"Paris" is a song by American electronic music duo the Chainsmokers, featuring uncredited vocals from American singer-songwriter and frequent collaborator Emily Warren. "Paris" was released on January 13, 2017, as the lead single from their debut album, Memories...Do Not Open, through Disruptor Records and Columbia Records. It was served to Top 40 radio on January 17, 2017, as the follow-up radio single to "Closer".

It reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single became the duo's fourth number one on the Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart in its issue dated February 25, 2017,"The Chainsmokers' "Closer" Ties Record for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs" from Billboard (February 16, 2017) and their fifth number one on the magazine's Dance/Electronic Songs chart in its issue dated March 11, 2017.Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" Leads Hot 100 for Fifth Week (March 11, 2017) from Billboard (March 11, 2017) Content "Paris" is a downbeat EDM pop song featuring the group's signature "smokers MOR sound", with a bigger emphasis on guitar than synths. "Paris" expands on the group's downtempo songs with tropical house attributes, combining the calm keyboards of "Closer", the guitar loop of "Don't Let Me Down", and the nostalgic and free-spirited lyrics about an ambiguous but less-than-favorable relationship of the group's overall discography. However, unlike the duo's other songs, there is no drop. The lyrics, in particular, are nostalgic for a millennial romance in the song's titular city, featuring imagery of cigarettes and disordered hotel rooms. Frequent Chainsmokers background singer Emily Warren does a call-and-response in the style of The Postal Service.

Background In an interview with Billboards Taylor Weatherby, Warren said about the collaboration:

She was also asked about why she wasn't credited on the song, to which she replied,

Critical reception Nolan Feeney of Entertainment Weekly, who graded the song a B, wrote the song "feels like the demo of a song that wants to take more risks than it actually does"." In a subpar review of the album for Pitchfork, Philip Sherburne felt "Paris" got the closest to capturing the magic of "Closer", with its detailed, universally-appealing lyrics featuring an "us-against-the-world chorus" that "has a way of reaching even the inner teen of even the most hardened listener".

Chart performance "Paris" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number seven. In its second week, the song dropped to number 11 but it bounced back to the top 10 in its February 25, 2017, issue. The song peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the duo's fourth top 10 entry. On the Canadian Hot 100 it debuted at number two behind Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You".

Music video A lyric video for "Paris" was released on January 12, 2017. It was edited and directed by Rory Kramer and shows an unknown man who is holding the camera filming the journey through a tropical country together with a young woman who is played by Alexis Ren.

The official music video for "Paris" was released on February 16, 2017. It features the duo (Drew Taggart and Alex Pall) walking, intercut with shots of them and American model Martha Hunt, who stars in the video, in a house that begins floating and rising up into the sky, with the duo watching from the ground. Towards the end of the show, Hunt slides out of the window of the floating house and somehow falls back down into the same house from which she fell.

Usage in media The song is also used as a background music for the Renault Samsung SM6 commercial for the South Korean market.

Live performance On March 5, 2017, The Chainsmokers performed "Paris" at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, California, which was then followed by a performance of "Something Just Like This" featuring Chris Martin from Coldplay. The song was also performed during The Chainsmokers' appearance on Saturday Night Live as musical guest on April 8, 2017.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2017) Peakposition Argentina Anglo (Monitor Latino) 14 Australia Dance (ARIA) 1 Colombia (National-Report) 50 Germany Dance (Official German Charts) 1 Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20) 6 Malaysia (RIM) 2 Mexico Airplay (Billboard) 2 Philippines (Philippine Hot 100) 36 Russia Airplay (Tophit) 36 Slovenia (SloTop50) 8

Year-end charts Chart (2017) Position Australia (ARIA) 31 Australia Dance (ARIA) 6 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 32 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) 54 Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) 111 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 26 Denmark (Tracklisten) 27 France (SNEP) 143 Germany (Official German Charts) 38 Hungary (Stream Top 40) 26 Italy (FIMI) 33 Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) 27 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 35 Netherlands (Single Top 100) 36 Portugal (AFP) 27 Spain (Promusicae) 71 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 30 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 45 UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 32 US Billboard Hot 100 42 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard) 7 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 20

Certifications

Release history Region Date Format Version Label Various January 13, 2017 Digital download Original United Kingdom Contemporary hit radio United States January 16, 2017 Hot AC radio January 17, 2017 Top 40 radio Rhythmic radio Italy January 27, 2017 Contemporary hit radio Sony United States February 17, 2017 Digital download Remixes EP

References