Problem (Ariana Grande song) facts for kids
{{Infobox song | name = Problem | border = yes | type = single | artist = Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea | album = My Everything | released = April 28, 2014 | recorded = 2013 | studio =
- Conway (Los Angeles)
- Wolf Cousins (Stockholm)
| genre =
| length = 3:14 | label = Republic | writer =
- Max Martin
- Savan Kotecha
- Ilya Salmanzadeh
- Amethyst Kelly
- Ariana Grande
| producer =
- Martin
- Shellback
- Ilya
- Peter Carlsson
| chronology = Ariana Grande | prev_title = Santa Baby | prev_year = 2013 | next_title = Break Free | next_year = 2014
| misc =
}
Problem is a popular song by American singer Ariana Grande. It features Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. The song was written by Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, Savan Kotecha, Ilya, and Max Martin.
Max Martin and Ilya also produced the song with Shellback. Peter Carlsson helped with the vocals. Republic Records released "Problem" on April 28, 2014. It was the first song from Grande's second album, My Everything.
"Problem" is a fast-paced dance-pop and R&B song. It has influences from funk music. The music features drums, saxophone sounds, and trumpets. The chorus includes background vocals from American hip-hop artist Big Sean. Ariana Grande said the song is about being scared to start a relationship again after it went wrong. But you still want to try.
Contents
| Iggy Azalea singles chronology | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||
Chart Success
"Problem" was a huge hit right away. It started at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This chart lists the most popular songs in the United States. In its first week, it sold 438,000 copies. This was Ariana Grande's best digital song sales week ever at that time.
The song later reached number two on the Hot 100. This made it her highest-charting song in the US. It also became Iggy Azalea's second-highest-charting song. "Problem" stayed in the top ten of the Hot 100 for 16 weeks. It topped the US Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic charts.
International Charts
"Problem" was also very popular around the world. It reached number one in Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It was in the top ten in many other countries. These included Australia, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Denmark, and Greece.
In the UK, "Problem" was the first song to reach number one based on both sales and streaming. This means people bought it and listened to it online a lot.
Promoting the Song
Ariana Grande performed "Problem" at several big events. Her first performance was at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards. She also sang it at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Other performances included The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.
Music Video
The music video for "Problem" was directed by Nev Todorovic. It was released on Vevo on May 30, 2014. The video won "Best Pop Video" at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. By September 2021, it had been watched over 1.3 billion times. The song itself won "Best Song" at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Sales and Awards
By 2018, "Problem" had sold 3.7 million copies in the US. It was certified six times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2016. A platinum certification means a song has sold a lot of copies. Six times platinum means it sold millions!
Overall, the song reached 9 million units worldwide. This includes both sales and online streams. This makes "Problem" one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Accolades
"Problem" won several awards and was nominated for many more.
| Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Song | Won | |
| MTV Millennial Awards | International Hit of The Year | Nominated | ||
| MTV Video Music Awards | Best Female Video | Nominated | ||
| Best Pop | Won | |||
| Best Collaboration | Nominated | |||
| Best Lyric Video | Nominated | |||
| NRJ Music Awards | International Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music Single: Female Artist | Won | ||
| Young Hollywood Awards | Song of the Summer/DJ Replay | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Best Collaboration | Nominated | |
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best Female Video | Won | ||
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Song of The Year | Nominated | ||
| Radio Disney Music Awards | Song of the Year | Won |
See also
In Spanish: Problem (canción de Ariana Grande) para niños
- List of best-selling singles
- List of best-selling singles in Australia
- List of best-selling singles in the United States
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (New Zealand)
- List of top 10 singles in 2014 (France)
- List of UK top 10 singles in 2014
- List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2014
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2014 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2014 (U.S.)
- List of most-viewed YouTube videos
