110%

Album: Devotion (2012)
Charted: 61
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Jessie Ware wrote this light-hearted upbeat song about dancing with Bristol house producer Julio Bashmore. She told The Guardian that initially things were awkward. "Writing a Pop song was a new thing for both of us, and I started to feel really self-conscious and out of my depth," she admitted. To break the tension, Ware and Bashmore started flicking through a Hip-Hop magazine. Their attention was caught by a striking image of the large Puerto-Rican/American rapper Big Pun sitting on a throne. "I decided, 'Right, I'm going to write a song about a girl trying to get him off his throne and dance'," she said.
  • Repeated throughout the song there is a sample of Big Pun reciting the line, "carving my initials on your forehead" from his track, "The Dream Shatterer." "There was something quite obscene about that line that I kind of wanted to see if I could get away sampling one of the biggest, most beloved rappers on top of this very sweet vocal," Ware recalled to Billboard magazine with a laugh. "It just cuts through and sounds really good with the song."
  • The song's music video was directed by Kate Moross and filmed at Painshill Park, an 18th-century English landscape park located at Cobham, Surrey.
  • The "110%" song title is a playful reference to Big Pun's song "100%"
  • The ethereal love song was re-titled "If You're Never Gonna Move" for its American release. This was due to sample clearance issues with the estate of Big Pun. "We had to be imaginative and change the words. It's annoying but it always happens," Ware told Billboard magazine.
  • Ware told MTV News that it was "odd" that the song had to be retitled and reworked after she couldn't clear the Big Pun sample. "I basically wrote the song based on the idea of trying to get [Big Pun] out of his chair," she said, "and onto the dancefloor... you know, this massive kind of guy who just won't budge, even though you really want him to."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers

JJ Burnel of The StranglersSongwriter Interviews

JJ talks about The Stranglers' signature sound - keyboard and bass - which isn't your typical strain of punk rock.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Bob Dylan Lyric Quiz

Bob Dylan Lyric QuizMusic Quiz

Think you know your Bob Dylan lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.