“Sledgehammer” is a song recorded by American girl group Fifth Harmony. It was released on October 28, 2014 as the second single from their upcoming debut studio album Reflection (2015).
Background
On October 23, 2014, Fifth Harmony announced ‘Sledgehammer’ as the second single off their debut album, Reflection, during a live stream event. The song was written by Jonas Jeberg, Meghan Trainor, and Sean Douglas, and produced by Jeberg and Harvey Mason, Jr.. It’s about the kind of love that just can’t be contained and forces you to let go. On the behind-the-scenes of the song’s music video, they said they “decided to with ‘Sledgehammer’ for our second single because our album has such a variety of sounds, and we all like completely different genres… the transition from ‘Bo$$’ to ‘Sledgehammer’ just shows how eclectic our sound is. And it’s a relatable concept, just being with the person that you like, and feeling your heart beat like a sledgehammer.”
Music video
The music video was uploaded to Fifth Harmony’s official Vevo account on November 25, 2014. It was directed and choreographed by Fatima Robinson, who also directed the music video for ‘Bo$$’. Scenes in the video include a swing set, an unicorn sculpture, and a silhouetted man swinging a sledgehammer.
Critical reception
Jason Lipshutz of Billboard gave a positive review saying, “Fifth Harmony’s second offering from its upcoming debut is already known as “the single written by Meghan Trainor,” who nailed this girl-group track. With an EDM-meets-new-wave beat and an immediate hook, “Sledgehammer” is the best pop track about the physical effects of lovesickness since Demi Lovato’s “Heart Attack.””
Mike Wass of Idolator called it “a sugary sweet synth-pop anthem with serious radio appeal”. Jessica Hyndman of MTV gave a positive review, saying “Sledgehammer takes on a fun pop vibe, vastly different from the girls’ hip-hop banger Bo$$ and last year’s Miss Movin’ On”. Teen Vogue called it their “favorite song the girl group’s released….ever”. Lucas Villa of AXS favorably compared the song to Ciara’s “Overdose” and added that “‘Sledgehammer’ fittingly sounds like it could be [Fifth Harmony’s] true breakthrough.” Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly stated on a positive review referring to the chorus’ lyrics that “if that troublesome heart rate is the secret to creating club-ready delights like this, may they never get that checked out.”
Carolyn Menyes of Music Times gave a mixed-negative review saying, “Fifth Harmony didn’t get its band name randomly - these girls can meld their five distinctive voices perfectly. The resulting chorus makes for a sparkling, jangling and endearing musical moment. As for the rest of the song, “Sledgehammer” falls completely into average territory. The mid-tempo pop ballad lacks the pizazz and sass of lead Reflection single “BO$$” and, thankfully, it moves away from the slang-friendly and kitschy sampler song “Them Girls Be Like”. There’s something distinctly ’80s about “Sledgehammer,” be it the heavy hand of the synth or the perfectly melded melodies. If there were only a more interesting melody to really bump this song up, it could have been star status”.
Commercial performance
Upon release, the song shot to number three on iTunes, marking the group’s highest peak on the iTunes chart. “Sledgehammer” debuted on the US Mainstream Top 40 at number 28, and peaked at number 22 on December 25, 2014, becoming their highest position on the chart and surpassing their first single, Miss Movin’ On. On December 4, 2014 the song debuted at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100. It rose to a peak of 75 on its fourth week on the chart.
Live performances
On November 9, Fifth Harmony performed “Sledgehammer” for the first time at the pre-show of the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards. On November 12, they performed the song on Good Morning America. That same week, they performed an acoustic version of the song on Access Hollywood Live. On December 16, they performed the song on VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live.
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