Peak
7
Weeks
22
Score
4,074
Chart Year
2014
The video opens with "dramatic lightning in a sky boiling over with orange clouds." Throughout the music video, Ariana and the Weeknd "withstand earth, wind and water, symbolizing what one would do for love," as MTV's Emilee Lindner claimed.[56] Lindner continued: "Grande writhes around on a sandy floor, the Weeknd walks nonchalantly through an indoor rain storm, and toward the end, we find Ariana in a pool of water with an air of confidence. At one point, they sing back-to-back, ultimately illustrating what the song is about — being unable to face the wants and needs of a relationship."[56] Lidner called it "her most serious video to date."[56] Gabby Bess of Paper called its visuals "a departure from her previous videos and mark a new, sultry era for the mini diva."[60] Ariana Bacle of Entertainment Weekly agreed, snorting that "The video’s vibe, sensual and mysterious, is an obvious departure from Grande’s earlier work [...] but fits the song, a stripped-down ballad that’s meant to showcase the two singers’ voices
This song finds Ariana pairing up with Toronto R&B singer The Weeknd, who is best known for penning explicit tunes about his sexual exploits. The two singers trade verses about keeping the girl happy by loving her harder. The song was produced by Max Martin who supplies a throbbing soundscape. The Swedish hitmaker also worked with Grande on her hit singles "Problem" and "Break Free." The music video was directed by Hannah Lux Davis, who also helmed the clip for Grande's joint single "Bang Bang." The promo features The Weeknd helping Grande get the love she desires. "Our visuals are really about this tug of war of just loving harder and the compromise of giving in and needing more and wanting more," Hannah Lux Davis explained. "Just honesty." The Weeknd recalled to Rolling Stone receiving a demo sung by labelmate Ariana Grande. "It was a great song," he said, "but it was a little generic. I couldn't hear myself on it. So I changed it and made it dark." The Weeknd rewrote the lyrics and sent them back to Max Martin. It was a turning point for the Canadian R&B singer - his first hit single. "It was kind of like the label giving me an alley-oop," he said. "I think that's where the stars aligned for me. When I see an opening, I penetrate it." The song was originally penned by the Swedish songwriter-producers Max Martin, Peter Svensson and Ali Payami with American hitmaker Savan Kotecha. The Weeknd then added some of his flavor helped by frequent collaborator, Belly. "I remember sitting in a studio in L.A. and me and (Peter Svensson) were just playing around," Payami recalled to Billboard magazine. "A few days later, he showed me this voice note with a part of a melody that we had played, and we tried to recreate it. From there, the whole thing came together. Savan (Kotecha) came in with more melodies and lyrics, and then after that the Weeknd did his thing."
Tell me something I need to know Then take my breath and never let it go If you just let me invade your space I'll take the pleasure, take it with the pain And if in the moment, I bite my lip Baby, in that moment, you'll know this is Something bigger than us and beyond bliss Give me a reason to believe it 'Cause if you want to keep me You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta Got to love me harder And if you really need me You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta Got to love me harder (Lo-love me harder) Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Love me, love me, love me Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Harder, harder, harder I know your motives and you know mine The ones that love me, I tend to leave behind If you know about me and choose to stay Then take this pleasure and take it with the pain And if in the moment you bite your lip When I get you moaning, you know it's real Can you feel the pressure between your hips? I'll make it feel like the first time 'Cause if you want to keep me You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta Got to love me harder (I'ma love you harder) And if you really need me You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta Got to love me harder (love me, baby, love me) (Lo-love me harder) Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Love me, love me, love me Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Harder, harder, harder (oh) Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Love me, love me, love me Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Harder, harder, harder (you gotta love me harder) So what do I do if I can't figure it out? (Figure it out) You got to try, try, try again, yeah (whoa) So what do I do if I can't figure it out? (Figure it out) I'm gonna leave, leave, leave again 'Cause if you want to keep me You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta Got to love me harder (I'ma love you, love you, love) And if you really need me You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta Got to love me harder (Got to love me, baby) 'Cause if you want to keep me You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta Got to love me harder (Love me harder) And if you really need me You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta (I'ma do it, do it, do it) Got to love me harder (I'ma love you harder, hey) Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Love me, love me, love me (love me) Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Harder, harder, harder (Boy, you gotta love me, love me, baby) Love me, love me, love me (Just a little bit harder, harder, baby) Harder, harder, harder
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 25, 2014 | 79 | 47 |
| 2 | Nov 1, 2014 | 57 | 69 |
| 3 | Nov 8, 2014 | 37 | 89 |
| 4 | Nov 15, 2014 | 24 | 102 |
| 5 | Nov 22, 2014 | 7 | 119 |
| 6 | Nov 29, 2014 | 13 | 113 |
| 7 | Dec 6, 2014 | 9 | 117 |
| 8 | Dec 13, 2014 | 10 | 116 |
| 9 | Dec 20, 2014 | 10 | 116 |
| 10 | Dec 27, 2014 | 9 | 117 |
| 11 | Jan 3, 2015 | 7 | 119 |
| 12 | Jan 10, 2015 | 11 | 115 |
| 13 | Jan 17, 2015 | 11 | 115 |
| 14 | Jan 24, 2015 | 8 | 118 |
| 15 | Jan 31, 2015 | 11 | 115 |
| 16 | Feb 7, 2015 | 12 | 114 |
| 17 | Feb 14, 2015 | 16 | 110 |
| 18 | Feb 21, 2015 | 21 | 105 |
| 19 | Feb 28, 2015 | 27 | 99 |
| 20 | Mar 7, 2015 | 33 | 93 |