The song's lyrics carry a message of unrequited love and how Mars' heart was broken, despite his best efforts to show her his love.
The single reached number one in fifteen different countries, giving Mars his third number one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and topping the Canadian Hot 100 for three non-consecutive weeks.
"Grenade" was certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), as well as six times by Music Canada (MC).
Worldwide, it was the second best selling digital single of 2011 with 10.2 million copies.
It was nominated for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.