Bleeding Love
"Bleeding Love" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album, Spirit (2007).[1] It was originally written and recorded by American singer Jesse McCartney, and was co-written and produced by American singer Ryan Tedder.[2][a] "Bleeding Love" was released worldwide during the last quarter of 2007, and the first of 2008, as the album's lead single internationally, and as the second single in Ireland and the United Kingdom.[3] McCartney later included his version of the song as a bonus track on the international edition of his third studio album, Departure (2008). It is Lewis' biggest hit, to date, and remains her signature song. As of 2021, "Bleeding Love" has been streamed over two billion times.[4]
"Bleeding Love"
"Forgiveness"
16 September 2007 (see release history)
2007
- Mansfield Studios (Los Angeles, California)
- Record Plant (Hollywood, California)
- Encore Studios (Burbank, California)
4:22
Ryan Tedder
Debuting at number one on the Irish Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart, "Bleeding Love" became the best-selling single of 2007 in both countries.[5] After its release, the single became a massive success and was the world's best-selling single of 2008.[6] "Bleeding Love" reached number one in over 35 countries,[7] including France, Germany, Japan and the United States, making it only the second single in history to achieve this feat, Elton John's "Candle in the Wind '97" being the first. The original accompanying music video first aired on 17 October 2007 and was uploaded to YouTube that same day. A second music video was premiered on 29 January 2008 on Yahoo! Music and was uploaded to YouTube the next day.
"Bleeding Love" has sold more than one million copies in the United Kingdom and over 4 million digital downloads in the United States, where it was the best-selling digital song there in 2008.[8][9][10] It was named the 17th most successful song of the 2000s in the United States.[11] "Bleeding Love" has charted on the UK Singles Chart in three different years: at number one in 2007; number 76 in 2008; and at number 97 in 2009.[12] It sold 788,000 copies in the United Kingdom alone during 2007.[13] "Bleeding Love" was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. It also received a nomination for Best British Single at the 2008 Brit Awards.[14]
Recording and production[edit]
"Bleeding Love" was written by McCartney and Tedder,[19] while production was helmed by the latter.[19] It was recorded at several studios in California, including Mansfield Studios in Los Angeles, the Record Plant in Hollywood and Encore Studios in Burbank.[19] The song was recorded at these locations by Tedder and Craig Durrance, and were assisted in the process by Nate Hertweck.[19] Programming and arrangement was carried out also by Tedder.[19] It was mixed by Phil Tan at Soapbox Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and he was assisted by Josh Houghkirk.[19] The song's string arrangement was completed by Tedder.[19]
Composition and lyrics[edit]
"Bleeding Love" is a mid-tempo pop and R&B song set in the key of F major.[20] It moves at 104 beats per minute and is set in 4
4 time signature. The album version runs for four minutes and twenty-two seconds and the radio edit runs for three minutes and fifty-nine seconds. Lewis' vocal range extends from C4 to B♭5, but has gone higher into the sixth octave in most live performances of the song.[21] "Bleeding Love" is constructed in the common verse–chorus–bridge song pattern. The song employs a church organ which is audible throughout until the bridge. Synthesized strings are also prominent throughout the song, which intermittently integrates wood block percussion. A heavy, distorted marching band-like drum loop backs the song.[22] It employs a harmonic shift beginning at the bridge. A harmonic shift or harmonic variety generally identifies most song bridges. In "Bleeding Love", the turn around from the common I, vi, IV, V (F, Dm, Bb, C) progression used exclusively up to the bridge for both verses and choruses shifts to focus on the relative minor: vi, IV, I/V, V (Dm, Bb, F/C, C).[23]
McCartney wrote the song about his longtime girlfriend and said: "I kept thinking about being in love so much that it hurts. I was away from my girlfriend for four months at the time and I really wanted to [quit] and fly home. I was so in love that it was painful. It was like bleeding, it cut me open."[24] Lyrically, "Bleeding Love" shows the singer in an relationship and extremely blinded by love. Heedless of warnings from friends, and regardless of being emotionally hurt by the person the song is addressed to, the singer continues to love that person and accepts the pain. Metaphorically, this is represented by being "cut open". When this happens, however, all the singer can do is "bleed love" for the person being addressed.[25]
Chart performance[edit]
In the United Kingdom, "Bleeding Love" debuted at the top of the UK Singles Chart on 28 October 2007 ― for the week ending dated 3 November 2007.[47][48] With the single reaching number one, Lewis became the first X Factor contestant to achieve two chart-topping hits.[49] It was reported to be outselling Take That's "Rule the World" by three-to-one in chain store Woolworths.[50] The single went on to sell 218,805 copies in its first week, gaining the biggest one-week sales in 2007, a feat it maintained until "When You Believe" by Leon Jackson ― her successor as winner of the UK X Factor – was released in December 2007.[47][51] In its second and third weeks on sale, the single sold 158,370 copies[52] and 111,978 copies, respectively, bringing the total sales to 489,153 and making "Bleeding Love" the biggest-selling single of 2007 after just three weeks of release.[53] It stayed at the top of the chart for seven weeks,[48] the longest run from a homegrown female solo artist in British chart history, until Adele's "Easy on Me" spent eight weeks at number one in 2021 and 2022.[54] By the end of 2007, "Bleeding Love" had sold a total of 788,000 copies, becoming Britain's biggest-selling single of 2007. It was the first time a single by a British female solo artist had topped the end of year singles sales chart in the then 55-year history of the Official Charts Company.[5] The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the single platinum on 18 January 2008 and three-times platinum on 5 March 2021.[55] In February 2014, it was confirmed by the Official Charts Company that "Bleeding Love" had sold total of 1,180,000 copies in the United Kingdom, making it the 103rd song overall to sell a million copies in Britain, with Lewis the fourteenth female singer to achieve the feat.[56]
In Australia, "Bleeding Love" debuted at number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart on the issue dated 24 December 2007, and topped the chart on 21 January 2008. On 10 February 2008, the single received a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), with sales of over 70,000 copies.[57] In New Zealand, Lewis became the first British female artist to have a number-one single since the Sugababes' "Push the Button" topped the chart in January 2006; it stayed at number one for five weeks.[58] It also reached number one in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland.[59] In Spain, the single reached number two on the Promusicae Singles Chart and was certified platinum for sales of 40,000 copies. "Bleeding Love" was a success on radio stations around the world, reaching number one on the Airplay Charts of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany,[60] Australia,[61] New Zealand, Luxembourg,[62] Slovakia,[63] Latin America,[64] Estonia[65] and Japan.[66] In the Greek Airplay Chart, it reached number two.[67] In Italy, the single peaked at number two on the FIMI Singles Chart based only on digital downloads; instead it peaked at number one on the Italian Musica&Dischi Singles Chart, which is based on digital downloads and CD single sales, for 13 non-consecutive weeks.[48]
In the United States, "Bleeding Love" was released digitally on 18 December 2007,[68] and debuted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at number 11.[69] The single officially debuted at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated 1 March 2008.[48] It became Lewis' first US top-ten hit and reached the top of the Hot 100 three separate times: twice for one week and once for two weeks.[48] It also topped the Billboard component charts, including the Hot Digital Songs[70] and Adult Contemporary, where it spent 52 weeks.[71] Lewis is the third British female artist to have a number-one hit with a debut US single, following Petula Clark with "Downtown" and Sheena Easton with "Morning Train (Nine to Five)".[72] It became the second single to have three separate turns atop the Hot 100, following Chic's "Le Freak".[73] On Billboard's Hot 100 Year-End chart for 2008, "Bleeding Love" was ranked at number two, only behind "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain. During this time, Spirit debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Lewis the first British solo artist in 18 years to simultaneously top both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts. Certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the single has sold 4,589,000 digital downloads in the United States as of December 2013.[74]
In Canada, "Bleeding Love" peaked at number one on the Canadian Hot 100 on the issue dated 5 April 2008.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Spirit.[19]
Recording
Personnel