You're Somebody Else

"You're Somebody Else"
Single by Flora Cash
from the album Nothing Lasts Forever (And It's Fine)
Released20 April 2017 (2017-04-20)
Genre
Length3:39
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Shpresa Lleshaj
  • Cole Randall
Producer(s)
  • Cole Randall
  • Shpresa Lleshaj
Flora Cash singles chronology
"You're Somebody Else"
(2017) 		"They Own This Town"
(2019)
Music video
"You're Somebody Else" on YouTube

"You're Somebody Else" is a song by the Swedish-American indie pop duo Flora Cash. The song was initially included on the band's debut full-length album, Nothing Lasts Forever (And It's Fine), which was released on 20 April 2017 via Stockholm-based indie label Icons Creating Evil Art, before being licensed to Sony Music's RCA Records after achieving viral success. Upon the band's signing to RCA, the track was removed from the digital version of the album (worldwide, except in Scandinavia) while being allowed to remain on the vinyl version. The song achieved its initial viral success after being used in a Movistar commercial in Mexico promoting safety for young people meeting each other online.[1] After debuting on Pandora Radio's Predictions chart in August 2018 and retaining the No. 4 spot there well into September, "You're Somebody Else", reached the Top 10 on both the Billboard Alternative Songs and Adult Alternative Songs airplay charts that November.[2]

The song eventually reached the number one position on American radio on both the Mediabase Adult Alternative[3] and Alternative radio formats.[4]

To date, the track has garnered over 400 million streams on Spotify[5] and the lyric video has been viewed over 200 million times on YouTube.[6]

Background

The song was written in less than 24 hours while songwriters Cole Randall and Shpresa Lleshaj were staying at Shpresa's sister's apartment in Stockholm.[citation needed] Shpresa's sister, Swedish actress Ariana Lleshaj and her fiancé had gone on a trip to New York, and asked if Cole and Shpresa would like to stay in their apartment for a change of scenery.[citation needed] The couple; Cole in particular, had been going through a period of anxiety leading up to the writing of the song.[citation needed]

Song description

According to Cole and Shpresa, the main lyric in the song, you look like yourself but you're somebody else was "more a matter of one speaking to oneself than to another person." They went on to say, "sometimes when we’re dealing with psychological issues, we literally feel displaced internally; alien to ourselves. [The song] ended up taking on multiple meanings and perspectives but the root of it at the beginning was as a sort of self-talk, self-therapy."[7]

Critical reception

The song was given positive reviews. Steve Baltin, writing for Forbes Magazine wrote that "[Flora Cash's] brilliant "You're Somebody Else" is arguably the most intriguing song on radio this past year."[8] Comeherefloyd wrote that the track "hounds and whispers that secret dark self doubt, deep within ourselves."[9]

Television

On 9 August 2018, Flora Cash performed "You're Somebody Else" on The Late Late Show with James Corden, marking their television debut.[10]

On 28 February 2019, Flora Cash performed "You're Somebody Else" on Live with Kelly and Ryan, marking their first live television performance.[11]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[19] Platinum 70,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[20] 2× Platinum 160,000‡
France (SNEP)[21] Gold 100,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[22] Gold 200,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[23] Gold 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[24] Platinum 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[26] Platinum 1,000,000‡
Streaming
Sweden (GLF)[27] Gold 4,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Duncan MacLeod, "Movistar Love Story reveals online twist", The Inspiration Room, 9 May 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2018
  2. ^ Emily Blake, "Pandora Predictions to Know: Flora Cash, Social House, Ava Max & Summer Walker", 13 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018
  3. ^ Paul Marszalek, "The Top 22 Triple A Radio Songs 12-9-18", Media Mechanics, 09 Dec 2018, retrieved 16 January 2019
  4. ^ Brian Cantor, "Flora Cash's 'You're Somebody Else' Reaches #1 At Alternative Radio", Headline Planet, 10 Feb 2019, retrieved 14 February 2019
  5. ^ "flora cash", Spotify, retrieved 25 June 2023
  6. ^ "flora cash", flora cash - You're Somebody Else (Lyric Video), retrieved 25 June 2023
  7. ^ "Track by Track: Flora Cash on Nothing Lasts Forever (And It's Fine)". The Line of Best Fit. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  8. ^ "BottleRock Brings The Rock With Neil Young, Santana, Mumford & Sons, Imagine Dragons". forbes. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Flora Cash – You're Somebody Else". comeherefloyd. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  10. ^ Sam Tornow, "Flora Cash Make American TV Debut With Dreamy Performance of 'You're Somebody Else' on Corden: Watch", 10 August 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018
  11. ^ "Flora Cash books performance on "Kelly and Ryan"", 15 February 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019
  12. ^ "The Top 22 Triple A Radio Songs 12-9-18; 09 Dec 2018". Media Mechanics. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  13. ^ "CANADIAN AIRPLAY CHARTS; Modern Rock, January 27th, 2019". FYI Music News. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  14. ^ "Top Rock Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  15. ^ "Adult Pop Songs: April 6, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  16. ^ "Flora Cash – You're Somebody Else" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  17. ^ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  19. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 7 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Flora Cash – You're Somebody Else". Music Canada. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  21. ^ "French single certifications – Flora Cash – You're Somebody Else" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Flora Cash; 'You're Somebody Else')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  23. ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Flora Cash – You're Somebody Else" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. 28 June 2021.
  24. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 July 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter You're Somebody Else in the search box.
  25. ^ "British single certifications – Flora Cash – You're Somebody Else". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  26. ^ "American single certifications – Flora Cash – You're Somebody Else". Recording Industry Association of America. 21 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Flora Cash – You're Somebody Else" (in Swedish). Grammofonleverantörernas förening. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.