Billboard: The song of brotherly love that makes men cry

In the movie Furious 7, the song See you again was sung to commemorate a brother in the film crew who unfortunately passed away. In real life, young singer Charlie Puth also composed the song with inspiration from a deceased friend.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the song makes so many audiences cry.

See You Again, a collaboration between rapper Wiz Khalifa and singer Charlie Puth, has an addictive chorus and backing track. The song became a global sensation, toppling Uptown Funk!'s 14-week reign at the top of the Billboard charts, setting many records, most notably selling 2 million copies in the first 10 days. The song has also been streamed 4.2 million times on Spotify as of April 13.

The song catapulted 23-year-old Charlie Puth to stardom. But See You Again wouldn't be nearly as memorable if it weren't the year's most moving song about brotherhood and friendship.

The prophecy came true

In March 2012, Puth, then a music student, went to see a fortune teller with a friend when the power went out in their shared apartment. The fortune teller told Puth that he would have a number one single in his future.

Memories of that Boston night returned to Puth last month, when See You Again was on its way to becoming America's biggest single. Puth's soulful vocals echoed across the country, along with the hype surrounding the blockbuster car-racing action film Furious 7.

Paul Walker in the final scene of Furious 7

Puth co-wrote the song with Khalifa as a tribute to the late actor Paul Walker. Furious 7 was released on April 3, and by the end of April, See You Again had reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, after only 3 weeks.

Puth made history, at least on a local scale. In his native New Jersey, only one other singer has ever topped Billboard. And that's a very big name: Bruce Springsteen.

In addition to New Jersey, See You Again also reached international heights, reaching number one in the UK, Germany, Australia and more than 10 other countries.

Singer cries, audience sheds tears

Coincidentally, Puth was also thinking of a friend who had died in a car accident when he wrote the song, just like Walker. He was chosen to sing it for that reason. As the author of the melody and the emotional lyrics, Puth would be better able to express the song's emotions.

Puth had only been in Los Angeles for two days when he was assigned the task. He walked into the studio with DJ Frank E without knowing what to do. But the feeling came naturally. "I thought, 'Why don't I express that feeling with a piano piece?' And that piece became the melody of 'See You Again,'" Puth recalls.

Catching the emotion, Puth sang "After a long day. We meet again". At that moment, he and Frank E looked at each other, feeling like they had known each other for 10 years, even though they had just met.

Ten minutes later, the two had written the song and sent it to the film's producer. Not only did the producer approve, they also added Wiz Khalifa and a rap verse to the record.

Singer Charlie Puth

The song was used for the most important scene in the film: Walker's final scene in the final minutes. The audience cried for both the character and the actor behind the role. As they left, they continued to cry for the song.

Puth himself cried because of the emotions the song brought. "It was the first time I cried because of a song I wrote myself. It was surreal," he said.

The song is sad but not mournful, it does not make people feel like they have just left a funeral with a feeling of loneliness. On the contrary, See You Again is filled with camaraderie, a strong motivation for people to move on. Their close friend has left, but the feeling of loss is not clear, but an affirmation, a promise of reunion.

In that spirit, actor Vin Diesel (a leading actor of Furious 7 and a close friend of Paul Walker in real life) sang this song for his late friend. This is one of the most loved covers of See You Again.

Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 chart week 2/5:

1. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth

2. Uptown Funk! - Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

3. Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Gray) - The Weeknd

4. Sugar - Maroon 5

5. Trap Queen - Fetty Wap

6. Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding

7. Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

8. Shut Up And Dance - WALK THE MOON

9. GDFR - Flo Rida Featuring Sage The Gemini & Lookas

10. Somebody - Natalie La Rose and Jeremih

According to thethaovanhoa.vn