Play Hard

2013 single by David Guetta featuring Ne-Yo and Akon
"Play Hard"
Single by David Guetta featuring Ne-Yo and Akon
from the album Nothing but the Beat 2.0
Released15 March 2013[1]
Recorded1 September 2012
Genre
  • Electro house
  • dance-pop
  • hip house
Length
  • 3:21
  • 3:28 (new edit)
Label
  • Virgin
  • EMI France
  • Parlophone
Songwriter(s)
  • Shaffer Smith
  • Aliaune Thiam
  • David Guetta
  • Frédéric Riesterer
  • Giorgio Tuinfort
  • Sebastiaan Molijn
  • Eelke Kalberg
Producer(s)
  • David Guetta
  • Giorgio Tuinfort
  • Frédéric Riesterer
David Guetta singles chronology
"Just One Last Time"
(2012) 		"Play Hard"
(2013) 		"Right Now"
(2013)
Ne-Yo singles chronology
"Forever Now"
(2012) 		"Play Hard"
(2012) 		"Tonight"
(2013)
Akon singles chronology
"Like Money"
(2012) 		"Play Hard"
(2012) 		"Interstellar"
(2015)
Music video
"Play Hard" on YouTube
Audio sample
13 second sample from David Guetta's "Play Hard"
  • file
  • help

"Play Hard" is a song by French DJ and record producer David Guetta featuring vocals from American singers Ne-Yo and Akon. It was released on 15 March 2013 as the third single from the 2012 re-release of Guetta's fifth studio album, Nothing but the Beat (2011). This is the third collaboration between Guetta and Akon since "Sexy Bitch" in 2009 and "Crank It Up" in 2011. All three artists co-wrote the song along with Frédéric Riesterer and Giorgio Tuinfort, both of whom produced the song with Guetta. It features a prominent synthesizer riff sampled from the 1998 song "Better Off Alone" by Dutch Eurodance project Alice Deejay; as a result, Sebastiaan Molijn and Eelke Kalberg are credited as songwriters.

"Play Hard" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, thus becoming his fourteenth top 10 hit in the UK as a lead artist. It also charted within the top 10 of the charts in several other countries including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland; as well as the top 20 in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and New Zealand.

Music video

An official music video was uploaded to Guetta's official Vevo channel on April 22, 2013.[2] The video uses the New Edit version of the song. Directed by Swede Andreas Nilsson,[3] it generated controversy for its stereotypical portrayal of Mexico.[4][5][6] The video and an advertisement from Neon Mixr feature the popular dancers, Les Twins. The video has over 1.1 billion views as of August 2023.

Track listing

Digital download[7]
No.TitleLength
1."Play Hard"3:21
Digital download[8]
No.TitleLength
1."Play Hard" (New Edit)3:28
Digital download – EP[9]
No.TitleLength
1."Play Hard" (Albert Neve Remix)6:52
2."Play Hard" (R3hab Remix)4:06
3."Play Hard" (Maurizio Gubellini & Delayers in da House Remix)5:00
4."Play Hard" (Maurizio Gubellini Remix)5:11
5."Play Hard" (Spencer & Hill Remix)6:19
6."Play Hard" (Extended)5:12
German CD single[10]
No.TitleLength
1."Play Hard" (Albert Neve Remix)6:52
2."Play Hard" (R3hab Remix)4:06
3."Play Hard" (Maurizio Gubellini & Delayers in da House Remix)5:00
4."Play Hard" (Maurizio Gubellini Remix)5:11
5."Play Hard" (Spencer & Hill Remix)6:19
6."Play Hard" (Extended Version)5:12

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2012–14) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 16
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[14] 5
Brazil (Billboard Brasil Hot 100)[15] 46
Brazil (Hot Pop Songs)[15] 15
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[16] 34
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[17] 9
Denmark (Tracklisten)[18] 12
Euro Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[19] 4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[20] 14
France (SNEP)[21] 7
Germany (Official German Charts)[22] 8
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[23] 4
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[24] 7
Hungary (Single Top 40)[25] 1
Iceland (Tónlist)[26] 14
Ireland (IRMA)[27] 8
Israel (Media Forest)[28] 8
Italy (FIMI)[29] 4
Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[30] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[31] 37
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[32] 11
Poland (Dance Top 50)[33] 5
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[34] 59
Russia Airplay (TopHit)[35] 5
Scotland (OCC)[36] 5
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[37] 5
South Korean International Singles (GAON)[38] 7
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[39] 8
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[40] 26
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[42] 6
UK Dance (OCC)[43] 3
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)[44] 76
US Billboard Hot 100[45] 64
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[46] 9
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[47] 2
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[48] 31
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[49] 28
Venezuela Pop/Rock General (Record Report)[50] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (2013) Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[51] 39
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[52] 31
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[53] 23
France (SNEP)[54] 25
Germany (Official German Charts)[55] 64
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[56] 7
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[57] 40
Russia Airplay (TopHit)[58] 31
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[59] 36
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[60] 63
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[61] 25
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)[62] 184
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[63] 36
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[64] 5
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[65] 21
Chart (2014) Position
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[66] 30

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[67] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[68] Gold 15,000*
Belgium (BEA)[69] Gold 15,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[70] Gold 15,000^
France (SNEP)[71] Gold 75,000*
Germany (BVMI)[72] Platinum 300,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[73] 3× Platinum 90,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[74] Gold 7,500*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[75] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[76] Platinum 600,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format
Germany March 15, 2013
Italy April 5, 2013[77] Contemporary hit radio
United States May 7, 2013[78] Rhythmic radio
United Kingdom May 20, 2013[79] Digital remixes
United States June 11, 2013[80] Mainstream radio

Sampling controversy

The song prominently samples the synthesizer riff of the 1998 song "Better Off Alone" by Dutch Eurodance project Alice Deejay. Therefore, Sebastiaan Molijn and Eelke Kalberg, the writers of the song and members of the group, are credited as songwriters. However, the song's sample was the subject of plagiarism. In 2016, Julie Sprankles included the song on her list "31 songs you didn't know were (allegedly) plagiarized" for the magazine SheKnows, saying that the song "heavily" samples "Better Off Alone".[81] In her listing, she also stated that the song made her consider the question: "How much sampling is too much sampling?".[81]

References

  1. ^ "Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon) [New Edit]: David Guetta". Amazon.de. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
  2. ^ "David Guetta - Play Hard ft. Akon & Ne-Yo". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  3. ^ Taylor, Ken (2013-04-24). "David Guetta's "Play Hard" video is a treasure trove of high-art influence – Beatport News". News.beatport.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  4. ^ "El último video de David Guetta que se burla de los estereotipos mexicanos ha causado polémica". The Clinic Online. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
  5. ^ "Causa polémica el nuevo video del Dj David Guetta "Play hard"". Informe21.com. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
  6. ^ "David Guetta crea polémica con el video de 'Play Hard'". Terra Peú. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
  7. ^ "Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon): David Guetta". Amazon.de. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
  8. ^ "Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon) [New Edit]: David Guetta". Amazon.de. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
  9. ^ "Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon) [Remixes]: David Guetta". Amazon.de. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
  10. ^ "Play Hard (Remixes)". Amazon.de. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
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  15. ^ a b BPP, ed. (February–March 2014). "Billboard Brasil Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard Brasil (47).
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  73. ^ "Italian single certifications – David Guetta feat. Ne-Yo & Akon – Play Hard" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2013" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Play Hard" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
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