"Same Love" is a song by American

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

duo

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were an American Hip hop music, hip hop duo from Seattle, Seattle, Washington, formed in 2009 by rapper MacklemoreTrust, Gary (2013)Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 'Can't Hold Us' Makes Hot 100 History, ''Billboard (magazine), B ...

, released as the third single from their 2012 debut studio album, '' The Heist''. The track, featuring vocals by Seattle-based singer Mary Lambert, talks about the issue of gay and lesbian rights and was recorded during the campaign for Washington Referendum 74, which, upon approval in November 2012, legalized same-sex marriage in Washington State. The song reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States, number 1 in Australia and New Zealand, and the top 10 in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom. The song was nominated at the

56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid co ...

for Song of the Year. The cover artwork for the single shows a photograph of Macklemore's uncle, John Haggerty, and his husband, Sean.

Composition

"Same Love" was unofficially adopted as an anthem by supporters of legalizing same-sex marriage, particularly in reference to Washington Referendum 74, a

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

to approve or reject the February 2012 bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Macklemore explained that the song also came out of his own frustration with

's positions on homosexuality. "

Misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...

and

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

are the two acceptable means of oppression in hip hop culture. It's 2012. There needs to be some accountability. I think that as a society we're evolving and I think that hip hop has always been a representation of what's going on in the world right now."

Reception

"Same Love" received critical acclaim. Gary Nunn in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' said that the song was "a far cry from the cheese-fest that usually puts commercial interest first, tenuous rhyming couplets second and poignancy last" and that it "may be the most profound song" hip-hop as a genre has produced. Critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

named it one of the top ten singles of 2012 and wrote that the song was "the best gay marriage song to date in any genre and as corny as it damn well oughta be." Jody Rosen of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'', although giving the album a mixed review, called "Same Love" one of its "virtues". David Jeffries of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

described the track as a "pro-gay marriage highlight". Adam Fleischer of '' XXL'' wrote "Lewis provides bright and uplifting instrumentation to perfectly reflect Macklemore's forward-thinking analysis of hip-hop and society's take on homosexuality and same sex marriage."Staff. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' listed "Same Love" at number four on their list of Best Songs of 2013, stating that "the triumph of "Same Love" is in its specificity". "Same Love" became the first Top 40 song in the U.S. to promote and celebrate same-sex marriage.

Music video

The music video for "Same Love", directed by Ryan Lewis and

Jon Jon Augustavo Jonathan Augustavo, better known as Jon Jon or Jon Jon Augustavo, is an American filmmaker, commercial director, and music video director who has written and directed works for artists including Macklemore, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mike Posner, Al ...

and produced by Tricia Davis, debuted on Lewis's YouTube account on October 2, 2012, and accumulated 350,000 views 24 hours after its debut. The video, spanning decades, depicts the life of the main character and the same-sex partner with whom he falls in love, including the social conflicts which befall them in relation to their sexual orientation, their eventual marriage, and the death of one of the partners in old age. The wedding of the main couple was filmed at All Pilgrims Christian Church in Seattle. Macklemore and Mary Lambert cameo in non-speaking roles in the video. The casting for the video was done by Daniel Torok. The description of the video links to the website of ''Music4Marriage.org'', an initiative to encourage musical support for Washington State Referendum 74; the organization dissolved after its passage. The video received the 2013 MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Message.

Live performances

On October 30, 2012, Macklemore, Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert appeared on ''

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...

'' performing the single "Same Love". It was performed live on

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

's ''

The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...

'' on May 1, 2013. It was performed live at the

2013 MTV Video Music Awards The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of ...

on August 25, 2013 with

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Hudson, numerous accolades for ...

joining Macklemore, Lewis and Lambert on stage. The song was performed during the

56th Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid compe ...

where Macklemore, Lewis, and Lambert were joined onstage by

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, and actress. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe ...

who oversaw and officiated the weddings of 33 same-sex and opposite-sex couples. Towards the end of the performance,

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

joined in with a rendition of her song " Open Your Heart". The song was performed during the 2017 National Rugby League Grand Final in Sydney, Australia. Several conservative politicians actively opposing marriage equality in Australia criticized the decision to include the song prior to the performance. Macklemore responded to the criticism by promising to "go harder".

Chart performance

The single was released on July 18, 2012. It entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the week of February 16, 2013 at number 99 and later peaked at number 11. On the US Rap chart, "Same Love" placed within the Top 5, peaking at number 2. This gave Macklemore and Ryan Lewis simultaneous Top 5 songs, along with "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us". "Same Love" also reached number 1 in New Zealand, number 4 on the Canadian Hot 100, and number 6 on the UK Singles Chart and in Ireland. As of September 2013, the song has sold over 2 million copies in the United States. The song also replaced "Thrift Shop" at number 1 on the Australian

ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...

in January 2013, making Macklemore only the third artist to replace themselves at number one on the ARIA Charts after

in 1985 and the

Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...

in 2009. The song reached the peak once again in 2017, following the legalisation of same sex marriage in Australia.

Awards and nominations

Track listing

Digital download / 7" #"Same Love" (featuring Mary Lambert) – 5:20 Same Love – Remixes #"Same Love" (Cutmore Club Mix; featuring Mary Lambert) – 5:52 #"Same Love" (Cutmore Radio Edit; featuring Mary Lambert) – 3:53

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from ''The Heist'' album liner notes. *

Macklemore Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist rele ...

– writer, mixing, recording *

Ryan Lewis Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American musician and record producer based in Seattle, Washington. Along with producing his own album, ''Instrumentals'', Lewis produced the albums ''The VS. EP'' (2009), '' The Heist'' (2012), and ...

– writer, producer, mixing, recording * Mary Lambert – writer * Josh Rawlings – piano * Andrew Joslyn – violin * Natalie Hall – cello * Greg Kramer – trombone

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

"She Keeps Me Warm"

"She Keeps Me Warm" is a song written and performed by Mary Lambert, derived from the chorus she provided to "Same Love". It is included on Lambert's debut major-label EP, ''Welcome to the Age of My Body'' (2013), and was released to American

hot adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

radio in the summer of 2013 as her first solo single.

Background and content

"She Keeps Me Warm" (and the chorus it shares with "Same Love") was inspired by Lambert's experiences with love and growing up homosexual in a religious family. Lambert explained to ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Par ...

'' at the

that the song came about as a result of her wanting to write a song that was "genuine and authentic to erexperience". While written from the particular perspective of a

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

, the song's themes of love and security in relationships have a universal appeal, which contributed to its warm reception on pop radio. Chad Rufer, PD of KZZO Sacramento, suggested to ''Billboard'' that the original version "has more of a political stance than Lambert's" and that the re-worked "She Keeps Me Warm" is "simply a great pop song about falling in love."

Music video

The music video for "She Keeps Me Warm" was directed by Mego Lin and premiered on

VEVO Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available ...

on August 24, 2013. It features Bryn Santillan. An official lyric video was released December 17, 2013 in support of the song's parent EP.

Chart performance

"She Keeps Me Warm" debuted at number 38 on the ''

Adult Top 40 The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Syste ...

chart for the week ending January 25, 2014.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Macklemore songs Ryan Lewis songs 2012 singles LGBTQ-related songs Recitation songs MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Social Message Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in New Zealand Same-sex marriage in popular culture 2012 songs Contemporary R&B ballads Political rap songs Songs about racism and xenophobia Protest songs Songs written by Macklemore Songs written by Ryan Lewis Song recordings produced by Ryan Lewis Capitol Records singles UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles