Lists (album)

chronology
Lists ; (2014)
Studio album by David Guetta
Publication ; (s)	November 21, 2014
admission	2011-2014
Label (s)	What A Music , Parlophone
Format (s)	CD , MP3
Genre (s)	Electro-house , EDM , pop
Title (number)	14th
running time	51:31
production	David Guetta, Sam Martin , Jason Evigan, Giorgio Tuinfort, Nicky Romero , Showtek , Avicii , Frédéric Riesterer, Daddy's Groove, Stadiumx, Austin Bis, Marcus van Wattum, Afrojack , Grecio, Ralph Wegner
	Promo Singles:
3rd February 2014	Shot Me Down (feat. Skylar Gray )
17th March 2014	Bad (with Showtek feat. Vassy )
	Official singles:
June 30, 2014	Lovers on the Sun (feat. Sam Martin )
October 6, 2014	Dangerous (feat. Sam Martin)
22nd November 2014	What I Did For Love ( feat.Emeli Sandé )
17th March 2015	Hey Mama (feat. Nicki Minaj , Bebe Rexha & Afrojack )
July 31, 2015	Sun Goes Down (feat. Showtek, Magic! & Sonny Wilson)

Listen is the sixth studio album by French DJ David Guetta . It was published on November 21, 2014 and achieved high chart positions in numerous countries. The musicians The Script , Nicki Minaj , Alicia Keys and Showtek had guest appearances on the album . Even before they were released, the pre-release singles Lovers on the Sun and Dangerous entered the charts.

background

Listen is the first studio album by the French DJ and producer since the release of his most commercially successful album, Nothing but the Beat (2011), which sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. According to Guetta , after his wife Cathy Guetta's divorce after 22 years of marriage, lists reflect his personality the most: "To this day, I've produced a lot of songs about happiness, love, sexiness and partying - it was basically my life, you know "And lately my life has gotten a little more difficult, so I want to reflect that on this album. That's exactly what I've never done before, because my goal so far has been to make people dance." Guetta also mentioned that he wanted to reinvent himself with the album and thus steer his classic urban and dance sound, with which he became known with the album One Love in 2009 , in a new direction:

“If you've been at the top of the charts for a while, what else do you have besides the fear of falling? I never want to feel like this, so I thought the best way to avoid this was to start from scratch. Until today, when I produced a song, I always started with the melody and the beat, on which I then wrote the lyrics. This time I started on the piano, with vocals and guitar and then produced the 'rest'. I've really changed everything, the way I work, the people I work with. - everything."

In an interview with Billboard , Guetta said that he wanted to get away from the standard EDM sound with Listen : "I miss any kind of soul and emotion in numerous EDM songs. Many current EDM songs are based on simple tricks to make the track listen to a lot. That’s not enough in my eyes. Songs can be played by a classical orchestra, rock band, or funk band and they would be great. It's not like, "Oh wow, if you hadn't had that drop, this song would have been nothing." "

Collaborations

There is no solo track on this album. He worked with various singers and other house DJs on all of the songs. As a singer looked Sam Martin , Emeli Sande , The Script , Nicki Minaj , John Legend , Nico & Vinz , Ryan Tedder , the lead singer of Rockpop band OneRepublic , is Sia , Magic! , Bebe Rexha, the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo , Ms. Dynamite , Elliphant , Birdy , Jaymes Young , Sonny Wilson, Vassy and Skylar Gray with. The Dutch DJ duo Showtek , Afrojack , Avicii , Alicia Keys as well as Nicky Romero and Stadiumx worked as co-producers and songwriters on several songs on this album. However, producers and songwriters are not always specified.

Originally, the song Money Ain't a Thing in collaboration with the American musicians Chris Brown and Akon should also be found on the album . For unknown reasons, this was not released as an album track or any other format.

reception

criticism

source	rating
Average rating
Metacritic	51%
Professional reviews
source	rating
Billboard
The Daily Telegraph
Digital spy
Allmusic
Financial Times
The Observer
Slant Magazine
USA Today
New Musical Express
laut.de
Plattentests.de

The album received average to negative feedback.

Some songs like The Whisperer with Sia were able to generate a positive echo, STOP with Ryan Tedder in particular had bitter criticism and the attempt of a style based on artists like Avicii , as well as the frequently used synthesizer sound - from laut.de, which is often mentioned in the media described as "synapses damaging" - plug it in. Even his announcement that he had taken a new direction with the album was mostly viewed as a marketing strategy, but not as appropriate.

“David Guetta spoils us again at Christmas time with a very contemplative work. "Listen" invites you to sway in the contemplative après-ski circle with lots of cheerful, lively pieces. [...] Tear-choked piano hands-up pop like "Dangerous" with Sam Martin gets on your nerves, but it could still be throbbing at the snow-covered mulled wine stands due to its catchiness. Speaking of art: "Bang My Head" feat. the soulful Sia could almost pass as such, at least at the beginning. But when the carousel brake synth sets in, you are quickly brought back to the bottom of the perpetrator facts. On the other hand, downtempo numbers like "Hey Mama" with Nicki Minaj once again attract non-genre fans who come more from the hip hop camp. Missy Elliott-esque rapping and folding until grandma screams. Finally, there is a squeeze-synth sound and puts the gravestone on the moderately good party. Partner In Crime Afrojack doesn't do anything either. But really unspeakable comes "STOP". feat Ryan Tedder around the corner. All of us Til should have found his next theme song here. No hangover or anything. However, the mixture of piano chords and inspired howling will cause phantom pain even in the said animal. Everyone has their own cuique, as the Latin says. We already know well ironed radio mixes from Guetta. There is a little ray of hope with Birdy and "I'll Keep Loving You". Schnulzenpower galore, but at least he refrains from the exaggerated synthesizer attack, which he otherwise likes to use and is synapses-damaging. Nobody expects the businessman Guetta to suddenly make a pop over Joseph Beuys. On the other hand, a few more fat corners and edges in the productions of the blond giant would be quite nice. "

- Martin Tenschert : LAUT.DE

Commercial win

The pre-singles were already able to place themselves high in the charts. After the album was released, numerous individual tracks were able to advance into the official singles charts simply through downloads. The album also reached top positions. Within a week, the album was sold several thousand times. → For the chart positions of the singles and the album see: Section Chart positions

Single releases

Shot Me Down was released as the first promo single on February 3, 2014. The song was sung by the American singer and songwriter Skylar Gray . The song reached the top ten in numerous European countries. The music video was fully animated and has imagery, similar to the single cover. Guetta announced in the last session on lists that the track would only appear on the deluxe edition to make more space for newly recorded material. The song is based on the song Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by the singer Cher , but is based on the better known interpretation of Nancy Sinatra . The rest of the song follows the currently very popular big room style.
Bad was released as the second promo single and was released on March 17, 2014. The song features vocals by Australian singer and songwriter Vassy and production by Dutch DJ duo Showtek . The song also reached high chart positions, including several number one placements in Scandinavia. Again the music video was fully animated and shows scenes of zombies on motorbikes with guns while the army tries to defend the earth. This song was also only made available for sale on the deluxe edition. The song was criticized because the instrumental has almost no Guetta influence.
Lovers on the Sun was released on June 30, 2014 as the first official and third complete single from the album. The song contains vocals from the American singer-songwriter Sam Martin . The title reached the top of the singles charts in over five countries. The music video is the video that was shot for the new album. Initially a lyric video was produced in the Wild West style and on August 12, 2014 a music video was also released, also in the Wild West style, directed by Marc Klasfeld. In addition to the release as a single single, an EP of the same name was also released, which contains all previously published releases as well as the song Blast Off . The Swedish DJ and producer Avicii and the DJ group Daddy's Groove worked as co-producers .
Dangerous was released as the second official and fourth overall single from the album on October 5, 2014. It's another piece sung by Sam Martin. The song surpassed the success of Lovers on the Sun and reached number one in more than ten countries. The music video is seven minutes long and is the first video in which Guetta can also be seen himself. Guetta delivers a Formula 1 race with an arch enemy, which he ultimately wins. The song was recorded in a retro electro style.
What I Did for Love was released as the third official and fifth overall single from the album. The song features vocals by British singer and songwriter Emeli Sandé . The song was performed live on The X Factor on November 22, 2014 . The same day the track was made available for sale in the UK iTunes store. Even before its official release, the song was able to enter the single charts of some countries due to numerous downloads.
Hey Mama appeared after the success that the track had already celebrated on March 17th, 2015 as the fourth official and sixth overall single release. Afrojack was active as a co-producer . The US rapper Nicki Minaj and singer Bebe Rexha provided the vocals . The number topped the success of its predecessor by far and moved into the top 10 of the singles charts in most countries. The reason for the success was in particular the increasing popularity of trap music.
Sun Goes Down has been the fifth official and seventh overall single release since July 31, 2015. The song was recorded with the band Magic! , DJ duo Showtek and singer Sonny Wilson. Sun Goes Down became the single with the least success.
Bang My Head was the last release from the album for the time being. The new Future-Bass and Deep-House-inspired version was released on October 30, 2015. In this version, alongside Sia , rapper Fetty Wap also took part. Remixes were contributed by Robin Schulz and GlowInTheDark , among others , who adapted the song to different musical styles.
The Death of EDM is the title of another collaboration with Showtek and rapper Beardyman that was featured on the remix album Listen Again . The track was released on November 27, 2015 via Showtek's "Skink Records" as a promo single, but was unsuccessful, instead allegations of plagiarism followed by Gesaffelstein, who compared the song with his pursuit .

Track list

#	title	Guest musician	length
CD1
1	Dangerous	feat. Sam Martin	3:23
2	What I Did for Love	feat. Emeli Sandé	3:27
3	No money, no love	with Showtek feat. Elliphant & Ms. Dynamite	3:57
4th	Lovers on the Sun	feat. Sam Martin	3:23
5	Goodbye friend	feat. The Script	3:49
6th	Lift me up	feat. Nico & Vinz & Ladysmith Black Mambazo	3:58
7th	Lists	feat. John Legend	3:46
8th	Bang my head	feat. Sia	3:53
9	Yesterday	feat. Bebe Rexha	4:03
10	Hey mum	feat. Nicki Minaj , Bebe Rexha & Afrojack	3:12
11	Sun goes down	with Showtek feat. MAGIC! & Sonny Wilson	3:31
12	STOP	feat. Ryan Tedder	3:34
13	I'll keep loving you	feat. Jaymes Young & Birdy	3:08
14th	The Whisperer	feat. Sia	3:54
ITunes version bonus tracks
15th	bath	with Showtek feat. Vassy	2:50
16	Rise	feat. Skylar Gray	3:55
17th	Shot me down	feat. Skylar Gray	3:11
18th	Dangerous ( Robin Schulz Radio Edit)	feat. Sam Martin	3:20

Chart placements

album

Charts	Top ranking	Weeks
Chart placements
Germany (GfK)	3 (41 weeks)	41
France (SNEP)	3 (96 weeks)	96
Austria (Ö3)	3 (29 weeks)	29
Switzerland (IFPI)	2 (69 weeks)	69
United States (Billboard)	4th (54 weeks)	54
United Kingdom (OCC)	8th (48 weeks)	48

Single releases

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)						Remarks
year	Title album	DE	AT	CH	UK	US	FR	Remarks
2014	Shot me down	DE13 (29 weeks) DE	AT9 (25 weeks) AT	CH6 (18 weeks) CH	UK4 (10 weeks) UK	-	FR6 (38 weeks) FR	Single release: January 20, 2014 feat. Skylar Gray
	bath	DE19 (38 weeks) DE	AT15 (27 weeks) AT	CH28 (24 weeks) CH	UK22 (24 weeks) UK	-	FR6 (32 weeks) FR	Single release: April 4th, 2014 with Showtek feat. Vassy
	Lovers on the Sun	DE1 (29 weeks) DE	AT1 (19 weeks) AT	CH2 (28 weeks) CH	UK1 (19 weeks) UK	-	FR5 (33 weeks) FR	Single release: June 30, 2014 feat. Sam Martin
	Dangerous	DE1 (34 weeks) DE	AT1 (23 weeks) AT	CH1 (28 weeks) CH	UK5 (25 weeks) UK	US56 (15 weeks) US	FR1 (56 weeks) FR	Single release: October 5th, 2014 feat. Sam Martin
	What I Did for Love	DE16 (23 weeks) DE	AT10 (16 weeks) AT	CH37 (10 weeks) CH	UK6 (23 weeks) UK	-	FR30 (24 weeks) FR	Single release: November 22nd, 2014 feat. Emeli Sandé
2015	Hey mum	DE9 (42 weeks) DE	AT5 (28 weeks) AT	CH10 (30 weeks) CH	UK9 (25 weeks) UK	US8 (24 weeks) US	FR6 (52 weeks) FR	Single release: March 17th, 2015 feat. Nicki Minaj , Bebe Rexha & Afrojack
	Sun goes down	DE67 (5 weeks) DE	-	-	-	-	FR37 (16 weeks) FR	Single release: July 31, 2015 with Showtek feat. Magic! & Sonny Wilson
	Bang My Head Listen Again	DE24 (26 weeks) DE	AT16 (20 weeks) AT	CH18 (29 weeks) CH	UK18 (30 weeks) UK	US76 (6 weeks) US	FR3 (45 weeks) FR	Single release: October 30, 2015 feat. Sia & Fetty Wap
The following songs did not appear as single, but were made available for download and streaming through the album and were thus able to achieve a placement:
2014	Goodbye friend lists	DE93 (1 week) DE	-	-	-	-	FR142 (1 week) FR	Chart entry: November 28, 2014 feat. The Script
	I'll Keep Loving You Listen	DE96 (1 week) DE	-	-	-	-	FR144 (1 week) FR	Chart entry: November 28, 2014 feat. Jaymes Young & Birdy
	Lift Me Up Lists	-	-	-	-	-	FR157 (1 week) FR	Chart entry: November 28, 2014 feat. Nico & Vinz & Ladysmith Black Mambazo
	Lists lists	DE85 (1 week) DE	-	-	-	-	FR82 (2 weeks) FR	Chart entry: November 28, 2014 feat. John Legend ; Sales: + 25,000
	No Money No Love Lists	DE94 (1 week) DE	-	-	-	-	FR159 (1 week) FR	Chart entry: November 28, 2014 with Showtek feat. Elliphant & Ms. Dynamite
	The Whisperer Lists	-	-	-	-	-	FR96 (1 week) FR	Chart entry: November 28, 2014 feat. Sia

Awards for music sales

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
Australia (ARIA)	gold	35,000
Germany (BVMI)	platinum	200,000
France (SNEP)	2 × platinum	200,000
Italy (FIMI)	gold	25,000
Canada (MC)	gold	40,000
Mexico (AMPROFON)	gold	30,000
Netherlands (NVPI)	gold	20,000
Austria (IFPI)	gold	7,500
Poland (ZPAV)	platinum	20,000
Sweden (IFPI)	2 × platinum	80,000
Switzerland (IFPI)	platinum	20,000
Spain (Promusicae)	gold	20,000
Hungary (MAHASZ)	platinum	6,000
United States (RIAA)	gold	500,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	gold	100,000
All in all	9 × gold 8 × platinum	1,303,500