The ballad came to the attention of Christina Aguilera after it was used by Amy Yakima on So You Think You Can Dance in September 2013. The songstress was so impressed with the song that she asked to be included on a revised version for A Great Big World's debut album, Is There Anybody Out There? Within a week Vaccarino and Axel found themselves in a LA studio with the pop icon, where the trio re-recorded the tune in a couple of hours. Aguilera also took to the stage with the pair to perform the song live on the November 5th episode of The Voice.
This ballad is a stark contrast to many of the EDM-flavored hits of the time. It relies on compelling lyrics, using a piano throughout as the lead instrument. The piano intro lasts 15 seconds before the vocals come in, and when they do, it's with the chorus, which includes the hook line of the song, "Say something, I'm giving up on you." This adds intrigue to the song, as we wonder who this couple is and how they arrived at this crossroads in their relationship. The chorus repeats two more times, with the second line changing from "I'll be the one, if you want me to" to "I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you." The final chorus is extended, as the song closes with the title.
Aguilera was clearly inspired by the song, reaching out to Vaccarino and Axel herself and asking them to duet. "We got this beautiful email from Christina saying how she didn't want to take over the song at all," Vaccarino revealed to MTV News. "She wanted to let it be in the space that it was already in; she just wanted to add this texture."
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