If We Ever Meet Again

"If We Ever Meet Again" is a song by American rapper Timbaland. It was released on December 1, 2009 as the fourth single from his third studio album Shock Value II (2009). The song features singer Katy Perry and served as the album's second worldwide single. Timbaland's brother Sebastian also has uncredited vocals at the end of the song.

For 1977 song, see Phillip Goodhand-Tait.

"If We Ever Meet Again"
Single by Timbaland featuring Katy Perry
from the album Shock Value II
Released	December 1, 2009[1]
Recorded	2009
Length	4:52
Label	Blackground Interscope
Songwriter(s)	James Washington T. Mosley busbee
Producer(s)	Jim Beanz Timbaland
Timbaland singles chronology
"Get Involved" (2010) "If We Ever Meet Again" (2009) "Marchin On" (2010)
Katy Perry singles chronology
"Starstrukk" (2009) "If We Ever Meet Again" (2010) "California Gurls" (2010)
Audio sample
file help
Music video
"If We Ever Meet Again ft. Katy Perry" on YouTube

Background

Timbaland told MTV that will.i.am's work on "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas inspired him to make "If We Ever Meet Again": "When I did this song, I was in love with this record called..... you're gonna be surprised. The record didn't have anything to do with ['If We Ever Meet Again'], but when I heard [the Black Eyed Peas'] "I Gotta Feeling", I said, 'I want a record just like that on my album.' I said, 'I gotta do me a "I Gotta Feeling" record.' Me and one of my producers, Jim Beanz, we came up with this concept. I said, '["I Gotta Feeling"] is happy, but I like it.' It gives a good feeling".[2] On the record, Timbaland sings, instead of raps: "It's not like it's incredible singing, but it made sense for me and it fits my voice," he explained. "To get somebody else to sing it, it might sound too overdone. I like it better with mistakes — I make mistakes. With me singing it, it gives it a different kind of swagger to it".[2] Katy Perry sang the second verse, while Timbaland sang the first verse. In the chorus, both of them sang together. The last rap verse is performed by Timbaland's brother Sebastian, but he is uncredited.

Music video

Timbaland and Katy Perry singing together

The music video was filmed in December 2009. It was directed by Paul "Coy" Allen, who directed "Morning After Dark" and "Say Something".[2][3] Timbaland told MTV that he wanted the video to be serious and maybe have Perry playing his guardian angel: "I wanna make something deep, I don't know if I wanna make it like a relationship. I wanna make it like she saved my life with whatever depression I was going through, whether it be drug depression, weight-loss depression — something..... Will she be around if I go through this again?".[2] The song debuted with its video premiere on January 18, 2010 on UK music channels,[4] charting at number one on many of the music channel video charts. The video, rather than focusing on a serious relationship, as mentioned above, focuses on the love story between a jewel thief (Julian Graham) and an art thief (Nadine Heimann), interspersed with Perry and Timbaland singing. In the original video Katy Perry appears in black girdle and black leather as in underwear, while Timbaland in the whole part of the clip was in a brown Jacket and with a flat cap on his head. The jewel thief and art thief take note of each other when both are present at an art exhibit opening. The jewel thief steals a necklace, but caches it (rather than trying to remove it from the premises). The jewel thief is later taken in by police for questioning about an art theft, but is released when the art thief secretly returns what she has stolen. As the jewel thief leaves the police station, the art thief is waiting for him outside, and the two join forces (dressed in black clothes and masks) to steal the original necklace and painting from the beginning of the video.

Chart performance

In the Republic of Ireland, "If We Ever Meet Again" entered at number 15 on January 28, 2010, and week later rose to a current peak of number three.

Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the single entered at number 17 on January 31, 2010, and one week later jumped to its peak of number three. The single reached number one in New Zealand on February 15, 2010, ending Stan Walker's 10-week number one reign with "Black Box". The song was at number one for 4 weeks, before it was replaced at number one by J. Williams with "You Got Me".

The song originally peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 98, but then re-entered at number 96 on the issue date April 10, 2010. It has peaked at number 37 in the United States, making it the third highest-charting single on the album.

Track listing

• UK and Europe CD single

1. "If We Ever Meet Again" (international radio edit) – 3:58
2. "If We Ever Meet Again" (Digital Dog radio remix) – 3:35

• UK digital download – EP

1. "If We Ever Meet Again" (international radio edit) – 3:58
2. "If We Ever Meet Again" (Digital Dog radio remix) – 3:26
3. "If We Ever Meet Again" (Chew Fu Deja fix) – 5:07
4. "If We Ever Meet Again" (Starsmith remix) – 5:21

• US digital download – EP

1. "If We Ever Meet Again" (radio edit) – 3:58
2. "If We Ever Meet Again" (album version) – 4:53
3. "If We Ever Meet Again" (instrumental) – 4:21

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2010) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[5] 9 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 10 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 8 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] 4 CIS (Tophit)[10] 2 Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[11] 1 Denmark (Tracklisten)[12] 22 European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[13] 10 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[14] 11 France (SNEP)[15] 5 France (SNEP) Download Chart[16] 4 Germany (Official German Charts)[17] 9 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[18] 33 Ireland (IRMA)[19] 3 Israel (Media Forest)[20] 2 Italy (FIMI)[21] 10 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 27 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[24] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[25] 7 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[26] 3 Poland (Dance Top 50)[27] 21 Portugal Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[28] 6 Russia Airplay (Tophit)[29] 2 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[30] 6 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[31] 7 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 19 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 7 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[34] 3 US Billboard Hot 100[35] 37 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[36] 25

Year-end charts Chart (2010) Position Australia (ARIA)[37] 58 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[38] 49 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[39] 80 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[40] 53 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[41] 29 CIS (Tophit)[42] 21 European Hot 100 Singles[43] 31 Germany (Media Control AG)[44] 70 Ireland (IRMA)[45] 18 Italy (FIMI)[46] 37 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[47] 69 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[48] 52 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[49] 9 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[50] 98 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[51] 48 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] 52 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[53] 32

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[54]	Platinum	70,000^^
France (SNEP)		85,000[55]
Italy (FIMI)[56]	Gold	15,000^*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[57]	Platinum	15,000^*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[58]	Gold	15,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[59]	Gold	434,000[60]
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Date	Country
February 15, 2010	United Kingdom[61][62]
February 16, 2010	United States[63][62]
February 22, 2010	France[64]
February 26, 2010	Germany[65]

References

1. "If We Ever Meet Again (feat. Katy Perry)". iTunes. December 1, 2019. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
2. Reid, Shaheem (December 10, 2009). "Timbaland Tells Story Behind Katy Perry Duet, 'If We Ever Meet Again'". MTV. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
3. "On Set of Timbaland & Katy Perry's 'If We Ever Meet Again' Video". Rap-Up.com. December 27, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
4. "Video: Timbaland f/ Katy Perry – 'If We Ever Meet Again'". Rap-Up.com. January 18, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
5. "Australian-charts.com – Timbaland feat. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
6. "Austriancharts.at – Timbaland feat. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
7. "Ultratop.be – Timbaland feat. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
8. "Ultratop.be – Timbaland feat. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again" (in French). Ultratop 50.
9. "Katy Perry Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
10. Timbaland feat. Katy Perry — If We Ever Meet Again. Tophit. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
11. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201024 into search.
12. "Danishcharts.com – Timbaland feat. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again". Tracklisten.
13. "Katy Perry – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Katy Perry. (subscription required)
14. "Timbaland feat. Katy Perry: If We Ever Meet Again" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
15. "Lescharts.com – Timbaland feat. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again" (in French). Les classement single.
16. "lescharts.com – Français" (in French). Les classement de telechargement single.
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18. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
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26. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
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29. "Russia Airplay Chart for 2010-03-15". Tophit. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
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41. "Charts Year End: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
42. "CIS Year-End Radio Hits (2010)". Tophit. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
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46. FIMI - Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana - Ricerche e dati di mercato Archived January 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
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53. "2010 Year-end UK Singles". BBC (BBC Online). December 26, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
54. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2010 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
55. Goncalves, Julien (June 25, 2017). "Katy Perry: What are her 10 biggest hits in France?" (in French). Pure Charts. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
56. "Italian single certifications – Timbaland – If We Ever Meet Again" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 16, 2016. Select "2010" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "If We Ever Meet Again" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
57. "New Zealand single certifications – Timbaland – If We Ever Meet Again". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
58. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Timbaland; 'If We Ever Meet Again')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
59. "British single certifications – Timbaland – If We Ever Meet Again". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 16, 2016. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type If We Ever Meet Again in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
60. Copsey, Rob (May 16, 2017). "Katy Perry's Official Top 20 biggest singles in the UK". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
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65. "If We Ever Meet Again (2-Track): Timbaland, Katy Perry: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. September 9, 2009.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics