Meant to Be
| Meant to Be | |
|---|---|
| Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line | |
| publication | October 24, 2017 |
| length | 2:43 |
| Genre (s) | Pop , country |
| Author (s) | Josh Miller , Bebe Rexha, David Garcia , Tyler Hubbard |
| Producer (s) | David Garcia, Willshire |
| Label | Warner Bros. Records |
| album | All Your Fault: Pt. 2 , expectations |
Meant to Be is a song by the US singer Bebe Rexha from 2017, which she recorded with the duo Florida Georgia Line . The second single from their EP All Your Fault: Pt. 2 and at the same time the second release of her debut album Expectations was written by the interpreter herself together with band member Tyler Hubbard , as well as David Garcia and Josh Miller . Garcia and Willshire produced the piece .
background
Meant to Be was born from a broken songwriting collaboration between Florida Georgia Line and Charlie Puth . The latter had to cancel the meeting spontaneously, whereupon the duo got a call that Bebe Rexha would appear in his place. This later stated to have mistaken the music group for the band Little Big Town , which they previously met at the American Music Awards . When the mistake was discovered on the spot, Rexha became nervous because she now assumed that she would have to write a country song, which she had never done before. The duo, on the other hand, expected to have to try their hand at a pop song because of its writing partner . However, the tension evaporated when work on the piece began, as both interpreters were open to each other's style. The chorus and title of the song are based on a phone call with Tyler Hubbard's wife just before the writing process began, in which she said they should all relax and have a good time, because if something was going to happen, it would anyway. The song was ultimately written within a few hours and half produced on the first day, as a large part of the singing was recorded during the writing session. After the first, very positive reactions to the raw version, it became clear to those involved that they had written a great song. The question remained whether it would be marketed as a Bebe Rexha or Florida Georgia Line song; when it was decided to assign it to the singer, 808 drums were added to suit her aesthetic .
Music and lyrics
Meant to Be is a pop song with borrowings from country music . The song begins in a minimalist way with piano tones , before a simple beat of bass drums and snaps is followed by the vocals of Florida Georgia Line. They sing the first stanza and the first chorus. In the latter, a steel guitar sets in, strongly mixed into the background . With the exception of the last two lines, Bebe Rexha sings the second verse, which is musically supported exactly like the first. However, there is also a radio edit in which your voice can be heard in the first verse and in the first chorus. The second chorus is performed by all vocal artists simultaneously, and hi-hats and snares are quickly played . There is a short bridge where first Florida Georgia Line, then Rexha, then Florida Georgia Line again and then everyone singing a line together. The third chorus is performed in unison like the second, although a much more spartan instrumental , which consists exclusively of guitars and clapping , is played in the first half before the music that was previously used starts again. In the outro the musicians take turns singing lines from the chorus.
In terms of content, the song is about just letting things happen, because if they are meant to happen, they would do it anyway. The title is written in the form of a dialogue between a man and a woman. The male protagonist encourages her to relax and enjoy the moment, rather than worrying about where the path leads. The main female character then replies that she has been hurt by men in the past, which is why she would have problems taking things easy because she doesn't want to experience something like that again. She is looking for someone in her new boyfriend who will give her her faith again, whereupon the man asks whether the woman plagued by doubts does not realize that she is beautiful. She then also takes on his casual attitude and no longer plans what should happen in the future.
Music video
The video clip for Meant to Be shows Bebe Rexha hitchhiking around, hauling a large sack . She first arrives at a motel , where there is a sign saying "Help Wanted". However, nobody seems to be there, so she moves on. Suddenly there is a change of scene: Rexha is now working as a waitress in a café , in which Florida Georgia Line are also present as guests who are seen by her. Later, when there is less activity, the protagonist falls asleep. She now dreams that the duo will perform in a country bar that she too happens to be in. The group invites them with a hand gesture to come forward and sing along. Shortly afterwards you can see Rexha singing and dancing in front of the café. There is another change of scene: all three musicians are now on a big stage and perform in front of a huge audience. Suddenly the protagonist wakes up and is back in the café. Realizing that her success story wasn't real, she curses and goes out of the picture.
success
Meant to Be was a huge commercial success in several countries. The song not only climbed to number 2 on the US charts, but was also awarded eight times platinum. In Australia it landed in the same position and received quintuple platinum; it was also able to hold its own in the top ten in Canada , Sweden , Norway and New Zealand . In the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand it was also one of the ten most successful titles in 2018. In German-speaking countries, sales were rather modest in comparison: in Germany it reached number 57, in Austria 49 and in Switzerland 34.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Album credits. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Variety Article. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ^ "Meant to Be (Radio Edit)" - lyrics. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ^ "Meant to Be" lyrics. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ music video. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Charts. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ US charts. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ US awards. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Canadian Charts. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Australian annual charts and awards. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ US annual charts. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Canadian annual charts. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .
- ↑ New Zealand annual charts. Retrieved October 9, 2019 .