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"Who You Are" is a song by English singer and songwriter Jessie J, released as the sixth overall single from her debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Jessie J, Toby Gad and Shelly Peiken, while the production was handled by Gad. The single was released via digital download on 13 November 2011. The song's lyrics address the importance of staying true to one's identity. According to Cornish, she wrote the song after a three-month lonely trip. The song received very positive reviews from music critics, who complimented her strong vocals in the song and considered a highlight on the album.[2] The track reached the top ten in the UK.

"Who You Are"
Single by Jessie J
from the album Who You Are
Released	13 November 2011[1]
Recorded	2009
Genre	Soft rock
Length	3:50
Label	Lava Island
Songwriter(s)	Jessica Cornish Toby Gad Shelly Peiken
Producer(s)	Toby Gad
Jessie J singles chronology
"Domino" (2011) "Who You Are" (2011) "Up" (2011)
Music video
"Who You Are" on YouTube

Background and release

Cornish named her first studio album Who You Are after the track of the same name, revealing that she is proudest of that song.[3] She wrote "Who You Are" at the end of a lonely three-month trip to Los Angeles when she was 20, having been shunted from studio to studio with various producers.[3] During an intimate show at The Sofitel's Stone Rose on 2 November 2010, the singer explained the meaning of the recording, "I kind of lost myself. It's very personal. It's about being true to yourself. Don't lose yourself in any situation you're put in, and do the dew."[4] She further explained to The Sun, "This song saved my life musically. The day before I wrote this song I was ready to give up music. It's amazing how three-and-a-half minutes of melody and lyrics can change your life and I'm so happy that not only has it saved my life but it's saving other people's. That's why my debut album is called Who You Are."[4] According to The Independent, "Who You Are" is the song that draws the most messages from fans on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.[3] Before being released as a stand-alone single, "Who You Are" was distributed as a promotional single first.[5]

Critical reception

Mike Diver from BBC Music wrote that the song returns Jessie J "to an acoustic accompaniment, and makes for a fine closer – it's her Hometown Glory, without the raw emotion but touching nonetheless."[6] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian wrote that the song is a "self-empowerment dirge" and compared its theme with Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" (2011).[7]

Chart performance

As a promotional single, "Who You Are" peaked at number 86 on the Australian Singles Chart,[8] number 40 on UK Singles Chart[9] and number 85 on the Canadian Hot 100.[10] In November 2011, "Who You Are" was released as the fifth single from her debut album in the UK. It subsequently reached a new peak of number 8 on the UK Singles Chart[11] becoming Jessie J's fourth top-ten single in the United Kingdom. Due to digital downloads, the song reached number 12 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart even though it wasn't released as a single in the country.[12]

Music video

The official music video was released on Jessie J's official YouTube and Vevo channels on 29 September 2011.[13] The clip was inspired by the one for Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U."[4] The video was directed by Emil Nava.

The video features Jessie J in front of the camera as if it was her mirror in a bedroom. She is wearing a grey top with a black sports bra underneath. An en suite is visible in the background. Various angles of her singing are used throughout, e.g. on the bath in the en suite, on the floor, on the bed, etc. A mirror can be seen above left of the bed. Jewellery at the end of the bed, and on a bed-side locker, amongst other places are shown.[13] As Jessie J begins to sing the final bridge, water begins to drip in front of her face. As the water falls, she wipes a drop from under her eye, as if she was crying. The entire room begins to be rained on, and wind begins to blow. Jessie J is completely soaking wet. Lights on the wall, and the lamp on her locker begin to spark, and turn off. The wind moves the jewellery off the bed and locker, taking the lamp with it. The mirror on the wall shakes. The video ends as the rain dies down, while Jessie J remains looking in her mirror.[13]

Formats and track listings

• Digital download[5]

1. "Who You Are" – 3:50

• Digital EP[1]

1. "Who You Are" – 3:50
2. "Who You Are" (Exemen Remix) - 5:07
3. "Who You Are" (Seamus Haji Remix Radio Edit) - 3:46
4. "Who You Are" (Live Acoustic Version) - 5:19

Credits and personnel

Credits for "Who You Are" are taken from AllMusic,[14] and album's liner notes.[15]

• Jessica Cornish – writing, vocals
• Toby Gad – writing, producing
• Shelly Peiken – writing

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United Kingdom	13 November 2011[22]	Digital download	Lava Records, Island Records

References

На других языках

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- [en] Who You Are (Jessie J song)

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[es] Who You Are (canción de Jessie J)

«Who You Are» —en español: «Quién eres»— es una canción de la cantante y compositora británica de pop Jessie J. La canción fue compuesta por ella misma, Toby Gad y Shelly Peiken, mientras que su producción musical estuvo a cargo de Gad.[1] Se lanzó como el penúltimo sencillo de Who You Are el 11 de noviembre de 2011 mediante un EP publicado en iTunes.[2] La canción alcanzó el octavo puesto en la lista UK Singles Chart y se le otorgó un disco de plata por vender más de 200 000 copias en el país.[3][4] Mike Diver de BBC la comparó con «Hometown Glory» de Adele.[5]

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[ru] Who You Are (песня)

«Who You Are» — песня британской певицы Jessie J из её дебютного альбома Who You Are. Автором песни является Jessie J в соавторстве с Тоби Гэдом и Шелли Пайкен.

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