Fool's Gold (One Direction song)

"Fool's Gold"
Promotional single by One Direction
from the album Four
Released13 November 2014 (2014-11-13)
StudioBarefoot Recording (Los Angeles, CA), Angel Face Studios (London)
GenreTeen pop[1]
Length3:31
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Matt Rad
  • Scott

"Fool's Gold" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction from their fourth studio album, Four. It was released on 13 November 2014, as the sixth and final promotional single from the album.

Background

On 13 November 2014, Harry Styles announced on social media that fans who pre-ordered their fourth studio album, Four, would get the song for free via digital download.[2] The song is about falling in love with the wrong person.[3]

Composition

"Fool's Gold" was written by Maureen McDonald, Jamie Scott, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, while production was handled by Matt Rad and Scott.[4] The song's BPM count is 118, and its key is E Major.[5] Scott recruited McDonald to create the song, but originally didn't know what to do with it. However, Styles helped make the song "come to life."[6] Scott recalled, "I was in the studio with Harry, kind of just recording vocals, and it happened so quick. It took on this amazing sound and meaning for me as a writer on this album."[6]

Critical reception

Laura Reineke of Vice remarked, "a frank admission that sometimes false love is better than none at all. It's the best they've ever sounded, and the most perceptive."[7] Lindsay Zoladz of Vulture stated that the song "showcase their expertly arranged harmonies, but when their voices join together it is more often a show of sheer, blow-your-inattentive-boyfriend's-house-down force."[8] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post described the track as "seamless pop perfection."[9]

Chart performance

"Fool's Gold" reached at number 74 on the UK Singles Chart,[10] selling 3,551 copies in the UK.[11] The song also peaked at number 24 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100.[12] The track sold 18,645 copies in the United States.[13]

Personnel

Credits for "Fool's Gold" adapted from album's liner notes.[4]

Charts

Chart performance for "Fool's Gold"
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Canada Digital Songs (Billboard)[14] 59
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 74
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[12] 24

References

  1. ^ Andy Gill (18 November 2014). "One Direction, Four - album review: A long way from the standard X Factor fare". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  2. ^ Jessica Earnshaw (13 November 2014). "Harry Styles fondles banana as he tells keen fans they're in for a treat with new album Four". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  3. ^ Christina Garibaldi (17 November 2014). "One Direction's 'FOUR' Breaks Down Every Stage Of Your Love Life". MTV. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b Four (CD liner). One Direction. Columbia Records. 2014. 8-88750-23232-8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ "One Direction "Fools' Gold" Sheet Music". musicnotes.com. Alfred Music Publishing. 26 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b Christina Garibaldi (20 November 2014). "One Direction Songwriter Reveals How Harry Styles Made 'Fool's Gold' 'Amazing'". MTV. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  7. ^ Laura Reineke (12 November 2014). "With 'Four,' Are the Boys of One Direction Growing Up?". Vice. Vice Media. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  8. ^ Lindsay Zoladz (24 November 2014). "One Direction and Nick Jonas Are Changing the Rules About How Boy Bands Grow Up". Vulture. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  9. ^ Allison Stewart (17 November 2014). "One Direction made it to 'Four,' which is more of a feat than 'Four' itself". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b "One Direction: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  11. ^ Jones, Alan (24 November 2014). "Official Charts analysis: 1D land fourth consecutive No.1 LP as Four sells 141,780". Music Week. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  12. ^ a b "One Direction Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 11/16/2014" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  14. ^ "One Direction Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Songs Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.