On January 8, 2011, it peaked at number 1, making it Bruno Mars' third number one single on the chart, the others being B.o.B's "Nothin' on You", on which he was featured, and " Just The Way You Are". "Grenade" first debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of Octoat number 81 and climbed the chart to number five for the week ending December 18, 2010.
For the 54th Grammy Awards, the song has been nominated three awards, including for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, all three of them are snatched by Adele. However, Slant's Eric Henderson dismissed its unrealistic lyrics and allmusic's Tim Sendra thought the song was "over-the-top"-one of the weaker ones on the album. AOL Radio's Amar Toor praised the song, calling it "nothing short of explosive", and Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen recommended it as proof of Mars' capabilities as a "lavishly gifted melodist". Roberto Mucciacciaro for MTV noted its strong influence and similarity to Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana", a song which Mars has coincidentally covered on several occasions. Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt called "Grenade" the "atmospheric opener" of Mars' debut studio album, and enjoyed it as one of the album's highlights, as did The Washington Post's Sean Fennessey. Lamb gave a review of four-and-a-half stars out of five, praising Mars' vocals and emotional lyrics on a track that "cements his position as the top new artist of 2010". Grenade has been well received by critics. As Mars himself simply told Blues & Soul: "'Grenade' represents the OTHER side of love - where you're in love with a woman and you know for a fact that she doesn't love you the way you love HER." The chorus has Mars singing, "I'd catch a grenade for ya," and speaks of unrequited love when the subject girl of his affections "won't do the same". Lyrically, the "Grenade" contains masochistic themes and tells the story of heartbreak caused by a failed relationship: "Gave you all I had / And you tossed it in the trash". The song contains elements of Jeff Tweedy's "I'll Fight". 's Bill Lamb noted "classical pop song construction" and The New Zealand Herald's Scott Kara described its beats as Shakira-esque. According to Jon Caramanica of The New York Times, the song contains elements of 1980s pop and is accompanied by drums similar to those used by Kanye West. The song starts softly but crescendoes both musically and lyrically toward the climax of the song, backed by "pulsating, synthesized beats". Mars' vocals span from A3 to D5 and background vocals are heard throughout. Sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing shows that "Grenade" is set in the key of D minor and was published in common time, with a moderate tempo of 108 beats per minute.
"Grenade" is a pop and R&B ballad, co-written by Mars with songwriting-production team The Smeezingtons, Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, and Andrew Wyatt. In an interview with Digital Spy, Mars revealed plans to follow hit single " Just The Way You Are" with "Grenade". He also expressed desire to release the song as a single, being his "personal favorite". In an interview with Idolator, Mars revealed songwriter-producer Benny Blanco played him an unreleased track with similar lyrical themes, which served as the song's inspiration. The song was released on September 28, 2010. "Grenade" was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and the newly-introduced Best Pop Solo Performance, losing all of them to British singer Adele.ĭoo-Wops & Hooligans spawned two iTunes Store-exclusive promotional singles prior to its release in October 2010-"Liquor Store Blues", which features Damian Marley, and "Grenade". A music video was released in mid-November 2010.
It has peaked at number one in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, the United Kingdom, and on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his third number-one single in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The first track from the album, it was written by Mars along with his production team The Smeezingtons with Brody Brown, Claude Kelly and Andrew Wyatt.Ĭritical reception has been mostly positive, with reviewers praising the vocals and emotional lyrics of the heartbreak song.
Initially released as a promotional single on September 28, 2010, it was later announced to be the album's second single. ' Grenade' is a song performed by American singer-songwriter and producer Bruno Mars from his debut studio album Doo-Wops and Hooligans.