I Can't Stay Away

Last updated

"I Can't Stay Away"
Single by The Veronicas
from the album Hook Me Up
ReleasedJuly 2008
RecordedCryptic Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre Electronica, hard rock
Length3:27
Label Sire
Songwriter(s) Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg
Producer(s) Alexander, Steinberg
The Veronicas singles chronology
"Take Me on the Floor"
(2008)		"I Can't Stay Away"
(2008)		"Popular"
(2008)

"I Can't Stay Away" is a song by Australian recording duo The Veronicas for their second studio album Hook Me Up (2007). Produced by Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg, it was released as a radio single in July 2008 in Australia and New Zealand. Because The Veronicas were promoting the album and their future single "Take Me on the Floor", the group released "I Can't Stay Away".

Contents

Musically, "I Can't Stay Away" is an electronica-inspired rock and europop song. The song was compared to t.A.T.u.'s single "All About Us", which was originally co-written by Lisa and Jess Origliasso themselves. Lyrically, the song deals with the addiction to a person, physiologically, sexually and emotionally. The recording received favorable reviews from most contemporary critics who praised the vocal abilities and lyrical content. However, some criticized it as part of the album's content.

Background and release

The group's singles from the second studio album Hook Me Up ; title song with the same name and "Untouched" achieved critical and commercial success. The first peaked at number one on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, which became the duos first number-one single in their native Australia and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting 70,000 shipments in Australia. [1] [2] The latter song became an international success. It peaked inside the top ten in Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. [3] The song peaked at number seventeen on the US Billboard Hot 100, which made them the first Australian act since Kylie Minogue to achieve a top twenty single, which was held by Minogue's 2001 single "Can't Get You Out of My Head". [3] [4] After the success of these two singles, The Veronicas decided to release the future album singles in separate countries. "This Love" was served as the third Australian and New Zealand single, while "Take Me on the Floor" was the fourth Australian and New Zealand single, and the second single in United States and Canada. [5] [6] With these releases, the songs received moderate chart success.

In October 2007, the group begun their promotional tour The Hook Me Up Tour in Australia. [7] During June–July 2008, the group begun promotional touring in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the US. In New Zealand, the group hosted a Q&A competition on ZM Radio in order to meet The Veronicas in Auckland city. The group had then had released the song in New Zealand as a radio-airplay format in order to promote the album. [8] The song was then served as a promotional radio format in Australia in July 2008 in order to promote their album and single "Take Me on the Floor". [9] The song, along with "Untouched", "Take Me on The Floor" and "4Ever", was used as advertisement in New Zealand radio and television for their first world tour Revenge Is Sweeter Tour. [10] Both "Take Me on The Floor" and "I Can't Stay Away" were released in the same month.

Composition

Toby Gad (pictured), who produced majority of the tracks, was not featured on "I Can't Stay Away". TobyGad2013.jpg
Toby Gad (pictured), who produced majority of the tracks, was not featured on "I Can't Stay Away".

Out of all twelve album tracks to Hook Me Up, "I Can't Stay Away" was the second of two songs, the other being "This Love", to have not been written by Jessica or Lisa Origliasso. [11] The song was written by Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg, as well as additional production. The song was also not recorded at The Veronicas home in Los Angeles, California and was recorded at Alexander's own studio Cryptic Studio and Dave Russell's Encore Studios, also located in Los Angeles. [11] Majority of the instrumentation in the song was all digital, apart from the keyboards and guitars, which were all handled by Alexander. Alexander had programmed the entire song and had digitally altered the vocals and composition with assistant producer Chris Garcia and mixing assistant Brandon Kilgour. [11]

"I Can't Stay Away" is a mid-tempo electronica-inspired rock song. The lyrical content deals with the addiction to a person, physiologically, sexually and emotionally and commissioning the addiction. [12] The song's lyric "I'm conflicted / I inhale now but addicted" references the metaphorical use of drugs, asserting the person of addiction as a drug. [13] The song is about a girl who can't stay away from this guy even though she knows she should, and details how the girl cannot get enough of the guy because of emotional distress and previous attachment. [14]

Ben Norman from About.com had noted that while the parent album was upbeat and fun, he noted the influences of more "mature adult and moody" feelings. [12] He noted "Revenge Is Sweeter (Than You Ever Were)," "This Love," and "I Can't Stay Away" as examples of these. [12] K. Ross Hoffman from Allmusic and Evan Sawdey from PopMatters had compared the tracks composition to Russian duo t.A.T.u.'s singles "All The Things She Said" and "All About Us", which both Lisa and Jess had co-written for. Hoffman continued on his review on Allmusic; ""I Can't Stay Away" and "Someone Wake Me Up" echo the anguished Europop melodrama [...]" [15] [16] A reviewer from the Digital Fix had likened how it was compared to Laura Brannigan’s "Self Control" to great effect. [17]

Reception

"I Can't Stay Away" received favorable reviews from most music critics. Hoffman had highlighted the song as an album standout to Hook Me Up. [18] He went on to praise Alexander's production for not being too similar to Max Martin, who produced the duos previous effort The Secret Life Of... [15] Norman had highlighted the song as one of his favorites, along with "Revenge Is Sweeter (Than You Ever Were)" and "This Love". He said "[The songs] are all bittersweet in their lyrical content yet complete knockouts in musical delivery [...] The song is powerful and moving, the Origliassos' vocals soaring over one of the slower songs on the album." [12] Michael Pascua from TheCelebrityCafe had likened how the song moved better with the slower tempo tracks which he exemplified "I Don't Wanna Wait" and "Revenge Is Sweeter (Than You Ever Were)". He also praised the songs "interesting" lyrics and composition. [19] A reviewer from the online publication IndieLondon highlighted the song as an album download track. The reviewer commented "But such moments are offset by more successful offerings [...] the moody "I Can’t Stay Away", which benefits from a really good back-beat and plenty of sassiness [...]." [20]

However, Sawdey was critical on the song's presence on the album and lyrics, saying "[Hook Me Up] either sacrifices lyrical clarity for the sake of a good hook (the title track) or just wind up pandering to listeners with overwrought generalities ("I Don’t Wanna Wait", the very T.A.T.U.-esque "I Can’t Stay Away")." [16] He also pointed out that "Most of these weaker moments hit right in the dead center of the album, killing [Hook Me Up]'s early momentum far too soon, these weak tracks all blurring together in one dizzying haze, as if designed specifically to soundtrack the movements of cold strobelights in the middle of a sweaty club." [16] David James Young from Sputnikmusic had felt that while the middle half of the album, including the song, tried too hard, he did say that "I Can't Stay Away" featured "some lively beats." [21] A reviewer from State Magazine was critical towards the entire album, but said "Meanwhile -This Love' (unfortunately not a cover of the Pantera belter) and -I Can't Stay Away' translate as balladry filler on a record that really could do without it." [22]

Live performances

"I Can't Stay Away" has only been performed once, and that was on their Hook Me Up Tour 2007. [23]

Track listing

Digital download [6]
  1. "I Can't Stay Away" – 3:27

Personnel

Release history

CountryDateFormat
Australia
30 October 2007 [24] Digital download
July 2008 Mainstream airplay
New Zealand
30 October 2007 [25] Digital download
July 2008 Mainstream airplay

Related Research Articles

William Endfield Steinberg is an American songwriter. He achieved his greatest success in the 1980s with songwriting partner Tom Kelly; together they wrote or co-wrote the No. 1 hits "Like a Virgin" by Madonna (1984), "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (1986), "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles (1989), "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston (1987) and "Alone". They also wrote or co-wrote the hit songs "I Drove All Night", "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls (1990), and "I'll Stand by You" by The Pretenders (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Veronicas</span> Australian pop duo

The Veronicas is an Australian pop duo from Brisbane. The group was formed in 2004 by identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4ever (The Veronicas song)</span> 2005 single by the Veronicas

"4ever" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz Gottwald for the Veronicas' debut studio album, The Secret Life Of... (2005). It was released as the album's first single in Australia on 15 August 2005 as a CD single. The song reached number two on the ARIA Charts and number seven in New Zealand. In the United States, the single was promoted early in 2006 by Archie Comics through a mention in issue #167 of the group's namesake Veronica comic, which featured a guest appearance and cover picture of the Veronicas and a card containing a code that could be used to download an MP3 version of the song for free.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Origliasso</span> Australian singer-songwriter (born 1984)

Jessica Louise Origliasso is an Australian singer-songwriter and producer. She and her twin sister formed the pop band The Veronicas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Origliasso</span> Australian singer-songwriter (born 1984)

Lisa Marie Origliasso is an Australian singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Albany Creek, Queensland, Lisa and her identical twin sister, Jessica Origliasso, performed in show business at a young age. Origliasso rose to fame in the 2000s when she and her sister formed the pop duo The Veronicas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leave Me Alone (The Veronicas song)</span> 2006 single by The Veronicas

"Leave Me Alone" is a pop rock song written by Josh Alexander, Jessica Origliasso, Lisa Origliasso and Billy Steinberg, produced by Alexander and Steinberg for The Veronicas' debut album The Secret Life of... (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hook Me Up (The Veronicas song)</span> 2007 single by the Veronicas

"Hook Me Up" is a song by Australian musical duo the Veronicas for their second album of the same name (2007). Produced by Greg Wells and Engineered by Drew Pearson, it was released as the album's lead single on 18 August 2007 as a digital download. The down-tempo, electropop-dance song, is a change in direction from the pop rock sound from their previous album, The Secret Life Of... (2005). It was written by the Veronicas' twin sisters, Jessica Origliasso and Lisa Origliasso, together with Shelly Peiken and Wells. The central theme of "Hook Me Up" is about escaping reality and the stresses of life.

<i>Hook Me Up</i> 2007 studio album by the Veronicas

Hook Me Up is the second studio album by Australian duo the Veronicas, which was released on 3 November 2007 by Sire Records. It debuted on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart at number two and has since been certified double platinum. The singles issued from the album were "Hook Me Up", "Untouched", "This Love", "Take Me on the Floor", and "Popular". For the album, the Veronicas were nominated for three awards at ARIA Music Awards of 2008: "Highest Selling Album", "Highest Selling Single", and "Best Pop Release".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Untouched (song)</span> 2007 single by the Veronicas

"Untouched" is a song by Australian duo the Veronicas, which is featured on their second studio album Hook Me Up (2007). Toby Gad assisted the duo in writing the song and is also the producer. It was released as the second single from the band's album in Australia on 10 December 2007, and the first single in the UK and US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Love (The Veronicas song)</span> 2008 single by the Veronicas

"This Love" is a dance-rock song written by Toby Gad and a then-unknown Kesha, produced by Gad for Australian musical duo the Veronicas' second album, Hook Me Up (2007). It was released as the album's third single in Australia as a digital download on 30 March 2008 and CD single 14 April 2008. The song became a top-10 hit in Australia and top-20 hit in New Zealand, peaking at numbers 10 and 14, respectively. AllMusic called "This Love" "an utterly charming dance-rock confection that, in its last minute, abruptly unleashes a euphoric synthesizer countermelody whose nod to a-ha's 'Take On Me' is unmissable."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Veronicas discography</span> Band discography

Australian pop duo The Veronicas have released five studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, three extended plays, twenty-four singles, fifteen music videos and two video albums. Their debut studio album, The Secret Life Of..., was released in Australia in October 2005. Influenced by pop rock, pop punk and teen pop genres, the album was successful in Australia, where it reached number two and gained quadruple Platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The album's lead single, "4ever", peaked at number two on the Australian Singles Chart and became a top-twenty hit in countries such as Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Four additional singles were released from the album, including "Everything I'm Not" and "When It All Falls Apart", which reached the top ten in Australia and earned Gold certification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Me on the Floor</span> 2008 single by the Veronicas

"Take Me on the Floor" is a song by the Veronicas from their second album, Hook Me Up. It was released as the fourth single from the album in Australia as a digital download on 13 October 2008. In the US Warner Bros. hosted a poll for fans to vote through texting to decide which should be the second single in the US; "Take Me on the Floor" was then announced as the next single on their YouTube page and was released on 24 March 2009 to radio. The song was used in promotional ads for the 2008 season of Australia's Dancing with the Stars. A remix of "Take Me on the Floor" was later made featuring Pitbull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular (The Veronicas song)</span> 2008 single by the Veronicas

"Popular" is a song by Australian musical duo the Veronicas for their second studio album, Hook Me Up (2007). Produced by Toby Gad, it was released as the album's final single on 11 October 2008 as a digital download. Written by the Veronicas—twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso—together with Beni Barca and Toby Gad, the track was recorded in Los Angeles, California. The song pokes fun at people with privileged lifestyles.

<i>Complete</i> (The Veronicas album) 2009 compilation album by The Veronicas

Complete is a compilation album by Australian band The Veronicas which was released in Japan on 18 March 2009 by Pony Canyon, and Latin America on 11 August 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lolita (The Veronicas song)</span> 2012 single by the Veronicas

"Lolita" is a song recorded by Australian duo the Veronicas, released on 27 July 2012. It was written by the Veronicas, together with Laura Pergolizzi and Toby Gad, while production was handled by Gad. The song was released as the lead single for what was meant to be their third studio album, Life on Mars. However, due to complications with their label, Warner Bros. Records, the album was shelved. They were subsequently signed to Sony Music and the album was retitled The Veronicas, but "Lolita" did not appear on the record. The song was later included on their Spotify compilation album Untouched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Ruin Me</span> 2014 single by The Veronicas

"You Ruin Me" is a song by Australian pop duo The Veronicas from their self-titled third studio album. Produced by DNA, the recording is the lead single from the album and their first musical release since "Lolita" in 2012. The track, which was released on 19 September 2014, was co-written by Anthony Egizii and David Musumeci along with The Veronicas' twins Lisa Origliasso and Jessica Origliasso. It became the duo's second number-one single in their native Australia, topping the ARIA Singles Chart for three weeks, and it reached the top 20 in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

<i>The Veronicas</i> (album) 2014 studio album by The Veronicas

The Veronicas is the third studio album by Australian duo The Veronicas. It was issued on 21 November 2014 as their first release with Sony Music Australia following their departure from former label Warner Bros. Records. The album comes seven years after their second record Hook Me Up (2007). While they were with Warner Bros. Records, the album was to be issued under the title Life on Mars with a 2012 release date before it was pushed back and eventually shelved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On Your Side (The Veronicas song)</span> 2016 single by The Veronicas

"On Your Side" is a song recorded by Australian pop duo The Veronicas for their fifth studio album Human. The Veronicas twins, Lisa Origliasso and Jessica Origliasso, co-wrote the song with Wayne Hector and Jim Eliot, while Swedish record producer Ollipop and Freddy Haggstam produced the track. It was released through Sony Music on 14 October 2016 as the album's first single.

References

  1. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 29 December 2011
  2. ↑ Budd, Henry (6 March 2008). "No. 1 Twins Off the Hook". The Courier-Mail . Queensland Newspapers (News Corporation). Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 "The Veronicas - Untouched - Music Charts". αCharts.us. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  4. ↑ Cashmere, Paul (26 February 2009). "The Veronicas, One Million Americans Touched By Untouched". Undercover.com.au. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  5. ↑ iTunes - Music - This Love - Single by The Veronicas
  6. 1 2 iTunes - Music - Hook Me Up by The Veronicas
  7. ↑ The Hook Me Up Tour. Frontiertouring.com.au.
  8. ↑ Meet The Veronicas. July 2008. ZM Radio New Zealand.
  9. ↑ Top 40/M, Future Releases, 24 March
  10. ↑ Revenge is Sweeter Tour NZ. The Veronicas to Tour NZ with P-Money [ permanent dead link ]Generation Q. Accessed 18 November 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 The Veronicas, Hook Me Up. Liner notes of booklet (CD, Album).
  12. 1 2 3 4 About.com | The Veronicas Archived 12 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine .
  13. ↑ the veronicas review | Ironic Clown
  14. ↑ I Can’t Stay Away by The Veronicas review
  15. 1 2 Hook Me Up - The Veronicas | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic
  16. 1 2 3 The Veronicas: Hook Me Up | PopMatters
  17. ↑ The Veronicas - Hook Me Up | Review | Music @ The Digital Fix
  18. ↑ The Veronicas | SOngs | Highlights. Allmusic.
  19. ↑ Hook Me Up | TheCelebrityCafe Archived 14 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine .
  20. ↑ IndieLondon: The Veronicas - Hook Me Up - Your London Reviews
  21. ↑ The Veronicas - Hook Me Up (album review ) | Sputnikmusic
  22. ↑ The Veronicas – Hook Me Up
  23. ↑ The Veronicas - I Can't Stay Away. Perth; 30 November 2007.
  24. ↑ iTunes - Music - Hook Me Up
  25. ↑ iTunes - Music - Hook Me Up
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.