"Coming Home" is a song by American musical trio Diddy – Dirty Money, released by Bad Boy and Interscope Records on November 16, 2010, as the third single from their only studio album, Last Train to Paris (2010). The song contains a guest performance from American singer Skylar Grey, who co-wrote the song along with American rappers J. Cole and Jay-Z; the latter co-produced it with British record producer, Alex da Kid. A biographically written hip hop and pop ballad inspired by moments in Diddy's life, including the loss of his close friend The Notorious B.I.G., it references classic songs by Dionne Warwick, McFadden & Whitehead, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. Jay-Z and Kid personally gifted the song to Diddy for Last Train to Paris.

Critics praised the redemptive ballad for the personal themes and lyrics which were a snapshot of Diddy's life. Praise was also given for Grey's soft vocals, which complemented the warmth of the song. An accompanying music video, directed by Rich Lee, follows the trio wandering through the desert in search of home only to find burned belongings and the shell of a home. Singled out as one of the album's highlights, "Coming Home" was promoted with live TV performances including at the American Music Awards on November 21, 2010, the WWE Tribute to the Troops concert, and the March 10, 2011, episode of American Idol which marked the first live performance of the song featuring Skylar Grey.

"Coming Home" became Diddy – Dirty Money's most commercially successful release. Along with amassing one million digital sales, it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine in Canada. Internationally, the single topped both Belgium Ultratip charts and the Swiss Singles Chart, as well as reaching top five in the UK. This comes in addition to breaking onto the A-playlists on British urban music radio and mainstream radio, and topping the UK R&B Singles chart for three consecutive weeks.

Inspiration and composition "Coming Home" is a downtempo hip-hop and pop song, that opens with a "simple piano intro" and a "delicate vocal verse from Skylar Grey". It was written by Grey, Jay-Z, J. Cole, and Alex "da Kid" Grant, and produced by Jay-Z and Grant. When speaking to Kid about what he wanted, Diddy said, "I want a beat that makes me feel like a white man in a basement in Atlanta". Diddy later called "Coming Home" a gift from Jay-Z and Kid. On Genius, Grey wrote: "This is actually crazy. I wrote "Coming Home" for T.I. originally because he was getting out of prison, so it was originally written about that. But Puff wanted [the song] when he heard it and the song I had originally written for Puff, which is called "Castle Walls," ended up on T.I.'s album. So they swapped songs. The meaning of "Coming Home" changed and that's the beauty of music: it's open to interpretation." A demo of the song leaked in April 2010, performed by J. Cole and Skylar Grey. The only remnants of the demo in the final version of the song is the intro.

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, by EMI Music Publishing, the song was performed in the key of D major with a time signature of common time and a tempo of 69 beats per minute. It follows the basic chord progression of G–D–Bm–Fm. Jayson Rodriguez of MTV noted that the concept and theme of the song were similar to events in Diddy's life, "referencing mistakes he has made in the past and that he wants to put behind him." Rodriguez also noted the song's tribute to The Notorious B.I.G., in the line "I miss you, B.I.G." The chorus features vocals from the group's female members, Kalenna Harper and Dawn Richard, as well as background vocals from fellow Bad Boy Records recording artist Cassie. The trio use a vocal range of A3–A4. Grey also sings some of the vocals during the song's opening chorus.

Rap-Up magazine reflected on the lyrics of the song, calling them a personal reflection of Diddy's life and career thanks to lines like "What am I ‘posed to do when the club lights come on/ It’s easy to be Puff, but it’s harder to be Sean/ What if my twins ask why I ain’t married their mom?" Scott Schetler from AOL Radio Blog noted how Diddy referenced a different popular song in each verse. Lamb particularly noted the strong autobiographical lyrics, and the references to the 1979 hit song "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead. Other songs referenced include Dionne Warwick's "A House Is Not a Home" (1964) and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "The Tears of a Clown" (1970). Rodriguez said "Diddy do[es] some soul-searching in his rhymes as the chorus echoes his need for salvation."

Lamb compared the song to Diddy's early releases, saying that "'Coming Home' [welcomes] Diddy back to the upper ranks of pop-oriented hip hop artists". Additionally, Diddy told MTV that although the track had autobiographical elements, it was part of the album's "conceptual love story narrated by his character". When asked by Live Lounge's Trevor Nelson what "Coming Home" was based on, Diddy said:

Critical reception Upon release, "Coming Home" was generally met with a positive reception from music critics, who praised the autobiographical lyrics and composition of Skylar Grey's vocals with the Alex da Kid and Jay-Z production. Becky Bain of Idolator wrote, "We have to give some credit to Diddy (or Jay-Z, if he did indeed write [the lyrics]) for dropping some truly introspective lyrics instead of the usual not-so-subtle Cîroc vodka promotions." Simon Vozick-Levinson from Entertainment Weekly agreed, and noted "Coming Home" as one of Last Train to Paris highlights, saying it was a "must download" as the album's only "redemptive ballad". Jim Farber of the New York Daily News also noted the song's redemptive themes. He said 'Coming Home' is the "only song which breaks the flow" of Last Train to Paris, "Diddy confesses to everything from bad parenting to fear of commitment. It's an interesting moment but an unnecessary one."

Meanwhile, About.com's Bill Lamb awarded the song four out of five stars, calling it the first "pop hit single" in a long time "[which] matches the size of his public persona". He praised the "beautifully sung chorus by Skylar Grey" and Diddy's deep "autobiographical lyrics". Lamb noted that the song "didn't have the same intensity of emotional impact" other Alex da Kid productions (Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie") but it did "deliver a warmth and sense of hope that is a good match with the current holiday season." A reviewer from Sound Savvy said "The latest single 'Coming Home' is another example of some of the great work found on the album. ... it’s a heartfelt anthem of triumph and survival – somber but not depressing."

Chart performance "Coming Home" premiered on October 31, 2010, just prior to the fourth game of the Baseball World Series. It made its U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart debut at number sixty-one on December 11, 2010, three weeks after its release. In its third week on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the single experienced a 92% increase in sales, which amounted to 65,000 copies. As a result, the song vaulted from number forty-four to number seventeen on the Digital Songs chart causing the single to move from number fifty-one to twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, number nine on the U.S. Pop Songs, number seven on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, and number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also peaked at number fifteen on the Radio Songs. Consequently, "Coming Home" outperformed all of the group's previous singles on the Hot 100 and Digital Songs charts. Additionally, "Coming Home" also peaked higher than two of the three songs mentioned in the lyrics. "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead reached number thirteen, while Dionne Warwick's "A House Is Not a Home" only reached number seventy-nine. The song experience some crossover success, including on the Rap Songs chart where it reached number twenty-one. By the end of January 2011, "Coming Home" had sold one million digital copies in the United States. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on April 19 and 2× platinum on May 17, 2011.

Internationally, the single got off to a strong start in Belgium, debuting on both the Flanders Tip and Wallonia Tip charts at number twenty-six. "Coming Home" would later top both Tip charts, before impacting on the main Ultratop charts. On the Flanders Ultratop Singles chart, the song peaked at number seventeen, while on the Wallonia chart it peaked at number twenty-seven. "Coming Home" debuted in Switzerland at number forty-eight, and dropped seven places to number fifty-five in its second week. In its third week, the single rose fifteen places to number forty, and then continued to rise, eventually reaching number one on the Swiss Singles Chart. As a result of reaching number one, "Coming Home" is Diddy's highest-charting single in Switzerland in fourteen years; his last number one in Switzerland was "I'll Be Missing You" with Faith Evans and 112 in 1997. "Coming Home" made its Australian Singles Chart debut at number forty-nine and is thus the first single from Diddy-Dirty Money to chart within the top-fifty. It is since peaked at number four, and number two on the Australian Urban Singles Chart. The single had equal success in Germany, peaking at number four for two weeks.

"Coming Home" was also successful in other territories too, also peaking in the top-ten in Austria, France, Ireland, New Zealand and Poland. On December 15, 2010, the single was added to the playlists on British mainstream radio and a week later to the playlists on British urban music radio. Following its release, "Coming Home" debuted at number four on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Diddy's most successful single in that country since 2006's "Come to Me" with Nicole Scherzinger. Additionally the single topped the UK R&B Chart and as a consequence, "Coming Home" is Diddy-Dirty Money's most successful single in the United Kingdom. In its second week, the single held on to its position of number four on the singles chart, which came in addition to maintaining its position at the top of the UK R&B Singles chart for three consecutive weeks. According to a press release by Interscope Records, as of March 25, 2011, "Coming Home" has sold 1.8 million digital downloads worldwide.

Music video

Background The accompanying music video made its worldwide premiere through E! Online on November 29, 2010. It was filmed entirely in the Mojave Desert, just outside Palm Springs, CA. The video was the first of three released in the three weeks counting down to the album's release. Album cuts "Somebody to Love Me" and "Ass on the Floor" (featuring Swizz Beatz) received video releases on December 10 and 13, respectively. "Coming Home" was directed by Rich Lee and according to Steven Gottlieb, of Video Static, the theme drew comparisons to some of Diddy's earliest work. "'Coming Home' has Diddy choppering onto a dry lake bed which is dotted by the charred remains of a luxurious lifestyle."

The official video premiered on Vevo and YouTube on November 30, 2010.

Synopsis