No One



"No One" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys from her third studio album,As I Am. Written and produced by Keys, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Brothers,_Jr. Kerry Brothers, Jr.], and George M. Harry, and released as the album's lead single in September 2007. This is overall Keys' biggest hit, having topped several singles charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for ten consecutive weeks. It is her second solo number-one single in the United States after 2001's "Fallin'". "No One" was ranked at number forty-two on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs[1] and number fourteen on the Top Billboard Hot 100 R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[2] In 2009 the song was placed at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 decade-end chart.

The song won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008. During the ceremony, Keys performed it in a duet with John Mayer. "No One" was also the most listened song on U.S. radio of 2008 with 3.08 billion listeners.[3] The song has sold over 3 million paid downloads in the United States and over 5.6 million digital copies worldwide.

Song Information and Release
Keys told MTV News Canada that the song "is really talking about the way that in relationships, the way that so many things are around you all the time to try to distract you. And even though people may talk and say whatever they may want to say, but then no one can get in the way of this."[4]

The song was first heard in August 2007 after Keys included a clip of the song in a newsletter on her official website and fan club. It was released officially on September 10, 2007, and its radio premiere was on Atlanta's WVEE on August 29.

Keys performed a medley of "No One" with George Michael's "Freedom! '90" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards on September 9.Remixes of the song featuring Lil' Kim, Damian Marley, Junior Reid, Beenie Man, Barbee, and Kanye West exist. The official remix has a different but similar beat from the original version and features rapper Cassidy; it was produced by Swizz Beatz.

Critical Reception
Billboard Magazine wrote that "No One" "shows the soulful chanteuse acting her age, in the best possible way" and that Keys "hold[s] back on the mastery of vocal craft to let cool, crisp production lead" adding that it "heralds her youth, while maintaining Keys' lockdown on penetrating hooks and soul-sopped production with a buoyancy that makes it a blast to sing along with." [5]

Chart Performances
With only one full day of  airplay, "No One" debuted at number sixty-five on the U.S.  Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">chart on the issue dated September 8, 2007. Seven weeks later, it reached the top position for ten weeks—becoming Keys' fifth number-one single on the chart—before being knocked out by her own song " Like You'll Never See Me Again<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">" during the first charting week of 2008. The song initially debuted at number fifteen on the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">for the week of September 15, 2007, and managed to jump to the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Billboard Hot 100<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">at number seventy-one the following week without the benefit of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> download<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">sales. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[6] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">The following week, it rose to number fifteen because of digital downloads, and reached the top spot the charting week of December 1, 2007, staying atop for five weeks, preventing <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Timbaland<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">and <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> OneRepublic<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">'s hit " Apologize<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">" from reaching the summit. In the week between October 22–25, 2007, "No One" gained 14.3% in radio airplay and audience impressions which marks the single at number one. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[7] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">It is Keys' first solo single to reach number one on the Hot 100 since her debut single 2001's " Fallin'<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">" and her third single, to date, to top the chart. The song's success marked Keys' return to the top twenty of the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Billboard<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Hot 100 in three years; her last appearance occurred with the number-twenty entry " Karma<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">". Furthermore, "No One" went on to top eleven other Billboard charts<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">: the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Hot 100 Airplay<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">(for fourteen weeks in a row, the longest run atop the chart since Mariah Carey<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">'s 2005 hit " We Belong Together<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">" spent sixteen weeks at number one), the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, the Hot Adult R&B Airplay, the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Pop 100<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Pop 100 Airplay<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Top 40 Mainstream<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Rhythmic Top 40<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Hot Digital Songs<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Hot Digital Tracks<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Hot RingMasters<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, and the Hot Videoclip Tracks. The song was ultimately ranked number three on the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2008<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">and number six on the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Billboard<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Hot 100 decade-end chart.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">"No One" was a massive success in Europe, peaking at number two on the composite European Hot 100 Singles as well as reaching the top position Hungary and Switzerland, while charting inside the top five in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Slovakia, and the top ten in Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Norway, and the United Kingdom (where the single became Keys' first solo top ten hit since "Fallin'", peaking at number six and selling over 200,000 copies).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height:1em;">[8] "No One" has re-entered the UK Singles Chart twice since its official release, both times due television exposure (firstly after being performed by an auditionee on Britain's Got Talent and secondly after Keys herself performed it within a medley on The X Factor). In May 2009 it re-entered at number fifty-four and in December 2009 it re-entered at number fifty-one. In total "No One" has spent twenty-nine weeks inside the UK top one hundred singles, making it her longest-charting single in the UK at that point.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-UK_chart_8-0" style="line-height:1em;">[9] It also charted highly in Oceania, spending three consecutive weeks at number three in Australia and six non-consecutive weeks at number two in New Zealand.

Rankings and Honors
<p style="line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">"No One" was ranked at number forty-two on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-billboard.com_0-1" style="line-height:1em;">[1] and number fourteen on the Top Billboard Hot 100 R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-http_1-1" style="line-height:1em;">[2] In 2009 the song was placed at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 decade-end chart.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">The song was ranked at number three on the recap of "The 10 Best Songs of 2007" by Entertainment Weekly,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="line-height:1em;">[10] while it was voted number twenty-three on The Village Voice ' s 2007 Pazz & Jop critics' poll (tied with Modest Mouse's "Dashboard", R. Kelly's "I'm a Flirt" (Remix) featuring T.I. and T-Pain, and Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend").<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10" style="line-height:1em;">[11] "No One" was also the most listened song on U.S. radio of 2008 with 3.08 billion listeners.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-RealNetworks.2C_Inc_2-1" style="line-height:1em;">[3]

Music Video
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">The song's <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> music video<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, directed by <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Justin Francis<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, premiered on <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> BET<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">on September 24, 2007; it debuted on <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> 106 and Park<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">at number ten the following day, and has since peaked at number one. It premiered on <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahoo!_Music Yahoo! Music]<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">on September 25 at number five and peaked at number one, and it premiered on <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Total Request Live<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">on October 4 and peaked at number one. It debuted on VH1<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">'s <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> VSpot Top 20 Countdown<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">at number three, peaking at number one. The video was ranked at number twenty-two on VH1's "Top 40 Videos of 2007" <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[12] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">and at number two on BET's "Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2007". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[13]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">The video for "No One" consists of four settings: the first one shows Keys lying on a chair in an empty room; the second one is a musical instrument-decorated room in which Keys sings accompanied by a keyboard; in the third one Keys is initially alone, playing the piano on a rainy street, and she later finds herself surrounded with dozens of people; in the fourth and final one Keys is in a blue-lit nightclub. The video ends with a gear divided into four fractions, each one featuring a previously shown setting, and with Keys lying on the chair in the same room shown at the very beginning of the video.

Covers
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">No One" was used in the theatrical trailer for the 2008 romantic comedy film<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> 27 Dresses<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, as well as in the Ugly Betty<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> episode " Burning Questions<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", originally aired on May 1, 2008. Felicia Barton sang the song in the top 36 night on the March 3 show of American Idol<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. Ten-year-old Natalie Okri performed the song on Britain's Got Talent<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> in auditions 6 of the show, which aired on May 16, 2009, receiving rave reviews from the judges and a standing ovation from the audience. On the 2009 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> album (released on December 1, 2009), The Chipettes<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> sing the song with Filipina singer Charice<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. In the actual 2009 "Squeakquel" film itself, it was covered only by Charice. Prima J<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> made a Spanish<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> cover of this single for their album, the title 'No One' translates from Spanish to Nadie. Whitney Myer sang this song on The Voice (U.S. season 2)<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> on February 27, 2012. Elise Testone<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> sang this song on American Idol on April 18, 2012.

Personal

 * Alicia Keys –vocals, producer, piano, Jupiter synth, vocoder, mellotron, string programming
 * Kerry "Krucial" Brothers – producer, drum programming
 * Brendan Dekora – assistant engineer
 * Dirty Harry – co-producer
 * Zach Hancock – assistant engineer
 * Manny Marroquin –mixing
 * Ann Mincieli – engineer
 * Steve Mostyn –acoustic guitar, bass guitar
 * Jared Robbins – mix assistant
 * Stu White – assistant engineer

Lyrics
I just want you close Where you can stay forever You can be sure That it will only get better

You and me together Through the days and nights I don't worry 'cause Everything's going to be alright People keep talking they can say what they like But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one Can get in the way of what I'm feeling No one, no one, no one Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you Can get in the way of what I feel for you

When the rain is pouring down And my heart is hurting You will always be around This I know for certain

You and me together Through the days and nights I don't worry 'cause Everything's going to be alright People keep talking they can say what they like But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one Can get in the way of what I'm feeling No one, no one, no one Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you Can get in the way of what I feel

I know some people search the world To find something like what we have I know people will try, try to divide, something so real So till the end of time I'm telling you there ain't no one

No one, no one Can get in the way of what I'm feeling No one, no one, no one Can get in the way of what I feel for you

oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh