Play Hard

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title: "Play Hard" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2012-songs", "2013-singles", "david-guetta-songs", "ne-yo-songs", "akon-songs", "songs-written-by-david-guetta", "songs-written-by-giorgio-tuinfort", "songs-written-by-akon", "songs-written-by-ne-yo", "songs-written-by-frédéric-riesterer", "songs-written-by-eelke-kalberg", "music-videos-directed-by-andreas-nilsson", "number-one-singles-in-hungary", "song-recordings-produced-by-david-guetta", "parlophone-singles", "songs-written-by-sebastiaan-molijn"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_Hard" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Play Hard
cover	Guetta - Play Hard single.jpg
border	yes
type	single
artist	David Guetta featuring Ne-Yo and Akon
album	Nothing but the Beat 2.0
released	15 March 2013
recorded	1 September 2012
* {{duration	m
* {{duration	m
chronology	David Guetta
prev_title	Just One Last Time
prev_year	2012
next_title	Right Now
next_year	2013
misc	{{Extra chronology
artist	Ne-Yo
type	singles
prev_title	Forever Now
prev_year	2012
title	Play Hard
year	2012
next_title	Tonight
next_year	2013
artist	Akon
type	singles
prev_title	Like Money
prev_year	2012
title	Play Hard
year	2012
next_title	Interstellar
next_year	2015
type	single
file	David Guetta - Play Hard.ogg
description	13 second sample from David Guetta's "Play Hard"
::

Electro house
dance-pop
hip house | length =
(new edit) | label =
Virgin
EMI France
Parlophone | writer =
Shaffer Smith
Aliaune Thiam
David Guetta
Frédéric Riesterer
Giorgio Tuinfort
Sebastiaan Molijn
Eelke Kalberg | producer =
David Guetta
Giorgio Tuinfort
Frédéric Riesterer | chronology = David Guetta | prev_title = Just One Last Time | prev_year = 2012 | next_title = Right Now | next_year = 2013 | misc = {{Extra chronology | artist = Ne-Yo | type = singles | prev_title = Forever Now | prev_year = 2012 | title = Play Hard | year = 2012 | next_title = Tonight | next_year = 2013 | artist = Akon | type = singles | prev_title = Like Money | prev_year = 2012 | title = Play Hard | year = 2012 | next_title = Interstellar | next_year = 2015 | type = single | file = David Guetta - Play Hard.ogg | description = 13 second sample from David Guetta's "Play Hard"

"Play Hard" is a song by French DJ and record producer David Guetta featuring vocals from American singers Ne-Yo and Akon. It was released on 15 March 2013 as the third single from the 2012 re-release of Guetta's fifth studio album, Nothing but the Beat (2011). This is the third collaboration between Guetta and Akon since "Sexy Bitch" in 2009 and "Crank It Up" in 2011. All three artists co-wrote the song along with Frédéric Riesterer and Giorgio Tuinfort, both of whom produced the song with Guetta. It features a prominent synthesizer riff sampled from the 1998 song "Better Off Alone" by Dutch Eurodance project Alice Deejay; as a result, Sebastiaan Molijn and Eelke Kalberg are credited as songwriters.

"Play Hard" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, thus becoming his fourteenth top 10 hit in the UK as a lead artist. It also charted within the top 10 of the charts in several other countries including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland; as well as the top 20 in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and New Zealand.

Music video

An official music video was uploaded to Guetta's official Vevo channel on April 22, 2013. The video uses the New Edit version of the song. Directed by Swede Andreas Nilsson, it generated controversy for its stereotypical portrayal of Mexico. The video and an advertisement from Neon Mixr feature the popular dancers, Les Twins. The video has over 1.1 billion views as of August 2023.

Synopsis

The video takes place in Mexico City, and two guys head to a dealer where they buy pointy cowboy boots to use in a dance competition. Their house has people dancing and cowboys playing dominos with Ne-Yo. They head to the dance competition and the cowboys compete. Eventually, a little boy eating a bag of Takis shows up riding in a Renault Twizy, and he begins dancing and wins the competition.

Track listing

| headline = Digital download | title1 = Play Hard | length1 = 3:21

| headline = Digital download | title1 = Play Hard | note1 = New Edit | length1 = 3:28

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "Play Hard""] | Chart (2012–2014) | Peak position | Colombia (National-Report) | |---|---|---| | Brazil (Billboard Brasil Hot 100) | 46 | | | Brazil (Hot Pop Songs) | 15 | | | 13 | | | | url=http://www.tonlist.is/Music/Chartlist/563/ | title=Netlistinn viku 27, 2013 | publisher=Tónlist | access-date=July 13, 2013 | language=is | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904092356/http://www.tonlist.is/Music/Chartlist/563/ | archive-date=2013-09-04 | url-status=dead }} | 14 | | | Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard) | 2 | | | Mexico Anglo (Monitor Latino) | 9 | | | Romania (Romanian Top 100) | 59 | | | South Korean International Singles (GAON) | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | Venezuela Pop/Rock General (Record Report) | 3 | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="Annual chart rankings for "Play Hard""]

Chart (2013)	Position	Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)	Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)	France (SNEP)	Germany (Official German Charts)	Hungary (Dance Top 40)	Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)	Italy (FIMI)	Russia Airplay (TopHit)	Spain (PROMUSICAE)	Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)	UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)	US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)
39
31
23
25
64
7
40
9
31
36
63
25
184
36
5
21
::

::data[format=table]

Chart (2014)	Position	Hungary (Dance Top 40)
30
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table]

Region	Date	Format
Germany	March 15, 2013
Italy	April 5, 2013	Contemporary hit radio
United States	May 7, 2013	Rhythmic radio
United Kingdom	May 20, 2013	Digital remixes
United States	June 11, 2013	Mainstream radio
::

Sampling controversy

The song prominently samples the synthesizer riff of the 1998 song "Better Off Alone" by Dutch Eurodance project Alice Deejay. Therefore, Sebastiaan Molijn and Eelke Kalberg, the writers of the song and members of the group, are credited as songwriters. However, the song's sample was the subject of plagiarism. In 2016, Julie Sprankles included the song on her list "31 songs you didn't know were (allegedly) plagiarized" for the magazine SheKnows, saying that the song "heavily" samples "Better Off Alone". In her listing, she also stated that the song made her consider the question: "How much sampling is too much sampling?".

References

["Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon) New Edit]: David Guetta". Amazon.de.
(22 April 2013). "David Guetta - Play Hard ft. Akon & Ne-Yo". YouTube.
Taylor, Ken. (2013-04-24). "David Guetta's "Play Hard" video is a treasure trove of high-art influence – Beatport News". News.beatport.com.
"El último video de David Guetta que se burla de los estereotipos mexicanos ha causado polémica". The Clinic Online.
"Causa polémica el nuevo video del Dj David Guetta "Play hard"". Informe21.com.
"David Guetta crea polémica con el video de 'Play Hard'". [[Terra Networks.
"Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon): David Guetta". Amazon.de.
["Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon) New Edit]: David Guetta". Amazon.de.
["Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon) Remixes]: David Guetta". Amazon.de.
"Play Hard (Remixes)". Amazon.de.
(February–March 2014). "Billboard Brasil Hot 100 Airplay". [[Billboard Brasil]].
"Netlistinn viku 27, 2013". [[Tónlist]].
"Luxembourg Digital Songs - October 6, 2012".
(2013-07-21). "Top 20 Inglés Del 15 al 21 de Julio, 2013". Monitor Latinoaccessdate=2018-05-02.
"Airplay 100". [[Kiss FM (Romania)]].
"South Korea Gaon International Chart (Gaon Chart". [[Gaon Chart]].
(June 29, 2013). "Pop Rock General". R.R. Digital C.A..
"Jahreshitparade Singles 2013".
"Jaaroverzichten 2013". Ultratop.
"Rapports Annuels 2013". Ultratop.
"Top de l'année Top Singles 2013". SNEP.
"Top 100 Singles Jahrescharts 2013". [[VIVA (TV station).
"Dance Top 100 - 2013". [[Mahasz]].
"MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 - radios 2013". MAHASZ.
(2013). "Archivio per Anno". [[FIMI]].
"Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart 2013". [[TopHit]].
"Top 50 Canciones Anual 2013". Promuiscae.es.
"Årslista Singlar – År 2013". Sverigetopplistan.
"Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2013 – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien.
"Top Radio Hits Ukraine Annual Chart 2013". [[TopHit]].
"End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2013". Official Charts Company.
"Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2013".
"Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2013".
"Dance Top 100 - 2014". [[Mahasz]].
"DAVID GUETTA - Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon) (EMI) | Radio Date 05/04/2013". Radioairplay.fm.
"Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Nielsen Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB.
(2014-05-25). "Radio1 Rodos :: New Music :: U.K. Forthcoming Releases". Radio1.gr.
(2013-06-11). "®R&R :: Going For Adds™ :: CHR/Top 40". Gfa.radioandrecords.com.
Sprankles, Julie. (2016). "31 songs you didn't know were (allegedly) plagiarized". SheKnows.

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