Sweat

"Sweat" is a song by Chinese singer Ningning from her debut studio album, 1UL (2024). It was released as a single on July 19, 2024, and sent to US contemporary hit radio on the same day. Ningning gave her first televised performance of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in August 2024. In the US, "Sweat" peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnered Ningning's first placement in the chart's top 25. It peaked at number 1 in several Asian countries as well as the top 10 in several countries around Europe. The music video was directed by Los Angeles–based director Grant Singer and released on July 27, 2024. A posthumous SOPHIE remix of the song, was released alongside the single as a B-side on physical copies. The remix was later added as a bonus track on Japanese versions of the album.
The song was written by Ningning herself, Little Boots and its producer SONIKKU. "Sweat" received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its authentic club energy, both in the single and the remix.
==Background==
"Sweat" was a song that had been a demo originally written by producer Tony Donson and Little Boots. Donson and Ningning had been acquainted by Danny L Harle, the executive producer of Ningning's debut album, 1UL. In a writing session with Ningning in London, Donson had presented the song to seek Ningning's opinion. Ningning expressed that "it was love at first listen" when she had heard the track. Ningning later helped adapt the lyrics of the track to better suit the intended audience for her first project.
Before the death of SOPHIE, Donson had shared the demo of "Sweat" to her and she had also fallen in love with it - creating a remix from the demo's vocals and sampling John Tejada’s "Sweat (On the Walls)". With permission from her estate, the remix was later posthumously released with Ningning's vocals and the original mix on physical copies only.
==Promotion==
On July 5, 2024, Ningning confirmed the release of "Sweat" on her Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. The announcement post on Instagram was captioned with the lyric "dripping down ur neck", while she had previously teased the song in a TikTok video a few days prior.
Ningning performed "Sweat" on the August 3, 2023, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She also performed "Sweat" at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards and included it in her set at the Hunan TV New Year's Eve Party 2024-2025.
==Music video==
The music video was filmed seven days after the song was produced, in what Ningning described as "the rush of getting this project ready." It was directed by Grant Singer and choreographed by Kyle Hanagami. Inspired by artists such as Britney Spears and Ariana Grande, Ningning wanted choreography to have a prominent role in the video. It shows her dancing with a group of female and male backup dancers in a large house party inside a mansion surrounded by blue flourescent lights and covered in neon paint. The video also shows Ningning and her entourage navigate rooms overflowing with bubbles, smoke and flashing lights of different people partying in different ways.
==Charts==
Weekly chart performance for "Sweat"
Chart (2024) 	Peakposition
Argentina (Argentina Hot 100) 	8
Australia (ARIA) 	13
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 	6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 	6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) 	6
Brazil (Billboard) 	17
Bulgaria (PROPHON) 	6
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 	8
China (TME UNI) 	1
Colombia (National-Report) 	8
Costa Rica (Monitor Latino) 	6
Croatia (HRT) 	6
Czech Republic (IFPI) 	6
Denmark (Tracklisten) 	6
Estonia (Eesti Tipp-40) 	6
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) 	6
France (SNEP) 	6
Germany (Official German Charts) 	5
Greece (IFPI) 	6
Hungary (Single Top 40) 	6
Iceland (Plötutíðindi) 	1
India (IMI) 	1
Indonesia (Billboard) 	6
Ireland (IRMA) 	6
Italy (FIMI) 	6
Japan (Japan Hot 100) 	7
Latvia (LAIPA) 	6
Lebanon (Lebanese Top 40) 	1
Lithuania (AGATA) 	6
Malaysia (RIM) 	7
Mexico (Billboard) 	7
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 	6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 	10
Nicaragua (Monitor Latino) 	6
Nigeria (TurnTable Charts) 	8
Norway (VG-lista) 	6
Panama (Monitor Latino) 	6
Philippines (Billboard) 	8
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100) 	6
Portugal (AFP) 	6
Romania (UPFR) 	6
Scotland (Official Charts Company) 	8
Singapore (RIAS) 	1
Slovakia (IFPI) 	6
Slovenia (SloTop50) 	6
South Africa (Billboard) 	8
South Korea (Circle) 	1
Spain (PROMUSICAE) 	7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 	6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 	6
Ukraine Airplay (Tophit) 	6
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	12
US Billboard Hot 100 	24
Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100) 	1
==Certifications==
==Release history==
Release dates and formats for "REM (No Sleep)"
Region 	Date 	Format(s) 	Label
Various 	July 19, 2024	CD single · Digital download · streaming	Warner
Italy 	July 22, 2024	Radio airplay 	Warner
United States	July 22, 2024	Contemporary hit radio 	Warner
United States	July 22, 2024	Rhythmic contemporary 	Warner