"Perfect"
Single by One Direction
from the album Made in the A.M.
Released16 October 2015
RecordedJuly 2015
Length3:50
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Julian Bunetta
  • Shatkin
  • AFTERHRS
One Direction singles chronology
"Drag Me Down"
(2015)		 "Perfect"
(2015)		 "History"
(2015)
One Direction EP chronology
Live While We’re Young EP
(2012)		 Perfect
(2015)
Music video
"Perfect" on YouTube

"Perfect" is a song by British-Irish boy band One Direction. Released on 16 October 2015 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Made in the A.M., it debuted at number one in Ireland, and reached the top 10 in several countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, France, New Zealand and Australia. The song was written by members Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, along with the band's regular collaborators, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan among others.

Background and composition

In various interviews, the band members and co-writers describe differing aspects of the composition and overall meaning of the song. The song is in D major and has a tempo of 100 beats per minute. Long-time writer and producer for the band, Julian Bunetta described the writing process as 'difficult' due to the writing occurring whilst the members travelled from country to country during their 2015 On the Road Again Tour.[1] Bunetta called the single "a jam" and stated that he plays it in his car frequently.[1][2]

Critical reception

Digital Spy's Lewis Corner praised "Perfect", describing it as a "scintillating slice of '80s pop" and also said that the song was a "delicious retort" to Taylor Swift's (ex-girlfriend of band member Harry Styles) song "Style".[3] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone commented that the song was "a catchy ode to bad boys and the rebellious personas" while noticing that "Styles seems to directly respond to the songs Taylor Swift is rumoured to have written about him on her album 1989.[4]

Former band member Zayn Malik was less complimentary about the song; in his January 2016 cover story interview in Billboard, he said that the first single was "quite cool" but heard the second single and decided not to buy the album.[5]

Chart performance

In the band's native United Kingdom, "Perfect" debuted at number two. In the United States, the song became the band's sixth and final top ten hit when "Perfect" debuted at number 10 on the Billboard issue dated 7 November 2015.[6] This debut also broke The Beatles' record for the most top 10 Hot 100 debuts among bands.[7]

Music video

The music video was directed by Sophie Muller with additional help from actor Giovanni Ribisi[8] and premiered on Vevo on 20 October 2015. The video, filmed in black and white, depicts how the band lives while on tour, and was filmed at the Intercontinental Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York City in early September 2015.[9] The video features shots of the members as they relax in a hotel room during their 2015 tour.

Live performances

The group performed "Perfect" for the first time at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland on 16 October 2015 during the last leg of their On the Road Again Tour and continued to perform the song in their concerts until their last before their hiatus on 31 October in Sheffield, England.[10] The band also performed "Perfect" at the 2015 American Music Awards,[11] BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge,[12] The Ellen DeGeneres Show,[13] Jimmy Kimmel Live!,[14] British The X Factor[15] as well as Jingle Ball festivals across the United States.[16][17][18] In November 2015, the band performed the song in front of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex at the Royal Variety Performance and Ed Power from The Telegraph listed the performance as "the fifth standout moment of the night."[19]

Track listing

  • Digital download[20]
  1. "Perfect" – 3:50
  1. "Perfect" (Stripped) – 3:51
  2. "Home" – 3:14
  3. "Perfect" (Matoma Remix) – 3:43
  4. "Drag Me Down" (featuring LunchMoney Lewis) (Big Payno x AFTERHRS Remix) – 3:08

Note: "Home" was written by Jamie Scott, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.

Charts and certifications

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, formats, label and reference
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
United States October 20, 2015 Contemporary hit radio [70]

References

  1. 1 2 "One Direction Collaborator Breaks Down Group's New Songs". Rolling Stone. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  2. ↑ ")u1!@n on Twitter: ha i dont know if i could say that. But its a jam. I play it in my car all the time". Twitter. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: 1D's new album Made In The AM first listen". Digital Spy. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "Hear One Direction's 'Perfect' Ode to Bad Boys". Rolling Stone. 16 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Zayn Malik Speaks Out in Revealing Billboard Cover Story: 'I'm Not Censoring Myself Anymore'". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "The Weeknd No. 1 for Sixth Week, Adele No. 1 next week?". Billboard.com.
  7. ↑ Gary Trust (27 October 2015). "One Direction Breaks The Beatles' Record With Fifth Top 10 Debut on Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "One Direction 'Perfect' by Sophie Muller on Promo News". Promo News. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  9. ↑ Steiner, Amanda Michelle. "One Direction cause trouble in hotel rooms in 'Perfect' music video". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "One Direction Setlist at 3Arena, Dublin". setlist.fm. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  11. ↑ "One Direction Bring 'Perfect' Performance to 2015 AMAs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  12. ↑ "One Direction, Live Lounge - BBC Radio 1". BBC. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  13. ↑ "See One Direction Perform "Drag Me Down" on 'Ellen'". Fuse. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  14. ↑ "One Direction Perform Medley of Songs on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  15. ↑ "One Direction Returns to 'X Factor' U.K. to Perform 'Perfect': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  16. ↑ "One Direction Setlist at KISS FM Dallas' Jingle Ball 2015". setlist.fm. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  17. ↑ "Jingle Ball 2015: Watch Performances By 1D, Selena Gomez, The Weeknd And More | Idolator". Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  18. ↑ "Jingle Ball L.A. Recap: One Direction's Last Gig, The Weeknd Gets Sexy & Selena Gomez Slays". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  19. ↑ "The Royal Variety Performance 2015: the top 5 acts". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  20. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Perfect - Single by One Direction". iTunes Store (GB). 16 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Perfect - EP by One Direction". iTunes Store (GB). 22 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  24. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "One Direction Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201543 into search.
  28. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 20165 into search.
  29. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect". Tracklisten. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  30. ↑ "One Direction: Perfect" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  31. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  32. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  33. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 43, 2015". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  34. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  35. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  36. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  37. ↑ "One Direction Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  38. ↑ "One Direction Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  39. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – One Direction" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  40. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  41. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  42. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect". VG-lista. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  43. ↑ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  44. ↑ "One Direction - Portuguese Charts". Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  45. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  46. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201543 into search.
  47. ↑ "EMA Top 10 Airplay: Week Ending 2015-12-22". Entertainment Monitoring Africa. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  48. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  49. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  50. ↑ "One Direction – Perfect". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  51. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  52. ↑ "One Direction Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  53. ↑ "One Direction Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  54. ↑ "One Direction Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  55. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2015". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  56. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2015". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  57. ↑ "As 100 Mais Tocadas nas Rádios Jovens em 2016". Billboard Brasil (in Portuguese). 4 January 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  58. ↑ "Canadian Hot 100 Year End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  59. ↑ "Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2016". Mahasz. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  60. ↑ "Hot 100 Songs - Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  61. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  62. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – One Direction – Perfect". Music Canada. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  63. ↑ "Danish single certifications – One Direction – Perfect". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  64. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (One Direction; 'Perfect')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  65. ↑ "Italian single certifications – One Direction – Perfect" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  66. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 7 October 2022. Type One Direction in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and History in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  67. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – One Direction – Perfect". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  68. ↑ "British single certifications – One Direction – Perfect". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  69. ↑ "Billboard: One Direction's Career Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  70. ↑ "Top 40/M Future Releases - Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release Dates ..." All Access.
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