha; Ahmad, Balshe; Ali, Payami; Jason, Quenneville; Anders, Svensson; Weeknd, The (May 15, 2017). "A Lonely Night". Musicnotes.com.
  9. ^ a b "Why the Weeknd and Bruno Mars are obsessed with the '80s". Los Angeles Times. November 30, 2016.
  10. ^ "The Weeknd dominates the charts with a throwback sound - Las Vegas Weekly". lasvegasweekly.com.
  11. ^ "SONG OF THE DAY: 'A Lonely Night' by The Weeknd". Baeble Music. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  12. ^ McIntyre, Hugh. "All 18 Songs On The Weeknd's New Album Are Now Charting Hits". Forbes.
  13. ^ "The Weeknd Charts Entire 'Starboy' Album on Hot 100". billboard.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  14. ^ "The Weeknd Sued Over 'Starboy' Song "A Lonely Night"". Complex.
  15. ^ "The Weeknd Is Being Sued for Plagiarism Again". exclaim.ca.
  16. ^ "The Weeknd Beats Some Claims in 'A Lonely Night' Copyright Case". news.bloomberglaw.com.
  17. ^ "The Weeknd Accused of Ripping Off 'Starboy from Somali-American Poet". The Blast. September 18, 2018.
  18. ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  19. ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  20. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201648 into search. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  21. ^ "The Weeknd – A Lonely Night" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  22. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Weeknd". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  23. ^ "The Weeknd – Secrets" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  24. ^ "The Weeknd – A Lonely Night". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  25. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201648 into search. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  26. ^ "The Weeknd – Secrets". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  27. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  28. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  29. ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  30. ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  31. ^ "Canadian single certifications – The Weeknd – A Lonely Night". Music Canada. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
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