"I Touch Myself" is a song recorded by Australian rock band Divinyls. It was written by the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg along with Christine Amphlett and Mark McEntee of the Divinyls.[3] It was released in November 1990 by Virgin Records as the lead single from the band's fourth album, Divinyls (1991), and deals with the subjects of eroticism and female masturbation.[4] The single achieved success, reaching No.1 in Australia and No.4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its music video was directed by Michael Bay and received three nominations at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. In January 2018, Australian network Triple M ranked the song at No. 60 in its list of the "most Australian" songs of all time.[5] In 2023, Billboard magazine ranked it among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time".[6]
Chrissy Amphlett and Mark McEntee wrote the song in 1990 with the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg (who had also written songs such as "I'll Stand by You", "Like a Virgin", "Eternal Flame", "True Colors" and "So Emotional"). Steinberg had written the first verse and the chorus lyric for "I Touch Myself" and Amphlett liked it immediately. The next day, McEntee, Steinberg, Kelly and Amphlett wrote the remainder of the song despite the fact that Steinberg and Kelly rarely collaborated with others.
The song was recorded to two-inch tape, making it difficult to edit. After much experimentation, the writers devised an unusual song structure with the bridge placed after the first chorus.[7]
"It was also written in a heartfelt way, touching yourself in a heartfelt way. But I like double entendres, so... It didn't worry me at all, because I really liked it but the musicians were shocked. The musicians freaked, and they were really worried for me. I don't think they are now; I think they've come to terms with it."
In Australia, "I Touch Myself" was released on 19 November 1990 on 7-inch and cassette,[9] and the CD single was released on 3 December 1990.[10] The single debuted at No.77 on 2 December 1990.[11] On its tenth week on the chart, the song reached No.1, replacing Vanilla Ice's debut single "Ice Ice Baby",[12] and stayed there for another week. The single was certified platinum in Australia.
"I Touch Myself" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at No.69 and on its eighth week it peaked at No.10, spending a total of twelve weeks in the chart.[13] When released in the United States, the song caused a minor controversy. However, it managed to reach the top five of the BillboardHot 100 chart, peaking at No.4,[14] and at No.2 on the BillboardModern Rock Tracks chart[15] after receiving extensive play on modern rock radio. Divinyls are considered a one-hit wonder in the U.S., as "I Touch Myself" was their only American top-40 hit.
Critical reception
Alex Henderson from AllMusic described the song as "infectious,"[16] while editor Adrian Zupp called it a "lascivious headline-grabber."[17] A reviewer from Billboard stated that it's a "modern rock smash," noting lead singer Christina Amphlett's video appearance as "eye-catching."[18] James Muretich from Calgary Herald joked, "One gathers she's not talking about scratching her nose".[19]Everett True from Melody Maker commented, "Yes, it is about what you think. It's a song about female obsession, gratification, frustration and masturbation which, apparently, Mike Read played on Round Table and then got extremely embarrassed by. He shouldn't have done. It's a song about giving, and giving as much as you can: tantalising, without being titillating. Musically, it's straight-down-the-line mid-American rock (Bangles, Go-Go's). I'm rather fond of it, to tell the truth."[20] Magazine Music & Media wrote that "it will stay in your mind for the rest of the week."[21] Alan Jones from Music Week commented, "'I Touch Myself' has already been a number one single in their native Australia, and is now in the US Top 10. It won't do that well here, but its loose, post-punk execution and killer hook add up to a hit."[22] Caroline Sullivan from Smash Hits called it "one of pop's finer nanoseconds" in her review of the DiVINYLS album.[23]
Music video
The song's accompanying music video, directed by American film director and producer Michael Bay, was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year.[24]
Impact and legacy
In January 2018, Australian network Triple M ranked the song at No. 60 in its list of the "most Australian" songs of all time.[5] In October 2023, Billboard magazine ranked "I Touch Myself" at No. 326 in their "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" list.[6]
I Touch Myself Project
The I Touch Myself Project was launched in 2014, 12 months after Amphlett's death from breast cancer. Amphlett wanted "I Touch Myself" to be adapted as a global anthem for breast health. The project was created in her honour with its mission to create educational forums to promote self-examination.[25]
In 2016, the I Touch Myself Project partnered with Berlei to create the Chrissy Bra, which reminds women to examine their breasts for anomalies when dressing, and a Chrissy Post-Surgery Bra, designed specifically for women who have undergone breast-cancer surgery.[28]
In 2018, Serena Williams recorded "I Touch Myself" and posted her version on Instagram. It became Instagram's most retweeted post, most widely discussed campaign and most watched video during International Breast Cancer Awareness Month.[29]
The song has been featured in the 1997 comedy film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, as a cover version by Scala & Kolacny Brothers during the first episode of the second season of Sex Education[57] and is mentioned in the Friends episode "The One Where Monica Sings". An a cappella version sung by a female choir figured prominently in the first episode of the 2023 comic mystery TV series Deadloch.[58]
↑ I Touch Myself (Australian cassette single sleeve). Divinyls. Virgin Records. 1990. VOZC 094.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ I Touch Myself (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Divinyls. Virgin Records. 1991. VJDP-10155.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ I Touch Myself (Australian CD single liner notes). Divinyls. Virgin Records. 1990. VOZCD094.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ I Touch Myself (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Divinyls. Virgin America. 1991. VUST 36.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ I Touch Myself (UK CD single liner notes). Divinyls. Virgin America. 1991. VUSCD 36, 663 984.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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