"Eyes Closed" is a song by American singer Halsey. It was released on May 4, 2017, through Astralwerks as the first promotional single from her second studio album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017).[1]
| "Eyes Closed" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Promotional single by Halsey | ||||
| from the album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom | ||||
| Released | May 4, 2017 | |||
| Genre | Electro-R&B | |||
| Length | 3:22 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Halsey promotional singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editHalsey announced on March 7, 2017, the release month and title of her second studio album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, set for release in June.[2] About the album's sound, she opted for a more mainstream-oriented sound, 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 song was premiered on May 4, 2017, on Apple Music's Beats 1 along an interview with host Zane Lowe and director Baz Luhrmann, being later released on digital retailers and streaming platforms.[4]
Composition
editThe track was written by Halsey and the Weeknd and the song's producers Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat and Happy Perez. It has been described as dark and sinister-sounding synth-y electro.[5] The song is written in C-sharp minor with a tempo of 65 beats per minute.[6]
Critical reception
editDa'Shan Smith of Billboard described the song as a "pop flavoring with an upbeat instrumental that falls in line with electro-soft rock" and "a more cinematic, ballad".[7] PopCrush staff writers calls "Eyes Closed", "moody, chill-inducing".[8]
Charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[9] | 62 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] | 73 |
| France (SNEP)[11] | 171 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ)[12] | 5 |
| Scotland (OCC)[13] | 48 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[14] | 1 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[15] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Rosé version
edit| "Eyes Closed" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Rosé | |
| Released | 10 February 2019 |
| Genre | Electro |
| Length | 2:27 |
| Label | Songs Music Publishing LLC |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Audio video | |
| "Eyes Closed" on YouTube | |
Korean-New Zealand singer Rosé of South Korean girl group Blackpink released a cover of "Eyes Closed" on February 10, 2019.
Background and release
editFor her solo stage in the Blackpink Arena Tour 2018, Rosé performed a cover of "Eyes Closed" alongside a cover of Taeyang's "Eyes, Nose, Lips". On February 10, 2019, she released the studio version of the cover on YouTube and SoundCloud, as a surprise gift to her fans on her birthday. In an Instagram post, she stated, "Thank you for all the lovely birthday messages! I'm always so spoiled by all of you and I'm so grateful to every single one of you. So here's me giving a tiny little something back in return. This is the studio version of my cover for [Halsey]'s 'Eyes closed'. I sang this at our Japan concert last year but this song has been one of my favourites for a very long time. So I'm super excited that I am able to give this to you on my birthday."[16]
Composition
edit"Eyes Closed" was written by Happy Perez, Halsey, Cashmere Cat, Benny Blanco, and the Weeknd, with vocals by Rosé.[17] Rosé stated that the song is one of her long-time favorites and "at the time when I recorded it, I was needing some of the healing that this song brings to me."[16]
Reception
editHalsey complimented Rosé's take on the track and since then has returned the favor by interacting with her group several times on social media, including sharing a video on Twitter of her rocking out to the Blackpink song "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" during a glam session.[18] Since its release, Rosé's cover of "Eyes Closed" has surpassed 35 million views on YouTube and 2.5 million plays on SoundCloud.
References
edit- ^ "hopeless fountain kingdom (Deluxe) by Halsey on Apple Music". iTunes, Apple Music. June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ "Halsey Announces New Album Title, Release Month". Billboard. March 7, 2017.
- ^ "Halsey Talks Sci-Fi Breakup Album, Following Up Megahit 'Closer'". Rolling Stone. March 27, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^ Smith, Da'Shan (May 4, 2017). "Halsey Laments Old Love and Keeps Her 'Eyes Closed' in Latest Single". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ Spanos, Brittany (May 3, 2017). "Hear Halsey's Menacing New Song 'Eyes Closed' Co-Penned By The Weeknd". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Halsey "Eyes Closed" Sheet Music
- ^ Smith, Da'Shan. "Halsey Laments Old Love and Keeps Her 'Eyes Closed' in Latest Single". Billboard. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ "Halsey Debuts 'Eyes Closed,' Co-Penned by The Weeknd". PopCrush. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #420". auspOp. May 13, 2017. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ "Halsey Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
- ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 19, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 15, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ "Halsey Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
- ^ "American single certifications – Halsey – Eyes Closed". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ a b Rosé (February 10, 2019). "제 생일인데 팬분들한테 저도 선물 하나해주고싶어서준비했어요~ 늘 너무 감사해요 여러분. 앞으로 더 열심히해서 멋진 로제 될께요! 사랑해요! 🌹". Instagram. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- ^ @ygent_official (February 10, 2019). "Title: 'Eyes Closed' Cover by #ROSÉ" (Tweet). Retrieved February 10, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Benjamin, Jeff (August 4, 2023). "Ariana Grande, Drake, Halsey & More: 25 of BLACKPINK's Most Famous Fans". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2023.