"#thatPower" (stylized as #thatPOWER) is a song by American musician will.i.am featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber, taken from his fourth studio album, #willpower. The song was written by the artists alongside Damien Leroy, who produced it with will.i.am. "thatPOWER" was released in the United States and Canada on March 15, 2013, via Interscope Records, as the third single from the album. The song has since charted in several countries. A special version of the song was used for the 2013 NBA Playoffs telecasts on ESPN and ABC and the last day of TV5's primetime sports block on IBC, AKTV. It samples The Power from Snap!.
Background "#thatPower" was released on YouTube on March 15 and on iTunes on March 18. The song made its radio premiere on Capital FM in the United Kingdom on March 15. Will.i.am tweeted the cover art for the song on March 15. The song was recorded on February 20, 2013, at Metropolis, when Bieber and will.i.am were in London for the 2013 BRIT Awards. The song was released to American Contemporary radio on March 26, 2013. The single sold 108,000 digital downloads in its first week of release.
Composition Will.i.am described "#thatPower" as up-tempo. MTV's Jocelyn Vena said the song had "lyrical swagger" and noted how "Bieber brings his sweet vocals to the chorus", with a vibe that "recalls Kanye West's 2010 hit, 'Power'". According to The Hollywood Reporter, the song is club-oriented.
Critical reception "#thatPower" received mixed reviews from music critics. E.E. Bradman for Common Sense Media wrote, "This one's all about the club: With its uptempo four-on-the-floor bass and kick assault, repeated choruses, and surging synths, "#thatPower" sounds and feels more like a remix than the first iteration of a new song." Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone called the song "a wan melody warbled by Bieber over generic 4/4 beats" and gave it two out of five stars, ending his review with "#FAIL."
Music video On March 21, will.i.am tweeted about how exhausting rehearsals for the video were. On March 25, Capital FM reported that will.i.am was seen taking part in the production of parts of the video for the song in Los Angeles. The official video premiered on April 19, 2013. An alternate "second screen" music video is available through an unlisted YouTube link when the song is tagged via Shazam. The alternate video does not contain audio and is meant to be viewed alongside the original music video in order to spot the differences between the two.
A special version was shot with National Basketball Association (NBA) players, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh, to be used as the opening theme introduction for the 2013 NBA Playoffs television broadcasts on ABC and ESPN. The video is also used at various commercial breaks throughout the broadcasts.
Live performances will.i.am performed the track at Le Grand Journal on April 16, 2013, and it featured his backing dancers. Four days later, he performed the song on The Jonathan Ross Show, doing a similar performance. He performed the song on Dancing with the Stars results show on April 23, 2013, while Justin Bieber's solos played in the background in a video. On May 19, will.i.am and Bieber also performed the song live during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, in Las Vegas.
Cover versions A funk and soul-infused version of "#thatPower" was arranged, recorded and performed by Judith Hill, on the television singing competition show The Voice. The performance was held on May 27, 2013, and was broadcast live on NBC. The studio-recorded version was digitally released during the same period.
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2013–2014)Peakposition Italy (FIMI) 19 Mexico (Billboard Mexican Airplay) 8 Mexico Anglo (Monitor Latino) 8 Romania (Airplay 100) Note: User may scroll down the 'Podcasturi' menu to play or download the respective podcast.72
Year-end charts Chart (2013)PositionAustralia (ARIA)62Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)53Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)41Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)35Belgium Dance (Ultratop Wallonia)13Canada (Canadian Hot 100)67France (SNEP)52Germany (Official German Charts)68Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)55Netherlands (Single Top 100)81 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 40Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)37UK Singles (OCC)65US Billboard Hot 10095US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)13
Certifications
Release history Region Date Format Label Canada March 18, 2013 Digital download Universal Music United States Interscope Records March 26, 2013 Mainstream and rhythmic radio FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more! Germany March 29, 2013 Digital download Universal Music United Kingdom April 3, 2013 Mainstream radioPolydor Records April 14, 2013 Digital download Germany April 26, 2013 CD single Universal Music
References
External links