Mercy is a soul song by the Welsh singer Duffy, released in 2008 as the second single from her debut album Rockferry. It was co-written by Duffy and Steve Booker and produced by Booker, marking Duffy’s international breakthrough and becoming her signature track. The single topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks and reached number one in several European countries, with strong US activity later going Platinum. Musically it is in common time at about 130 BPM, written in the key of G major, and follows a 12-bar blues form with I7, IV7 and V7 chords, a groove that drew comparisons to 60s soul icons like Aretha Franklin and the Supremes. Lyrically the song conveys intense longing and a plea for release from a difficult attraction, which Duffy has described as autobiographical about sexual liberty. The music video, directed by Daniel Wolfe, features Duffy on a platform with Northern soul dancers, and Mercy has been covered by acts like the Glee cast and used in FIFA 09. It won the MOJO Award for Song of the Year in 2008 and earned multiple nominations, including a Grammy and BRIT Award nomination.
