Moving Mountains (song)

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"Moving Mountains"
Single by Usher
from the album Here I Stand
B-side"Love in This Club Part II"
ReleasedMay 23, 2008
RecordedTriangle Sound Studios, Chalice Recording Studios
Length4:58
LabelLaFace
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • The-Dream
  • Tricky Stewart
Usher singles chronology
"Love in This Club Part II"
(2008) 		"Moving Mountains"
(2008) 		"What's Your Name"
(2008)
Music video
"Moving Mountains" on YouTube

"Moving Mountains" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Usher. It was released on May 23, 2008, as the third single from his fifth studio album, Here I Stand. It was written by Usher with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Kuk Harrell and The-Dream, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream. "Moving Mountains" is a slow tempo ballad, with lyrics describing a love struggle.

The song appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, as well as the single charts of several European countries. It peaked highest in New Zealand, where it reached number six on the singles chart and was certified gold. The music video for "Moving Mountains" was filmed in front of a green screen as a sequel to the video of "Love in This Club".

Background and composition[edit]

"Moving Mountains"
The song's chorus, demonstrating its slow tempo and Usher's use of falsetto
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Moving Mountains" was written by The-Dream, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Usher, and produced by The-Dream and Stewart.[1] Recorded at Triangle Sound Studios and Chalice Recording Studios,[1] it was leaked in February 2008,[2] before being officially released for sale on May 23, 2008.[3]

"Moving Mountains" is a slow jam ballad,[4] and contains synth beats and electronic influences.[5][6] Portions of the song follow a chord progression used in OneRepublic's "Apologize".[7] Partway through the song the beat is adjusted, while the musical instruments are accentuated.[8] Usher's voice ranges from tenor to falsetto.[5] The song's lyrics are of a "struggle to get through to his girl",[9] and contain an extended metaphor, relating his fight for love to that of moving mountains, wishing for the situation to change.[10] Fraser McAlpine from BBC called it "a cold, sad song with cold, sad lyrics".[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Leah Greenblatt called it "an easy pick" as a single,[4] while Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine lauded it as "further evidence that Usher always delivers musically".[11] "Moving Mountains" was dubbed by The Guardian's Rosie Swash "a marked improvement on the sex-pestery" of "Love in This Club",[12] and the AbsolutePunk reviewer called it "one of Usher’s most impressive efforts to date", likening the song to Usher's 2004 single "Burn".[13] However, while Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy was impressed with the technicalities of Usher's vocals, he found it "hard to take Usher completely seriously when he insists on wailing each line", advising Usher to "stick to party bangers in the future".[14]

Chart performance[edit]

"Moving Mountains" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number seventy-two on the chart date June 14, 2008.[15] It peaked at number sixty-seven on August 2, 2008, falling off the chart two weeks later, after spending a total of nine weeks on the chart.[16] The song is Usher's lowest-peaking song on the Hot 100.[17] It fared better on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, where it peaked at number eighteen and spent seventeen weeks on the chart.[16] It placed at number eighty-four on the end-of-year R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[18] "Moving Mountains" reached number fifty-six on the Pop 100.[19]

The song appeared on the UK Singles Chart in July 2008 at number sixty-seven, rising to peak at number twenty-five. After thirteen charting weeks it fell off the chart.[20] "Moving Mountains" was commercially well received in the rest of Europe, reaching the high point of number twenty-two on the European Hot 100 Singles.[21] In individual countries, the song reached the top forty in Austria,[22] Czech Republic,[23] Germany,[24] Ireland,[25] Slovakia[26] and Sweden.[27] It also appeared on the Ultratop charts in both Flanders and Wallonia at number twenty.[28][29] The song also had chart success in Japan and Australia, reaching the high positions of thirty-three and thirty-six, respectively.[30][31] "Moving Mountains" had the most impact in New Zealand, where it reached number six on the singles chart,[32] and, on March 29, 2009, was certified gold by the RIANZ for over 7,500 sales.[33] The song ranked at number forty-seven on the New Zealand 2008 year-end Singles Chart.[34]

Music video[edit]

The music video to "Moving Mountains" was released on May 21, 2008. Directed by the Brothers Strause,[35] it is a continuation of the video for "Love in This Club".[36] The video was shot in front of a green screen.[37]

The video begins with Usher exiting the club in which the "Love in This Club" video takes place, then shows a fiery transition into the next scene, showing the burnt-down club. As the song begins, Usher inspects the smoking ruins and imagines a woman in a shard of a broken mirror. He travels through a desert, and takes off his jacket to reveal a tight-fitting t-shirt,[38] and again imagines the woman, this time in a desert pond. Upon reaching a mountain on which his love interest appears, Usher climb the mountain and rain starts to fall.[38] When he reaches the top of the mountain, the rain clears to be replaced by snowfall.[7] Usher finds that the woman is, yet again, merely an illusion. He opens a locket to reveal a portrait of himself and his partner, which freezes over and cracks. As the video ends, Usher kneels, and the mountains breaks around him, leaving a sole pillar for him to stand on.

Idolator noted similarities in some scenery between the music video and Madonna's "Frozen" video.[37] It was placed at number eight on BET's Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2008 list.[39]

Personnel[edit]

Credits lifted from the liner notes of Here I Stand.[1]

Track listings[edit]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications and sales for "Moving Mountains"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] Gold 35,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[53] Gold 7,500*
United States (RIAA)[54] Platinum 1,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Here I Stand (Media notes). Usher. LaFace Records. 2008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ "New Music: Usher – 'I Can't Win' & 'Moving Mountains'". Rap-Up. February 20, 2008. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Moving Mountains – Single" (in Dutch). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b Greenblatt, Leah (May 27, 2008). "Review: Usher makes his 'Stand' and delivers". Entertainment Weekly (Time Warner). CNN. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
  5. ^ a b Hope, Clover (May 27, 2008). "Usher Doesn't Have Sex Anymore". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  6. ^ DeRogatis, Jim (May 27, 2008). "Review: Here I Stand". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2010. Alt URL
  7. ^ a b c McAlpine, Fraser (July 17, 2008). "Usher – 'Moving Mountains'". BBC Radio 1. BBC. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  8. ^ Barrett, Angela. "Album Preview: Usher – 'Here I Stand'". Rap-Up. New York. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  9. ^ "Usher – Here I Stand". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. June 3, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  10. ^ "Usher: From His Wild Past to His Hot New CD". Entertainment Weekly. No. 994. Time Warner. May 30, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  11. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (May 24, 2008). "Usher: Here I Stand". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  12. ^ Swash, Rosie (July 24, 2008). "Songs that say 'Up yours, Radio 1!'". The Guardian. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  13. ^ "Usher – Here I Stand". AbsolutePunk. June 22, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  14. ^ Fletcher, Alex (July 21, 2008). "Usher: 'Moving Mountains'". Digital Spy.
  15. ^ "Lil Wayne Fends Off Coldplay, Perry On Hot 100". Billboard. prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  16. ^ a b "Moving Mountains – Usher". Billboard. prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  17. ^ a b "Usher Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  18. ^ a b "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  19. ^ a b Usher at AllMusic. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  20. ^ "Usher". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  21. ^ a b "Usher – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Usher. [dead link]
  22. ^ a b "Usher – Moving Mountains" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  23. ^ a b "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – RADIO TOP100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  24. ^ a b "Usher – Moving Mountains" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  25. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Moving Mountains". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  26. ^ a b "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200842 into search.
  27. ^ a b "Usher – Moving Mountains". Singles Top 100.
  28. ^ a b "Usher – Moving Mountains" (in French). Ultratip.
  29. ^ a b "Usher – Moving Mountains" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  30. ^ a b "Usher Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard.
  31. ^ a b "Usher – Moving Mountains". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  32. ^ a b "Usher – Moving Mountains". Top 40 Singles.
  33. ^ "Latest Gold / Platinum Singles". March 29, 2009. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011.
  34. ^ a b "Annual Top 50 Singles Chart 2008". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  35. ^ "Usher – Moving Mountains". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  36. ^ "Moving Mountains Video – Usher". KOvideo.net. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  37. ^ a b "Usher Braves The Green-Screen Elements". Idolator. (Buzz Media). May 23, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  38. ^ a b "New(ish) Video: Usher, 'Moving Mountains'". MTV. June 25, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  39. ^ "Top 100 Video List". Black Entertainment Television. December 16, 2008. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008.
  40. ^ a b "Moving Mountains [CD single, Single Maxi]". Amazon.fr. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  41. ^ "Usher Moving Mountains – Remixes Japan CD". eil.com. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  42. ^ "Moving Mountains: Usher". Amazon. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  43. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP". iTunes Store. Apple.com. 13 May 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  44. ^ a b "Moving Mountains – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  45. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 35, 2008". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  46. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  47. ^ "Usher: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  48. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25,2022.
  49. ^ "Usher Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  50. ^ "Usher Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25,2022.
  51. ^ "2008 Year-End UK Charts" (PDF). Chart Plus. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  52. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2018 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  53. ^ "Latest Gold / Platinum Singles". Radioscope. 21 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-08-31.
  54. ^ "American single certifications – Usher – Moving Mountains". Recording Industry Association of America.
  55. ^ "Moving Mountains – Single" (in German). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  56. ^ "Moving Mountains – Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
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  61. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  62. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP" (in German). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  63. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  64. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP" (in German). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  65. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  66. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  67. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  68. ^ "Moving Mountains/Basic [Single]". Amazon.de. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  69. ^ "Moving Mountains/Premium [Single, Maxi]". Amazon.de. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  70. ^ "Moving Mountains – EP" (in Japanese). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  71. ^ "R&R :: Going For Adds :: Rhythmic". Radio & Records. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  72. ^ "R&R :: Going For Adds :: Rhythmic". Radio & Records. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2010.

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