Drag Me Down

"Drag Me Down" marked One Direction's first single since Zayn Malik's departure in March 2015.{{cite magazine|title=One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' Tops Trending 140 There are many fictional stories on Wattpad, describing fictionally how the members of this band wrote the album, Made in the Am, in every fictional way. For example, 'Another Whisper in the Wind' and 'I'd lie' ! Chart|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/chart-beat/real-time-charts/6649384/one-direction-drag-me-down-trending-140|last=Anderson|first=Trevor|date=31 July 2015|magazine=Billboard|access-date = 3 August 2015}} The announcement of the release, with no previous promotion or marketing, was done by Liam Payne on his Twitter handle, followed by the rest of the members on 31 July 2015.{{cite magazine|title=One Direction Shares First Track Without Zayn Malik, 'Drag Me Down'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6649246/one-direction-shares-first-track-without-zayn-malik-drag-me-down|last=Bradle|first=Lars|date=31 July 2015|magazine=Billboard|access-date = 3 August 2015}}

{{Listen

| filename = One Direction - Drag Me Down Clip.ogg

| pos =

| title = 'Drag Me Down'

| description = An 18-second sample of "Drag Me Down"'s chorus, with Niall Horan singing the second half and Harry Styles singing a high note on an increasing tempo pop melody and beat.

| format = Ogg

| type = music

}}

"Drag Me Down" is a midtempo pop rock track written by Jamie Scott, Julian Bunetta, and John Ryan, who wrote and produced several songs on One Direction's previous two albums Midnight Memories (2013) and Four (2014).{{Cite news|url=http://www.eonline.com/uk/news/681974/one-direction-releases-drag-me-down-its-first-single-since-zayn-malik-quit-the-boy-band-listen-now|title=One Direction Releases Drag Me Down, Its First Single Since Zayn Malik Quit the Boy Band—Listen Now!|newspaper=E! News|language=en-UK|access-date=2016-10-24}} According to Los Angeles Times{{'}}s editor Mikael Wood, the production contains springy guitars that recall The Police or "Rude" by Magic!.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-one-direction-drag-me-down-single-review-20150803-story.html|title=Is One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' all too accurately titled?|date=3 August 2015|work=Los Angeles Times}} The song is written in C minor with a tempo of 138 beats per minute. It was composed in England.[http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0153727 One Direction "Drag Me Down" Sheet Music] musicnotes.com

{{Music ratings

|rev1=Billboard

|rev1Score={{rating|3.5|5}}

|rev2=Digital Spy

|rev2Score={{rating|3.0|5}}Corner, Lewis (22 July 2013). [http://www.digitalspy.com/music/review/a500158/one-direction-best-song-ever-single-review.html One Direction: 'Best Song Ever' – Single review]. Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 November 2013.

}}

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard gave the song three and a half out of five stars and stated that the song offers a more "mature sound". He also commented "for those worried that a four-member incarnation of the group can't get the job done, "Drag Me Down" assuages those fears by keeping the overall quality level high" and "the group compensates for Malik's absence by giving each member ample time to shine, and the harmonies admirably resonate on the call-and-response portions of the pre-chorus".{{cite magazine|title=One Direction, 'Drag Me Down' Single Review: 1D Becomes Larger Than Life|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/review/6649263/one-direction-drag-me-down-single-review|last=Lipshutz|first=Jason|date=31 July 2015|magazine=Billboard|access-date = 3 August 2015}} Writing for Idolater, Robbie Daw commented that the song "comes across perhaps like the first One Direction song that might appeal to an audience outside of the band's screaming core fan base".{{Cite web|url=https://www.idolator.com/7602639/one-direction-new-single-drag-me-down-taylor-swift-the-police-listen?view-all|title=One Direction Drop New Single "Drag Me Down," Which Sounds Like Taylor Swift Meets The Police: Listen|website=Idolator.com|date=31 July 2015 |access-date=20 October 2021}}

Gaby Hernandez of Rolling Stone described the song as a "pop-rock track shifts the band's sound from the softer folk of their last album, Four, back to the more upbeat, electronic heavy elements of their first two albums".{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/one-direction-plot-post-zayn-future-with-new-song-drag-me-down-70319/|title=Hear One Direction's First Post-Zayn Song|first=Brittany|last=Spanos|website=Rollingstone.com|date=31 July 2015|access-date=20 October 2021}} Jamieson Cox of The Verge called the song "a slight departure from the music the band was making with Malik in tow" while commenting that "there's a bit of The Police in the loping, reggae-lite bass line and guitar riffs, and the song's structure is cribbed from the last few years' finest EDM-pop crossovers" and that "when you fold in the melody, the whole package reminds me of Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble", and that qualifies as praise in this space".{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/7/31/9078069/one-direction-new-single-drag-me-down-zayn-malik|title=Listen to One Direction's first post-Zayn single, 'Drag Me Down'|first=Jamieson|last=Cox|date=31 July 2015|website=The Verge|access-date=20 October 2021}} Noelle Devoe, writing for The Daily Telegraph, described the song as "rocking an even edgier, mature sound" and "a love song to their fans" while commenting on Styles' high notes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/music/news/a32801/one-direction-randomly-release-new-single-drag-me-down-break-the-internet/|title=BREAKING: One Direction Randomly Drop New Single "Drag Me Down"|first=Noelle|last=Devoe|date=31 July 2015|website=Seventeen.com|access-date=20 October 2021}} The Herald wrote that "in true One Direction style, Drag Me Down is a catchy love song with a poppy beat".{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/entertainment/music/one-direction-release-first-track-without-zayn-malik-31417562.html|title=One Direction release first track without Zayn Malik|website=Independent.ie|date=31 July 2015 |access-date=20 October 2021}} Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the song three out of five stars, and stated that "Drag Me Down" is "one of their most pop-centric releases to date" and that "they may have taken a hit with the exit of Zayn, but One Direction are far from down and out".{{cite web|title=One Direction's new single 'Drag Me Down' first review – Signals a glossier output|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/feature/a661183/one-directions-new-single-drag-me-down-first-review-signals-a-glossier-output.html#~pke9TrnTcPlEBm|last=Corner|first=Lewis|date=31 July 2015|work=Digital Spy|access-date = 3 August 2015}}

Mikael Wood with the Los Angeles Times gave a more negative review, stating that the song is "all too accurately titled" and that it is "decidedly smaller-scaled" and "carries no such charge" compared to the band's previous songs. He added "we're basically talking about a midtempo pop-rock jam with springy guitars that recall The Police" and the song is "more or less what you'd expect from a band of four good-looking white guys".{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-one-direction-drag-me-down-single-review-20150803-story.html|title=Is One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' all too accurately titled?|date=3 August 2015|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=20 October 2021}}

Past member Zayn Malik took to social media and praised the single, describing it as "sick" and stating that "he was proud of his boys."{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6649478/zayn-malik-one-direction-drag-me-down-tweet|title=Zayn Malik on One Direction's 'Drag Me Down': 'The New Single Is Sick'|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2016-10-24}}

The video for "Drag Me Down" was directed by Ben and Gabe Turner and filmed at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and premiered on Vevo alongside the song. The video includes the band being put through their paces as though they are astronauts preparing for a space mission.{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6671068/one-direction-are-made-of-the-right-stuff-in-their-drag-me-down|title=One Direction Are Made of the Right Stuff in Their 'Drag Me Down' Video: Watch|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2016-10-24}} It won the fan-voted 'Best Video Award' at the 2016 Brit Awards{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/02/24/one-directions-liam-payne-and-louis-tomlinson-attend-the-brits-a/|title=One Direction win best video for Drag Me Down - but only Louis and Liam collect it as other members snub the Brits|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=2016-10-24}} and as of 9 May 2022, it has been viewed over 1 billion times on YouTube.

In Fall 2015, the Big Payno Remix was released which features American rapper Lunchmoney Lewis which appears on their Perfect EP.

One Direction gave their first performance of the song on their On the Road Again Tour in Indianapolis on 31 July 2015 until the end of their concert tour. The song was then performed live as part of a series of free summer concerts in New York City for Good Morning America on 4 August 2015.{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6655606/one-direction-drag-me-down-good-morning-america|title=One Direction Delivers 'Drag Me Down' Debut TV Performance on 'Good Morning America'|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2016-10-24}} The band also performed the song on several television programmes including The Ellen DeGeneres Show,{{Cite news|url=http://www.idolator.com/7615384/one-direction-performs-drag-me-down-on-the-ellen-degeneres-show-watch|title=One Direction Performs "Drag Me Down" On 'The Ellen Degeneres Show': Watch |date=2015-11-18|website=Idolator.com|access-date=2016-10-24}} The Jonathan Ross Show{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep6week48/jonathan-ross-show-0|title=The Jonathan Ross Show Episode 6|newspaper=ITV Press Centre|access-date=2016-10-24}} and Alan Carr: Chatty Man.{{Cite news|url=http://gostudioone.com/video/one-direction-drag-me-down-live-on-alan-carr-chatty-mans-christmas/|title=One Direction Drag Me Down Live on Alan Carr Chatty Man's Christmas|website=Gostudioone.com|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-24}}

An instrumental version of the song is heard in the television series Grey's Anatomy (season 13 episode 8).

The track is present on the soundtrack of the Brazilian soap opera Totalmente Demais (2015).{{cite web|url=http://gshow.globo.com/Musica/noticia/2015/11/trilha-sonora-de-totalmente-demais-tem-one-direction-anitta-emicida-e-mais.html|title=Trilha sonora de 'Totalmente Demais' tem One Direction, Anitta, Emicida e mais|website=Gshow.globo.com|date=7 November 2015|access-date=20 November 2015}}

Song appears in the soundtrack of the video game Madden NFL 19 ("Longshot: Homecoming" only)

A cover of the song by the Finnish-American hard rock band Santa Cruz plays in "Best Friends, For Never", the second episode of the first season of the DC Extended Universe Max series Peacemaker.

"Drag Me Down" sold 349,000 digital copies in the United States and had 17.7 million streams worldwide in its first week of release.{{cite magazine |author=Brandle, Lars |date=7 Aug 2015 |title=One Direction Earns First No. 1 Single in Australia With 'Drag Me Down' |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/one-direction-earns-first-no-1-single-in-australia-with-drag-me/ |access-date= |magazine=Billboard}} It broke the record on Spotify for most streamed track in one day, earning 4.75 million global streams (it has since been surpassed by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill" both receiving over 6.18 million global streams).{{cite magazine|url=http://m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/135517|title=One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' Cruising to U.K. No. 1|author=Brandel, Lars|magazine=Billboard|date=9 August 2015|access-date=11 August 2015}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/ed-sheeran-broken-spotifys-day-154304017.html|title=Ed Sheeran has broken Spotify's 'day one' streaming record|publisher=Yahoo|date=9 January 2017|access-date=10 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110022334/https://uk.news.yahoo.com/ed-sheeran-broken-spotifys-day-154304017.html|archive-date=10 January 2017|df=dmy-all}} The song also debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, the second-highest debut of the year, with 349,000 downloads sold in its first week (making it the group's third number-one hit on the Digital Songs chart and the boy band's best sales week for a song).{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6656820/the-weeknd-no-1-hot-100-cant-feel-my-face-one-direction-drag-me-down|title=Can't Feel My Face" tops Hot 100, One Direction debuts at number 3|author=Trust, Gary|magazine=Billboard|date=10 August 2015}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2015-08-29|title=The Hot 100 - the week of August 29, 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=2 January 2013|access-date=19 August 2015}}

Furthermore, the song topped the charts in twelve countries, including Austria, Australia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Drag Me Down"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Platinum|number=5|certyear=2020|relyear=2015|access-date=18 November 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|award=Gold|type=single|certyear=2016|artist=One Direction|relyear=2015|title=Drag Me Down|access-date=4 March 2016}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=One Direction|title=Drag Me Down|award=Platinum|number=3|type=single|certyear=2017|relyear=2015|access-date=21 February 2017}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=single|artist=One Direction|title=Drag Me Down|award=Platinum|number=2|id=15292|relyear=2015|relmonth=07|certyear=2025|certmonth=04|access-date=27 April 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=One Direction|title=Drag Me Down|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2023|access-date=25 February 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2015|certyear=2016|certweek=15|id=4972|access-date=16 April 2020|artist=One Direction|title=Drag Me Down}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|artist=One Direction|title=Drag Me Down|type=single|award=Platinum+Gold|number=3|relyear=2015|certyear=2022|access-date=15 March 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=One Direction|title=Drag Me Down|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=2015|access-date=23 December 2024|certyear=2024|source=radioscope}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|artist=One Direction|title=Drag Me Down|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2015|access-date=27 October 2015}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|type=single|title=Drag Me Down|artist=One Direction|award=Platinum|number=4|relyear=2015|certyear=2017|access-date=1 March 2017}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|title=Drag Me Down|artist=One Direction|award=Platinum|relyear=2015|certyear=2024|access-date=18 February 2024|id=one-direction-drag-me-down}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|type=single|award=Platinum|source=artist|artist=One Direction|relyear=2015|certyear=2015|access-date=18 November 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=One Direction|title=Drag Me Down|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2015|certyear=2023|salesamount=1,200,000|salesref={{cite news|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/one-direction-official-top-20-biggest-songs-ever-in-uk-revealed__7226|title=One Direction: Official Top 20 biggest songs ever in UK revealed|last=Levine|first=Nick|date=14 June 2023|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=10 July 2023}}|access-date=10 July 2023|id=13399-2449-1}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|title=Drag Me Down|artist=One Direction|nocert=true|relyear=2015|certyear=2016|access-date=15 December 2015|salesamount=1,208,000|salesref ={{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7408939/ask-billboard-one-directions-career-sales|title=Billboard: One Direction's Career Sales|magazine=Billboard|date=19 June 2016|access-date=19 June 2016}}}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}

{{reflist}}

{{One Direction}}

{{authority control}}

Category:2015 singles

Category:2015 songs

Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:Number-one singles in Australia

Category:Number-one singles in Greece

Category:Number-one singles in Hungary

Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand

Category:Number-one singles in Scotland

Category:One Direction songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Julian Bunetta

Category:Songs written by Jamie Scott

Category:Songs written by John Ryan (musician)

Category:Songs written by Julian Bunetta

Category:Syco Music singles

Category:UK singles chart number-one singles

Category:Song recordings produced by John Ryan (songwriter)