Somebody to Love

"Somebody to Love" is a song by American actress and singer Leighton Meester featuring Robin Thicke. Written by Meester, Thicke, Mike Caren, Ollie Goldstein, Rico Love and Shahine Ezell, and produced by Caren, the song was released as Meester's debut single on October 14, 2009, by Universal Republic Records. The song was featured in the ninth episode of the third season of the television series Gossip Girl (in which Meester starred as Blair Waldorf), titled "They Shoot Humphreys, Don't They?" and originally aired November 9, 2009. It is also included on the soundtrack to the 2010 film Valentine's Day. Composition "Somebody to Love" is a midtempo electropop song that combines Meester's "pop-electronica vibe" with Thicke's "smooth R&B stylings". The track contains a synth-driven sing-along chorus, and was said to "[hark] back to Madonna's early-'90s dance music". Meester told MTV News that the song is "basically about how I can't get any—I can't find anyone to love." In an interview for On Air with Ryan Seacrest on October 13, 2009—where the song was premiered—Meester said, "I really wanted to make something that's completely different from anything that's on the radio right now. I feel like it's really dancy and fun, but it's still laid back and relaxed and moody and sexy." Of the single, songwriter Love told MTV News, "I was honored when I found out that my record was chosen to be Leighton's first single. It's exciting to be able to show a different side of my work and me." Critical reception Sarah MacRory of Billboard described the song as "a carefully constructed ode to vintage Madonna—particularly in its 'Vogue'-like verses, where Meester semi-raps rather than sings. The lyrics are lovelorn, as she celebrates her jet-setter lifestyle but also mourns her inability to settle down." She noted Thicke's cameo as "[t]he song's high point", as he "delivers a catchy chorus that cries out for a sped-up dance remix." Pitchfork Stephen M. Deusner, however, gave it a mixed review, praising Meester's "sleepy/sexy delivery" but criticizing her "very narrow" vocal range and her "[mangling of] simple French pronunciation", referring to her pronunciation of the French phrase "Je t'adore" ("I adore you").