I Don't Believe You

Not to be confused with I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met).

"I Don't Believe You" is a song by American recording artist Pink. It was released as the sixth single from her fifth studio album, Funhouse.^[1]

"I Don't Believe You"
Single by Pink
from the album Funhouse
Released	October 5, 2009
Recorded	2008
Genre	Soft rock
Length	4:36 (album version) 3:50 (radio edit)
Label	LaFace
Songwriter(s)	Pink Max Martin
Producer(s)	Max Martin
Pink singles chronology
"Funhouse" (2009) "I Don't Believe You" (2009) "Glitter in the Air" (2010)
Music video
"I Don't Believe You" on YouTube
Audio sample
A sample of the song, in which Pink sings the chorus file help

Music and lyrics

"I Don't Believe You" is set in common time and played in the key of A-flat major.^[2] The guitar and piano are used for the background music, while Pink's voice follows the A♭ —Fm7—Cm—D♭—A♭ chord progression.^[2] Pink explained on her website that, lyrically, the song is about pleading for reconciliation, and is her favourite song from Funhouse "because it's just so naked. It's like taking a deep breathe and saying, 'Here I am. Take me. Take your best shot'."^[3] She went on to explain that:

"The first thing that comes to my mind with I Don't Believe You is me standing in the vocal booth listening... Actually in the control room listening to this song, tears running down my face, just like 'fuck, really?' It's the vulnerable weak side of me that I don't let out very often. And it's [sighs], yeah it's that song. And I love it, I love it. I just love it, it's very near and dear to me."^[3]

Critical reception

Jonathan Keefe from Slant Magazine praised the song, notably its sparse electric guitar riff and Pink's "phenomenal vocal turn that is both vulnerable and accusatory",^[4] while New York Times reporter Jon Caramanica claimed "I Don't Believe You" swells like a classic soul ballad, as Pink pleads for a lover to reconsider walking away.^[5] On another side, Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine gave a negative review, claiming the song is a "goopy ballad", which makes the singer sound like "just another big-voiced chart-buster", and that she has shown more personality on previous singles.^[6]

Music video

The music video for "I Don't Believe You", directed by Sophie Muller, was shot in September 2009 in Los Angeles, California.^[7] The music video premiered in October 2009.^[8][9][10] The video is in black and white, it features Pink in the wedding dress she wore to her actual wedding to Carey Hart in 2006, and a diamond encrusted wedding gown as she searches for her lover, to no avail. Scenes include her lying down in the dress, rollerblading around what appears to be the inside of a church (The Los Angeles Theater), singing to an empty wedding dining room, crying over an empty wedding album and singing to herself in front of the mirror.

Live performances

On September 16, 2009, Pink performed "I Don't Believe You" along with "Funhouse" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!^[11] She also performed the song on February 5, 2010, on The Oprah Winfrey Show.^[12] The song was also performed on the Funhouse Tour.

Track listing

Digital download and Australian CD single^[13]

1. "I Don't Believe You" (album version) – 4:35
2. "I Don't Believe You" (music video)

German CD single^[14]

1. "I Don't Believe You" (album version) – 4:35
2. "I Don't Believe You" (live in Australia) – 4:14

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from CD single line cover and Tidal.^[15][16]

Personnel

• Pink – songwriting, vocals
• Max Martin – songwriting, production, bass, guitar, record engineering
• Shellback – acoustic guitar, percussion
• Henrik Janson – arranger, conductor
• Ulf Janson – arranger, conductor
• Stockholm Session Strings – strings
• Al Clay – engineering
• John Hanes – engineering
• dag lundquist – engineering
• Chris Galland – assistant engineering
• Doug Tyo – assistant engineering
• Tim Roberts – assistant engineering
• Tommy Anderson – assistant engineering
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• Tom Coyne – mastering

Management

• Pink – A&R
• Craig Logan – A&R
• Rogen Davies – management

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Don't Believe You"

Chart (2009–2010)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[17]	23
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18]	15
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[19]	7
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20]	66
CIS Airplay (TopHit)[21]	153
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[22]	4
Denmark (Tracklisten)[23]	36
European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[24]	50
Germany (GfK)[25]	17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26]	70
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27]	23
Portugal Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[28]	7
Scotland (OCC)[29]	54
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30]	11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31]	33
UK Singles (OCC)[32]	62
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[33]	17

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[34]	Platinum	70,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[35]	Gold	40,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "I Don't Believe You"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	October 5, 2009	Hot adult contemporary radio	LaFace RCA	[36]
Australia	October 19, 2009	Digital download	Sony Music	[37]
United Kingdom	October 23, 2009		LaFace	[38]
Australia	October 26, 2009	CD	Sony Music	[39]
United Kingdom	November 2, 2009		LaFace	[40]
Germany	November 27, 2009	CD digital download	Sony Music	[25][41]

References

1. "I Don't Believe You". Sanity.com.au. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
2. "Pink - I Don't Believe You Sheet Music". Music Notes. Alfred Music Publishing. 11 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
3. "I Don't Believe You by Pink". Songfacts. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
4. Keefe, Jonathan (2008-10-26). "Pink: Funhouse Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
5. Caramanica, Jon (2008-10-26). "New CDs". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
6. Hoard, Christian (2009-10-30). "Funhouse: Pink: Review: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
7. "Pink In A Wedding Dress! Check Out Pics From Her New Music Video". RadarOnline.com. 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
8. "Pink: "I Don't Believe You" Music Video : Pop Music Scene - Covering all aspects of popular music". Pop Music Scene. 2009-10-15. Archived from the original on 2012-03-27. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
9. "I Don't Believe You | P!nk | Music Video". MTV. 2009-10-26. Archived from the original on October 28, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
10. "Pink 'I Don't Believe You' Video". popdirt.com. 2009-10-26. Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
11. "Pink Performs 'Funhouse' & 'I Don't Believe You'". popdirt.com. 2009-09-17. Archived from the original on 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
12. "Pink Performs "I Don't Believe You" Video". Archived from the original on 2010-02-08.
13. Pink (2009). I Don't Believe You (CD single). Sony Music Australia.
14. Pink (2009). I Don't Believe You (CD single). Sony Music Germany.
15. "Pink - I Don't Believe You". Amazon. Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
16. "Credits / Funhouse / P!nk". Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Tidal.
17. "P!nk – I Don't Believe You". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
18. "P!nk – I Don't Believe You" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
19. "P!nk – I Don't Believe You" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
20. "P!nk Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
21. P!nk — I Don't Believe You. TopHit. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
22. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 7. týden 2010 in the date selector. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
23. "P!nk – I Don't Believe You". Tracklisten.
24. "Pink – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Pink. ^{[dead link‍]}
25. "P!nk – I Don't Believe You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
26. "P!nk – I Don't Believe You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
27. "Nederlandse Top 40 – P!nk" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
28. "P!nk Chart History (Portugal Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. ^{[dead link‍]}
29. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
30. "P!nk – I Don't Believe You". Singles Top 100.
31. "P!nk – I Don't Believe You". Swiss Singles Chart.
32. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
33. "Pink Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
34. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2018 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
35. "Canadian single certifications – Pink – I Don't Believe You". Music Canada. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
36. "R&R :: Going For Adds :: Hot AC". Gfa.radioandrecords.com. October 5, 2009. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
37. "ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 19th October 2009" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. 1025. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 19, 2009. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2023 – via Pandora archive.
38. "I Don't Believe You: Pink". United Kingdom: Amazon Music. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
39. "ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 26th October 2009" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. 1026. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 26, 2009. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2023 – via Pandora archive.
40. "Key Releases". Music Week. October 31, 2009. p. 52.
41. "I Don't Believe You – Single" (in German). Germany: iTunes Store. November 27, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2023 – via Apple Music.