Gotta Be You

Album: Up All Night (2011)
Charted: 3
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Songfacts®:

  • British-Irish boyband One Direction's second single finds the lads hoping for one more chance with their girl after messing things up. The song was co-written by the British hitmaker Steve Mac, who is also responsible for many of JLS, Westlife and The Wanted's hit tunes. The other co-writer was Canadian songwriter August Rigo whose other writing credits include hits by Justin Bieber ("U Smile"), Iyaz ("Solo") and JLS ("Outta This World").
  • This song finds the boys trying to atone for the mistakes they made in love, telling the girl, "No woman in the world deserves this, but here I am asking you for one more chance."

    The title is very basic, but the verses are more intricate than what you would expect in a boyband song. In our interview with co-writer August Rigo, he explained: "when you reach the chorus it doesn't bombard you with more depths. It just hits you with the 'worldly' line, and I think that's a sign of a good song: If you have the balance of something a little bit complex, a little bit highbrow, mixed in with something that's human and very general, you can grab the attention of the listener, because sometimes the other stuff goes over people's heads. Like the verses on first listen usually they go over people's heads. They really listen for: 'It's gotta be you.'

    I find that's the hardest part: to figure out where the right balance is, because you can always go too far one way or go too far the other way."
  • The song's music video was shot at Lake Placid in upstate New York. Speaking to Digital Spy, One Direction member, Liam Payne, claimed the boys were worried they would end up dead like the characters in 1999 horror movie, Lake Placid. He revealed "There was a lake by our hotel and we went kayaking to find out. When Niall [Horan] turned the boat over I freaked out because I thought I'd be eaten by an alligator like in the movie!"
  • When asked by AOL Music which one of One Direction's songs he wished that The Wanted had recorded, Jay McGuiness replied: "The one that I like most is 'It's Gotta Be You' because I just think those harmonies they do in the back, it's just uplifting. It's cool."

Comments: 4

  • Anonymousthe music video was also filmed on a college campus in Plattsburgh, NY (SUNY Plattsburgh)
  • Siahara Shyne Carter from United States
    This was played many times on TV show called MTV and I just like it It's gotta be youu only youuuu Haha :)
  • Aannabeth from Menasha Wi Love this song I never really knew why they wrote it but now I know
  • Kaytee from Rhinelander, WiLove this song! Makes my want to cry!
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