"Stay with Me" is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris and American singer-songwriters Justin Timberlake, Halsey, and Pharrell Williams. Produced by the former and written by the artists alongside James Fauntleroy, it was released on 15 July 2022 through Columbia Records as the third single from Harris' sixth studio album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2.
| "Stay with Me" | ||||
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| Single by Calvin Harris, Justin Timberlake, Halsey, and Pharrell Williams | ||||
| from the album Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 | ||||
| Released | 15 July 2022 | |||
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| Label | Columbia | |||
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| Calvin Harris singles chronology | ||||
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| Justin Timberlake singles chronology | ||||
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| Halsey singles chronology | ||||
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| Pharrell Williams singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Stay with Me" on YouTube | ||||
Background
On 6 July 2022, Harris announced the collaboration, song title, and release date, with a picture of the four artists at the shoot of the accompanying music video.[1] Before the release of "Stay with Me", Williams had collaborated with both Harris and Timberlake on separate occasions. In collaboration with Harris, Williams was featured alongside American singer Katy Perry and American rapper Big Sean on the 2017 single "Feels" and, in the same year, on "Heatstroke" with American rapper Young Thug and American singer Ariana Grande. Williams and Timberlake worked together on the 2014 joint track "Brand New".
Composition and lyrics
"Stay with Me" is a funk-inspired pop and disco song.[2][3] It lets a psychedelic "crispy guitar and a thick-ever present bass" take the center stage for the production.[4] Williams uses a high pitch in the pre-chorus: "The energy is flowing, it keeps us glowing / So we don't need no lights, why is it on? / I'm talking to you, girl, it's a new world". On the chorus, Halsey sings over funk-led production: "I've been waiting for you all year / Come play, make a mess right here / Do whatever, I like it weird / Okay, let 'em disappear / Say whatever you want to hear/ Just stay".[5] She duets with Timberlake on the post-chorus: "All night / Come on and stay with me / Let's stay tight / Come on, let's stay, baby".[6]
Music video
The official music video for "Stay with Me", directed by Emil Nava, premiered on Harris' YouTube channel alongside the song's release on 15 July 2022.[7] The video sees Harris, Timberlake, Halsey, and Williams sporting bright colors as they perform the song, with Timberlake imitating a guitar in the air with his hands and dancing on a moving walkway.[8] The music video also adds an extended outro - this extended outro is titled "Stay With Me (Part 2)" and follows "Stay With Me" on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2.
The music video on YouTube has received over 30 million views as of April 2024.[9]
Credits and personnel
- Calvin Harris – production, songwriting, recording, vocal production
- Justin Timberlake – vocals, songwriting, vocal production
- Halsey – vocals, songwriting
- Pharrell Williams – vocals, songwriting, vocal production
- James Fauntleroy – songwriting
- Everton Nelson – violin
- Emil Chakalov – violin
- Hayley Pomfrett – violin
- Lucy Wilkins – violin
- Marianne Haynes – violin
- Charis Jenson – violin
- Tom Pigott-Smith – violin
- Patrick Kiernan – violin
- Ian Humphries – violin
- Perry Montague-Mason – violin
- Richard George – violin
- Warren Zielinski – violin
- Charlie Brown – violin
- John Mills – violin
- Bruce White – viola
- Andy Parker – viola
- Adrian Smith – viola
- Reiad Chibah – viola
- Sara Hajir – cello
- Nick Cooper – cello
- Ian Burdge – cello
- Chris Worsey – cello
- Manny Marroquin – mixing
- Dave Kutch – mastering
- Brandon Buttner – recording, miscellaneous production
- Damien Lewis – recording
- Chris Godbey – recording
- Mike Larson – recording
- Stephen Fitzmaurice – recording
- Anthony Vilchis – engineering assistance
- Trey Station – engineering assistance
- Zach Pereyra – engineering assistance
- Mark Goodchild – miscellaneous production
- Emma Marks – miscellaneous production
- Adele Phillips – miscellaneous production
Charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[38] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[39] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[40] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||