Songfacts®:

• This is the second single from British singer-songwriter Jessie J's (real name Jessie Cornish) debut album, Who You Are. The song was originally anticipated to be released in March 2011 but was pushed forward to late January to coincide with the release of the music video.
• The song features American rapper B.O.B. Cornish explained to 4music how she hooked up with the Nothin' on You star: "I spoke to my label and said I think he would be the perfect collab and I made sure it was an experience, I did five plane journeys in four days to make sure we got to record it together and it was part of our journey. Not just 'My people will holler at your people' lol. He is lovely and so charismatic, a very talented guy. I'm proud to say he is on my debut album."
• Cornish wrote this tune with American songwriters Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly. The trio also penned together her first ever hit single, Miley Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A.." Jessie recalled to The Sun: "I co-wrote Price Tag with Claude Kelly (aka moon head) and Dr Luke (aka Coconut Man) (and I'm Pea) about 4 months after we wrote 'Party In The U.S.A.' for Miley Cyrus. It was inspired by my life at the time, feeling like money ruled everything and everyone was so serious in their shades."
• Cornish sung this on the March 12, 2011 episode of Saturday Night Live with an assist from B.o.B. It was Jessie's debut on American television and also the first time the twosome had performed the tune together live.
• Many collaborations find the two parties never actually meeting up but Jessie told MTV News she was determined that the pair would record the song whilst in the same room. "I didn't want it to be like, 'Do that, drop a bar and send it to me.' I wanted it to be an experience and a journey, so he wrote his bar and he flew to the U.K. to do the video," she said. "So, no green screen. We're there together. It was good fun. None of this, 'Never met him, don't know what he looks like.' I've proper been there, hugged him and smelled him."
• In addition to the UK, the song went to #1 in 18 other countries including Belgium, France, Ireland and New Zealand.
• "Price Tag" is mainly about the primacy of happiness over money, but it was also a critique of the industry Jessie J had barely entered.
  
  "It was about being a statistic and a number at a record label and it not being about talent or the truth," she told The Guardian. "I was already tired of contracts. I was so frustrated when I wrote that song. What you were trying to say wasn't important, it was just about how much money can we make from this person."