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“All Summer Long” på wiki:

Single by Kid Rock
from the album Rock N Roll Jesus
Released	April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05) (see release history)
Recorded	Allen Roadhouse
Genre	Country rock, Southern rock
Length	4:56 (album version) 3:46 (radio edit)
Label	Atlantic, Top Dog
Writer(s)	Edward King Kid Rock Gary Rossington Uncle Kracker Ronnie Van Zant Robert Wachtel Warren Zevon Leroy Marinell
Producer	Kid Rock with Mike Clark
Certification	Platinum (RIANZ) Gold (RIAA)
Kid Rock singles chronology
“Amen” (2007) “All Summer Long” (2008) “Roll On” (2008)

“All Summer Long” is the title of a song recorded by Kid Rock. It was released in 2008 as the third single from his ninth studio album Rock N Roll Jesus. The song is based on Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama“.^[1] The idea for the mashup was suggested by Mike E. Clark.^[2] The song has become a Number One hit in several countries, including UK, and has even crossed over to country music radio, giving Kid Rock his first Top Ten country hit. The song was the official theme song to WWE’s pay-per view event, Backlash 2008.

About the song

The song is an up-tempo Southern rocker in which Kid Rock reminisces on his teenage romance during the summer of 1989 on Torch Lake, just north of Traverse City in Northern Michigan, while listening to “Sweet Home Alabama”.

Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone magazine compared its theme to Bob Seger’s “Night Moves“.^[1] The song samples the instrumental part of “Werewolves of London” and the most well known riff of “Sweet Home Alabama” alongside new lyrics by Kid Rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s longtime keyboardist Billy Powell plays the piano on the track, including a reprise of his famous piano solo at the end of “Sweet Home Alabama”. Kid Rock would later dedicate his performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards to Billy, shortly after his passing in early 2009.

Critical reception

Manchester Evening News rated the song three out of five stars, commenting that the song “incorporates the swampy riffs, the distinctive guitar solo and gospel choirs effortlessly.”^[3] Billboard praised the song’s style adding that its lyrics “will make listeners nod and smile knowingly as they recall their own glory days.”^[4] Rolling Stone named the song as a “story of sexual awakening” adding “It’s stirring stuff.”^[5] This song was number 18 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.^[6]

Jim Malec, who writes for the country music review site The 9513, gave the song a “thumbs up” rating. Although he referred to the song as “highly derivative” for its use of sampling, and thought that some of the lyrics were poorly written, he also called it “essentially the perfect summer anthem”. Malec’s review goes on to call the song a positive change from the mostly “boring” mainstream country music, adding “Here’s an artist who is willing to show some personality.”^[7]

Music video

The music video for the song was shot in Nashville, Tennessee and features Kid Rock driving a Grand Craft Grand Sport^[8] boat out on the Old Hickory Lake, while two teenagers are shown enacting the song’s lyrics. Kid Rock is also shown partying with girls on a different boat, firing a machine gun whilst smoking a Cuban Cigar, and singing the song on a platform on the lake during night time. The platform, float & lights are an homage to the “Playboy girls” scene in the film Apocalypse Now. As the video ends, the small boat Kid Rock is driving can be seen with the word “cowboy” on the back.

Release history

Charts

“All Summer Long” is Kid Rock’s fourth song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, and overall his biggest hit of his career. It reached as high as #23 on the Hot 100, based solely on airplay, since Kid Rock has not made his catalog available for legal digital download (therefore, the song has received no assistance from digital sales on the charts). It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay charts, making it his highest peaking single on this chart. It is his third top 40 hit on the Hot 100. The song has become Kid Rock’s second pop crossover hit (after “Picture“), reaching the top ten on Mainstream Top 40 radio. “All Summer Long” has also reached the top ten on Billboard’s Adult Top 40.

It marks Kid Rock’s third entry on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, after “Picture” and “Single Father”, both in 2003, and has reached #4 on the country charts, his first top twenty and top ten on that chart. It was a moderate hit on U.S. rock, peaking at #17 on Mainstream Rock Tracks, and #38 on Modern Rock Tracks.

The song is Kid Rock’s first international hit as well. The song went to #1 in the UK knocking off Dizzee Rascal’s Dance Wiv Me and being replaced by Katy Perry’s controversial song, I Kissed A Girl. In Europe, where there are physical and digital releases of the single, it has also topped the charts in The Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. It has reached the top five in Norway, Sweden, Turkey and Poland. In Australia the song is his first top ten and number one single.

Chart (2008)   Peak position   Australian Singles Chart[9] 1 Austrian Singles Chart[10] 1 Canadian Radio & Records Country Singles 4 Canadian Hot 100[11] 12 Danish Singles Chart[10] 7 Dutch Singles Chart[12] 1 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1 French Singles Chart[10] 28 German Singles Chart[10] 1 New Zealand Singles Chart[13] 3 Irish Singles Chart[10] 1 Italian Singles Chart 7

Chart (2008)   Peak position   Norwegian Singles Chart[10] 4 Swedish Singles Chart[10] 3 Swiss Singles Chart[10] 1 Turkey Top 20 Chart[14] 4 UK Singles Chart 1 UK Rock Chart 1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] 23 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[15] 14 U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs[15] 4 U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[15] 17 U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks[15] 38 U.S. Billboard Pop 100[15] 16

Hit Masters

“All Summer Long”
Single by Hit Masters
Released	August 12, 2008
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2008
Genre	Rock
Length	3:48
Label	Hip Kiddy Records
Producer	Hit Masters

A recording of the song was released digitally by “Hit Masters”, a karaoke company whose version was made available in the iTunes Store in North America. Due to Kid Rock’s decision to withhold his music from the iTunes market,^[16] sales from the karaoke version eventually caused it to overtake Kid Rock’s original on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States peaking at number 19. This version also in peaked at number 28 on the Canadian Hot 100 due to digital downloads. As Rock’s version remained in the top thirty based on radio airplay alone, Hit Masters jumped into the top twenty due to its sales strength.^[17][18] However, the radio success of “All Summer Long” propelled Rock N Roll Jesus back up to number two on the Billboard 200, nearly a year after its release.^[19]

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	19
U.S. Billboard Pop 100	28
Canadian Hot 100	28
Hot Canadian Digital Singles	16

The Rock Heroes

Another recording of the song by a karaoke band called “The Rock Heroes” has been released on iTunes for digital downloads in North America. In the U.S. it debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and then rose to number 29 the next week, and also in Canada it debuted at number 16 on the Canadian Hot 100 due to digital downloads in both countries.

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	29
Canadian Hot 100	16
Hot Canadian Digital Singles	8

Chart procession and succession

References

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Doll Domination på wiki:

Doll Domination
Studio album by Pussycat Dolls
Released	September 19, 2008 (2008-09-19)[1] (see release history)
Recorded	2007 — 2009
Genre	R&B, pop, dance
Length	62:40+
Label	A&M / Interscope
Producer	R. Kelly, Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Polow da Don, Sean Garrett, Danja, Fernando Garibay, Ron Fair, Jonas Jeberg, Cutfather, Nicole Scherzinger
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Billboard (positive) link[dead link] Entertainment Weekly (C+) link Los Angeles Times link MusicOMH.com link Rolling Stone link Slant Magazine link The New York Times (positive) link The Times link Yahoo! Music UK link
Pussycat Dolls chronology
PCD (2005) Doll Domination (2008) Singles from Doll Domination “When I Grow Up“ Released: May 27, 2008 “Whatcha Think About That“ Released: September 9, 2008 “I Hate This Part“ Released: October 7, 2008 “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)“ Released: February 23, 2009 “Bottle Pop“ Released: March 6, 2009 “Hush Hush; Hush Hush“ Released: May 12, 2009

Doll Domination is the second studio album from American girl group the Pussycat Dolls released from September 19, 2008 by A&M Records under license to Interscope. The album sees the group re-unite with previous producers and writers such as Timbaland, Polow da Don and Sean Garrett as well as explore a more up-tempo sound with Rodney Jerkins, and Danja. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 79,000 copies in its first week.^[2]

The album features some of the songs originally recorded for Nicole Scherzinger’s solo project Her Name Is Nicole as well as guest vocals from Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, R Kelly, Polow da Don, New Kids on the Block, A.R. Rahman and will.i.am (varies by region). The album includes the singles “When I Grow Up“, “Bottle Pop“, “Whatcha Think About That” and “I Hate This Part“. However despite relatively successful singles the album underperformed selling less than their previous album, PCD.

In 2009, several new songs together with some of the original ones were packaged as 10-song compilation entitled Doll Domination 2.0, which was released in Australia. An EP, Doll Domination: The Mini Collection, was released in the UK featuring three new songs and their three UK singles. The new editions spawned two further singles including the worldwide hit “Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)” and “Hush Hush.” The group also released the final version of the album Doll Domination 3.0 in the UK on August 10, 2009 featuring three new song, “Painted Windows”, “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)” and “Hush Hush; Hush Hush”.^[3][4]

Recording and production

MTV initially reported that the album would be called “To Those Who Wait” but later The Dolls would go on to say in an interview that the album would now be named Doll Domination after receiving many requests from fans. From mid 2006 production began with Rodney Jerkins, Sean Garrett and Timbaland with The Clutch. Other producers came on board as the project progressed. Initially the process was slow as lead singer Nicole Scherzinger was supposed to release her own solo project Her Name Is Nicole whilst production was ongoing. However the album did not materialize after Scherzinger had four failed US singles (despite “Baby Love” being successful in Europe). Consequently “When I Grow Up“, “Who’s Gonna Love You” and “Happily Never After” which were originally songs from the solo project became songs for Doll Domination.^[5] Lead Doll Nicole Scherzinger spoke about the release on reality show Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll where she name-dropped and performed a fourth song “Just Say Yes” recorded for her own solo album. After being scrapped the song was placed on the early tracklistings for the Dolls album by MTV, Amazon and HMV but never made the actual release.

Musical content

The album saw Scherzinger become involved in the vocal production of many of the songs as well as designing the concept. Like the previous album she is the only member of the group to have writing credits on the album having contributed to “Bottle Pop”, “Hush Hush”, “Who’s Gonna Love You” and “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)”. She is also responsible for lead vocals on all of the songs. Melody Thornton provides additional backing vocals and ad-libs to many of the songs, although on “Elevator”,”Love The Way You Love Me” and “Painted Windows” she can be found sharing the lead vocals with Scherzinger. Additionally on “Takin’ Over the World” she sings secondary vocals. The new songs from the 2009 recording sessions did see more of the group become involved vocally. Jessica Sutta makes her debut on “Top of the World” singing co-lead vocals with Thornton and Scherzinger. “Painted Windows” is the first song to feature all of the group singing back vocals but Thornton’s ad-libs/additional vocals are limited to a two-line bridge near the end of the song.

Recordings “Love Gun” produced by Cee-Lo Green and “Whatever Happens” written & produced by Ryan Tedder were cited as highly desired but failed to make an appearance.^[6] Tedder’s previous work (Leona Lewis‘ “Bleeding Love and OneRepublic’s “Apologize) have proved commercially successful and so some critics were angered regarding the non-inclusion of his work. Other recordings written and produced by Sean Garrett such “Away” was re-recorded by Enrique Iglesias while “Glamour Girl” was recorded by Electrik Red with Scott Storch providing additional production. “Just Say Yes” which was originally confirmed for the album, written by Gary Lightbody also failed to materialize much to the critics surprise. The 2009 recording sessions spawned the tracks “Takin’ Over the World (We Love To Entertain You)”, “Hush Hush; Hush Hush”, “Top of the World“, “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny), “Painted Windows” and “Bad Girl” all of which except for the last are featured in some form on the re-release of the album although it does vary by territory. “Bad Girl” was instead released as part of the Confessions of a Shopaholic Soundtrack, whilst “Top of the World” was made the theme tune to MTV’s new reality series The City.

Re-Releases

In April 2009 Billboard Magazine stated that The Dolls had only sold around 400,000 copies. Subsequently Scherzinger confirmed that the current album would be re-released with new songs. In the interview she said: “it’s a new life, a new push for Doll Domination. In this industry these days, that’s what we’re trying to do, always put new music out there and get people to pay attention. So this is a way for people to get new songs of ours and for people who haven’t picked up the album so far to get another spin of our music.”^[7] The revised edition was released with the same cover art in many European countries: April 14 in France and April 24, 2009 in Germany^[8] and the Netherlands.

All in all the lack of sales over the 2008 and 2009 triggered several re-releases meaning that the album now exists in around eight different versions. In September and October 2008 the standard edition of the album was released worldwide featuring the 16-song track listing. International markets received two of the four bonus tracks. In the US and Europe a deluxe edition was released as the same time featuring 5 bonus songs (each one sung by a different member of the group). Then nearer in December 2008 the collectors edition was released in Australia and the US featuring all of the songs from the deluxe addition but adding two extra bonus tracks. UK fans were able to buy the deluxe edition only whilst the group were on the UK leg of the tour and it was sold at selected arenas.

In April 2009, after recording new songs the album was re-issued in all territories. Mainland Europe received the 2009 edition featuring all of the original songs plus 3-4 new songs/remixes. At the end of April, Doll Domination 2.0 was released in Australia, a compilation album featuring 6 of the original songs and 4 new ones. On April 27, 2009 an EP titled Doll Domination: The Mini Collection was released in the UK featuring their four singles plus two new songs and two weeks later the UK received its own deluxe edition of the album which was identical to the international deluxe edition except that it included a new remix of Scherzinger’s solo song “Baby Love” previously not released as a bonus track in the UK. On August 10, it was announced that Doll Domination 3.0 would be released in the UK following the success of all of the five singles which were released in the UK having all managed to reach top 20 positions on the UK singles chart making it one of the group’s most successful markets.

Promotion and world tour

On May 20, 2008, the Pussycat Dolls performed their new single “When I Grow Up” for the first time live on Jimmy Kimmel Live!,^[9][10] again at the MTV Movie Awards on June 1, and a third time on So You Think You Can Dance on June 12.^[11] The song was released on May 27, 2008.^[12]

Other appearances included:

• Hosting the 2008 Maxim Hot 100 on VH1. They hit the position number seventeen.^[13]
• They also performed five songs at a Wal-Mart Soundcheck showcase: “I Hate This Part”, “Takin’ Over the World” and “When I Grow Up” from Doll Domination, and “Buttons” and “Don’t Cha” from PCD.
• On October 14 2008 the group performed at the Sydney Opera House as part of a series of concerts promoting Xbox 360 and its new game Lips.
• On the 15th of October 2008, the Dolls appeared on Australian TV show Sunrise and performed “When I Grow Up” and their latest single “I Hate This Part”.
• In December 2008, The Dolls performed a medley of some of their most successful singles on the Royal Variety Show for her majesty Queen Elizabeth in the UK, the performance comprised of “Don’t Cha“, “I Hate This Part” and “When I Grow Up“.

World Domination Tour

The Dolls kicked off their second headline tour on January 18, 2009 to promote the album. The World Domination (also known as Doll Domination Tour) visited venues across Europe and Oceania with Lady Gaga as the main opening act. Ne-Yo also featured as a support act on the European-leg of their tour at selected venues.

The Dolls then toured North America, performing as the opening act for Britney Spears’ The Circus: Starring Britney Spears tour. This constituted the North American Leg of the World Domination Tour.

Reception

Commercial

The album debuted in the US at number 4 (one spot higher than their debut album) after first week sales of around 79,000 however the album failed to have much chart longevity and struggled to stay in the top 25 in the run up to the end of the year. In its second week, the album dropped to number 17, and in its third week, it sat at number 30.^[14] It spent an astonishingly short seven weeks in the top 100, compared with their debut album which spent almost a year there, By 2009 it had dropped out. In other territories its performance was similar although. However in the week of January 10 2009, it re-entered the top 100 at number one hundred. The album has so far sold 356,000 copies in the U.S., far less than their debut PCD.

In France and in the United Kingdom the album has sold 100,000 copies, being certified as Gold. The first two singles failed in Russian charts, however the song “Hush Hush” which was not a single at the time of release, became a huge hit, peaking at number one on Russian Airplay Chart^[15] which helped the album reach platinum status^[16] certification in just three weeks.

Critical

The album has received mostly average to negative reviews from critics, having been rated just 51 out of 100 on Metacritic.^[17]

August Brown of the Los Angeles Times, states that the album does not live up to its 2005 predecessor, and gave the album one and a half stars out of five.^[18] Likewise, Nic Oliver of Music OMH gives the album four star out of 10, stating that, besides the tracks “Out of This Club” with R. Kelly and “Love The Way You Love Me”, “This is an album that reels off one clunker after another…this is an album heading straight for the bargain bins.”^[19] The exceptions include “I Hate this Part”, a break-up number on which Nicole Scherzinger is allowed to emote fully, and “Whatcha Think About That?”, which contains a cheeky rap from Missy Elliott.^[20] The Boston Globe summarised the album as “Great trashy, hook-laden songs that make your lips smack never need to be apologized for, just enjoyed. The Pussycats’ debut from 2005 was that kind of disc, and though this follow-up tries darn hard to follow that formula, it comes up just short. Still, it’s often filled with giddy, brilliantly produced goofy pleasures with nothing on its mind beyond love and pleasure. Oh, sure, there are a couple of ballads about heartache and regret, but lead singer Nicole Scherzinger sounds more like she’s pining for a good facial than a guy. Especially as the disc wanders to its fatiguing 21st track. We know the Dolls want staying power, but c’mon…”^[21]

Digital Spy said that “Doll Domination is an over-long, patchy album that lacks any kind of lyrical cohesion. This isn’t to say that individual tracks don’t hit the spot. Nothing here matches the hyperactive brilliance of ‘When I Grow Up’, but future single ‘I Hate This Part’ is wonderfully melodramatic and each of the four Timbaland productions is bang on the money. Overall 3/5 stars”.^[22] The New York Times said “were they, strictly speaking, human? That’s what their new album, Doll Domination sets out to establish. Between dance tracks concocted by big-time producers like Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, Sean Garrett and Polow Da Don, the Pussycat Dolls flaunt a newly prominent accessory: a breakable heart. In the 16 songs on this fully packed album, each striving to be a single, the Dolls still flirt and strut most of the time. But now, every so often, they ache. Ms. Scherzinger’s small, flexible voice thrives in the programmed, computer-tuned R&B tracks. No less crafty or calculated than their bump-and-grind numbers, the farewell songs are a move toward expanding the franchise. Now the Pussycat Dolls are stocking a little empathy along with the attitude.”^[23]

However Digital Spy later said that of The Mini Collection that: “‘Painted Windows’ is an impressive new Rodney Jerkins production, stomping and scuzzy in equal measure, while ‘Hush Hush; Hush Hush’ is a faintly ridiculous house remix of a Doll Domination album cut. It now comes complete with a whopping great lift from ‘I Will Survive’, but somehow it works. First impressions notwithstanding, in an age where music fans can download what they fancy on a track-by-track basis, the ‘Mini Collection’ actually starts to make sense. For £3.99 on iTunes, or just under a fiver in the shops, you get a fat-free serving of Pussycat hits without the padding that bogged down the original Doll Domination. Overall 4/5 stars.”^[24]

Singles

• “When I Grow Up” was the first single from the album. It was a hit, peaking at number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart,^[25] number two in Australia’s Singles Chart, number three in the UK Singles Chart and number three in the Canadian Hot 100. The video for this single won the Dolls a Video Music Award for Best Dancing in a Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.

• The Second single was “I Hate This Part“. The song became a worldwide hit reaching number one in Romania, number two in Belgium, number three in France, the top five in Canada, the top ten in Australia, Turkey, New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria, and Ireland, and the top twenty in Denmark, Japan, Germany, Norway, the United States and the United Kingdom. It peaked at number eleven in the US and made it to number four on the European Billboard Hot 100.

• The third release from the album was “Whatcha Think About That“, featuring Missy Elliott and released exclusively to the US, Ireland, UK and France. While the video premiered in October, 2008. This single proved to be unsuccessful in the U.S. and subsequently it received a limited release. The song managed to reach number 9 in the UK.

• The fourth single was “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)“. It is the English recording of “Jai Ho” the hit movie theme from the film Slumdog Millionaire. It features A.R. Rahman. The single has reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[26] number 20 on the Billboard Pop 100,^[27] number 5 in Canada, and number 3 in the UK,^[28] ahead of its physical release. The song reached number 1 in Finland, Ireland, Australia, Greece, and Turkey.

• The fifth single from the album was “Bottle Pop“. The single version does not feature Snoop Dogg but instead a small rap intro by Scherzinger. It was only released in Oceania and Germany and reached top 20 in Australia and New Zealand. Without any promotion it proved successful in the US having reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, becoming the fifth song by the group to do so.

• “Hush Hush; Hush Hush” is the final single from the album. The original ballad version serves as the single’s b-side whist Dave Aude has also produced a dance remix for the single. It was only released to airplay and digital download outlets in the US^[29] and reached a peak of 73 on the Billboard and 41 in Canada. Internationally the single reached number 2 in Turkey, 10 in Australia, and top 20 in most European countries. Additionally the song went on to become the group’s sixth consecutive number 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in the US.

Track listing

2009 re-release

Doll Domination 2.0

Doll Domination 2.0 is a streamlined compilation of songs from the 2009 revised edition of Doll Domination. In total it features 10 tracks, 6 from the original release plus the remix of “Hush Hush” and “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)“, “Top of the World“, and “Painted Windows” released exclusively to Australia on April 24, 2009. It was supposed to be released in the United States on April 14, 2009,^[30] however, the release was scrapped for reasons unknown.

Doll Domination: The Mini Collection

The Dolls went on to release Doll Domination: The Mini Collection^[31] exclusively in the UK on 27 April 2009. It is an EP collection of songs featuring the group 3 previous UK singles from Doll Domination as well as their fourth and fifth singles “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)” and “Hush Hush; Hush Hush” (the up-tempo remix of “Hush Hush”) as well as new song “Painted Windows”.

Doll Domination 3.0

On August 10, 2009, Doll Domination 3.0 was released in the UK using the original cover art, it includes all of the songs from the Standard Edition as well as songs from the “Mini Collection”.^[3]

Charts

Chart (2008)   Peak position   Australian Albums Chart 4[32] Austrian Albums Chart 16[32] Belgium Albums Chart (Flanders) 17[32] Belgium Albums Chart (Wallonia)[33] 22 Canadian Albums Chart 3[34] Dutch Albums Chart 24[35] European Albums Chart 8[36] Finland Albums Chart 38[32] French Albums Chart 16[37] German Albums Chart 1[36] Japan Albums Chart 1[37] Irish Albums Chart 6[32] Mexican Albums Chart 55[32] New Zealand Albums Chart 8[38] Polish Albums Chart 2[39] Portugal Albums Chart 25[32] Russian Albums Chart 1[40] Spanish Albums Chart 38[32] Swiss Albums Chart 7[32] Taiwanese Albums Chart 1[41] UK Albums Chart 4[32] U.S. Billboard 200 4[32]

[edit] Certifications This section requires expansion. Country   Certification(s)   Australia Platinum[42] Belgium Gold[43] Canada Platinum[44] Germany Gold[45] United Kingdom Gold[46]

Release history

References

Taylor Swift:

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift performing live in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Taylor Alison Swift
Born	December 13, 1989 (1989-12-13) (age 19) Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres	Country, country pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, guitarist, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano,[1] ukulele[2]
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Big Machine
Associated acts	Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers
Website	TaylorSwift.com

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American country pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. In 2006, she released her debut single “Tim McGraw“, which peaked at number six on the Billboard country charts. Later in October 2006, she released her self-titled debut album, which produced five hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and was certified 3× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. The New York Times described Swift as “one of pop’s finest songwriters, country’s foremost pragmatist and more in touch with her inner life than most adults”.^[3]

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Swift was the biggest selling artist of 2008 in the United States with combined sales of more than four million albums. Swift’s Fearless and her self-titled album finished 2008 at number three and number six respectively, with sales of 2.1 and 1.5 million.^[4] She was the first artist in the history of Nielsen SoundScan to have two different albums in the Top 10 on the year end album chart.^[4] Fearless has topped the Billboard 200 in 11 non-consecutive weeks.^[5] No album has spent more time at number one since 1999-2000. It also was the first album by a female artist in country music history to log eight weeks at #1 on The Billboard 200. In mid-January 2009, Swift became the first country artist to top the 2 million mark in paid downloads with three different songs.^[6] As of the week ending February 8, 2009, Swift’s single “Love Story” became the country song with most paid downloads in history and the first country song to top the Mainstream Top 40 chart.^[7][8] Swift then subsequently went onto replicate the feat, reaching #1 again on the Mainstream Top 40 in September 2009 with “You Belong With Me“, making it just the second country song in the chart’s history to reach the top. ^[9] According to the 2009 issue of Forbes, Swift is ranked as the 69th most powerful celebrity with over $18 million in earnings this year.^[10]

Early life

Swift was born in the borough of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Scott, a stock broker, and Andrea Swift, a homemaker. She has a younger brother, Austin.^[11] When she was in fourth grade, Swift won a national poetry contest with a three page poem entitled “Monster In My Closet”.^[12][13] At ten, Swift began writing songs and singing at karaoke contests, festivals, and fairs around her hometown. During one summer, Swift devoted herself to writing a 350 page (unpublished) novel.^[14] She was a member of Kirk Cremer’s SNL-inspired kid’s sketch comedy group, TheatreKids Live!, where she was a natural comedic talent. After seeing her karaoke performance at one of the cast parties, it was Cremer’s mother who first suggested that Swift seemed more of a natural to pursue a career in country music, rather than theatrical performing. Cremer soon leased space at a local mall and began to showcase his young protégée in weeknight performances of country songs with karaoke backing tracks. Emboldened by her performances and growing audiences, she began to perform in other local open mike and karaoke nights. Her first major show was a well-received performance at the Bloomsburg Fair, arranged by local performer Pat Garrett.^[15]

Songwriting interest

Swift first learned to play guitar from a computer repairman who showed her how to play three chords. After learning those three chords, she wrote her first song, “Lucky You”. She began writing songs regularly and used it as outlet to help her with her pain from not fitting in at school. Other kids would react badly to her so she wrote songs about them.^{[citation needed]}

Early work

Swift’s greatest musical influence is Shania Twain.^[16] Her other influences include her grandmother, LeAnn Rimes, Tina Turner and Dolly Parton. Although her grandmother was a professional opera singer,^[17] Taylor’s tastes always ran more toward country and she developed a love for Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton at an early age.^[18] She also credits the Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain for demonstrating how much impact can be made by “stretching boundaries”.^[19] At age 11, Swift made her first trip to Nashville hoping to obtain a record deal by distributing a demo tape of her singing with karaoke songs. She gave a copy to every label in town.^[20] Swift faced rejection, not just from record labels, but also from her peers.^[21] After Swift returned to Pennsylvania, she was asked to sing at the U.S. Open tennis tournament; her rendition of the national anthem received a lot of attention.^[22] Swift started writing songs and playing 12-string guitar when she was 12. Swift began to regularly visit Nashville and wrote songs with local songwriters. By the time she was 14, her family decided to move to an outlying Nashville suburb.^[23] When Swift was fifteen, she rejected RCA Records because the company wanted to keep her on a development deal.^[24] Swift then performed at Nashville’s songwriters’ venue, The Bluebird Café, catching the attention of Scott Borchetta^[25] who signed her to his newly-formed record label, Big Machine Records. She also became the youngest staff songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Tree publishing house at 14.^[26]

Music career

2006–2008: Taylor Swift

Swift performing at a café with a koa wood guitar in June 2006

Swift’s first single, “Tim McGraw“, was released to radio in mid-2006 and reached number 6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart during the week of January 27, 2007.^[27] Swift said, “I wrote the song in my freshman year of high school. I was dating a guy who was about to go off to college. I knew we were going to break up so I started thinking of all the things that I knew would remind him of me. Surprisingly, the first thing that came to mind was that my favorite country artist is Tim McGraw.”^[18] Her self-titled debut album Taylor Swift was released on October 24, 2006.^[28] Swift wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album, which debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 and sold 39,000 copies during its first week.^[29] It later peaked at number one at Billboard Top Country Albums and number five on the Billboard 200.^[30] It also spent eight consecutive weeks at the top of the Top Country Albums charts^[31] and remained at the top for 24 out of 91 weeks.^[32] The only other country artists this decade to achieve the number-one sales position for 20 weeks or more are The Dixie Chicks and Carrie Underwood.^[33] As of November 2008, Taylor Swift has sold over three million copies and 7.5 million single downloads.^[34]

Swift has surpassed the 200 million mark for music streams on MySpace. She is currently ranked in the Top 10 for the most MySpace visits for all genres of music, and is MySpace’s current top-ranking Country artist.^{[35][dead link]} Swift is the most searched musical artist on MySpace in 2008.^[36] The music video for “Tim McGraw” set a record by appearing for 30 consecutive weeks on GAC’s fan-voted weekly Top 20 music countdown show, and reached number one on CMT’s video charts. The video also won Swift an award for Breakthrough Video of the Year at the 2007 CMT Music Awards.^[37] Her pursuit of country music stardom was the subject of “GAC Short Cuts”, a part-documentary, part-music-video series airing since the summer of 2006 on the country music channel.^[38] On May 15, 2007, Swift performed “Tim McGraw” at the Academy of Country Music Awards. She sang the song to Tim McGraw in the audience, and introduced herself for the first time to him. Swift has been an opening act for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on their Soul2Soul 2007 tour. She has opened in the past for George Strait, Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts as well.^[39]

On August 21, 2007, Swift performed live on the season finale of America’s Got Talent.^[40] The second single from the Taylor Swift album, “Teardrops on My Guitar“, was released February 24, 2007. The song originally made its peak positions in mid-2007, peaking at #2 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and #33 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was re-released to the Hot 100 and Pop 100 in late 2007 with a pop remix that brought “Teardrops on My Guitar” to #13 on the Hot 100 and #11 on the Pop 100. In October 2007, Swift’s songwriting peers at the Nashville Songwriters Association International honored her with their Songwriter/Artist of the Year Award, making her the youngest artist ever to win the award.^[41]

On November 7, 2007, Swift won the 2007 CMA Horizon Award and also performed “Our Song,” the third single from her album, which would go on to become her first #1 song the week of December 22, 2007, where it leaped up from the #6 spot. This was the biggest jump to Number One since January 1998, when Tim McGraw’s “Just to See You Smile“, also jumped from #6 to #1.^[42] “Our Song” spent six weeks at #1 on the Country charts and also peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #24 on the Billboard Pop 100. Swift also recorded a holiday album, Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, which was released October 16, 2007, exclusively available at Target stores. The album, which was not as successful as her self-titled debut, featured both holiday classics such as “Last Christmas” and original songs written by Swift. Swift was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award in the category of Best New Artist, but lost to Amy Winehouse. Swift’s successful single, “Picture to Burn” was the fourth single from her debut album. The song debuted early in 2008 and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Country Chart in the spring of 2008.

Swift performing at Yahoo HQ in 2007

Big Machine Records announced the release of “Should’ve Said No” on Monday, May 19. The song is the fifth and final single from Swift’s debut album. She performed it on the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.^[43] The performance started off with her dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans, but soon after a short black halter dress was revealed. In the last minute of the song, she went backstage to perform the final verse under a cascading waterfall. Swift had wanted to do that performance on stage with the water and the change of clothes since she was ten years old.^[44] “Should’ve Said No” became her second Number One single for the chart dated August 23, 2008. In June 2008, at the CMA Music Festival held in Nashville, Swift signed autographs for nearly eight straight hours. It was the longest autograph-signing session since Garth Brooks‘ 23-hour marathon in 1996.^[45] In Summer 2008, Swift released Beautiful Eyes, an EP sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.^[46] In its first week of release, the album sold 45,000 copies, debuting at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and #9 on the Billboard 200. With her self-titled debut album at #2 the same week, Swift became the first artist to hold the Top 2 positions of the Top Country Albums chart since LeAnn Rimes did so in 1997.^[47] Swift plays a custom-made Taylor acoustic guitar made of koa wood.^[48]

2008–present: Fearless

Swift’s latest studio album, Fearless, was released in the United States on November 11, 2008.^[49] The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. Its sales of 592,304 were the highest debut of any country artists in 2008. This is also the largest opening U.S. sales week in 2008 by a female artist in all genres of music, and the fourth biggest overall behind Lil Wayne, AC/DC and Coldplay.^[50] Its lead single “Love Story” became a hit on both the country and pop charts. During the first week of release, more than 129,000 of Swift’s sales were sold digitally. This gives Swift the best online start for any country album in history.^[51] It also makes Swift the fourth biggest week for a digital album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking them in 2004.^[52] Through its eighth week of release, Fearless has sold more than 338,467 paid downloads, making it the bestselling country album in digital history. In second place is Swift’s debut Taylor Swift with sales of 236,046 downloads as of April 18, 2009.^[53]

In its debut week, seven songs in total on Fearless were charted on Billboard Hot 100, tying Swift with Hannah Montana for the most by a female artist in a single week. With “White Horse” charted at #13, this gave Swift her sixth top 20 debut of 2008, a calendar year record for any artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. Of the 13 tracks on Fearless, 11 have already spent time on the Hot 100.^[52] “Change”, a song from the album, was selected as part of a soundtrack supporting Team USA’s efforts in the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[47] The song was also featured as part of the soundtrack of NBC’s broadcast package of the Olympics. She also released the lead single from the album, “Love Story“, on September 12, 2008. The song is accompanied by a music video that is based on Romeo and Juliet. The song has reached number 2 on iTunes Store Top Downloaded Songs and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It is also called as Taylor Swift’s signature song. Fifteen weeks after being added to pop radio, “Love Story” also became the first country crossover recording to hit number one on the Nielsen BDS CHR/Top 40 chart in the 16-year-history of list, as well as number one on the Mediabase Top 40 Chart.^[54] The second single from Fearless, “White Horse“, was released on December 8, 2008. The music video for the song premiered on CMT on February 7, 2009. Though it missed the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs as of the week April 11, 2009, “White Horse” claimed the #1 spot atop the USA Today/Country Aircheck chart (powered by Mediabase) in that week.^[55] “Forever & Always”, another song from the album, was based on Swift’s relationship with singer Joe Jonas.^[56]

Swift is Billboard’s Top Country Artist and Hot Country Songwriter of 2008; she is also country music’s best-selling artist of 2008.^[57] Swift ranked seventh on Nielsen SoundScan Canada’s top-10 selling artists across all genres in 2008. Fearless and Taylor Swift took the #1 and #2 slots on 2008 Year-End Canadian Country Albums Chart.^[58] Swift sang the Star-Spangled Banner at game three of the World Series in Philadelphia on October 25, 2008. On January 10, 2009, Swift made her first musical guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, making her the youngest country singer to appear as a musical guest on the show in its 33-year run.^[59][60] Swift’s show achieved SNL’s highest adult 18-49 rating and overall viewer total since the November election (in 2008). It was tied for the #7 rating of that week among all broadcast and cable entertainment programs on all networks and outscored all its telecasts of last season in 18-49 and total viewers.^[61]

On February 8, 2009, Swift performed her song “Fifteen” with Miley Cyrus at the 51st Grammy Awards. Since the release of Swift’s second album, Fearless, she has released one new song “Crazier” for the soundtrack of the feature film Hannah Montana: The Movie. At the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Swift picked up Album of the Year honors as a performer and producer for Fearless. She is the youngest artist in history to win Album of the Year award. Swift was also awarded the Academy’s Crystal Milestone Award, given for Outstanding Achievement in Country Music. The Academy lauded her for career achievements including selling more albums in 2008 than any other artist in any genre of music, the breakthrough success of her debut album (which spawned five Top 10 hits, more than any in history for a female artist’s debut CD), and the worldwide crossover success of her #1 single “Love Story“. The Academy also cited Swift’s contribution to helping country music attract a younger audience.^[62]

As of late April 2009, Swift has sold more than 14 million downloads, as well as three Gold Mobile Ringtones.^[63] In June 2009, Swift performed “Thug Story” with T-Pain at the CMT Music Awards. She went on to win two awards for Female Video of the Year and Video of the Year.^[64] On July 14, 2009, it was confirmed Swift would perform at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. “I’m so excited that MTV and the VMAs have invited me to perform, because I think this year’s show will be unlike anything they’ve ever done!” stated Swift. “I love incorporating theatrics into my performances, and the VMAs have always allowed artists to run with that,” Swift says. “MTV has been so good to me, and I could not be more excited about this year’s VMAs.” This was Swift’s first performance on the VMAs. The show aired September 13 on MTV, with British comedian Russell Brand hosting for the second year in a row.^[65] In addition to having three of her songs featured, Swift will appear as a playable character in Band Hero.^[66] Swift announced September 6 on her Myspace blog that Fearless will be re-released on October 27 with six new songs. It will also include a DVD with her tour footage and pictures.^[67]

In January 2009, Swift announced her first headlining tour. Swift is taking her North American Fearless Tour 2009 to 52 cities in 38 states and provinces in the US and Canada over the span of 6 months. Opening acts include Kellie Pickler and Gloriana, a new group in country music. The tour features a theatrical presentation of graphics, sets and visual elements designed by Swift; Swift plays guitar as well as piano. Multiple costume changes and a fairy-tale castle are some of the elements of the three-act show.^[68] The tour kicked off April 23 in Evansville, Indiana. On February 6, 2009, tickets went on sale for the May 22 date at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and sold out in two minutes.^[69] Tickets for several dates and venues, including Madison Square Garden, went on sale the following week and sold out in one minute.^{[70][71][72][73][74]} On April 28, 2009, Swift gave a free, private concert to students at Bishop Ireton High School, a small Catholic school in Alexandria, Virginia after the school won a national “TXT 2 WIN” contest from Verizon Wireless.^[75] The students sent over 19,000 text messages to Verizon during a roughly one month long contest. Swift played for about an hour during the school’s field day, an annual day-long recess with games and activities. On October 8, 2009 Swift’s official website announced that her sold-out Fearless Tour would return to North America for 37 additional dates in 2010.

2009 MTV Video Music Awards controversy

West taking the microphone from Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

On September 13, 2009, during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, singer/rapper Kanye West came on the stage and took the microphone from Swift during her acceptance speech for winning Best Female Video for “You Belong with Me“, saying that Beyoncé’s video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)“, nominated for the same award, was “one of the best videos of all time”. This caused the audience in the venue to respond negatively.^[76][77] He handed the microphone back to a stunned and reportedly upset Swift, who did not finish her acceptance speech.^[76][78] West was removed from the remainder of the show for his actions.^[76] When Beyoncé later won the award for Best Video of the Year for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, she called Swift up on stage so that she could finish her acceptance speech.^[76][79] Following the awards show, West apologized for his verbal outburst in a blog entry (which was subsequently removed).^[76] He was criticized by various celebrities for the outburst,^{[77][80][81][82][83]} and by President Barack Obama in an “off the record” comment.^{[84][85][86][87]} He later posted a second apology on his blog and appeared on The Jay Leno Show one day after the incident, apologizing publicly.^[77]

On September 15, 2009, Swift talked about the matter on The View. Asked what she was thinking the moment it happened, she stated, “Well, I think my overall thought process was something like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I won, this is awesome, don’t trip and fall, I’m gonna get to thank the fans, this is so cool‘“, she said, and that she further thought, “‘Oh, Kanye West is here. Cool haircut. What are you doing there?’ And then, ‘Ouch.’ And then, ‘I guess I’m not gonna get to thank the fans.‘“^[88][89] In addition, she said that West had not spoken to her following the incident.^[89] Following Swift’s appearance on The View, West contacted her to apologize personally; Swift said she accepted his apology.^[89][90] The night of the awards show, Swift became the first country music artist to win an MTV Video Music Award.^[90]

Television appearances

In 2008, Swift made her acting debut in Brad Paisley’s music video “Online“. In that same year Swift filmed a documentary for MTV entitled MTV’s Once Upon a Prom and a documentary with Def Leppard for CMT entitled CMT Crossroads, which was premiered on November 7, 2008, drew more than 4.5 million viewers for its four initial airings.^[91] Swift collaborated with the Jonas Brothers in their 3D Concert Film, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. The film was released on February 27, 2009 in North America. The concert film brought in $12,700,000 on its opening weekend.^[92] Swift made her primetime television acting debut on CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Turn, Turn, Turn on March 5, 2009 in the U.S. and Canada. The episode was watched by 20.8 million viewers.^[93] Swift made a cameo appearance in Kellie Pickler’s music video “Best Days of Your Life“. Swift also appeared in Hannah Montana: The Movie as “woman singing in the barn”. The film was released on April 10, 2009 in North America.^[94] The television show Dateline NBC showcased an hour to Swift on May 31, 2009. The episode titled Dateline NBC: On Tour With Taylor Swift included scenes from her tour bus, concert footage, and rehearsals. She was also interviewed for the show and some of her exclusive video diaries were shown.^[95]

Philanthropy

On September 21, 2007, Swift launched a campaign to protect children from online predators.^[96] She has teamed up with Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen to combat internet sex crimes.^[96] The year-long campaign, launched in partnership with the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, will distribute Internet safety information and materials to parents and students across the state.^[96] In early 2008, Swift donated the pink Chevy pick-up truck given to her by her record label to children’s charity, the Victory Junction Gang; in June, 2008, Swift donated all the proceeds she got from her merchandise sales at the 2008 Country Music Festival to Red Cross, the Nashville Area Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and the National American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.^[97] Swift donated $10,000, funded by CMT ONE COUNTRY, to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by winning the “Video of the Year” and “Female Video of the Year” awards at the 2008 CMT Music Awards.^[98] In 2009, Swift won “Video of the Year and “Female Video of the Year” awards at the 2009 CMT Music Awards. She donated $5,000, funded by CMT, to American Red Cross.^[99]

Swift donated $100,000 to the Red Cross in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to help the victims of the Iowa flood of 2008.^[100] Swift has teamed up with Sound Matters to make listeners aware of listening “responsibly“.^[101] Swift supports @15, a teen-led social change platform underwritten by Best Buy to give teens opportunities to direct the company’s philanthropy through the newly-created @15 Fund. Swift’s song, “Fifteen“, is featured in this campaign.^[102] Swift has lent her support to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal by joining the lineup at Sydney’s Sound Relief concert,^[103] reportedly making the biggest contribution of any artist playing at Sound Relief to the Australian Red Cross.^[104] Swift donated her prom dress, which raised $1,200 for charity, to DonateMyDress.org.^[105]

Public image and other work

Swift has been featured on the cover of a number of magazines. In 2008, the list includes Blender, Seventeen,^[106] Billboard,^[107] Girls’ Life,^[108][109] Women’s Health and CosmoGirl.^[110] In 2009, Swift graced the cover of Teen Vogue,^[111] Self Magazine,^[112] Rolling Stone,^[113] Allure,^[114] Glamour,^[115] and Bliss.^[116] She has been a cover girl for Blender, for which she was one of two country artists during the magazine’s fifteen year run to be a cover subject.^[117] Additionally, she was named number fifty-seven on Maxim’s sexiest women of 2008.^[118] CosmoGirl voted Swift as the “2008 Girl of the Year”.^[119] Swift was named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of “The RS 100: Agents of Change”.^[120] She was nominated as a candidate for TIME’s “2009 The Time 100 Finalists” list, which is determined by online voting.^[121]

Jakks Pacific released a celebrity doll of Swift in late 2008.^[122] Taylor Swift is the face of L.E.I. Jeans (Life Energy Intelligence) since 2008.^[123] Swift and the L.e.i. Clothing Line made a deal to create a line based on Swift’s style of dressing. It will appear in Wal-Mart in the coming months.^[124] However, Swift said she does not want to be called a designer. Instead, she says she will inspire the clothing company’s dress line based on her own style. “I don’t look at it like I’m branching out as a designer… It’s not the Taylor Swift designer line.”^[125] In 2009, Swift became the National Hockey League’s newest celebrity spokesperson. She appears in commercials for the Nashville Predators.^[126]

Personal life

Swift’s best friend has been Abigail Anderson, whom she has known since ninth grade. During a discussion of Shakespeare in an English class they learned what they had in common. “We were the ones in the back of the class saying negative things about Romeo and Juliet because we were so bitter toward that emotion at the time,” said Anderson. “We just really connected … and ever since then we have been inseparable.”^[127] Anderson also appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to surprise Swift. On that episode of Ellen, Swift also revealed that Joe Jonas broke up with her in a 27-second phone conversation.

Swift is also close friends with Kellie Pickler, with whom she co-wrote Pickler’s second single “Best Days of Your Life” from her self-titled album Kellie Pickler.^[128] In July 2008, Swift graduated from the Aaron Academy, a Christian school in Hendersonville, Tennessee which offers a home-schooling program.^[129]

Band

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

Swift has had the same backup band for most of her career thus far. Some of them join her to record in the studio^{[citation needed]}. Banjoist Ben Clark and fiddle player Emily Poe are the only two people who have left the band. As of 2009, the lineup is:

• Taylor Swift – Lead vocals, guitar, piano
• Grant Mickelson – Guitar
• Paul Sidoti – Guitar
• Mike Meadows – Banjo, mandolin, guitar, keyboards, cello
• Caitlin Evanson – Fiddle
• Amos Heller – Bass
• Al Wilson – Drums

Discography

Albums

• 2006: Taylor Swift
• 2008: Fearless

EPs

• 2007: Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection
• 2008: Beautiful Eyes

Live albums

• 2008: Live From SoHo

Video albums

• 2008: CMT Crossroads: Taylor Swift & Def Leppard

Filmography

• Taylor Swift is also featured in the GAC shortcuts TV series.^[130]

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Taylor Swift

• Official website
• Taylor Swift at the Internet Movie Database

Womanizer på wiki:

“Womanizer”
Single by Britney Spears
from the album Circus
Released	September 26, 2008 (2008-09-26) (see release history)
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2008
Genre	Electro pop, synthpop
Length	3:43
Label	Jive
Writer(s)	Nikesha Briscoe, Rafael Akinyemi
Producer	K. Briscoe/The Outsyders
Certification	Platinum (Australia, Denmark) Gold (RIANZ, Belgium, Finland, Spain) Silver (United Kingdom)
Britney Spears singles chronology
“Break the Ice” (2008) “Womanizer” (2008) “Circus” (2008)
Music video
“Womanizer” at YouTube (Adobe Flash video)

“Womanizer” is a song by American pop singer Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records as the first single of the album. The song, described by Spears as a girl anthem, recalls a womanizing man, while the protagonist of the song makes clear she knows who he really is. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of Atlanta-based production team, The Outsyders, the song is musically and up-beat electropop song.

The song received mixed reviews, with critics complimenting its hook and deeming it a “comeback single”. It was compared to previous Spears’ songs like “Toxic” and “Ooh Ooh Baby”. The song was a massive success, becoming Spears’s eighth number one single worldwide, and her first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 since her debut “…Baby One More Time“, almost 10 years prior. In addition, the song topped over 30 charts worldwide. “Womanizer” has become Spears’ biggest selling digital single in the US, selling over 2.8 million copies.

The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn, shows Spears chasing the womanizer and includes scenes of her naked in a steam room. It became a worldwide success after premiering online, with 80 million views since its release and won “Best Pop Video” at the MTV Video Music Awards. Spears performed “Womanizer” on various TV shows and on The Circus: Starring Britney Spears, where she performs it as the encore wearing a policewoman uniform.

Background and production

The song was produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of Atlanta-based production team, The Outsyders.^[1][2] During a live interview with New York’s Z100, Spears talked about the song quoting: “It’s basically saying, ‘We know what you’re up to.’ It’s about guys cheating on girls, it’s a girl anthem. That’s why I like it”.^[3]

Music and structure

“Womanizer” is a moderate electropop song composed in the key of C# minor with 139 beats per minute. The chord progression in the song is C#m-F#m-E-Eb-D. Spears’ vocal range spans over two octaves from C#3 to C#5.^[4] The song is written in the verse–pre-chorus–chorus form. It has been compared to previous Spears’ songs such as “Toxic“(2003) and “Ooh Ooh Baby”(2007).^[5] The track opens with its characteristical sirens^[6] and has a staccato beat that runs through the whole song.^[7] The “quick-witted” vocals have been compared to the style of the Andrew sisters and are heavily autotuned.^[7] After the bridge, Spears sings the chorus one more time and the song ends while the beat drops and Spears sings the “you’re a womanizer, baby” hook.^[8]

Release

Announced as the lead single from the album, “Womanizer” was first released to radio stations worldwide on September 26, 2008. It was released commercially in the United States on October 7, 2008 through digital distribution. It was released as a CD single on October 25, 2008 in Australia; November 14, 2008 in Germany; and on November 24, 2008 in the UK.

On October 15, 2008, the song made a record jump from ninety-six to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record set by T.I.’s “Live Your Life“, which had jumped from number eighty to number one the week before,^[9] a record later broken by Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You“.^[10] It also garnered first-week download sales of 286,000, the biggest opening-week tally by a female artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital downloads in 2003, topping Mariah Carey’s take for “Touch My Body” by just over 200 units.^[11] A commercial to promote the character “Chuck Bass” from Gossip Girl that featured “Womanizer” was first shown on The CW’s channel and was later available on Spears’s official website.^[12]

Critical reception

Ann Powers of The Los Angeles Times described the track as “retro-futurism” that “takes a roller coaster ride via the snappy staccato beats crafted by the young Atlanta-based production team the Outsyders.”^[7] “It’s clean and contemporary,” the website said, “The highly manipulated vocal complements Brit’s Mississippi Valley Girl diction; though she’s been turned into a robot again, she actually sounds engaged.”^[7] Popjustice also gave the song a glowing review, stating that whilst the leaked clip was enjoyable, the full track “throws the whole thing into a brand new realm of amazingness.” The reviewer also said the track, “lays a really strong foundation for the fully-realised comeback that didn’t quite happen last time and it’s hard not to think of it as a late contender for single of the year.”^[13] British newspaper The Observer gave the song the maximum five stars referring to it as a “comeback single” and as having a “genius hook”. It also said, “However, it’s also been called lazy, largely by misinformed people who also think that Kylie’s ‘la la la’s would have been better with proper words.”^[14]

Bill Lamb of About.com thought that Spears sounded confident, but he wrote a generally negative review of “Womanizer.” Lamb wrote that the song sounded “like a rather weak attempt to approach the attitude of Katy Perry in a classic Britney futuristic bubblegum pop context. Unfortunately, after a few listens it all becomes quite dull.” Lamb also wrote that the song was “no match for her classic material.”^[15] He would later name “Womanizer” the third “Most Annoying Pop Song” of 2008.^[16] Daily News‘ music critic Jim Farber criticized the song, saying it is not the brilliant single Spears needs. Farber says, “From the sound of it, it should have been delayed indefinitely. Spears delivers the title word no fewer than nine times in a row, in a nagging tone meant to mimic the most irritating of schoolyard taunts.”^[17] Ian Watson of Dotmusic gave the song six stars out of ten and felt that she was too controlled in “Womanizer”. In the review, Watons wrote that Spears sounded “trapped on this single. Not trapped, as in desperate and distraught, but trapped as in literally frozen – like she’s been placed into a robot on a production line and she has to sing these words, dance these steps, work it like this, until the spotlight snaps off and the factory’s powered down for the night..” Watson concluded that the song was “not much fun to live but compelling to observe.”^[18]

Chart performance

The track entered the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart at fifty-nine with three days of its radio release alone.^[19] It also debuted on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 at eleven on the week of October 11, 2008.^[20] The song then entered the Hot 100 chart at ninety-six on the following week due to rising airplay.^[21] On October 15, the song made a record-breaking ninety-six position jump to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking not only the record for largest jump to #1, which had been set by T.I.’s Live Your Life only one week prior, but the record for largest jump by any song in the history of the chart, which was previously held by Beyoncé and Shakira’s “Beautiful Liar“. However, on January 28, 2009, it was announced by Billboard that Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You” beat its jump by one place (97-1).^[10] It also garnered first-week download sales of 286,000, the biggest opening-week tally by a female artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital downloads in 2003.^[22] It marked Spears’s first number one single on the Hot 100 since her debut “…Baby One More Time“.^[23] In addition, “Womanizer” has become Spears’ biggest hit on the U.S. radio along with her 1999 hit single “(You Drive Me) Crazy“,^[24] both peaking at number-six on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.^[25] and it peaked number one on Mainstream Top 40, her first number one since her single Toxic.^[26] In Canada, the single started at ninety-seven went up to forty-three and topped the Canadian Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks.^[27]

Moreover, in Europe, the track has entered the top ten in every single country it was released.^[28] Notably, topping the charts in Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Poland and Sweden.^[28] In the United Kingdom, “Womanizer” debuted at number four on the official singles chart selling 46,000 digital downloads,^[29] several weeks later the single peaked at number three.^[30] In addition, the track has become Spears’ sixth European number-one single.^[31]

The track debuted at number sixteen on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart on October 13, 2008, and moved up to seven on the following week and stayed there on the next.^[32] On November 2, 2008 the track then jumped two places to number five as well as debuting at number one on the Australian ARIA Dance Chart. This marks Spears fourth consecutive number one hit on the Australian ARIA Dance Chart. On November 24, 2008 the track was certified gold for sales over 35,000.^[33] Then on January 12, 2009 the track was certified Platinum for sales over 70,000.^[34] On July 20, 2009 the track re-entered the Australian ARIA Dance Chart at number nineteen.^[35] Also in Oceania, in New Zealand, “Womanizer” debuted at number thirteen and peaked at number nine. The song was certified Gold after fourteen weeks selling over 7,500 copies and spent fifteen weeks on the chart.^[36][37]

Music video

Spears as three of her alter-egos in the video for Womanizer.

The music video directed by Joseph Kahn, who had previously directed Spears’ videos “Stronger” and “Toxic.”^[38] In her documentary Britney: For the Record, Spears explains that she came up with the concept of the video and she wanted it to be a second part to “Toxic”. Part of it was filmed on September 24 and September 25, 2008 at a Los Angeles nightclub and restaurant.^[38] The video was shot over three days.^[39] Kahn suggested filming scenes of Spears naked in a sauna as a response to the attacks she had received over the years about her weight. The set was cleared for two hours, leaving her and Kahn alone shooting the sequence.^[40]

The video begins with an opening caption that reads “Womanizer”, a reference to a similar opening caption in “Stronger”. During the intro, we see Spears naked and smiling at a steam room. These scenes are seen throughout the video. When the first verse begins, we see Spears making breakfast for her boyfriend (played by Brandon Stoughton), as he gets ready for work. When he is at the office, he sees a new secretary, which is actually Spears in disguise wearing a black bob wig. She starts dancing and sings the chorus. She makes him follow her into the photocopier, where she photocopies her buttocks. On the back, we see an akward-looking man, the same who appears in the plane scene on “Toxic”. Then, Spears is disguised as a redhaired waitress in a restaurant, she dances around him with her dancers and plays with him over the kitchen counter. After this, her boyfriend is seen getting driven home by Spears, disguised as chauffeur. She starts to kiss him, with her feet steering the wheel until both get home. Once they get into the bedroom, Spears reveals that she was the three women he was “womanizing” all along. She then begins attacking her boyfriend. This is shown through Spears as her three alter egos, and then as the real version of herself. The video ends by Spears throwing a blanket over him and making the bed. The video premiered on October 10 on ABC’s 20/20 at the end of their program. To promote the release of the music video, ABC launched an official five day countdown commercial for the week of October 6 – October 11. The director’s cut of the “Womanizer” video also appeared on an MTV blog that night.^[41]

OK! magazine quoted “in addition to seeing Brit in three different sexy getups, the video…features an oiled-up Britney writhing around in nothing but a smile.”^[42] MSNBC wrote “When Spears isn’t shown naked and writhing in a steam room, she’s fired up”.^[43] “Think Fashion” (Canada) argued that “while Ms. Spears has had her fair share of failed attempts at making a comeback over the past year, we’re pretty sure this video will put her back on the map (not that she really ever left, let’s be honest).”^[44] Australia’s NEWS.com.au simply said “Britney Spears is back to her old sexy self and she’s not afraid to flaunt it.”^[45] TV Guide wrote; “The music video features some of the most strategically placed hands in music-video history” also quoting “Womanizer’s video is quite a return to form for the troubled pop star.”^[46]

The music video for “Womanizer” became a worldwide success right after it premiered on the internet.^[47] In the United Kingdom the video was viewed 7 million times in less than 48 hours breaking the record held by Leona Lewis‘ “Bleeding Love” which was viewed 5.4 million times in that same period.^[48][49] In the United States the video was viewed by three million people in less than 48 hours making it the third fastest viewed video just behind Spears’ “Piece of Me“, and Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend“.^[50] The music video has received over 80 million hits since its release on YouTube. Total viral views total over 100 million. To date, the music video has been viewed over 3 million times on MTV.com.^[51]

The music video was named the best video of 2008 by an MTV poll.^[52] The video also won Clip of the Year at the 2009 NRJ Music Awards.^[53] The video was also voted “Best Video of 2008″ on an online poll on Fuse.tv, receiving over 5 million votes in the final round and beating other popular videos such as “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry and “Disturbia” by Rihanna.^[54] The video received two nominations for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on September 13, 2009; “Womanizer” was nominated for “Video Of The Year” and “Best Pop Video”. The video ended up winning the award for “Best Pop Video”.^[55]

Live performances

Spears performing Womanizer as a policewoman on The Circus Starring: Britney Spears world tour.

“Womanizer” has been performed by Spears at a number of shows. The song was performed for the first time at the Bambi Awards in Germany, on November 28, 2008. She was also presented with a Bambi for “Best International Artist” by Karl Lagerfeld.^[56][57]

The performance starts with circus music, while two of her dancers kiss, one of them being the “womanizer”. Then, Spears’ silhouette is seen behind a circular curtain and she sings the first part of the verse, before it burns. She comes out from it wearing a black ensemble and sings and dances throughout the song showing how he is a womanizer. Before the last chorus, her dancers get the womanizer into a circular cage; Spears sits on it at the end of the song. The song was performed on November 29 at Star Academy^[58] and the following day on The X Factor. This performance was watched by over 13 million UK citizens, making it the most viewed episode in the show’s history.^[59] On December 15 and December 16, 2008, she performed it in Japan at Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ and NTV Best Artist 2008. All the performances were slightly changed in terms of staging, costumes and choreography.

The song is a major part in The Circus: Starring Britney Spears. After “Break the Ice“, a video interlude showcasing Spears’ music videos, the screens go up while showing images of security cameras, revealing Spears wearing a police uniform designed by Dsquared2, black sunglasses, a stick and a hat with her trademark B logo. All her female dancers wear policewomen uniforms, while her male dancers are dressed as criminals. During the performance, she dances around the male dancers and flirts with them. During the bridge, she performs a dance break with her stick. At the end of the song, she returns to the main stage surrounded by her dancers, and a shower of sparks falls over them. She then thanks the audience, bows to each side of the arena and leaves, with an instrumental version of “Circus” playing in the background.

Cover versions

The song has been covered live by UK singer/pianist Ana Silvera,^[60] Franz Ferdinand,^[61] Lily Allen,^[61] The All-American Rejects,^[62] Ladyhawke,^[63] Girls Aloud^[64] and L’Aura.^[65]

Track listings and versions

Major formats released for “Womanizer”:

Credits and personnel Writers: Nikesha Briscoe, Rafael Akinyemi Producers: K.Briscoe/The Outsyders Mixing: Serban Ghenea Protools editing: John Hanes Mastering: Tom Coyne Charts Chart (2008)   Peak position   Australian ARIA Singles Chart