Budapest (song) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Budapest" |
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| Single by George Ezra | ||||
| from the album Wanted on Voyage | ||||
| B-side | "Angry Hill" | |||
| Released | 13 December 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Cam Blackwood | |||
| George Ezra singles chronology | ||||
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"Budapest" is a popular song by English singer-songwriter George Ezra. It's from his first studio album, Wanted on Voyage, which came out in 2014. The song was first released as a single in Italy on December 13, 2013. Later, it was released in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2014. George Ezra wrote the song with Joel Pott, and Cam Blackwood produced it.
The song was released by Columbia Records and distributed by Sony Music. "Budapest" became a huge hit, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart. It was also very popular in Austria, New Zealand, and Slovenia, where it topped the music charts. The song reached the top ten in eleven other countries too. In 2014, it was the 10th best-selling single in the UK. When it was released in the U.S. in late 2014, it reached number 32 on the charts.
Contents
The Story Behind the Song
George Ezra shared that "Budapest" was his first try at writing a love song. He also mentioned that he used the first three guitar chords he ever learned to create it. He believes there's something special about keeping things simple.
Even though the song is called "Budapest," the words don't actually talk about the city in Hungary. George Ezra explained that he had never even been to Budapest before writing the song. He was in Malmö, Sweden, when he wrote it. The Eurovision Song Contest was happening there, and everyone was excited.
George had planned to take a train to Budapest the next day. However, he didn't go because he wasn't feeling well. So, he wrote the song about being far away from Budapest and missing his trip.
"Budapest" was first part of George Ezra's EP (a shorter album) called Did You Hear the Rain?. He explained how the song became famous. At first, it was a free song from his EP for about a month. Then, for some reason, it became really popular in Italy, even though he had never visited there. It quickly became a huge hit on the radio. After that, it spread to Germany, and when it was released in the UK, it became very popular there too.
How the Song Was Made
The song "Budapest" has a tempo of 128 beats per minute (bpm). It is composed in the key of F major. This means it uses musical notes and chords based around the F major scale.
Music Video
The official music video for "Budapest" was first shared on YouTube on April 21, 2014. The video shows a large group of people standing very still and close together. They all have different styles and accessories. Sometimes, the video quickly shows one person moving slightly or sneezing, which makes everyone around them look. George Ezra is also shown playing his guitar and singing to the camera with a smile.
As the video continues, the people start to move and interact more. They pass their accessories around to each other. In one part, three young men have one of them bite into a very spicy chili pepper. A person wearing a sash and tiara talks on the phone. The crowd looks up together and puts on 3-D glasses. Throughout this, George Ezra is seen crowd-surfing over the people while still playing and singing.
Towards the end of the video, George begins to crowd-surf while standing up. He takes off his guitar and passes it down to join the other accessories being shared. People in the crowd interact even more and start dancing together. The video finishes with George singing with his guitar, standing in the crowd that has become still again. When the song ends, he also stops and becomes motionless. In a short ending scene, some people from the crowd are on the floor, quietly cheering, laughing, and clapping.
Song Versions
Here are the different ways "Budapest" was released:
- Digital download (United Kingdom)
- "Budapest" – 3:20
- CD single (Germany)
- "Budapest" – 3:23
- "Angry Hill" – 4:11
Certifications
When a song sells a lot of copies, it gets a "certification" like Gold or Platinum. This shows how popular it is!
| Region | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 9× Platinum | 630,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria) | Gold | 15,000x |
| Belgium (BEA) | Platinum | 30,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Denmark) | 3× Platinum | 0^ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | 3× Platinum | 30,000^ |
| Germany (BVMI) | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI) | 3× Platinum | 90,000* |
| Mexico (AMPROFON) | Platinum | Expression error: Missing operand for *.^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI) | Gold | 10,000^ |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 5× Platinum | 75,000* |
| Norway (IFPI Norway) | Platinum | 10,000* |
| South Africa | 2× Platinum | Expression error: Missing operand for *. |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Platinum | 40,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF) | 2× Platinum | 40,000x |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | Platinum | 30,000x |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 6× Platinum | 3,600,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
| Streaming | ||
| Denmark (IFPI Denmark) | Platinum | 0^ |
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*sales figures based on certification alone |
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Release History
"Budapest" was released in different places at different times:
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 13 December 2013 | Contemporary hit radio | Sony |
| Germany | 18 April 2014 | CD single | |
| United Kingdom | 13 June 2014 | Digital download | |
| United States | 25 August 2014 | Adult album alternative radio | Columbia |
| 23 September 2014 | Modern rock radio | ||
| 27 October 2014 | Hot adult contemporary radio |
See also
In Spanish: Budapest (canción) para niños
