Lights Down Low (Max song)

"Lights Down Low"
Single by MAX featuring gnash
from the album Hell's Kitchen Angel[1]
Released October 14, 2016 (2016-10-14)[2]
Format Digital download[3]
Genre Pop[2]
Length 3:44[2]
Label DCD2[2][1]
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Nathaniel Motte
MAX singles chronology
"Basement Party"
(2016)		 "Lights Down Low"
(2016)		 "You Want More"
(2016)
gnash singles chronology
"Home"
(2016)		 "Lights Down Low"
(2016)		 "Lonely Again"
(2017)

"Lights Down Low" is a song by American singer Max Schneider (better known as MAX) from his 2016 album, Hell's Kitchen Angel. The song was written by Schneider, Nathaniel Motte, and Liam O'Donnell, with Motte serving as the producer.[6] A later remix of the song includes a feature and writing contribution from singer gnash. The song, which MAX used to propose to his wife Emily, was released in October 2016; it became a sleeper hit, entering the Billboard Hot 100 more than a year after its release, and also earning a Platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of more than 1,000,000 copies. The song had an accompanying music video tracing the life of a couple living in an apartment. A "Latin Mix" featuring Argentine singer Tini was released on December 15, 2017.[7]

Background

After recording the song, MAX played it for his girlfriend, Emily, followed by a marriage proposal which she accepted.[8][4] Originally, MAX planned to release the song in its solo form, but he decided to feature American rapper gnash on it after "this moment where I was like, 'Well, I kind of hear [gnash's] voice on "Lights Down Low." I never considered a rapper, it's a ballad, but you know what? I'm just gonna talk to him.'"[4]

After the song's release, it drew much attention in the LGBTQ community.[4][9] In a 2017 interview with Billboard, MAX stated that "It's not our song anymore. It's everybody's song. Everybody is able to add whatever they want to it, what it is to them, and in that way, it becomes so much less — it's not about us anymore. It's not about even the artist or the writer or the singer, it's about what it can stand for for people."[4]

Music video

The music video stars MAX and his wife, Emily.[8] The music video was shot above a bed; it depicts MAX in various relationships over the course of his lifetime. The video was directed by Crush Music and Christian Snell. Jade Ehlers, who is the creative director at Crush Music, explained that "the music video depicts what one's life might look like if they lived in one apartment their whole life."[10]

Commercial performance

The song was a sleeper hit, becoming MAX's first Billboard Hot 100 entry as a lead artist.[11] It peaked at number 20 on the chart dated March 3, 2018.[11][12] The song reached number one on the Billboard Adult Top 40[13] and number seven on the Mainstream Top 40.[11] It also reached number 11 on the Canada Hot Adult Contemporary chart.[11]

In Belgium, the song peaked at number five on Ultratip's Bubbling Under Singles chart, spending a total of eight weeks on the chart.[14]

In September 2017, the song was certified Gold in the United States for sales of more than 500,000 copies. In January 2018, the certification was upgraded to Platinum for sales of more than 1,000,000 copies.[15][16]

Charts

Chart (2017–18) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[14] 5
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[17] 51
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[18] 11
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[19] 97
Portugal (AFP)[20] 95
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[21] 96
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 20
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 2
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[23] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[24] 7

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[25] Platinum 10,000^
United States (RIAA)[26] Platinum 1,000,000double-dagger

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 "Hell's Kitchen Angel at iTunes". iTunes. Apple. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Lights Down Low – MAX overview". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Lights Down Low – Max Release History". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Weatherby, Taylor. "MAX on Proposing To His Wife With 'Lights Down Low': 'This Song Is For Love'". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  5. ↑ Google Play Music. "Google Play Music: "Lights Down Low" – Lyrics and Writing Credits" Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  6. ↑ Google Play Music. "Google Play Music: "Lights Down Low" - Lyrics and Writing Credits" Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Lights Down Low (Latin Mix) [feat. Tini] - Single". iTunes. Apple. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  8. 1 2 jagger. "Max feat. Gnash "Lights Down Low"". Kiss 95-7. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  9. ↑ "[Interview] MAX talks early life, "Lights Down Low", being true to yourself". 93Q. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  10. ↑ Snell, Christian. "MAX – Lights Down Low: About". Christian W. Snell. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Chart Search: MAX". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Max Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  13. ↑ Trust, Gary (March 27, 2018). "MAX's 'Lights Down Low,' Featuring gnash, Shines at No. 1 on Adult Pop Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – MAX feat. Gnash – Lights Down Low" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  15. ↑ "RIAA Gold Certification For Max "Lights Down Low"". All Access. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Gold & Platinum Search: Lights Down Low". RIAA. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Max Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Max Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  19. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201712 into search. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – MAX feat. Gnash – Lights Down Low". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  21. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201714 into search. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Max Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Max Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Max Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – MAX – Lights Down Low". Music Canada.
  26. ↑ "American single certifications – MAX – Lights". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 1, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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