"Sue Me" is a song recorded by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from her third studio album Singular: Act I (2018), serving as the fourth track of the album. The track was written by Sabrina Carpenter and Steph Jones and was produced by Warren "Oak" Felder with its co-producers, Trevor Brown, William Zaire Simmons. The song was released by Hollywood Records as the second single from Singular: Act I on November 9, 2018 and was released to contemporary hit radio on January 8, 2019. Lyrically, "Sue Me" is about the relief of being out of a bad relationship and challenging someone to stop them for living their best life.[3]
| "Sue Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sabrina Carpenter | ||||
| from the album Singular: Act I | ||||
| Released | November 9, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | September 2017 | |||
| Studio | SuCasa Recording (Los Angeles, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:59 | |||
| Label | Hollywood | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Oak Felder | |||
| Sabrina Carpenter singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Sue Me" on YouTube | ||||
It was accompanied by a music video directed by Lauren Dunn premiered on her Vevo channel on November 16, 2018. The music video features Carpenter's friend and actress Joey King and Sergio D'arcy Lane and it was shot at Pepperdine University. Carpenter promoted "Sue Me" with several live performances in the release day, on The Today Show and on Live with Kelly and Ryan.
Background and recording
editCarpenter wrote the song after she was sued by her ex music managers Stan Rogow and Elliot Lurie for allegedly not paying them commissions after she fired them in August 2014. They claimed that they should have some of the revenue from Carpenter's previous two albums Evolution and Eyes Wide Open. Carpenter has confirmed this is the background, but has not commented on the situation.[4] On May 23, 2018, the ruling was filed in favour of Carpenter and allowed recovery of legal costs from Rogow and Lurie.[5]
Carpenter also stated this song as representing pure confidence.[6] Carpenter said that "Sue Me" was the first track that was giving a direction to the album because it was in a different lane than the other songs that she had written before.[7]
The song was written in September 2017, after Carpenter concluded the De Tour, by Sabrina Carpenter, Warren "Oak" Felder, Steph Jones, Trevor Brown and William Zaire Simmons.[7][8][9] It was produced by Felder with Brown and Zaire Koalo as co-producers.[8] Felder, Brown and Koalo did the background vocals while Felder programmed the track and Koalo handled the drum programming.[8] Felder engineered the track at SuCasa Recording in Los Angeles with Keith "Daquan" Sorrells serving as an assistant engineer.[8] The song was mixed by Eric J Dubowsky at Hercules St. Studios in Sydney and Tim Watt served as a mix assistant.[8] The song was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City by Chris Gehringer.[8]
Music video
editCarpenter first premiered a snippet of the music video on November 9, 2018, on TRL. The music video was released through Vevo and YouTube on November 16, 2018. It was directed by Lauren Dunn and Carpenter's friends Joey King and Sergio D'arcy Lane feature in the music video.[10] The music video was shot in one day at the Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, the same campus that Zoey 101 was shot.[7][11] According to the video's hair stylist, Scott King's Instagram story, the video was shot on August 17, 2018.[12] It is said that this video is based on Legally Blonde as it has very similar storylines, characters and features, but Carpenter has not yet confirmed if this is the background.[13]
Live performances
editCarpenter first performed the song on November 9, 2018, on The Today Show[14] and Live with Kelly and Ryan.[15] It was fourteenth to be performed on the Singular Tour. Additionally, she performed the song on Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series.[16]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sue Me" | 2:59 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sue Me" | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Sue Me" (KC Lights remix) | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Sue Me" (6am Remix) | 2:54 |
| 4. | "Sue Me" (Marian Hill remix) | 3:37 |
| 5. | "Sue Me" (Dave Audé remix) | 3:50 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sue Me" (a cappella) | 3:22 |
Credits and personnel
editRecording and management
- Recorded at SuCasa Recording (Los Angeles, California)
- Mixed at Hercules St. Studios (Sydney, Australia)
- Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)
- Seven Summits Music (BMI) obo Itself and Pink Mic Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Crew's Tree Publishing (BMI), Vistaville Music (ASCAP) obo Itself, Not That Steph Jones (ASCAP) and Big Deal Hits (ASCAP), Reservoir Media Music obo Itself & The Orphanage LLC/Quest Da Stars (ASCAP), Reservoir Media Music obo Itself & The Orphanage LLC/Downtown Trevor Brown (ASCAP)
Personnel
- Sabrina Carpenter – lead vocals, songwriting
- Warren "Oak" Felder – songwriting, production for GO! Music and The Orphanage, engineering, programming, background vocals
- Steph Jones – songwriting
- "Downtown" Trevor Brown – songwriting, co-production for The Orphanage, background vocals
- Zaire Koalo – songwriting, co-production for The Orphanage, drum programming, background vocals
- Keith "Daquan" Sorrells – assistant engineering
- Eric J. Dubowsky – mixing
- Tim Watt – mix assistant
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
Credits adapted from Singular: Act I liner notes.[8]
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[22] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[23] | 2× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[24] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | November 9, 2018 | Digital download | Original | Hollywood | [6] |
| Australia | Contemporary hit radio |
|
[25] | ||
| United States | January 8, 2019 | Hollywood | [26] | ||
| Various | January 18, 2019 | Digital download | Remixes | [27] | |
| Italy | January 25, 2019 | Contemporary hit radio | Original | Universal | [28] |
| Various | March 22, 2019 | Digital download | A cappella | Hollywood | [29] |
References
edit- ^ Sabrina Carpenter "Sue Me" | BEHIND THE LYRICS, 5 December 2018, retrieved 2019-09-22
- ^ "Singular Act I by Sabrina Carpenter on iTunes". iTunes Store (US). 9 November 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
"Feeling myself can't be illegal," she coos on the EDM-lite breakup anthem "Sue Me," which is delightfully devoid of self-consciousness ("I guess I'm hard to ignore/Pick up that jaw off the floor"). She congratulates herself for dressing up, going out, and moving on—and challenges anyone to try and stop her.
- ^ Singular Act I by Sabrina Carpenter, 9 November 2018, retrieved 2019-04-08
- ^ "'Girl Meets World' Star Sued by Ex-Music Managers". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ "JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF DEFENDATS BETH CARPENTER, DAVID CARPENTER AND BILL PERLMAN May 23, 2018". Trellis.Law. 2018-05-23. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ a b "Sabrina Carpenter Reveals the Meaning Behind 'Sue Me' & Performs Her New Single on 'Live With Kelly & Ryan'". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Sabrina Carpenter #ChartShowChat". Youtube. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Singular: Act I (Media notes). Hollywood Records.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter Extended". Idolator. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
- ^ BWW News Desk. "Sabrina Carpenter's SUE ME Music Video Out Now". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ "Scott King (@scottkinghair) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter's 'Sue Me' Video Has Legally Blonde Written All Over It". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- ^ TORYmax (November 9, 2018), Sabrina Carpenter performs "Sue Me" (LIVE on Today Show 9 November 2018), retrieved November 16, 2018
- ^ TORYmax (November 9, 2018), Sabrina Carpenter performs 'Sue Me' (Live with Kelly and Ryan 9 November 2018), retrieved November 16, 2018
- ^ "Video: Sabrina Carpenter performs 'Sue Me' live on 'GMA'". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
- ^ "Sue Me (Remixes) - EP by Sabrina Carpenter". iTunes. 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Sue Me (A Cappella) - Single by Sabrina Carpenter". iTunes. 22 March 2019.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
- ^ "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ "American single certifications – Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ "Singles To Radio". The Music Network. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
- ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Media Group. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
- ^ "Sue Me (Remixes) - EP by Sabrina Carpenter". iTunes. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- ^ "SABRINA CARPENTER "Sue Me" | (Radio Date: 25/01/2019)". radiodate.it. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
- ^ "Sue Me (A Cappella) - Single by Sabrina Carpenter". iTunes. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-08.