Jump to content

Jerusalema

For the 2008 South African film of the same name, see Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema.

"Jerusalema"
Single by Master KG featuring Nomcebo
from the album Jerusalema
LanguageZulu
Released
  • 29 November 2019 (2019-11-29)
  • 10 July 2020 (2020-07-10) (radio edit)
Recorded2019
Genre
Length
  • 5:42 (album version)
  • 3:08 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Master KG
Master KG singles chronology
"Remember"
(2019) 		"Jerusalema"
(2019) 		"My Love"
(2020)
Nomcebo singles chronology
"Imizamo Yami"
(2019) 		"Jerusalema"
(2019) 		"Kobanini"
(2020)
Burna Boy singles chronology
"Own It (Remix)"
(2020) 		"Jerusalema (Remix)"
(2020) 		"Wonderful"
(2020)
Remix cover
Music videos
"Jerusalema" on YouTube
"Jerusalema" (Burna Boy remix) on YouTube

"Jerusalema" is a song by South African DJ and record producer, Master KG featuring South African vocalist Nomcebo. The upbeat gospel-influenced house song was initially released on 29 November 2019 after it garnered positive response online, with a music video following on 21 December. The music video of the song has generated half a billion views on YouTube. It was later included on Master KG's second album of the same title, released in January 2020.[1] A single edit was released on streaming services on 10 July 2020,[2] after it went viral during mid-2020, garnering international reaction due to the #JerusalemaChallenge. A remix featuring Nigerian singer Burna Boy was released on 19 June 2020. It reached number one in Belgium, Netherlands, Romania and Switzerland, while peaking in the top ten of multiple other European countries. A second remix featuring Venezuelan singer Micro TDH and Colombian singer Greeicy was released on 17 September 2020.[3]

At the third ceremony of the African Entertainment Awards USA "Jerusalema" won the Song of the Year award.[4]

Background

The song was recorded on 11 August 2019, and after being posted on social media, it received positive responses from fans. Master KG said he called "his sister Nomcebo to come so we can finish the song". The finished version was then uploaded to YouTube in October and officially released on 29 November.[5][6] It surpassed one million views in its first week.[5] The official music video was released on 21 December 2019.[7] After it went viral, the song was released to streaming services on 10 July by Elektra France and Warner France.[2] Upon its release, some deemed it a "tavern" song. Master KG stated: "Some call it tavern music, and I said, 'It's okay, wait and let me show what tavern music can do to the world'".[8] During late 2019, it had become a favourite in South African clubs.[9] Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, Master KG had travelled to Portugal to promote his album, and said he put more emphasis on the song's dance during his shows.[10]

Composition

Although it has "religious-leaning" lyrics, "Jerusalema" is an upbeat[9] disco-house track[5][11][12] containing "deep", "spiritual",[13] gospel lyrics.[14][15] Lyrically, as noted by OkayAfrica's Rufaro Samanga, "it speaks about Jerusalem being the home of many religious believers". The remix sees Burna Boy incorporating his signature Afrobeats style,[9] singing part of his verse in Zulu and part in Yoruba[16] while emphasizing the unity of African artists.[15]

Critical reception

The song received largely positive reviews from music critics. Zkhiphani's Mandisa Ntsindee opined that the song "has reached heights no other South African song has ever in the past", calling Nomcebo a "powerhouse vocalist" and said "the South African music scene has been preparing for this exact kind of exposure with a song that is fiercely ours".[13] Music in Africa named it "without [a] doubt" one of the biggest South African house songs of 2020, with the magazine's Ano Shumba stating "Nomcebo has cemented her presence on the local house music scene".[12] Rufaro Samanga of OkayAfrica called the remix "a straight banger".[9]

Royalty dispute

In July 2021 Nomcebo Zikode claimed that she had not received any payment from her record label, Open Mic Production. The label responded that this was the result of an unresolved dispute over the percentage split between Nomcebo and Master KG.[17][18]

Impact

Master KG's Spotify followers increased to over 1.2 million following the rising popularity of the song.[7] Various covers performed around the world with different instruments and sung in a variety of languages have also been uploaded on YouTube, attracting their own popularity.[14][10] The song was also picked up by radio stations around the world. Between 26 August 2020 and 23 September 2020, the top three countries with the highest number of radio plays were Italy (with 16586 radio plays), France (with 15440 radio plays), and Germany (with 2411 radio plays). However, it has also had an impact in countries such as Curaçao (235 radio plays), Israel (50 radio plays), and Thailand (47 radio plays).[19]

Dance challenge

An accompanying dance challenge, attributed to a group of Angolan friends performing the choreography in a candid video,[10] helped the song go viral online.[20] The #JerusalemaChallenge, which has been compared to the Macarena,[21] spawned dance videos from across many countries, including the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Romania, Spain, France, Jamaica, Canada, the United States, Sri Lanka and Israel, in particular in Jerusalem itself.[7][10][14][22] In Germany, workers paid tribute to Berlin’s Tegel Airport by dancing to Jerusalema on the tarmac and in the now-shuttered terminal.[23][24] The Swiss Federal Office of Police challenged the Irish Garda Síochána to the Jerusalema dance challenge, which they accepted. The video was well received in the two countries with the Swiss police flying the Irish flag at their headquarters for the day.[25]

The challenge faced a major drawback when Warner Music Group began to ask for copyright compensation for using the song.[26]

Music video

The song's official music video was released onto YouTube on 21 December 2019.[7] By 27 August the video had passed 100 million views,[27] half a year later it passed already 300 million views, a rare feat for South African artists.[7]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Jerusalema'
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[88] Gold 45,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[89] 4× Platinum 200,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[90] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[91] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[92] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Certifications for "Jerusalema" (Burna Boy remix)
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[93] Gold 15,000‡
Belgium (BEA)[94] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
France (SNEP)[95] Diamond 333,333‡
Germany (BVMI)[96] Platinum 400,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[97] 4× Platinum 280,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[98] 2× Platinum 20,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Jerusalema by Master KG on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020 – via Apple Music.
  2. ^ a b "Jerusalema (feat. Nomcebo Zikode) [Edit] - Single by Master KG on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020 – via Apple Music.
  3. ^ "Jerusalema (feat. Micro TDH & Greeicy & Nomcebo Zikode) [Remix] - Single de Master KG". Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via Apple Music.
  4. ^ Ilado, Lucy (22 December 2020). "Africa Entertainment Awards USA 2020: All the winners". Music In Africa. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Baxter, Jenni (25 July 2020). "The South African Gospel Song That's Become A Global Hit: Jerusalema by Master KG Jenni BaxterJul 25, 2020". SA People. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  6. ^ Legodi, Tlou (20 July 2020). "Master KG's song Jerusalema is taking the world by storm". 702. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Master KG's 'Jerusalema' reaches over 50m views on YouTube". IOL. 26 July 2020. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  8. ^ Kekana, Chrizelda (20 July 2020). "Master KG's track continues to make waves globally". Times Live. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d Samanga, Rufaro (19 June 2020). "Listen to Master KG and Nomcebo's 'Jerusalema' Remix Featuring Burna Boy". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d "It reminds me of the 'Macarena' - Master KG on 'Jerusalema' going global". Times Live. 20 July 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  11. ^ Ngcobo, Nokuthula (18 July 2020). "WATCH: Master KG's Jerusalema is a hit in France and Romania". ECR. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  12. ^ a b Shumba, Ano (9 July 2020). "Top SA house songs of 2020". Music in Africa. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  13. ^ a b Ntsinde, Mandisa (July 2020). "WATCH: Master KG's Viral Single, "Jerusalema" & Its Spectacular Global Rise". Zkhiphani. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  14. ^ a b c Ngcobo, Nokuthula (26 July 2020). "WATCH: Nuns and priests dance to 'Jerusalema' by Master KG". ECR. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  15. ^ a b Mavuso, Karabo (29 June 2020). "Master KG's Jerusalem gets 30 million views on YouTube!". News24. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  16. ^ "Burna Boy Adds Sauce To Master KG And Nomcebo's "Jerusalema" Remix". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 19 June 2020. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Nomcebo Zikode: "I have not been paid a cent by the label for Jerusalema"". News24. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  18. ^ Mphande, Joy (7 October 2021). "'Jerusalema' singer Nomcebo has no 'beef' with Master KG — she just wants her money". TimesLive. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  19. ^ "'Jerusalema' the South African gospel song which has the world dancing". 24 September 2020. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  20. ^ "SA artist's 'Jerusalema' song takes world by storm". CapeTownEtc. 21 July 2020. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  21. ^ Jolly, Tamlyn (25 July 2020). "WATCH: Empangeni takes on Jerusalema dance challenge". Zululand Observer. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  22. ^ "#JerusalemaDanceChallenge performed in Jerusalem!". www.youtube.com. 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  23. ^ "Flughafen Berlin TXL Jerusalem Abschied - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Verabschieden Vom Flughafen TegelTXL Berlin ab 30/10/2020 - Meine Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  25. ^ "'We're all Irish in Switzerland today' - dancing Gardaí win praise for Jerusalema Challenge". www.newstalk.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  26. ^ "»Jerusalema Challenge« kostet Organisationen nachträglich Geld" (in German). Spiegel. 15 February 2021. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  27. ^ "Viral track Jerusalema hits 100 million views on YouTube". News24. 27 August 2020. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  28. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  31. ^ "Burna Boy Chart History - Canadian Digital Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  32. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 14. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  33. ^ "Burna Boy Chart History - Euro Digital Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  34. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  35. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  36. ^ "Burna Boy Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  37. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  38. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  39. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  40. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  41. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  42. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 43, 2020" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  43. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  44. ^ "Top 20 Nicaragua – Del 2 al 8 de Noviembre, 2020" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  45. ^ "Top 20 Panamá – Del 5 al 11 de Octubre, 2020" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  46. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  47. ^ "TOP 100 - Lista". Audiogest. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  48. ^ Arvunescu, Victor (28 September 2020). "Top Airplay 100 - La vremuri noi, lideri noi, chiar şi în muzică!" [Top Airplay 100 – New times, new leaders, even in music!] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  49. ^ "Top 50 – Radio San Marino RTV – 15/08/2020" (in Italian). San Marino RTV. 15 August 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  50. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  51. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 8. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  52. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 9. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  53. ^ "South Africa - Radio airplay chart". Radiomonitor. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  54. ^ "Top 100 Canciones: Semana 40". Productores de Música de España. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  55. ^ "Nationale Top 40 Suriname: Top 5 – 24 September 2020". Nationale Top 40 Suriname. 17 September 2020. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  56. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 8" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. 2021. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  57. ^ "Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema (Remix)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  58. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  59. ^ "Burna Boy Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  60. ^ "Burna Boy Chart History - World Digital Songs Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  61. ^ "Ö3 Austria Top40 Jahrescharts 2020". Ö3 Austria Top 40. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  62. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2020". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  63. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2020". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  64. ^ "Top de l'année Top Singles 2020" (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  65. ^ "Top 100 Jahrescharts 2020". GfK Entertainment (in German). mtv.de. Archived from the original on 17 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  66. ^ "Single Top 100 - eladási darabszám alapján - 2020". Mahasz. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  67. ^ "Top Of The Music 2020: 'Persona' Di Marracash È L'album Piú Venduto" (Download the attachment and open the singles file) (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. 7 January 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  68. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2020" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 27 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  69. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2020" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  70. ^ "Airplay 100 Topul Anului 2020" (in Romanian). Kiss FM. Archived from the original on 27 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  71. ^ "Top 100 Songs Annual 2020" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  72. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2020". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  73. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  74. ^ "Ö3-Austria Top40 Single-Jahrescharts 2021". Ö3 Austria Top 40. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  75. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2021". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  76. ^ "Top de l'année Top Singles 2021" (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  77. ^ "Jahrescharts 2021". GfK Entertainment charts. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  78. ^ "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  79. ^ "Dance Top 100 - 2021". Mahasz. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  80. ^ "Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2021". Mahasz. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  81. ^ "Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2021" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  82. ^ "JAAROVERZICHTEN - Airplay 2021". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  83. ^ "Top 1000 Singles + EPs Digitais: Semanas 01 a 52 de 2021" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  84. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 2021". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  85. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2021". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  86. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  87. ^ "Dance Top 100 - a hazai DJ-k játszásai alapján - 2022" (in Hungarian). Association of Hungarian Record Companies (MAHASZ). Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  88. ^ "Danish single certifications – Master KG feat. Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  89. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 December 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Jerusalema in the search box.
  90. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Master KG feat. Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  91. ^ "British single certifications – Master Kg ft Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  92. ^ "American single certifications – Master KG – Jerusalema". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  93. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Master KF feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  94. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2021". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  95. ^ "French single certifications – Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  96. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode; 'Jerusalema')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  97. ^ "Italian single certifications – Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 29 November 2021. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Jerusalema" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  98. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Master KG feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode – Jerusalema" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.Wik.ipedia.Pro.org/w/index.php?title=Jerusalema&oldid=1254718445"

See what we do next...

OR

By submitting your email or phone number, you're giving mschf permission to send you email and/or recurring marketing texts. Data rates may apply. Text stop to cancel, help for help.

Success: You're subscribed now !