Now or Never (Halsey song)

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"Now or Never"
Single by Halsey
from the album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom
ReleasedApril 4, 2017 (2017-04-04)
Recorded2016
Genre
Length3:34
LabelAstralwerks
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Halsey singles chronology
"Not Afraid Anymore"
(2017) 		"Now or Never"
(2017) 		"Bad at Love"
(2017)
Music video
"Now or Never" on YouTube

"Now or Never" is a song by American singer Halsey from her second studio album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017). It was released on April 4, 2017, through Astralwerks as the lead single with its music video being released simultaneously, as an instant grat with the album's pre-order.[1] Halsey co-wrote the song with Starrah and its producers Cashmere Cat, Happy Perez, and Benny Blanco. It is a pop and dark pop song that also incorporates R&B.

Commercially, "Now or Never" reached the top twenty of Australia, Malaysia, and the US. It was certified 2× Platinum in the US.

Background[edit]

Halsey announced on March 7, 2017, the release month and title of her second studio album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, set for release in June.[2] She opted for a more mainstream-oriented sound for the album, saying: "I am more than capable of writing radio music and hopefully I'll put my money where my mouth is on this album."[3] The single was announced alongside the reveal of the cover through Halsey's social media accounts a day before its official release.[4]

Composition[edit]

"Now or Never"
A 29-second sample of Halsey singing through the first verse into the chorus.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Now or Never" was written by Halsey and Starrah alongside producers Cashmere Cat, Happy Perez and Benny Blanco.[5] This later also served as her "therapist in a weird way" during the recording process. She stated: "We'd finish the track and then be ready to go, and he'd (Blanco) be like, 'Hey, I heard that thing you sang. Are you OK?'. It was kind of like he was hearing a cry for help in what I was singing, which was cool because it made us bond."[6] The song has been described as a pop,[7] dark pop,[8] and R&B slow jam.[9] Lyrically, it sees Halsey offering a lover an ultimatum to love her "now or never".[10]

The song is composed in a key of F-sharp minor.

Critical reception[edit]

"Now or Never" was compared to the Rihanna song "Needed Me".

“Now or Never” was met with mixed reviews from music critics. In the context of following her successful pop collaboration with the Chainsmokers, "Closer", Jon Caramanica in The New York Times opined "Now or Never" is "worrisome; it's among her least vocally present songs (with a couple of blatant Rihanna-isms to boot), and moves at a slow, neutered creep. And it's deeply effective, even if it's not deeply Halsey."[11] Billboard editor Jason Lipshutz wrote that the song "doesn't have the massive chorus of "Closer"—its hook, widely compared to Rihanna's "Needed Me," simmers and never detonates—but the song possesses the type of slow tempo and vulnerable vocal delivery that has worked for recent hits like Julia Michaels' "Issues" and Khalid's "Location."[12] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone thought Halsey "embraces a more sensual sound," moving away from the "industrial-leaning alternative pop" of her debut album Badlands.[9] Anna Caga of Spin wrote that it "sounds like someone left a can of Rihanna's 'Needed Me' on the counter until it went flat."[13]

Music video[edit]

The music video was directed by Halsey with Sing J Lee, marking the singer's directorial debut. It was shot in Mexico City. Inspired by Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, the video is filled with gun violence.[10][5] Halsey talked about the video's plot in a statement, saying: "[It] is one part in the centre of a long narrative that tells the story of two people in love despite the forces trying to keep them apart. On its own, the song is about two impatient young lovers, but in the context of the Hopeless Fountain Kingdom universe, the stakes are much higher for these two star-crossed lovers".[9]

Kristof Brandl, the video's cinematographer, was an MTV Video Music Award nominee for Best Cinematography at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards.[14]

Live performances[edit]

Halsey performed "Now or Never" live on Jimmy Fallon on May 4, 2017.[15] Later that month she also performed the song live at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards.[16] In June 2017, she performed "Now or Never" live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[17]

Track listings[edit]

  • Digital download[18]
  1. "Now or Never" – 3:34
  1. "Now or Never" (R3hab Remix) – 3:04

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

‹See Tfd›
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[53] Platinum 80,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[54] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[55] Gold 25,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[56] Gold 30,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[57] Gold 15,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[58] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[60] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡
Streaming
Sweden (GLF)[61] Gold 4,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various April 4, 2017
Original
July 7, 2017 R3hab Remix [19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "hopeless fountain kingdom (Deluxe) by Halsey on Apple Music". iTunes, Apple Music. June 2, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  2. ^ "Halsey Announces New Album Title, Release Month". Billboard. March 7, 2017.
  3. ^ "Halsey Talks Sci-Fi Breakup Album, Following Up Megahit 'Closer'". Rolling Stone. March 27, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  4. ^ Mike Wass (April 3, 2017). "Halsey Reveals The Cover Of New Single, "Now Or Never"". Idolator.
  5. ^ a b Nolan Feeney (April 4, 2016). "Halsey debuts new single 'Now or Never'". Entertainment Weekly.
  6. ^ Wenn (April 5, 2017). "Halsey: 'Depression comforts me'". Hollywood.com.
  7. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (August 28, 2020). "10 of the Best and 10 of the Worst Halsey Songs of All Time". Insider. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Sabrina Finkelstein (July 12, 2017). "The 6 Best Halsey 'Now or Never' Remixes". Billboard. Dutch DJ R3hab delivers a buttery smooth future bass rework of the dark pop record.
  9. ^ a b c Spanos, Brittany (April 4, 2017). "Watch Halsey Struggle With Star-Crossed Romance in 'Now or Never' Video". Rolling Stone.
  10. ^ a b Jeff Benjamin (April 4, 2017). "Halsey Drops Dark New Song & Video for 'Now or Never': Watch". Fuse.
  11. ^ Caramanica, Jon (April 7, 2017). "The Playlist: Harry Styles and Beth Ditto Take the Plunge and Go Solo". The New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  12. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (May 3, 2017). "Halsey's Pop Radio Crossover: Is 'Now Or Never' About To Explode?". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  13. ^ ""Strangers" Is Halsey's Best Song". Spin. May 26, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  14. ^ Stephen Thompson, "MTV Plots A Comeback As The VMAs Bring A Moment Of Relevance". NPR, August 25, 2017.
  15. ^ Halsey: Now or Never, retrieved 2019-03-22
  16. ^ "Halsey Performs 'Now or Never' at 2017 Billboard Music Awards: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
  17. ^ "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  18. ^ "iTunes Store (US) – Music – Halsey – hopeless fountain kingdom (Deluxe)". iTunes Store. United States.
  19. ^ a b "Now or Never (R3hab Remix) – Single by Halsey". iTunes Store. United States. 7 July 2017.
  20. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  21. ^ "Halsey – Now or Never" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  22. ^ "Halsey – Now or Never" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  23. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  24. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201717 into search. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  25. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 15, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved April 15, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ "Halsey – Now or Never" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  27. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  28. ^ "Classifica settimanale WK 21" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  29. ^ "Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles in Malaysia" (PDF). Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  30. ^ "Halsey – Now or Never" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  31. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  32. ^ "BillboardPH Hot 100". Billboard Philippines. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  33. ^ "Halsey – Now or Never". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  35. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201715 into search. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  36. ^ "Sverigetopplistan - Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  37. ^ "Halsey – Now or Never". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  38. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  39. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  40. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  41. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  42. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  43. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  44. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  45. ^ "Anglo" (in Spanish). Record Report. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017.
  46. ^ "ARIA End of Year Singles 2017". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  47. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  48. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  49. ^ "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  50. ^ "Dance/Mix Show Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  51. ^ "Pop Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  52. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2017 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  53. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Now or Never". Music Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  54. ^ "Danish single certifications – Halsey – Now or Never". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  55. ^ "Italian single certifications" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved July 10, 2017. Select "2017" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  56. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Type Halsey in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Now or Never in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  57. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Halsey – Now or Never". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  58. ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Halsey" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  59. ^ "British single certifications – Halsey". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 1, 2018. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Halsey in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  60. ^ "American single certifications – Halsey". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  61. ^ "Sverigetopplistan – Halsey" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
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