Latch (song)

"Latch" is a song by English electronic music duo Disclosure, featuring vocals from English singer Sam Smith. It was released as a digital download on 8 October 2012, by PMR Records. The lead single from their debut studio album, Settle (2013), the song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 26 and peaked at number 11.[1] In the United States, "Latch" was a sleeper hit, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 2014.[2]

"Latch"
Single by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith
from the album Settle
B-side	T. Williams club edit (12")
Released	8 October 2012
Recorded	2012
Genre	Deep house future garage synth-pop
Length	4:16
Label	PMR Cherrytree Interscope
Songwriter(s)	Guy Lawrence Howard Lawrence James Napier Sam Smith
Producer(s)	Disclosure
Disclosure singles chronology
"Boiling" (2012) "Latch" (2012) "White Noise" (2013)
Sam Smith singles chronology
"When It's Alright" (2009) "Latch" (2012) "Lay Me Down" (2013)

Background and composition

Originally, Disclosure thought that "Latch" was "too weird for the radio and not clubby enough for the clubs" because of its time signature. The band stated: "It's in 6/8 time — not even 4/4, the more commonly used time signature for house music." When first hearing Sam Smith's voice, Disclosure thought they were a woman and later were "amazed" that they were not.[3]

Howard has stated that Disclosure is "trying to bring some soul into the songwriting... using jazz chords and interesting melodies instead of boring, stabby EDM triads."[4] According to the sheet music published at MusicNotes.com, "Latch" is composed in the key of F minor with a tempo of 122 beats per minute.[5]

Critical reception

Michael Cragg of The Guardian wrote of the song: "it's a slowly unravelling ode to the thrill of wanting to figuratively (and possibly literally) latch on to someone else."[6] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times viewed the track as one of the duo's "least characteristic" songs, describing it as "less relaxed, more ambitious, more blatantly pop-oriented, with full-bodied vocals".[7] Jamieson Cox lauded the song in The Verge: "Latch" is a "song that remains this decade’s prototypical piece of dance-pop. There’s no such thing as a perfect song, but 'Latch' comes close: it’s economic, beguiling, and precise."[8]

Commercial performance

On 10 October 2012, Greg James announced that "Latch" was at number 39 on The Official Chart Update,[9] officially entering the UK Singles Chart at number 26 on 14 October 2012, climbing 13 places during the course of the week. In its second week, the song climbed nine places to number 17 and in its third climbed five places to number 12; it eventually peaked at number 11 in its fourth week. The song spent a total of 15 weeks within the top 40 and 32 weeks within the top 75. The song has sold over 1,200,000 copies in the UK alone, with it being certified 2× Platinum by the BPI.[10] This puts "Latch" among the best-selling singles to not reach the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. The single was also certified Gold by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.[11]

In 2014, "Latch" became a sleeper hit in the United States. The song was released as their debut single in the United States on 4 February 2014.[12] On the chart dated 2 August, it topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart during its forty-seventh week on the chart, marking the longest trip to the summit of that chart (where it remained through the chart dated 30 August). Having sold 990,000 units at the mid-way point of 2014, "Latch" reigned as one of the top-selling Dance/Electronic Songs according to Nielsen SoundScan.[13] The song became a contemporary hit radio crossover-hit. It was the duo's first, and Smith's second, top 10 single at pop, adult pop, rhythmic, urban and urban AC radio in the US, peaking at numbers three, 10, three and nine respectively. On the chart dated 9 August, "Latch" peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Latch" was first released onto YouTube on 9 October 2012, with a run time of 04:17.[14] The video short was directed by Ross McDowell and Ben Murray of London's Bullion Collective and features scenes of several couples flirting and embracing.[15][16] One of the couples is home inside an apartment, another meet in a crowded elevator and begin to kiss once the others on the elevator have left and the third couple is two young women who meet in a bar. Sam Smith does not appear in the video. As of July 2020, the video has more than 325 million views on YouTube.

Track listings

• Digital download[17]

1. "Latch" (featuring Sam Smith) – 4:16

• Digital remixes[18]

1. "Latch" (T. Williams club remix) – 4:07
2. "Latch" (Jamie Jones remix) – 6:31

• Vinyl[19]

1. "Latch" (featuring Sam Smith) – 4:16
2. "Latch" (T. Williams club edit) – 4:07

• In the Lonely Hour[20]

12. "Latch" (acoustic) – 3:43

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2012–2015) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[21] 47 Australia Dance (ARIA)[22] 6 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] 22 Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[24] 4 Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[25] 36 Belgium Dance (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] 43 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[27] 6 Canada AC (Billboard)[28] 30 Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[29] 2 Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[30] 8 Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[31] 49 Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[32] 24 Denmark (Tracklisten)[33] 13 Euro Digital Songs (Billboard)[34] 14 France (SNEP)[35] 8 Ireland (IRMA)[36] 35 Mexico Airplay (Billboard)[37] 18 Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[38] 6 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[39] 60 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[40] 39 Scotland (OCC)[41] 22 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[42] 58 Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[43] 15 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[44] 30 UK Singles (OCC)[45] 11 UK Dance (OCC)[46] 3 US Billboard Hot 100[2] 7 US Adult R&B Songs (Billboard)[47] 10 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[48] 10 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[49] 32 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[50] 1 US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)[51] 31 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[52] 3 US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[53] 5 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[54] 3

Year-end charts Chart (2012) Position Australia Dance (ARIA)[55] 41 Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[56] 66 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[57] 101 Chart (2013) Position Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[58] 51 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[59] 95 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[60] 54 Chart (2014) Position Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[61] 38 France (SNEP)[62] 100 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[63] 53 US Billboard Hot 100[64] 28 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[65] 5 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[66] 14 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[67] 23 Chart (2015) Position US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[68] 33 Chart (2019) Position Portugal (AFP)[69] 1128 Decade-end charts Chart (2010–2019) Position US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[70] 23 Certifications and sales Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[71] Platinum 70,000^^ Canada (Music Canada)[72] 2× Platinum 160,000^* Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[73] Gold 45,000 Italy (FIMI)[74] 2× Platinum 60,000^* New Zealand (RMNZ)[75] Gold 7,500^* Sweden (GLF)[76] 2× Platinum 80,000 United Kingdom (BPI)[10] 2× Platinum 1,200,000 United States (RIAA)[77] 3× Platinum 3,000,000 Streaming Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[78] Platinum 1,800,000 ^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United Kingdom	8 October 2012[79]	Digital download	PMR
United States	4 February 2014[12]	Mainstream radio	Cherrytree Interscope
	11 March 2014[80]	Rhythmic contemporary

References

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5. Disclosure "Latch" Sheet Music. musicnotes.com
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External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics