"Friend or Foe" | ||||
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Single by t.A.T.u. | ||||
from the album Dangerous and Moving | ||||
A-side | "Not Gonna Get Us" (European CD) | |||
Released | 2005 | |||
Recorded | March 2005 | |||
Genre | Pop rock, alternative rock, dance-pop | |||
Length | 3:08 | |||
Label | Interscope | |||
Songwriter(s) | Dave Stewart, Martin Kierszenbaum | |||
Producer(s) | Martin Kierszenbaum, Robert Orton | |||
T.A.T.u. singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Friend or Foe" on YouTube | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
"Friend or Foe" is a song by Russian recording duo t.A.T.u.,taken from the group's second English language studio album Dangerous and Moving (2005). The song was written by Dave Stewart and Martin Kierszenbaum,while production was handled by Kierszenbaum and Robert Orton. The song was released by Interscope in 2005 as the album's second single. Musically,the song is a pop rock and electropop inspired song,with dance music influences. The song features ambiguous lyrics;it is unclear who exactly the words are directed at.
The song received generally positive reviews from critics,with many identifying it as the album's best song along with its praised for its dance nature and lyrical content. The song did not perform successfully like the group's previous single "All About Us",chart just under the top forty in most countries it charted in. An accompanying music video was issued,where it featured the group singing in a cave to fans.
The song was written by Dave Stewart and Martin Kierszenbaum,while production was handled by Kierszenbaum and Robert Orton. The song was released by Interscope in 2005 as the album's second single. For the production and promotion of the single,it was handled by some big names from the rock music industry. These included Sting,who played bass on the track and Bryan Adams,who shot the cover sleeve. [1] The song was the group's last single to be released in the United Kingdom and United States,due to the lack of success.
The song was released in multiple formats. The CD single was released in 2005 featuring the song with remixes,a music video and an "All About Us" remix. [2] In December 2005,Interscope issued a remix EP featuring remixes that were released in Europe and the United Kingdom. [3] A Part 2 CD single was issued in France as a maxi-single. [4] The same month,Interscope Records announced that they would issue a 12-inch vinyl CD in the United States,only containing remixes of the single. [5] The song was issued physically in the UK on 6 February 2006. [6]
"Friend or Foe" received positive remarks from most music critics. Michael Boyles from The Pitt News gave it a positive review,saying that alone with "Loves Me Not";" stand out as the most sexually ambiguous of this type and are two of the best tracks on the album [...]" [7] Michael Freedburg from The Boston Phoenix said along with "Perfect Enemy","Dangerous and Moving" and "All About Us";"shoot straight to the gut –and to the heart." [8] Betty Clarke from The Guardian described the song as "vapid" and "epic synth-rock". [9] Dom Passantino from Stylus Magazine compared the lyrical content to the group's previous record "Not Gonna Get Us" by explaining "which is effectively a straight-up rewrite of previous album single 'Not Gonna Get Us.'" [10]
"Friend or Foe" generally received mixed reception surrounding chart positions. The song managed to make the top three in Hungary,peaking at number three. The song then managed to peak inside the top forty in countries including the Czech Republic,Italy and the Wallonia region of Belgium. In the United Kingdom,the song spent a sole week on the UK singles chart at forty-eight. It was the group's last single to chart in the United Kingdom.
The song did not offer better success in various European countries,peaking at number three on the Flanders Ultratip extension chart in Belgium,seventy-five on the Swiss Singles Chart and eighty-nine on the Mega Single Top 100 in the Netherlands.
From 16 October 2005 to 17 October 2005,t.A.T.u. shot their video in the Los Angeles suburbs,directed by James Cox and produced by Billy Parks. The video was released on 8 November 2005.
The video was shot at Bronson Caves (where the original Batman TV series was filmed) in Hollywood by 1171 Production Group. The group previously worked on such t.A.T.u videos as "All About Us" and "Lyudi Invalidy" and has experience in making videos for Eminem and Celine Dion. Bronson Caves are famous for being the set location of Western movies and Batman series. The video was retired on Poland's TRL after spending 50 days on the countdown. The video did have more airplay in the U.S. than "All About Us" but it was still not played much.
In the video,Lena and Yulia both immaculately dressed in black,drive to the caves in a Chevrolet Chevelle. Yulia snaps her fingers and music begins to play as the girls perform in front of a mosh pit for a crowd of fans,who all dance and move to the song. Toward the middle,Yulia heads off stage,by the crowd and to a piano,where she begins to play. When she is done,she and Lena return to singing the rest of song.
A "Making Of" video for this music video was released on the DVD of The Best .
The song "Friend or Foe" was also featured on MTV's 3rd season of Laguna Beach.
UK Maxi-CD single
Released 6 February 2006
France Maxi-CD single
Released 6 February 2006
Europe Maxi-CD single
Released 10 March 2006
The Remixes
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Richard Morel is an American singer-songwriter, DJ, remixer and record producer from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. He has worked extensively with Washington D.C.-based duo Deep Dish, co-writing, co-producing, performing and singing on many of their tracks, most notably on their albums Junk Science and George Is On. Richard Morel's songs are represented by Downtown Music Publishing.
t.A.T.u. are a Russian pop duo consisting of Lena Katina and Julia Volkova. The two started out as part of the children's musical group Neposedy before being managed by producer and director Ivan Shapovalov and signing with Russian record label Neformat. t.A.T.u.'s debut album 200 Po Vstrechnoy (2001) was a commercial success in Eastern Europe, and that resulted in the duo signing with Interscope Records to release its English-language counterpart, 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane (2002). The album was certified platinum by the IFPI for one million copies sold in Europe and became the first album by a foreign group to reach number one in Japan. It was also certified gold in the United States and included the international hits "All the Things She Said" and "Not Gonna Get Us". The duo represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 with the song "Ne ver', ne boysia", finishing third.
200 km/h in the Wrong Lane is the second and first English-language studio album by Russian music duo t.A.T.u., released on 10 December 2002, by Interscope Records. It is the duo's first studio album to be associated with Interscope after signing to Universal, the label they signed to in 2001. Due to the duo's lack of English vocabulary, the album was produced and written by producers such as Trevor Horn, Martin Kierszenbaum, Sergio Galoyan, Robert Orton and Ivan Shapovalov, who was placed as the duo's manager and executive producer. 200 km/h lyrically explores themes such as teenage rebellion, love, sexuality, sadness, independence and social rebellion.
Dangerous and Moving is the second English-language studio album by Russian musical group t.A.T.u. and the English-language equivalent of the album Lyudi Invalidy. The album was first released on 5 October 2005 in Japan then on 10 October in the UK, 11 October in North America, and in Europe and Latin America, on 14 October. As of January 2010 the album sold 93,000 copies in the United States and had peaked at number 131 on Billboard 200.
"All About Us" is a song by Russian musical duo t.A.T.u., taken as a single from the group's second English language studio album, Dangerous and Moving (2005). The song was also featured on the group's second Russian studio album Lyudi Invalidy. The song was written by Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg, and twin sisters Jessica Origliasso and Lisa Origliasso of the Veronicas. The song was produced by Martin Kierszenbaum and Robert Orton. The song was released as the album's lead single in September 2005 by Universal Music Russia and Interscope.
"Not Gonna Get Us" is a song by the Russian music duo t.A.T.u. for their first English-language album, 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane (2002). Interscope Records released it on 21 April 2003 as the second single from the album. It was originally released as "Nas Ne Dogonyat" on t.A.T.u.'s debut album, 200 По Встречной (2001). The song was written by Sergio Galoyan, Trevor Horn, Elena Kiper and Valery Polienko, while production was handled by Horn. "Not Gonna Get Us" is a Eurodance-inspired song, and lyrically it talks about the group running away from people as they don't understand their love towards one another. The song was included on the duo's compilation album The Best (2006).
"All the Things She Said" is a song recorded by Russian music duo t.A.T.u. for their second, and first English-language, studio album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane (2002), and released as the lead single from the album in Europe on 9 September 2002 by Universal. It was written by Sergio Galoyan, Trevor Horn, Martin Kierszenbaum, Valery Polienko and Elena Kiper, while production was by Horn. "All the Things She Said" is a translated and reworked version of their 2000 song "Ya Soshla s Uma", included on their debut album 200 Po Vstrechnoy (2001). It was later included on their compilation albums t.A.T.u. Remixes (2003) and The Best (2006). Although its original story was based on a dream Kiper had at a dentist appointment, manager Ivan Shapovalov evoked the theme of lesbianism in both this and the English-language version. The lyrics describe two girls developing feelings for each other.
"Gomenasai" is a song by Russian recording duo t.A.T.u., taken from their second English language studio album Dangerous and Moving (2005). The song was written by Martin Kierszenbaum, and production was handled by Kierszenbaum and Robert Orton. The song was released in May 2006 as the album's third single by Interscope. The song was not initially supposed to be a single from the studio album as t.A.T.u. did not approve; however Interscope ignored the band's wishes and went forward with the single anyway. Due to conflicts with the label, "Gomenasai" was t.A.T.u's last single with Interscope.
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Russian duo t.A.T.u. have released six studio albums, one compilation album, two remix albums, eighteen singles, and three promotional singles. t.A.t.u. debuted in 2000 with the single "Ya Soshla S Uma" from their debut album 200 Po Vstrechnoy, released in 2001 by Universal Music Russia. The album reached number one in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. After selling 850,000 copies in Russia, it was certified platinum by the IFPI for more than one million copies in Europe, the first time for an Eastern European act. The album's English-language counterpart, 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane, was released worldwide through Interscope Records in 2002. It reached number thirteen on the US Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. In Japan, the album reached number one, the first time for a foreign group, and sold 1.8 million copies. It was also certified platinum by the IFPI for more than one million copies sold in Europe. 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane was promoted with the duo's first international single "All the Things She Said", which topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom while peaking at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100. The album produced three more singles—"Not Gonna Get Us", "30 Minutes", and "How Soon Is Now?"—, with the former becoming t.A.T.u.'s second top 10 single in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Ultimately, 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane became the twelfth best-selling album of 2003, and sold over 5 million copies worldwide. A remix album titled Remixes was released in 2003 and certified gold in Russia.
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