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Whatever (Kygo and Ava Max song)

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"Whatever" is a song by Norwegian DJ Kygo and American singer Ava Max. It was released on 19 January 2024 through RCA Records,[1] as the lead single from Kygo's eponymous fifth studio album. The tropical house song was written by both artists alongside Cleo Tighe, Jonah Shy, Petey Martin and Rollo. It contains an interpolation of Shakira's 2001 song "Whenever, Wherever", with lyrics about a breakup; therefore, Shakira, Tim Mitchell and Gloria Estefan are credited as co-writers. The song reached number one in Norway and the top 10 in Sweden.

"Whatever"
Single by Kygo and Ava Max
from the album Kygo
Released19 January 2024 (2024-01-19)
GenreTropical house
Length2:58
LabelRCA
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)
Kygo singles chronology
"Say Say Say"
(2023) 		"Whatever"
(2024) 		"For Life"
(2024)
Ava Max singles chronology
"Choose Your Fighter"
(2023) 		"Whatever"
(2024) 		"My Oh My"
(2024)
Music video
"Whatever" on YouTube

Background and composition

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In early January 2024, Kygo and Max posted snippets of an upcoming collaboration on their social media accounts.[2][3] On 10 January, Kygo announced the release date of the song.[4] "Whatever" was released for digital download and streaming on January 19 through RCA Records and Sony Music.[5] It was written by Kygo, Max, Cleo Tighe, Jonah Shy, Patrick Martin, and Rollo. The chorus interpolates Shakira's 2001 song "Whenever, Wherever". Shakira, Gloria Estefan, and Tim Mitchell were consequently credited as songwriters.[6]

"Whatever" is a tropical house song.[7] The lyrics of the original song's chorus were modified to "Whatever, whatever / We were never good together / I'll be here and you stay there / Truth is, I never cared",[5] making for a "harsh rebuke of the limitless love" presented in the original song.[8] The instrumental is built around an acoustic guitar and a "pumping" kick drum.[5][8]

Critical reception

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The song received mixed reviews from critics. Jason Heffler from EDM.com called the song an "infectious cover" and "a saccharine anthem that will soon dominate dance radio".[5] We Rave You's Chris Vuoncino said to "expect 'Whatever' to be on repeat all year long at festivals and radio stations everywhere".[8] Writing for Billboard, Andrew Unterberger described the song as "an undeniable club smash".[9]

Less positively, Exclaim!'s Sydney Brasil wrote that the song's "horrid interpolation" is its "main crime", and that it "turns the [interpolated] track's chorus into a lazy breakup anthem".[7] Marius Ásp from Verdens Gang also criticized the interpolation, describing it as "lazy and uninspired"; he gave the song a 2 out of 5.[10]

Music video

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The music video for "Whatever" was released on January 19, 2024. Directed by Dano Cerny, it is set in a desolate desert highway.[11] The opening scene shows a telephone booth in the middle of the desert, which then frequently cuts between Max and the landscape, leading to a scene where Max, who is wearing a black leather outfit and holding a rosary in one of the hands, starts singing as she walks away from a car. After the first chorus, reflective blue gems start floating around the singer, who is now wearing a black dress with a necklace containing three crosses. The video ends with the blue gems merging and showing a reflection of Max.

Live performances

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Kygo and Max first performed "Whatever" together on 13 February 2024 on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[12][13]

Track listing

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  • Digital download / streaming[14]
  1. "Whatever" – 2:58
  • Digital download / streaming – Tiësto remix[15]
  1. "Whatever" (Tiësto remix) – 2:45
  • Digital download / streaming – The Remixes[16]
  1. "Whatever" (acoustic) – 3:45
  2. "Whatever" (Lavern remix) – 2:46
  3. "Whatever" (Klangkarussell remix) – 8:19
  4. "Whatever" (Frank Walker remix) – 3:04
  5. "Whatever" (Tiësto remix) – 2:45

Personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Whatever"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[80] Platinum 40,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[81] Gold 40,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[82] Gold 45,000‡
France (SNEP)[83] Platinum 200,000‡
Hungary (MAHASZ)[84] Platinum 4,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[85] Gold 50,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[86] Platinum 50,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[87] Gold 30,000‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[88] Platinum 20,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[89] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release dates and formats for "Whatever"
Region Date Format(s) Version Label(s) Ref.
Various 19 January 2024
Original RCA [14]
Italy 26 January 2024 Radio airplay Sony [90]
Various 22 March 2024
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 Tiësto remix RCA
[15]
29 March 2024 The Remixes
[16]

References

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  1. ^ Gonzalez, Rebekah (19 January 2024). "Ava Max & Kygo Reimagine Shakira's Biggest Hit on Infectious New Song". iHeartRadio. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  2. ^ Dov, Yotam (6 January 2024). "Kygo teases tropical house collaboration with Ava Max". We Rave You. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Alba Cordero trae samples míticos (y no tan míticos) de canciones" (in Spanish). Europa FM. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  4. ^ Kygo [@kygomusic] (10 January 2024). "'Whatever with @avamax' out January 19th! Pre-save at link in bio ❤️". Retrieved 21 January 2024 – via Instagram.
  5. ^ a b c d Heffler, Jason (19 January 2024). "Kygo and Ava Max Reinvent Shakira's Smoldering Classic "Whenever, Wherever" for the Dancefloor". EDM.com. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  6. ^ Wróblewski, Rafał (19 January 2024). "Kygo wrócił do starych brzmień! Whatever - piosenka Shakiry w odświeżonej odsłonie!" (in Polish). Radio Eska. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b Brasil, Sydney (19 January 2024). "Kygo and Ava Max's "Whatever" Is Truly Whatever". Exclaim!. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Vuoncino, Chris (19 January 2024). "Kygo and Ava Max channel Shakira on new single "Whatever"". We Rave You. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  9. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (19 January 2024). "Friday Music Guide: Green Day, Nicki Minaj & Future, Bleachers & More". Billboard. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  10. ^ Ásp, Marius (19 January 2024). "Ukens låter: Kygo & Ava Max, Aurora og Kamelen". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  11. ^ Mancino, Mark (23 January 2024). "Kygo & Ava Max Team Up For Anticipated "Whatever" Collab". DJ Life Magazine. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Jimmy Kimmel Live Schedule for the Week of 2/12/2024". ABC. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Kygo & Ava Max – Whatever". 14 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ a b "Whatever - Single by Kygo & Ava Max". Retrieved 21 January 2024 – via Apple Music (US).
  15. ^ a b "Whatever (Tiësto Remix) – Single by Kygo & Ava Max". Retrieved 30 March 2024 – via Apple Music (US).
  16. ^ a b "Whatever (The Remixes) – EP by Kygo". Retrieved 30 March 2024 – via Apple Music (US).
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  48. ^ "TurnTable Nigeria Top 100: February 9th, 2024 - February 15th, 2024". TurnTable. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
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  53. ^ "Media Forest – Weekly Charts. Media Forest. Retrieved September 22, 2024. Note: Select 'Songs – TV'. Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
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  67. ^ "Top Radio Hits Global Monthly Chart: May 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
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  70. ^ "Top Radio Hits Estonia Monthly Chart: April 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  71. ^ "Top Radio Hits Kazakhstan Monthly Chart: June 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  72. ^ "Top Radio Hits Latvia Monthly Chart: March 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  73. ^ "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Monthly Chart: March 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  74. ^ "Top Radio Hits Moldova Monthly Chart: May 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  75. ^ "Top Radio Hits Romania Monthly Chart: March 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  76. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Monthly Chart: July 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
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  81. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Kygo & Ava Max – Whatever". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  82. ^ "Danish single certifications – Kygo & Ava Max – Whatever". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  83. ^ "French single certifications – Kygo & Ava Max – Whatever" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  84. ^ "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2024" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  85. ^ "Italian single certifications – Kygo & Ava Max – Whatever" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 22 October 2024. Select "2024" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Whatever" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  86. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 October 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Whatever in the search box.
  87. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Kygo & Ava Max – Whatever". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  88. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Whatever')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  89. ^ "British single certifications – Kygo & Ava Max – Whatever". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  90. ^ Sisti, Sara (19 January 2024). "Kygo, Ava Max - Whatever (Radio Date: 26-01-2024)". EarOne (in Italian). Retrieved 21 January 2024.
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