Happy Ending (Mika song)

Last updated

"Happy Ending"
HappyEndingMika.jpg
Single by Mika
from the album Life in Cartoon Motion
Released15 October 2007
Recorded2006
Genre Pop
Length
  • 3:32 (LA edit)
  • 4:36 (album version)
Label Island
Songwriter(s) Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr.
Producer(s) Greg Wells
Mika singles chronology
"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)"
(2007)		"Happy Ending"
(2007)		"Relax, Take It Easy"
(2007)
Music video
"Happy Ending" on YouTube

"Happy Ending" is the third single release from Lebanese-British singer Mika. Taken from his debut album Life in Cartoon Motion , producer Greg Wells remixed and rearranged the single, released online on 8 October 2007, and in shops on CD and 7-inch vinyl on 15 October 2007. [1]

Contents

The single charted as Mika's fourth straight UK Top 10 single out of his first four, continuing his UK success so far, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. It was the fifth most added song to Australian radio in late October 2007 [2] and was released there officially on 12 November 2007, as the 3rd single despite digital track sales placing the song in the ARIA singles chart before the official release. [3]

On Life in Cartoon Motion, fifty seconds after the song ends, a hidden track, "Over My Shoulder" starts. It is a solemn song about being left alone, cold and drunk. This also appeared on the CD single of "Grace Kelly".

Background and composition

Mika described the story behind the song:

It's about a few things. In a way, it's a kind of sad break-up song like 'My Interpretation'. But, at the same time, it's about a lot of other things. I'll never forget when I was actually recording this song in Los Angeles, I would take this drive from where I was staying to the studio, which wasn't in the city and the amount of homeless people I saw on the way was absolutely shocking. Those horrible images of homelessness that I would see every morning really connected with that song. So it just comes to show you that a bright song in a certain mindset had a meaning that really evolves and changes as time goes by. I think that it is very important that other listeners find their own meaning to songs. So many people are very openly suggestive to the point of being abstract. It's the most powerful thing when that becomes the song.

The woman singing with Mika in “Happy Ending” on the album is Ida Falk Winland, an opera singer and former classmate of Mika from the Royal College of Music. [4]

Critical reception

The song received critical acclaim. Christian John Wikane from PopMatters commented about his voice on the track, writing that "Like a choirboy singing by candlelight, Mika awakes goose bumps with the chilling purity of his voice." [5] Graham Griffith from About.com was succinct, writing that the song is "gorgeous", [6] while Lizzie Ennever from BBC Music described it as a "lovely, piano-led" song. [7]

John Murphy from musicOMH wrote an extense article about the song. He wrote that it "sees a wonderful vocal performance from Mika, sounding eerily like early Michael Jackson at one point, and working extraordinarily well with his backing vocals. It's the sort of song you can imagine playing over the final scene of an 'emotional' drama on TV." [8]

Music video

The music video starts with a piano playing on its own, then the camera shows Mika on the bed. He is singing and has a pink balloon attached on his arm and while he is floating above, it reveals Mika with a pink suit. His room walls are shown full of pictures that start moving their mouths and singing with Mika. Mika passes through white balloons, which show all the times he felt different emotions. The video ends with Mika singing, and gloved hands resembling singing faces. He smiles as the screen goes black. The music video was directed by AlexandLiane. [9]

Track listings

UK CD single

  1. "Happy Ending" (LA Edit) – 3:32
  2. "Grace Kelly" (Acoustic) – 3:04
  3. "Happy Ending" (The Kleerup Mix) – 4:16

Limited-edition 7-inch vinyl

  1. "Happy Ending" (LA Edit) – 3:32
  2. "Love Today" (Acoustic) – 2:57

UK 12-inch single

  1. "Happy Ending" (Quentin Harris Remix) – 8:32
  2. "Happy Ending" (Quentin Harris Instrumental) – 8:14
  3. "Happy Ending" (The Time Of The Night Remix) – 5:40
  4. "Happy Ending" (Trail Mix) – 4:20

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [35] Gold35,000^
Italy (FIMI) [36] Gold15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [37] Gold400,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Heroes</span> 2000 single by Aqua

"Cartoon Heroes" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua from their second studio album, Aquarius. The song was sent to radio stations worldwide on 1 January 2000 and was released as a retail single on 31 January 2000. It was their first release anywhere for over 14 months due to the time spent touring the world, resting, and recording Aquarius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beep (The Pussycat Dolls song)</span> 2006 single by the Pussycat Dolls

"Beep" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It features will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, who composed the song with additional writing from Kara DioGuardi and Jeff Lynne, and additional production from Ron Fair. The song contains a sample of "Evil Woman" by Electric Light Orchestra. It was released as the third single from PCD on February 6, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You're Not the One</span> 2002 single by Daniel Bedingfield

"If You're Not the One" is a song by New Zealand-British singer Daniel Bedingfield. It was released on 25 November 2002 as the third single from his debut studio album, Gotta Get Thru This (2002). The single entered the top 20 on the majority of charts that it appeared on, including becoming a number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart and reaching number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Need a Man</span> 2006 single by the Pussycat Dolls

"I Don't Need a Man" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written and produced by Rich Harrison, with additional writing from Nicole Scherzinger, Vanessa Brown and Kara DioGuardi. A post-disco song, "I Don't Need a Man" promotes female empowerment. The song was released as the fifth single from PCD on September 9, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.

<i>Life in Cartoon Motion</i> 2007 studio album by Mika

Life in Cartoon Motion is the debut album released by British singer-songwriter Mika. The album was produced by Greg Wells, mixed by Wells, with co-production on two songs by Jodi Marr and John Merchant. The album was released via Casablanca Records on 5 February 2007 in the United Kingdom, and on 27 March 2007 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Kelly (song)</span> 2007 single by Mika

"Grace Kelly" is a song by British singer-songwriter Mika. It was released as the lead single from Mika's debut studio album Life in Cartoon Motion (2007) on the 8th January 2007. It was written by Mika alongside Jodi Marr, John Merchant and Dan Warner. The song was produced and mixed by Greg Wells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relax, Take It Easy</span> 2007 single by Mika

"Relax, Take It Easy" is the debut single by British singer-songwriter Mika, from his debut album Life in Cartoon Motion. In the UK, it failed to chart upon its original release, but after "Grace Kelly" topped the charts in January 2007, it managed to peak at number 67 on the UK Downloads Chart because of download sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Today (song)</span> 2007 single by Mika

"Love Today" is the second single released by London-based singer Mika, taken from his debut studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion (2007). The song was produced by Greg Wells at Rocket Carousel studios and engineered by Drew Pearson. It was released in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2007 as a digital download, with the official physical release appearing on 23 April 2007, and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart. The single was released in Australia on 23 July 2007, reaching number three on the ARIA Singles Chart, and was used for Austereo radio station network advertising. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording at the 50th Grammy Awards but lost to Justin Timberlake's "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lollipop (Mika song)</span> 2007 single by Mika

"Lollipop" is a song by Mika from his 2007 debut album, Life in Cartoon Motion. When the album was released, "Lollipop" had high numbers of downloads, even before it had been released as a single, charting in the Top 75 UK Singles Chart. In April 2007, it was released to radio in the UK, Norway, Switzerland, and Australia. On 31 December 2007, it was released as a double A-side single with "Relax, Take It Easy" in the UK. The single was available for digital download on 24 December 2007. Mika has said in interviews that the song was written as a message to his younger sister. The single performed moderately in the UK Singles Chart considering that it was released as a fifth single from Life in Cartoon Motion, peaking at number 18 as an A-side to the double-A-side single "Relax, Take It Easy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)</span> 2007 single by Mika

"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" is the fourth single from the debut album Life in Cartoon Motion of singer Mika. It reached number 9 in the UK charts after it was released on 23 July 2007. It was inspired by, and written for, the Butterfly Lounge, the first Size Acceptance nightclub in Orange County, California. The club is mentioned specifically in the lyrics "Get yourself to the Butterfly Lounge. Find yourself a big lady", and is now their theme song. A B-side of the single is "Standing in the Way of Control".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 (song)</span> 2007 single by James Blunt

"1973" is a song by the English recording artist James Blunt. It was released as the lead single from his second studio album, All the Lost Souls (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apologize (OneRepublic song)</span> 2007 single by OneRepublic

"Apologize" is a song written by Ryan Tedder, which first appeared on Timbaland's second studio album Shock Value (2007). It was then released as the third single from that album, along with the original recording by OneRepublic. It accordingly also served as the lead single for OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud (2007), produced by Greg Wells. Timbaland's version omits the guitar solo after the second verse in the original, and includes an extra line of percussion, new backing vocals, and added sound samples, in addition to sound mixing and a few other minor changes. The song was the biggest radio airplay hit in the history of the Mainstream Top 40 chart in the United States, with 10,394 plays in one week, until its record was broken by Leona Lewis's "Bleeding Love", which was also co-written by Tedder. The song was a major hit internationally, reaching number one in 16 countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Turkey, and the Netherlands, as well as staying at number one for eight consecutive weeks on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, staying in the top-10 for 25 weeks, and spent 13 weeks at number one in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black and Gold</span> 2008 single by Sam Sparro

"Black and Gold" is the lead single from Australian singer Sam Sparro' eponymous debut album. The song was written by Sparro and Jesse Rogg. It has been remixed by Max Sanna and Steve Pitron, Paul Epworth, Al Usher, Kings of the Universe, Kromatik and Russ Chimes. The original version of the single was made available online on 31 March 2008. On 7 April, the CD, 12-inch, and limited edition 7-inch singles were released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mika discography</span>

The discography of Mika, an English pop singer-songwriter, consists of five studio albums, four live albums, two compilation albums, nine extended plays, thirty-six singles, thirty-one music videos, and four video albums. As of 2017, Mika has sold over 20 million records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Use Somebody</span> 2008 single by Kings of Leon

"Use Somebody" is a song recorded by the American rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night, and it entered American and British charts in early October 2008, three weeks after the album release. The single was augmented with a music video released a month later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonderful Christmastime</span> Christmas song by Paul McCartney

"Wonderful Christmastime" is a Christmas song by English musician Paul McCartney. Recorded during the sessions for his solo album McCartney II (1980), it was released in November 1979 following Wings' final album Back to the Egg earlier that year. It was McCartney's first solo single in over eight years since "Eat at Home" in 1971. "Wonderful Christmastime" has charted within the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom as well as the top 20 in Canada, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland. Despite being regarded as one of McCartney's weaker compositions by some music critics, it is a popular song during Christmas and has been covered throughout the years by numerous artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skinny Love</span> 2008 single by Bon Iver

"Skinny Love" is a song written by American musician and songwriter Justin Vernon. It was originally released by indie folk band Bon Iver, of which Vernon is a member, in 2007. A cover version by the British vocalist Birdy was released in 2011. Both versions charted internationally and have been featured in multiple television and film soundtracks. The song has since become a popular tune for various singing competition shows around the English-speaking world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Brother</span> 2013 song by Avicii

"Hey Brother" is a dance song by Swedish DJ and record producer Avicii from his debut studio album, True (2013). American bluegrass singer Dan Tyminski provides vocals for the track. It was written by Avicii, Ash Pournouri, Salem Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare and Veronica Maggio. "Hey Brother" sees Avicii giving his brother advice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outside (Calvin Harris song)</span> 2014 single by Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding

"Outside" is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris, featuring English singer Ellie Goulding, from Harris's fourth studio album, Motion (2014). It was released on 20 October 2014 as the album's fourth single. The song also appears on the deluxe edition of Goulding's third studio album, Delirium (2015). "Outside" marks the second collaboration between Harris and Goulding, following the single "I Need Your Love" (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happier (Ed Sheeran song)</span> 2018 single by Ed Sheeran

"Happier" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. The song was written by Sheeran along with Ryan Tedder and Benny Blanco. It was included on his third studio album, ÷ (2017). After the album's release, it charted at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart. It was released in Italy on 27 April 2018 as the fourth and the final single from the album.

References

  1. ↑ Official website Archived 21 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 26 August 2007.
  2. ↑ "Australian music Network" Archived 7 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine . The Music Network. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  3. ↑ Archived 26 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine Herald Sun HiT. Retrieved on 5 November 2007.
  4. ↑ "Happy Ending — Mika". Last.fm.
  5. ↑ Wikane, Christian John (26 March 2007). "Mika: Life in Cartoon Motion < PopMatters". PopMatters . Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "MIKA - Life in Cartoon Motion". About.com . Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  7. ↑ Ennever, Lizzie (2 February 2007). "BBC - Music - Review of Mika - Life In Cartoon Motion". BBC . Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  8. ↑ Murphy, John (5 February 2007). "Mika - Life In Cartoon Motion | album reviews | musicOMH". MusicOMH . Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  9. ↑ "Mika: Happy Ending (Video 2007) - IMDb".
  10. ↑ "Giorgio Armani Si TV Spot, 'Si to Life' Feat. Cate Blanchett, Song by MIKA" . Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  13. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  14. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  15. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200828 into search.
  16. ↑ "Mika – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Mika. [ dead link ]
  17. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  18. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  19. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Happy Ending". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending". Top Digital Download.
  21. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Mika" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  22. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  23. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200811 into search.
  24. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending". Swiss Singles Chart.
  25. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  26. ↑ "Mika – Happy Ending" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  28. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  29. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2008". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  30. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2008" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  31. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2008" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  32. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2008". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  33. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2008" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  34. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2008". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  35. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  36. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Mika – Happy Ending" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 23 November 2017. Select "2014" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Happy Ending" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  37. ↑ "British single certifications – Mika – Happy Ending". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 4 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.