Cherry on Top

Last updated

"Cherry on Top"
Oh Land "Cherry on Top".png
Single by Oh Land
from the album Wish Bone
Released20 April 2014
Recorded2013
Studio Federal Prism Studios (Glendale, California)
Genre
Length3:48
Label
  • Tusk or Tooth
  • A:larm Music
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) David Andrew Sitek
Oh Land singles chronology
"Pyromaniac"
(2013)
"Cherry on Top"
(2014)
"Head Up High"
(2014)

"Cherry on Top" is a song by Danish singer-songwriter Oh Land, taken from her third studio album Wish Bone (2013). It was released digitally as the album's third and final single on 20 April 2014 by Tusk or Tooth and A:larm Music. The song was written by Oh Land, E. Kidd Bogart and Emanuel Kiriakou, while production was handled by David Andrew Sitek. A pop and R&B song, "Cherry on Top" features "relatable" lyrics about one wanting to achieve it all. [1]

Contents

The song garnered a mixed reception from music critics. Some considered it a stand-out track on the parent album while others found it to be unmemorable and "over-the-top". [2] An accompanying music video was filmed in New York City and premiered simultaneously with the single's release. It was directed by Duncan Winecoff and features Oh Land as a piano player working for a ballet studio instructor, portrayed by Helena Christensen. The main narrative is about a young male ballet student who dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

Background and composition

"Cherry on Top" is taken from Oh Land's third studio album, Wish Bone (2013). The album's third and final single, its release coincided with the premiere of the corresponding music video on 20 April 2014 by Tusk or Tooth Records and A:larm Music. [3] "Cherry on Top" was written by Oh Land, E. Kidd Bogart and Emanuel Kiriakou, while production was handled by David Andrew Sitek. Additionally, several musicians contributed to the track, including drummer Nathaniel Morton and Zeph Showers who served as the head audio engineer and mixer. [4] The song itself was recorded at Federal Prism Studios in Glendale, California in 2013. [5]

"Cherry on Top" is a pop and R&B track with a duration of three minutes and 48 seconds. [6] [7] [8] Unlike the majority of Oh Land's songs, it is not an uptempo track. Instead, it contains "piano instrumentals" and "light background harmonies". [1] It features lyrics with a "relatable" message and "figurative imagery". [7] [1] Oh Land herself stated that the song is about "always going for the win, always focusing on the result and sometimes missing the process because you're such a perfectionist". [9] According to Paul MacInnes from The Guardian , the lyrics serve as a "plea to a lover about the pitfalls of excess"; the song opens with Oh Land singing, "Small boy, big dreams / Going in for a bite", which is "sublimely literal". [7] She proceeds in the chorus: "You can have it all but you never stop / 'Cause all you ever want is the cherry on top" / "And all you ever dreamed of, it ain't enough / You'll never fill that hole with the cherry on top". [1]

Critical reception

"Cherry on Top" received mixed reviews from music critics. Neon Tommy 's Jennifer Joh highlighted both "Cherry on Top" and album track "3 Chances" for "continu[ing] the ebb and flow that is the essence of th[e] album"; she also enjoyed Oh Land's "clean and seductive vocals". [1] Kayleigh Watson, an editor for Renowned for Sound , liked the "impish yet cutesy quality" of the song, calling it part of Wish Bone's "magically imaginative mental joyride". [10] Also, Jesse Cataldo from Slant Magazine referred to the song as "hit[ting] the right balance" on Wish Bone. He liked that the recording "display[ed] Scandinavian reserve on the verses and bloom[ed] into something more lively during the choruses". [11] In a mixed review, Christopher Monk from musicOMH felt that the song (and the parent album) was not "lacking in hooks" and considered it one of Wish Bone's strongest tracks, but overall said that it (along with "Bird in an Aeroplane" and "Pyromaniac") cannot match the quality or catchiness of her previous singles, listing "Sun of a Gun" and "White Nights" as two examples. [6] James Christopher Monger from AllMusic called the song "radio-ready" but criticized it for being inferior to Oh Land's "Love You Better", which also appears on Wish Bone. [12] Describing it as one of the album's "slower songs", Hannah Eads for The Daily Nebraskan felt the track was "over-the-top in all the wrong places" and was used as a "half-made attempt at breaking up the album's non-stop, fast-paced beat". [2]

Music video

An accompanying music video for "Cherry on Top" was released on 20 April 2014. It was directed by frequent collaborator Duncan Winecoff while the cinematography was headed by Jake Saner. [13] [14] Casting calls for the video began in January 2014 as filming was scheduled to start on February 8 and end on February 10. [15] Shot inside a ballet studio, Oh Land assumes the role of a substitute piano player who was hired by the studio's instructor (Helena Christensen). It tells the story of a male ballet dancer (Drew Minard) who works hard in order to receive the career of his dreams, although "he didn't have anyone to share it with" because he was overly determined. [9] According to Winecoff, he would like to expand the video into a series of "three short films" with "Cherry on Top" serving as the very first one; he also said that over time "a larger storyline will emerge, having much to do with dance, music, love and the power of the human spirit". However, no other films from the planned series have been created. [9]

Personnel

Personnel adapted from the liner notes of Wish Bone. [4]

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Oh Land discography Artist discography

Danish singer Oh Land has released five studio albums, three extended plays (EPs), 26 singles, seven promotional singles, and 15 music videos. When signed to Fake Diamond Records, Oh Land released her debut album, Fauna, in November 2008. Following a performance at the 2009 SXSW event, she met a representative from Epic Records and signed with the label. She released her major-label debut single "Sun of a Gun" in October 2010, which charted in five countries and served as the lead single to her 2011 self-titled studio album. Oh Land peaked at number five in Denmark and also entered the Billboard 200 in the United States. It would go on to be certified Platinum for selling over 20,000 copies in the former country. The album spawned four additional singles, including "Wolf & I", "Voodoo", "White Nights", and "Speak Out Now"; the latter two songs both charted within the top twenty in Oh Land's native Denmark and were also certified Gold by IFPI Denmark.

Pyromaniac (Oh Land song) 2013 single by Oh Land

"Pyromaniac" is a song by Danish singer-songwriter Oh Land, taken from her third studio album Wish Bone (2013). It was released digitally as the album's second single on 2 September 2013 by Tusk or Tooth and A:larm Music, exclusively in Denmark. The track was written by Oh Land and Jimmy Harry, and produced by David Andrew Sitek. A combination of funk, pop, and soul music, "Pyromaniac" features a hook with repetitive lyrics and was compared to the works of several artists, including the Cardigans, Robyn, and Phoenix.

My Boxer 2013 promotional single by Oh Land

"My Boxer" is a song recorded by Danish singer and songwriter Oh Land. It was included on her third studio album, Wish Bone (2013), and released digitally on 10 July 2013 by Tusk or Tooth Records and A:larm Music. The track was written by Nanna Øland Fabricius and Dan Carey; Carey also served as the sole producer. An electropop recording with a rhythmic beat, its lyrics were inspired by an event where Oh Land walked a blind lady across the street. She compared the experience to having a boxer living in her ear.

Love You Better (Oh Land song) 2013 song by Oh Land

"Love You Better" is a song by Danish singer-songwriter Oh Land for her third studio album, Wish Bone (2013). It was released digitally, along with the rest of the parent album, on 16 September 2013 by Tusk or Tooth Records and A:larm Music. It was written and produced by Oh Land, with David Poe serving as an additional songwriter. An acoustic and folk ballad, "Love You Better" is about learning to love your companion more as you age. The song received generally favourable reviews from music critics who described it as romantic and stark.

Head Up High (Oh Land song) 2014 single by Oh Land

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Kiss in Songs 2019 single by Oh Land

"Kiss in Songs" is a song by Danish singer and songwriter Oh Land for her fifth studio album, Family Tree (2019). Oh Land wrote the song with the sole producer, Thomas Bartlett. It was digitally distributed as the third single from the album on 22 March 2019, through Tusk or Tooth Records. The song's release came with the announcement of new dates for her ongoing promotional Family Tree tour. It is an electronic song with a melancholic, piano and string-led production. Venezuelan-American singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart provides background vocals on the song.

Listen a Little Less 2021 single by Oh Land

"Listen a Little Less" is a song by Danish singer and songwriter Oh Land for her upcoming sixth studio album. She wrote the song with her boyfriend, Danish musician Adi Zukanovic. It was released as the album's lead single on 26 March 2021, through Tusk or Tooth Records. Oh Land developed "Listen a Little Less" during a mentally-draining episode in her personal life, and used the song to regain her confidence.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Joh, Jennifer (24 September 2013). "Oh Land: 'Wish Bone' Album Review". Neon Tommy . Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 Eads, Hannah (26 September 2013). "Oh Land's new album 'Wish Bone' is forgetful, repetitive". The Daily Nebraskan . Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  3. 1 2 Wish Bone (CD liner notes). Oh Land. Tusk or Tooth. 2013. TOTCD001.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. "Cherry on Top". Oh Land Music. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 Monk, Christopher (7 October 2013). "Oh Land – Wish Bone". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 MacInnes, Paul (14 November 2013). "Oh Land: Wish Bone – review". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  7. "Wishbone – Oh Land". iTunes Store (US). 24 September 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 Bennett, Kim Taylor (18 April 2014). "Behind the Lens: On the Set of Oh Land's Video for 'Cherry on Top'". Noisey . Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  9. Watson, Kayleigh (7 November 2013). "Album Review: Oh Land – Wish Bone". Renowned for Sound. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  10. Cataldo, Jesse (26 September 2013). "Oh Land – Wishbone". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  11. Monger, James Christopher. "Oh Land – Wishbone". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  12. "Oh Land – Cherry On Top". CMT. 30 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2017-09-10. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  13. "Oh Land Cherry On Top". Jake Saner. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  14. "Oh Land Music Video, 'Cherry on Top'". Backstage . 7 February 2014. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.