Background and launch

Charlie Puth started his music profession on YouTube and later signed with Ellen DeGeneres’ document label eleveneleven.^[1] He wrote “Marvin Gaye” with Julie Frost, Jacob Luttrell and Nick Seeley, and got here up with its drum beat by “tapping [his] foot and clapping alongside” whereas sitting at a restaurant in Cahuenga Boulevard.^[2][3] Puth then ended up assembly Meghan Trainor at a celebration, the place the 2 exchanged music. Upon listening to the tune, Trainor thought it must be a duet and requested to sing on it. Puth recalled that she knew the entire tune in a day, they usually recorded it in a single take.^[3] The duo introduced the collaboration in a January 2015 YouTube video, the place Trainor stated that it’s “superb” and famous that it could be her first launch she didn’t write.^[4] The monitor led to Puth showing in Trainor’s music video for her single “Pricey Future Husband”, and later serving as a gap act on her second headlining live performance tour MTrain Tour (2015).^[5]

Artist Accomplice Group launched “Marvin Gaye” because the lead single from Puth’s third EP, Some Kind of Love (2015), on February 10, 2015.^[6] Warner Music Group serviced the tune to modern hit radio in Italy on July 10, 2015, and Artist Accomplice the UK on July 20.^[7][8] A Remix EP to market it was launched on August 28, 2015, that includes remixes of it by DJ Kue, Cahill, Boehm and 10K Islands.^[9] Atlantic Data launched a CD single for “Marvin Gaye” on September 18, 2015, with an alternate model of it by Puth that includes Wale as its B-side.^[10] The tune was additionally included on Puth’s debut studio album, 9 Monitor Thoughts (2016), and the Wale model and Boehm remix appeared on a Japanese version of it.^[11]

Composition

	“Marvin Gaye” (0:18) An 18-second pattern of “Marvin Gaye”, the tune was Puth’s try to contemporize “what Motown soul would sound like in 2015”.[3]
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“Marvin Gaye” attracts inspiration from Motown, and has a retro sound harking back to Trainor’s debut major-label studio album Title (2015).^[12] The doo-wop tune contains lyrical references to a number of soul classics, and makes use of soul singer Marvin Gaye’s title as a lyric and titular verb.^[13][14] It has a “bass-booming” breakdown throughout Trainor’s verse, and its modernized throwback soul sound drew comparisons to her tune “All About That Bass” (2014).^[15] Puth described the breakdown as “this entice factor with this hard-ass distorted 808”, which was his try to contemporize “what Motown soul would sound like in 2015”.^[3] Pitchfork‘s Jia Tolentino commented that “Marvin Gaye” proves that Puth “lives for retro prospers: doo-wop rhythms, sock-hop melodies, finger snaps [and] arpeggiated singalong piano”.^[16]

Puth described “Marvin Gaye” as “a musical icebreaker” that he wrote to assist “any man who desires to go as much as a lady at a bar”, noting that it could be laborious to “not have a dialog” in regards to the tune if it got here on the radio.^[17] He named Gaye as an affect on the tune’s lyrics which he wrote to evoke a “feeling that might attain everyone”, and additional elaborated that:

Since I am sort of a shy particular person, I am unable to simply stroll as much as ladies and be like, “Yo, let me get your quantity!” That is the place the tune is available in as a musical icebreaker. In case you hear it on the radio or at a bar, it is a method to say, “Hey! Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on”.^[3]

Vital reception

“Marvin Gaye” acquired usually damaging critiques from music critics. Idolator‘s Ryan Carey-Mahoney said that it’s “extra mood-killer than sizzling and heavy” and “a giant hit that by no means actually deserved to be”.^[18] The identical web site’s Mike Wass described the tune as a “easy anthem tune” with a “catchy” refrain, and known as it a “pure match” for Trainor.^[12] Elias Leight of Billboard gave it a ranking of two out of 5 stars, and wrote that although Trainor “lends Puth a few of her doo-wop swagger”, it “appears extra tutorial train than an try at seduction”.^[13] Writing for Stereogum, Chris DeVille said that the lyric “Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on” immediately “disqualifies [‘Marvin Gaye’] from reward” and the gimmick is “too egregious and in-your-face” to understand the sensible composition, however known as it “musically sharp”.^[15] Leisure Weekly‘s Madison Useless known as the tune “inescapable and aggravating”.^[19]

Michael Cragg of The Observer referred to “Marvin Gaye” as “inordinately embarrassing”, stating that it sees Puth solid himself as Trainor’s male model.^[20] Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the tune “instructed neither singer ever heard Gaye nor Motown however had been inordinately keen on Glee“, and included it for instance of collaborations the place Puth acts as “the second banana, fortunately ceding the highlight to a different act who bowls him over with charisma”.^[21] Spin‘s Jason Gubbels said that it’s “a low-heat ode to high-heat ardour, about as edgy as a Broadway revival solid recording and that includes one of many extra doubtful name-verbing workouts in modern pop” since Beyoncé’s “Partition” (2013).^[22]

“Marvin Gaye” made it on a number of year-end lists of the worst songs of 2015. Time included the tune, calling the primary line of its refrain so “cringe-worthy” that it made them marvel “why the Gaye property did not additionally sue these two along with the ‘Blurred Traces’ guys” for tarnishing his legacy, however known as Trainor its redeeming high quality.^[23] It additionally appeared on Jezebel‘s listing, with Tolentino calling it “transposed to the ninth circle of hell” and evaluating it to Christian musicals she used to attend as a baby.^[24] Gigwise included “Marvin Gaye” on their listing, with Alexandra Pollard elaborating that it’s “irritatingly catchy – nevertheless it’s not even catchy”, and went on to say that it’s an unclever and “actually silly play on phrases”.^[25]

Chart efficiency

“Marvin Gaye” debuted at quantity 87 on the US Billboard Sizzling 100 issued for July 4, 2015.^[26] The tune climbed to its peak of quantity 21 on October 10, 2015.^[27] The Recording Business Affiliation of America (RIAA) licensed it 3× Platinum, which denotes three million items primarily based on gross sales and track-equivalent on-demand streams.^[28] On the Canadian Sizzling 100, “Marvin Gaye” peaked at quantity 31 and was licensed 3× Platinum by Music Canada.^[29][30]

“Marvin Gaye” debuted at quantity 90 on the UK Singles Chart issued for August 7, 2015, primarily based solely on streams. Following its digital launch as a single in the UK, the tune vaulted to primary, changing into each artists’ second number-one within the UK.^[31][32] The tune was licensed Platinum by the British Phonographic Business (BPI).^[33] In Australia, it reached quantity 4 and went 2× Platinum.^[34]“Marvin Gaye” peaked at primary in New Zealand and was licensed Platinum.^[35][36] The tune charted inside the high 10 of nationwide document charts, at primary in France,^[37] Eire,^[38] Israel,^[39] Scotland,^[40] quantity two in Switzerland,^[41] quantity three in Austria,^[42] Poland,^[43] Spain,^[44] quantity 4 in Belgium (Wallonia),^[45] quantity 5 in Slovenia,^[46] quantity six in Italy,^[47] and quantity 9 in Iceland.^[48] It acquired a 3× Platinum certification in Italy,^[49] 2× Platinum in Sweden,^[50] Platinum in Denmark,^[51] Norway,^[52] Spain,^[53] Switzerland,^[54] and Gold in Austria,^[55] Belgium,^[56] Germany.^[57]

Music video

Marc Klasfeld directed the music video for “Marvin Gaye”, which was launched on April 1, 2015. Puth summed up its idea by saying that he “needed to make a video of how [he] all the time needed highschool to be — a enjoyable dance with folks making out, on the ground, with whipped cream and strawberries”.^[58] The video begins with bored college students sleeping with their heads in opposition to partitions, after which Puth reveals up and begins performing the tune. All the college students begin making out by the refrain.^[59] Trainor joins Puth on the stage throughout her verse and the 2 sing collectively. The video ends with the 2 about to kiss.^[60]

Trainor later revealed in an interview with MTV Information that she truly kissed Puth “a bunch of instances”, however known as it “so awkward” as a result of presence of 40 folks on the set and Puth’s dad and mom within the inexperienced room.^[60] She uploaded a clip from behind the scenes of the video on her Instagram account, through which the singers kiss for an extended time.^[61] Puth said that they “needed to do it 5 instances, completely different angles, completely different lighting” as folks on the set saved transferring lights round, however “the phrase ‘awkward’ by no means got here to thoughts as a result of Meghan’s an excellent kisser”.^[62] Christina Garibaldi of MTV Information positioned it at quantity two on her listing of the “11 Sizzling Music Video Kisses of 2015 That’ll Make You Blush”.^[63]

Reside performances

Puth and Trainor carried out “Marvin Gaye” at The Immediately Present on August 4, 2015. The efficiency started with Puth enjoying the tune at a piano, the place the latter joined him throughout her verse, wearing a black skirt.^[64] Additionally they carried out it throughout the American Music Awards of 2015 on November 22, 2015. The efficiency ended with a kiss between the 2, halfway by means of which Puth grabbed Trainor’s derrière and he or she positioned her arms on his jaws. Los Angeles Instances‘s Jessica Gelt wrote that it is perhaps probably the most talked-about kiss at an award present since Britney Spears and Madonna kissed on the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.^[65]

Jeff Benjamin of Fuse listed it because the sixth greatest efficiency of the evening, including that the kiss “made [it] one to recollect”.^[66] Alternatively, Rolling Stone dubbed it one of many worst moments of the present, stating that the background dancers appeared like “middle-school college students allowed to stage a manufacturing of Grease with out grownup supervision” and calling the kiss a “compelled ‘second'”.^[67] Puth described the kiss as “a visible illustration” of “Marvin Gaye”, and said that he needed each to signify “a document folks might placed on and fall in love with one another the minute they hear it”.^[68] The tune was included on the setlists for the MTrain Tour in addition to Puth’s Voicenotes Tour (2018).^[69][70]

Monitor itemizing

• Digital obtain^[6]

1. “Marvin Gaye” (that includes Meghan Trainor) – 3:10

• Remix EP^[9]

1. “Marvin Gaye” (that includes Meghan Trainor) (DJ Kue Remix) – 5:33
2. “Marvin Gaye” (that includes Meghan Trainor) (Cahill Remix) – 2:57
3. “Marvin Gaye” (that includes Meghan Trainor) (Boehm Remix) – 3:14
4. “Marvin Gaye” (that includes Meghan Trainor) (10K Islands Remix) – 3:10

• CD single^[10]

1. “Marvin Gaye” (that includes Meghan Trainor) – 3:10
2. “Marvin Gaye” (that includes Wale) – 3:20

Credit and personnel

Credit tailored from CD single’s liner notes.^[2]

• Charlie Puth – producer, lead vocals, programmer
• Meghan Trainor – featured vocals
• Chris Galland – assistant mixing engineer
• Ike Schultz – assistant mixing engineer
• Kaveh Rastegar – bass guitarist
• Dave Kutch – mastering engineer
• Manny Marroquin – mixing engineer
• Ryan Gladieux – recording engineer

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for “Marvin Gaye”

Area	Certification	Licensed items/gross sales
Australia (ARIA)[117]	3× Platinum	210,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[55]	Gold	15,000
Belgium (BEA)[56]	Gold	10,000
Canada (Music Canada)[30]	3× Platinum	240,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[51]	Platinum	60,000^
Germany (BVMI)[57]	Gold	200,000
Italy (FIMI)[49]	3× Platinum	150,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[36]	Platinum	15,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[118]	Platinum	40,000
Poland (ZPAV)[119]	Gold	25,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[53]	Platinum	40,000
Sweden (GLF)[50]	2× Platinum	80,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[54]	Platinum	30,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[33]	Platinum	600,000
United States (RIAA)[28]	3× Platinum	3,000,000
* Gross sales figures primarily based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures primarily based on certification alone. Gross sales+streaming figures primarily based on certification alone.

Launch historical past