Who Says (John Mayer song)

"Who Says" is the thirteenth single released by American singer-songwriter John Mayer, and the first to be released from his fourth studio album, Battle Studies. It is Mayer's first studio recorded single release since "Say" in 2007. On September 25, 2009, "Who Says" was released on John Mayer's official website.

Music video

The song’s music video shows images of Mayer clubbing and dining out at night-time paired with scenes of him alone in his apartment, cleaning up and noodling on his guitar. Referencing the video, Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly asked "Who says the life of a rock star--sexy entourage, late-night pool parties, nubile young things dancing on banquettes--is just a mask for acoustic ennui? John Mayer, that's who," and gave the video a "B".

Reception

Critical

Critical reception of "Who Says" was mixed; though most praised the song musically, some were skeptical of Mayer's explicit reference to drug use. Crystal Bell of Billboard magazine gave a favorable review from the song, saying, "'Who Says' balances Mayer's signature velvety tone with a more stripped-down, folk-inspired arrangement." She added, "Mayer may not be speaking in grandiose terms about changing the world or marveling over a woman's beauty, but maybe that's the point." Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly said of the single "Mayer channels Cat Stevens, Jason Mraz, and every camp counselor you ever had on this soft-rockin' celebration of women, wild times, and getting stoned." and gave the song a "B".

Selena Gomez

Selena Marie Gomez (/səˈliːnə məˈriː ˈɡoʊmɛz/ sə-LEE-nə mə-REE GOH-mez;Spanish pronunciation: [seˈlena ˈɣomes]; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer and actress. Born and raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, she was first featured on the children's series Barney & Friends in the early 2000s. In 2007, Gomez came to prominence after being cast in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, in which she starred as the lead character, Alex Russo, until its conclusion in 2012. She formed the band Selena Gomez & the Scene after signing a recording contract with Hollywood Records in 2008; they released the studio albums Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011) before beginning a hiatus in 2012.

Gomez entered the film industry with star billings in feature films including Ramona and Beezus (2010), Monte Carlo (2011), and Hotel Transylvania (2012). She embraced an increasingly mature public image with her star billing in the film Spring Breakers (2013) and her 2013 debut solo studio album, Stars Dance. The latter project debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and included the Billboard Hot 100 top-ten single "Come & Get It." Gomez was released from her recording contract with Hollywood Records following the completion of her compilation album For You (2014). She subsequently signed with Interscope Records to continue work on her sophomore studio album, Revival (2015). It debuted at number one in the US and featured the top-five singles "Good for You" and "Same Old Love" and the top-ten single "Hands to Myself."

John Mayer

John Clayton Mayer (/ˈmeɪ.ər/; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and producer. He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and raised in nearby Fairfield. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but disenrolled and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1997 with Clay Cook. Together, they formed a short-lived, two-man band called Lo-Fi Masters. After their split, Mayer continued to play local clubs—refining his skills and gaining a following. After his appearance at the 2001 South by Southwest Festival, he was signed to Aware Records, and then Columbia Records, which released his first EP, Inside Wants Out. His following two full-length albums—Room for Squares (2001) and Heavier Things (2003)—did well commercially, achieving multi-platinum status. In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the single "Your Body Is a Wonderland".

Though Mayer started his career mainly performing acoustic rock, he began moving towards the blues genre that had originally influenced him as a musician. By 2005, he was collaborating with blues artists such as B. B. King, Buddy Guy, and Eric Clapton. Forming the John Mayer Trio, he released a live album in 2005 called Try!, and his third studio album Continuum in 2006. Both albums received wide critical acclaim, and Continuum earned Mayer a 2007 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. He also won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Waiting on the World to Change". That album was followed by Battle Studies in 2009, a return to pop, with a number-one grossing tour.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed with the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's eponymous debut album in 2006 marked the start of her career as a country music singer. Her third single, "Our Song", made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in 2008. Buoyed by the pop crossover success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", Fearless became the best-selling album of 2009 in the United States. The album won four Grammy Awards, making Swift the youngest ever Album of the Year winner. Swift's third and fourth albums, 2010's Speak Now and 2012's Red, both sold more than one million copies within the first week of their U.S release. Speak Now's "Mean" won two Grammy Awards, while Red's singles "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" were successful worldwide. Swift's fifth album, the pop-focused 1989, was released in 2014 and sold more copies in its opening week than any album in the previous 12 years, making Swift the first and only act to have three albums sell more than one million copies in the opening release week. Its singles "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album would go on to win three awards at the 2016 Grammys including Album of the Year making Swift the first and thus far only female artist to receive the award twice.