"" (; English: "To Love for the Both of Us") is a song recorded by Portuguese singer
Salvador Sobral. The song was written and produced by his sister
Luísa Sobral and released for
digital download as a single on 10 March 2017 by Sons em Trânsito. It premiered earlier that year, on 19 February, when it was performed during the first semi-final of
Festival da Canção 2017.
"" is a
jazz waltz with the lyrical theme of
heartbreak after a breakup. The track received praise from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
. The song earned the Sobral siblings various awards, including two
Marcel Bezençon Awards. The track achieved commercial success, particularly in Europe, reaching the top ten in several countries. It was certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by the
Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa
The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP; English: ''Portuguese Phonographic Association'') is the recording industry association of the major labels in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV (Portuguese group of producers of Phonogra ...
(AFP). Sobral has performed "" at his international tours. It is included in the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
Songbook as the all-time top
Portuguese love song
A love song is a song about love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sad and emotion ...
, and it is listed in the ''
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
''. The song has been covered by several artists.
"" represented in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2017
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song " 1944" by Jamala.
Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) an ...
in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, Ukraine. The song gave Portugal its first ever win in the contest since their debut in . It amassed 758 points, setting the record for the highest score in the history of the competition, and is the only entry to top both the televoting and jury voting in the second half of the 2010s. Salvador Sobral performed the song alone on stage B, close to the audience, while the background
LED screens displayed an
enchanted forest.
Background and release
"" was one of 16 songs commissioned by
Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) for
Festival da Canção 2017, Portugal's national selection for the
Eurovision Song Contest 2017
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song " 1944" by Jamala.
Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) an ...
. The composers both created the song and selected the performer for their entry. Luísa Sobral composed "" specifically for her brother, Salvador: "I never thought about singing this song myself because when I wrote it I already had my brother's voice in mind. I was very fond of seeing him playing my song, because I think he is an extraordinary singer and because it gives me great joy to see him at the song contest and also that it turned out to be a family thing".
Salvador Sobral stated that even though "" was created by Luísa, she gave him freedom to perform the song according to his artistic personality.
"" premiered on 19 February 2017, when it was performed for Festival da Canção 2017. The song was released for
digital download and
streaming
Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
as a single on 10 March 2017 via Sons em Trânsito.
[Citations regarding the digital release of "" by Salvador Sobral in various selected countries:
*
*
*] On 16 June 2017, it was released as a
CD single
A CD single is a single (music), music single in the form of a compact disc (CD). Originally the ''CD single'' standard (as defined in the Rainbow Books, Red Book) was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD" (''CD3''); later on the term referred to any si ...
by
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
.
Composition
"Amar pelos dois" was written and produced by
Luísa Sobral. The song is a
jazz waltz with a length of three minutes and five seconds (3:05),
that moves at a
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 92 beats per minute. It is composed in the
key of
F major
F major is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat.Music Theory'. (1950). United States: Standards and Curriculum Division, Training, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 28. Its relati ...
and written in
triple metre
Triple metre (or Am. triple meter, also known as triple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 3 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 3 (simple) or 9 ( compound) in the upper figure of the time signature, with , a ...
, with Salvador Sobral's vocals spanning from D
4 to G
5. Without
background vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
, the song has an instrumentation consisting of
strings and
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
. Sobral stated that "Amar pelos dois" is "influenced by those old songs from the
Great American Songbook, and it also has a touch of the beautiful
bossa nova melodies".
The song's lyrical theme is
heartbreak after a breakup: "Meu bem / Ouve as minhas preces / Peço que regresses / Que me voltes a querer". Sobral described it as "a
love song
A love song is a song about love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sad and emotion ...
. A sad one".
Critical reception
"Amar pelos dois" was met with positive reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
. Fabien Randanne of ''
20 minutes'' described it as a "superb melancholic song" with a "delightfully anachronistic sound". Francisco Chacón of ''
ABC'' noted that the song's jazz-pop tempo distinguished it from the "outlandish proposals in the otherwise
kitsch
''Kitsch'' ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as Naivety, naïve imitation, overly eccentric, gratuitous or of banal Taste (sociology), taste.
The modern avant-garde traditionally opposed kitsch ...
music scene". The staff of ''
Paris Match
''Paris Match'' () is a French-language weekly gossip magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. ''Paris Match'' has been considered "one of the world's best outlets for photojournalism". ...
'' listed the song as one of their ten favourite entries of 2017, and noted a "great vocal mastery". Chris Zeiher of the
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from tax revenue. SBS operates six TV channels (SBS (Australian TV chann ...
noted the "simplicity" of the song, adding that "there's something refreshing and reflective" in it. Benny Royston of the ''
Metro'' named the song "Portugal's best ever
Eurovision entry", and commented that "sticking to
Portuguese maintains the charm and charisma of this song that pulls at the heartstrings through musical composition". Christopher D. Shea of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' described it as an "unexpectedly earnest
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
" that "has earned a loyal following for upending over-the-top Eurovision expectations", while Richard van de Crommert of ''
De Telegraaf
''De Telegraaf'' (; ) is the largest Netherlands, Dutch daily morning newspaper. Haro Kraak,Gaat Paul Jansen de crisis bij De Telegraaf oplossen?, ''de Volkskrant'', 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015. Paul Jansen has been the editor-in-chief since ...
'' considered it Portugal's all-time best Eurovision entry. Jens Maier of ''
Stern
The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...
'' called the song a "surprise", adding that it "enchanted" the contest. Charlotte Runcie of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' described it as an "artistic, beautifully crafted" and "sophisticated" song. Silvia Fumarola of ''
la Repubblica
(; English: "the Republic") is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper with an average circulation of 151,309 copies in May 2023. It was founded in 1976 in Rome by Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso (now known as GEDI Gruppo Editoriale) and l ...
'' wrote, "beautiful voice, romantic music. A ballad that breaks the mold: no choreography, no technological oddity".
Awards
"Amar pelos dois" earned the Sobral siblings two
Marcel Bezençon Awards: Salvador Sobral received the Artistic Award, whereas Luísa received the Composer Award.
At the ESC Radio Awards, "Amar pelos dois" won Best Song. It marked the first time since 's "
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
" () that a Eurovision Song Contest winning entry also topped the ESC Radio Awards poll. Additionally, the song earned Salvador Sobral the Best Male Artist award.
Commercial performance
"Amar pelos dois" achieved commercial success, particularly in Europe. In Portugal, the song entered the singles chart at number 38 after winning
Festival da Canção 2017 and remained on the chart for two weeks. Later, it re-entered the chart at number three. It climbed to number one the following week, after its victory in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2017
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song " 1944" by Jamala.
Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) an ...
. The track debuted at number four on the Portuguese
digital chart. The following week, it climbed to number three, and ultimately topped the chart.
It received a
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
certification by the
Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa
The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP; English: ''Portuguese Phonographic Association'') is the recording industry association of the major labels in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV (Portuguese group of producers of Phonogra ...
(AFP) for selling over 10,000 units.
Elsewhere in Europe, "Amar pelos dois" appeared on several digital charts, peaking at number one in Finland, the Netherlands and Spain,
[ while peaking inside the top ten in Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden.][ The song also appeared on various singles charts, reaching the top ten in Hungary and Switzerland,][ as well as the top 40 in other countries.][
In the United States, "Amar pelos dois" peaked at number seven on the '']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 ...
'' World Digital Songs
The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—its first issue was dated January 23—as ...
chart, as one of the best-performing international digital singles.[
]
Live performances
Salvador and Luísa Sobral, the latter of which composed "Amar pelos dois", first appeared on radio stations RFM and Rádio Comercial on 8 and 14 March 2017, respectively. On 2 May of that year, Salvador Sobral's performance for ''Spain Calling International'' became available on RTVE
The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española (''Spanish Radio and Television'', RTVE), is the Spanish national public Broadcasting, television and radio broadcaster. It is a state-owned enterprise f ...
's website. On 25 May 2017, the Sobral siblings performed on RTP1
RTP1 (''RTP um'') is a Portuguese free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). It is the company's flagship television channel, and is known for broadcasting mains ...
's talk show
A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...
''Agora Nós''. Sobral performed alongside Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, on 12 May of that year. On 31 October 2018, Sobral performed the song at the aRi ar Awards in Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela, simply Santiago, or Compostela, in the province of Province of A Coruña, A Coruña, is the capital of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city ...
, Spain. Sobral has performed "Amar pelos dois" at his international tours.
Eurovision Song Contest
Festival da Canção 2017
On 5 December 2016, Luísa Sobral was announced as a participating songwriter of Festival da Canção 2017, Portugal's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song " 1944" by Jamala.
Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) an ...
. On 18 January 2017, Salvador Sobral was announced to be performing her song, titled "Amar pelos dois". After being sent two songs by Luísa that she had written for the competition, Salvador selected "Amar pelos dois" as the song that he would like to perform. Luís Figueiredo, who did the string arrangement, also chose "Amar pelos dois" as the song to go through the competition's various phases. Salvador Sobral competed in the first semi-final on 19 February 2017, placing second with 20 points after winning the jury vote and coming third in the televote. In the final, held on 5 March of that year, he won the jury vote and came second in the televote, placing first overall with 22 points, becoming the Portuguese representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017.
In Kyiv
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 took place at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, Ukraine, and consisted of two semi-finals on 9 and 11 May, followed by the final on 13 May 2017. Portugal was drawn to compete in the first half of the first semi-final, with the running order for the semi-finals being decided by the producers in order to avoid similar songs being placed next to each other. Portugal was set to perform in position nine, following the entry from and preceding the entry from . For the grand final, Portugal was drawn to compete in the first half. Portugal was subsequently placed to perform in position 11, following the entry from and before the entry from Azerbaijan. Sobral was one of the favorites to win the contest, according to bookmakers. With its tool, the "Eurosearch Song Contest", Google
Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
correctly predicted his victory. For the winner's encore, Salvador and Luísa Sobral sang the song as a duet, as they previously did in the national final.
For his performance, Salvador Sobral wore a black suit and performed alone on stage B, close to the audience. During the performance, the background LED screens displayed an enchanted forest. Sobral's victory was hailed in Portugal by the Assembly of the Republic, Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
António Costa
António Luís Santos da Costa (; born 17 July 1961) is a Portuguese lawyer and politician who has served as President of the European Council since 2024. He previously served as the 118th prime minister of Portugal from 2015 to 2024 and th ...
, Minister of Culture
A culture minister or a heritage minister is a common cabinet position in governments. The culture minister is typically responsible for cultural policy, which often includes arts policy (direct and indirect support to artists and arts organiza ...
Luís Filipe Castro Mendes, and President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa (; born 12 December 1948) is a Portuguese politician and academic who is the president of Portugal since 2016. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party, though he suspended his party membership for the ...
, who distinguished the Sobral siblings with the Order of Merit
The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...
.
Record-breaking victory
By earning 758 points overall in the grand final, "Amar pelos dois" became the highest-scoring entry in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, overtaking 's "1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
", which had scored 534 points the year before. The former is the only entry to top both the televoting and jury voting in the second half of the 2010s. In the grand final, "Amar pelos dois" received at least five televote points from every participating country. It is the first winning song entirely performed in a country's native language since 's " Molitva" (). With 382 points awarded by the national juries, "Amar pelos dois" broke the record of most jury points ever, surpassing 's " Heroes", which had received 353 points from the juries in . Additionally, the song achieved the biggest winning margin of the decade, outscoring the