Because of Me

"Because of Me" is a song recorded by American singer Billy Gilman as his would-be coronation single for the eleventh season of The Voice, on which he finished as the runner-up. The song was written by Jacob Kasher, Nick Ruth, Phil Shaouy, and Ari Leff and was originally intended to be recorded by Maroon 5, however, Adam Levine, who served as Gilman's coach on The Voice, felt it would be a better fit for Gilman.[1] It was released as a single on December 13, 2016 through Republic Records.[2]

"Because of Me"
Single by Billy Gilman
ReleasedDecember 13, 2016 (2016-12-13)
RecordedDecember 2016 in Los Angeles, California
GenrePop
Length3:04
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
  • Jacob Kasher
  • Nick Ruth
  • Phil Shaouy
  • Ari Leff
Billy Gilman singles chronology
"Say You Will"
(2014)		 "Because of Me"
(2016)		 "Get It Got It Good"
(2017)
Music video
"Because of Me" on YouTube

Background

In 2016, Gilman competed on season 11 of the reality singing competition The Voice.[3] He attracted the attention of all four coaches, but chose to join Adam Levine's team.[3] On the final night of performances, each of the final four contestants were required to perform one cover song, one duet with their coach, and one original song, which would also serve as his or her coronation single.

"Because of Me" was written by Jacob Kasher, Nick Ruth, Phil Shaouy, and Ari Leff and was planned to be recorded by Maroon 5 for their forthcoming sixth studio album.[4]

"Because of Me" serves as Gilman's first major label single release since "Elisabeth" (from Dare to Dream) in 2001.

Reception

Critical

Jessica Molinari of Bustle praised Gilman for his passionate delivery, which she wrote, "was palpable in every line he sang." She also wrote that the song was very "authentic," and that it "was completely him."[5] Perri Blumberg of Rolling Stone wrote that the song "showed his versatility as both performer and songwriter."[6] Carter Matt, writing for his eponymous entertainment blog, mirrored Molinari's sentiments regarding the song's "fit" with Gilman's persona and also noted "Because of Me" is "easily the catchiest of the four winners' singles," and "could... be an adult-contemporary hit"[7] Reviewing Gilman's performance of the song on The Voice, which he graded a 'B', Michael Slezak of TVLine wrote that the song "painted Billy as a vocalist who might have some radio relevance with the right material," but also described the track as unmemorable.[8]

Commercial

"Because of Me" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but did debut at number 6 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart dated December 31, 2016.[9] The song also charted at number 15 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart the same week.[10] "Because of Me" notably charted one position lower than Gilman's cover of Frank Sinatra's "My Way", which was also performed for the finale of The Voice, on both tallies. In Canada, the song reached number 37 on the Hot Canadian Digital Songs chart dated December 31, 2016.[11]

Music video

An accompanying music video was uploaded to the official YouTube channel for The Voice on December 12, 2016 in conjunction with the finale performance episode.[4] The video depicts Gilman in various domestic scenarios, including preparing coffee in his kitchen and going out to walk his dog.[1][7] At the end, his significant other arrives, probably to celebrate Christmas together. Critics have noted that the wide-ranging appeal of the video ties into his musical shift towards an adult contemporary style.[1]

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Canada Digital Songs (Billboard)[12] 37
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[9] 6
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[13] 15

Release history
Country Date Format Label Ref.
Canada December 13, 2016 Digital download Republic [14]
United States [2]

References
  1. Dukes, Billy (December 12, 2016). "Billy Gilman, 'Because of Me' [Listen]". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  2. "Because of Me (The Voice Performance) - Single by Billy Gilman". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  3. Kaufman, Billy (September 21, 2016). "Former Child Star Billy Gilman's Emotional Return on 'The Voice' Sparks Adam Levine/Miley Cyrus Bidding War". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  4. Stefano, Angela (December 12, 2016). "Billy Gilman Debuts Original 'Because of Me' on 'The Voice' Season Finale [WATCH]". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  5. Molinari, Jessica (December 12, 2016). "Billy Gilman Debuts "Because Of Me" On 'The Voice' & It's Unlike Anything He's Sung On The Show". Bustle. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  6. Blumberg, Perri O. (December 13, 2016). "See Billy Gilman's Moving Frank Sinatra Tribute on 'The Voice'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  7. Matt, Carter (December 13, 2016). "'The Voice' finale: Billy Gilman performs 'Because of Me' original song; see music video". CarterMatt. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  8. Slezak, Michael (December 12, 2016). "The Voice Season 11 Performance Finale Recap: The Sundance Also Rises". TVLine. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  9. "Billy Gilman Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  10. "Digital Song Sales" (The Week Of: December 31, 2016). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  11. "Canadian Digital Song Sales" (The Week Of: December 31, 2016). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  12. "Billy Gilman – Chart history". Billboard Canadian Digital Songs for Billy Gilman. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  13. "Billy Gilman Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  14. "Because of Me (The Voice Performance) - Single by Billy Gilman". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
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