When We

"When We" is a song by American singer Tank. It was released on June 16, 2017, as the first single from his eighth studio album, Savage (2017).^[1] Tank co-wrote the track with J. Valentine and Cardiak, the latter also produced it. The music video premiered in August 2017.

"When We"
Single by Tank
from the album Savage
Released	June 16, 2017 (2017-06-16)
Length	5:09
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Durrell Babbs Carl McCormick Johnnie Newt
Producer(s)	Cardiak
Tank singles chronology
"#BDAY" (2016) "When We" (2017) "Dream About You" (2017)
Music video
"When We" on YouTube

Tank performed "When We" at the Soul Train Music Awards in November 2017. The official remix of the song featuring American singers Trey Songz and Ty Dolla Sign was released in February 2018, with the music video premiered in the next month.

Background

While talking about the inspiration behind the song in an interview with Genius, Tank said;

"The track really did it for me. I met Cardiak at Rooftop at a party in LA. He’s like, "I got that fire." I said, "You got the fire?" He said, "I got that fire." He’s talking about, "I’ll be on your album." I said, "Hm, interesting." Let me hear your work. He sent me a load of maybe five or six tracks, and this was one of ‘em. I went to the studio, Jerry Wonda Studio Platinum Sound. I just turned the track on. I said, "This sounds like the soundtrack to when some fucking starts happening." You don’t necessarily wanna play trap music if you trying to have a sexy moment, but you do wanna get mildly aggressive. You know what I’m saying?."^[2]

Critical reception

Sydney Scott from Essence wrote that the song "feels like a sexy return to pure R&B, a soundtrack to a romantic evening that ends in the bedroom".^[3] Courtney Bryant of Parle gave a positive review to the song saying it "has a sensual vibe to it" and "definitely delivers just as much as his past work, if not better".^[4]

Promotion

The music video for "When We" premiered via Tank's YouTube channel on August 16, 2017.^[5] While talking about the video in an interview with Billboard, Tank said: "Well, I wanted the song to sound literal. But, I also wanted people to explore their horizons, in terms of their sexuality. I think sometimes people can be basic in these moments. And, it is not because they are trying to be basic. Sometimes, you just get accustomed to doing a certain thing all the time. And it works for you. Sometimes we forget to be creative [in bed]. We forget to use our imagination. So, even though the song has a very literal word, that word can go so many different ways. That is what I wanted to show. How deep, and how dark this word can be. And, how beautiful at the same time."^[6]

Tank performed the song live at the Soul Train Music Awards in November 2017.^[7] On February 2, 2018, in an Instagram livestream Tank teased the remix of "When We" featuring American singers Trey Songz and Ty Dolla Sign.^[8] He released it on February 13, 2018.^[9] The music video for the remix, directed by J Valentine and BenMarc, premiered on March 16, 2018.^[10]

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "When We" Chart (2017) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100^[11] 78 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[12] 35 US Adult R&B Songs (Billboard)^[13] 1

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "When We" Chart (2017) Position US Adult R&B Songs (Billboard)^[14] 18 Chart (2018) Position US Adult R&B Songs (Billboard)^[15] 1

Certifications

Certifications of "When We"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[16]	Platinum	1,000,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for "When We"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Ref.
United States	June 16, 2017	Digital download	Atlantic	^[17]

References

1. "When We - Single by Tank". iTunes. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
2. "Tank – When We Lyrics". Genius. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
3. "EXCLUSIVE: Tank Premieres New Single "When We"And Talks DC Pride Performance: 'The LGBT Community Is Part Of Our Community Too'". Essence. June 16, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
4. "Tank Explores Romance On Sexy New Single, "When We"". Parle. June 27, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
5. "Premiere: Tank Lets The Freaky Flag Fly In "When We" Visual". Vibe. August 16, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
6. "Tank Speaks on Success of New Single 'When We,' Working With Aaliyah & Grooming His Artists". Billboard. December 26, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
7. "Tank's Spicy Soul Train Awards Performance Sizzled Seasoned Poon Meats Everywhere". Bossip. November 27, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
8. "The "When We Remix" Is On The Way And You'd Never Guess Who Tank's Recruited". Hip Hop Weekly Radio. February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
9. "Tank – When We (Remix) (feat. Trey Songz & Ty Dolla $ign)". OnSMASH. February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
10. "Tank Drops The Steamy New Video For 'When We Remix' Featuring Trey Songz And Ty Dolla $ign". Essence. March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
11. "Tank Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
12. "Tank Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
13. "Tank Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
14. "2017 Year End Chart: ADULT R&B SONGS". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
15. "2018 Year End Chart: ADULT R&B SONGS". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
16. "American single certifications – Tank – When We". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
17. "When We – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved October 25, 2022.

External links

• Tank - When We Remix feat. Trey Songz & Ty Dolla $ign (Official Music Video) on YouTube