"Stay"
Song by Post Malone
from the album Beerbongs & Bentleys
StudioHenson Recording Studios
Genre
Length3:28
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Post Malone
  • Andrew Watt

"Stay" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone from his second studio album Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018). He wrote and produced it with Andrew Watt, with Louis Bell also receiving a writing credit. The song is an acoustic ballad with lyrics that center on a failing relationship.

Writing and production

Post Malone and Andrew Watt started to work on "Stay" after the singer expressed his wish to create folk music and use live instrumentation.[1] They met up at the Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles where they wrote the song together.[2] While recording its instrumental, they played two guitars at the same time, with Watt using a 1946 Martin O-18 and Malone using a 1953 Gibson J-45.[1]

The working title of the song was "George Forever", a reference to George Harrison. Before the release of Beerbongs & Bentleys, they decided to change the title to "Stay".[1]

Music and lyrics

"Stay" is an acoustic ballad.[3] It is composed in the key of C major, with a tempo of 86 beats per minute. Malone's vocals span from C4 to G5.[4] Billboard said of the track that it has a "1970s AM radio vibe"[3] and described it as "a hybrid of Britpop melody and emo bloodiness".[5] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Ross Horton described the song's genre as country folk.[6]

The lyrics center on a falling relationship.[7] Larry Bartleet of NME noted that Malone also sings about his bad habits and their effects, comparing this record to "Feeling Whitney", a bonus track from the artist's first studio album Stoney.[8]

Release and promotion

On April 4, 2018, a preview of "Stay" was posted on Yahoo! Entertainment's website.[9] Later that day, Malone performed it on stage for the first time during a live show played in Nashville, Tennessee as part of Bud Light's Dive Bar tour. The performance was simultaneously live streamed online.[10]

On February 10, 2019, Malone performed a three-songs medley during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony. He started by performing "Stay" on the main stage while playing an acoustic guitar. It was followed by a solo rendition of "Rockstar" performed by the singer in a smokey tunnel. He carried on by joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the main stage for a joint performance of the band's 2016 single "Dark Necessities".[11]

Critical reception

Writing for Vanity Fair, Erin Vanderhoof praised the song's lyrics, calling "Stay" a "testament to Malone's skills as a songwriter".[12] Beth Smith of Melodic, wrote that it is "lyrically one of the strongest tracks of the album" and thought that it helped showcasing the singer's vocal ability.[13]

Commercial performance

In the US, "Stay" debuted at 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart dated May 12, 2018. It was one of the singer's nine entries on the chart's top 20 that week, making him the singer with the most simultaneous top 20 songs, surpassing the record formerly held by The Beatles and J. Cole.[14] On March 13, 2019, "Stay" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for track-equivalent sales of one million units.[15]

Cover version

A cover of "Stay" was recorded by Australian boys band 5 Seconds of Summer and released in August 2018 for Spotify Singles alongside a toned-down version of their own single "Lie to Me".[16] Most of the vocals were provided by Luke Hemmings and Michael Clifford. The band's drummer Ashton Irwin explained on Twitter that they chose to cover this song because they find it "beautifully written", comparing it to the work of The Beatles.[17]

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[18] 30
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[19] 65
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20] 15
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[21] 51
Denmark (Tracklisten)[22] 38
Greece (IFPI)[23] 39
Ireland (IRMA)[24] 16
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 66
Netherlands (Tipparade)[26] 15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 20
Norway (VG-lista)[28] 37
Portugal (AFP)[29] 20
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[30] 24
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 46
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[32] 21
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 17

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[34] Gold 35,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[35] 3× Platinum 240,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[36] Gold 45,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[37] Platinum 10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[15] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c Fu, Eddie (July 26, 2018). "The Making of Post Malone's "Stay" with Watt". Genius. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  2. ^ Reiff, Corbin (April 6, 2018). "Post Malone Doesn't Give a Damn About Genres and Neither Do His Fans". Uproxx. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Post Malone Debuts New Song 'Stay,' Announces Album Release Date at Dive Bar Gig in Nashville". Billboard. April 5, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  4. ^ "Post Malone "Stay" Sheet Music in B minor". Musicnotes.com. 17 May 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  5. ^ "Post Malone's Beerbongs and Bentleys Will Silence Some Naysayers, But Not the Ones He Should Actually Listen To (Critic's Take)". Billboard. April 27, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  6. ^ Horton, Ross (April 27, 2018). "On beerbongs & bentleys, Post Malone hinted at his true potential". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  7. ^ "Post Malone Previews New Song "Stay"". Rap-Up. April 4, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  8. ^ Bartleet, Larry (April 27, 2018). "Post Malone – beerbongs & bentleys Review". NME. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  9. ^ Parker, Lyndsay (April 4, 2018). "First Listen: Preview Post Malone's Brand-New Song, "Stay"". Yahoo!. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  10. ^ Reiff, Corbin (April 5, 2018). "Post Malone Debuted His New Single "Stay" During His Dive Bar Tour Show in Nashville". Uproxx. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  11. ^ Grow, Kory (February 10, 2019). "Grammys 2019: Watch Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers Team for Rap-Rock Medley". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  12. ^ Vanderhoof, Erin (April 27, 2018). "Post Malone, America's Most Surprising Suburban Rapper, Goes Far-Out on Beerbongs & Bentleys". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  13. ^ Smith, Beth (May 2, 2018). "ALBUM REVIEW: Post Malone // Beerbongs & Bentleys". Melodic. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  14. ^ Zellner, Xander (May 7, 2018). "Post Malone Breaks Record For Most Simultaneous Top 20 Hot 100 Hits, Besting The Beatles & J. Cole". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "American single certifications – Post Malone – Stay". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  16. ^ Tornow, Sam (August 1, 2018). "5 Seconds of Summer Take on Post Malone's "Stay", Release Stripped-Back "Lie to Me" for Spotify Singles". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  17. ^ Neustaeter, Brooklyn (August 2, 2018). "5 Seconds of Summer Cover Post Malone's "Stay", Release Stripped-Back Version of "Lie to Me"". iHeartRadio. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  18. ^ "Post Malone – Stay". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  19. ^ "Post Malone – Stay" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  20. ^ "Post Malone Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  21. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201818 into search. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  22. ^ "Post Malone – Stay". Tracklisten. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  23. ^ "IFPI Charts". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  24. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  25. ^ "Post Malone – Stay" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  26. ^ "Top 40 - Tipparade - week 16 (20 April 2019)". Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  27. ^ "Post Malone – Stay". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  28. ^ "Post Malone – Stay". VG-lista. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  29. ^ "Post Malone – Stay". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  30. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201818 into search. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  31. ^ "Post Malone – Stay". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  32. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  33. ^ "Post Malone Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  34. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  35. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Post Malone – Stay". Music Canada. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  36. ^ "Danish single certifications – Post Malone – Stay". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  37. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Post Malone – Stay" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  38. ^ "British single certifications – Post Malone – Stay". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
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