Redrum (Era Istrefi song)

Last updated

"Redrum"
Era Istrefi featuring Felix Snow - Redrum.jpeg
Single by Era Istrefi featuring Felix Snow
Released24 February 2017 (2017-02-24)
Genre
Length2:49
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Era Istrefi
  • David Singer
  • William Vanderhayden
Producer(s)
  • Felix Snow
  • Mark Ralph
Era Istrefi singles chronology
"BonBon"
(2016)		"Redrum"
(2017)		"No I Love Yous"
(2017)
Music video
"Redrum" on YouTube

"Redrum" (palindrome for "Murder") is a song by Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter Era Istrefi featuring Australian producer Felix Snow. The song was written by Istrefi, David Singer and William Vanderhayden, and produced by Felix Snow and Mark Ralph. It was released for digital download and streaming on 24 February 2017 by B1 and Ultra. It is a dance, pop and R&B song, focusing on the concept of materialism, with Istrefi telling her love interest to remain true to himself.

Contents

"Redrum" garnered positive reviews from music critics, who praised its appeal and lyrics as well as Istrefi's vocal delivery. A femme fatale-influenced music video was uploaded to Ultra's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release, portraying Istrefi within a murderous aesthetic. Commercially, the song peaked atop in Albania and reached the top 30 in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as well as the top 50 on Billboard US Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Background and composition

Era Istrefi began pursuing a professional music career in 2013 and rose to international attention, following her breakthrough single, " BonBon " (2016), in early 2016. [1] Released as her follow-up single to the latter under B1 and Ultra, "Redrum" was released for digital download and streaming on 24 February 2017. [2] Istrefi wrote it with David Singer and William Vanderhayden, while Felix Snow and Mark Ralph produced it. [3] The song's title is a palindrome for "Murder" that emerged from a scene in the psychological horror film The Shining (1980). [4] "Redrum" is a dance, pop and R&B song, going "heavy" on the hooks and "delicately" on its production. [5] Written from the perspective of a woman who is not impressed by materialism, the lyrics find Istrefi telling her love interest that she needs him to remain true to himself and even though she knows the relationship is deficient, she is willing to see it through. [6] Lyrics include: "My love is bittersweet, but I can show you heaven but first get on your knees, close your eyes and count to seven/ I don't care if you're a peasant or a king, If you're with me then you're everything." [6]

Reception

Upon release, "Redrum" received positive reviews from music critics. Truman Ports of V acknowledged the song's lyrics to preserve "something mysterious and threatening" and lauded Istrefi's "sensual" and "commanding" vocals as well as her expressions during her visual performance. [4] According to Beautiful Buzzz's Mike Doose, the song possesses "the sex appeal of Dua Lipa and Rihanna" along with the "mystique and allure of AlunaGeorge and Kiiara", also noting its potential to be a "global hit across continents and cultures". [7] BigFM's staff commended Istrefi's fashion within a "killer aesthetic" and described the song to be a "bit calmer and with less Balkan flair" than her breakthrough single, "BonBon". [8] Jonathan Currinn from Critic Jonni similarly expressed a similar opinion regarding the song, writing that it's "a definite step in the right direction, showing her off perfectly as an artist". [9] Commercially, "Redrum" topped the charts in Albania for the week ending on 12 March 2017. [10] The song also reached number 26 in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and number 45 on the US Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart. [11] [12]

Music video

A music video for "Redrum" was uploaded to Ultra's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release on 24 February 2017. [13] Production team SixTwentySix was hired for the shooting of the video, while Millicent Hailes directed it. [13] A red-themed video, the visual opens with Istrefi walking with red knee-high boots and a red sheer cape flowing behind her. [4] Scenes interspersed through the main plot portray the singer performing in a red-color setting surrounded by smoke. [13] Other notable scenes include a shot of Istrefi's nails with blood dripping down her finger as well as a shot of her in front of a mirror. [4] [9] The video was received positively by reviewers. Ports pointed out femme fatale influences in the video, and praised Istrefi's red-colored fashion further saying that it fits the video's "murderous aesthetic". [4] Currinn described the video as being a "great visual" and wrote that there is "something interesting to watch and keep the audience entertained, but at the same time, it doesn't give anything new to the viewers". [9]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Spotify and YouTube. [3] [13]

Technical credits
Music video credits

Charts

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Redrum"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
Various24 February 2017
  • Digital download
  • streaming
  • B1
  • Ultra
[2]
France26 February 2017 Radio airplay Sony
Italy17 March 2017

Related Research Articles

Redrum or Red Rum may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livin' on a Prayer</span> 1986 single by Bon Jovi

"Livin' on a Prayer" is a song by the American rock band Bon Jovi, and is the band's second chart-topping single from their third album Slippery When Wet. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band their first No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and their second consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultra Records</span> American record label

Ultra Records is an American record label founded in New York City in 1995 by former PolyGram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey.

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

American rock band Bon Jovi has released 15 studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, five EPs, 66 singles, 14 video albums, and 71 music videos. Bon Jovi has sold over 130 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. As of 2018, the band has sold 21.8 million albums in the US Nielsen SoundScan era. Billboard ranked Bon Jovi as the 45th Greatest Artist of all time, achieving 6 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 & 4 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Bon Jovi has sold 34.5 million albums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nora Istrefi</span> Kosovo-Albanian singer (born 1986)

Nora Istrefi is a Kosovo-Albanian singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Era Istrefi</span> Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter (born 1994)

Era Istrefi is a Kosovo-Albanian singer. Born and raised in Pristina, Istrefi rose to significant international recognition with the breakthrough single "BonBon", which experienced commercial success worldwide and received various certifications. She later signed contracts with record labels Sony Music and Ultra Music. In 2018, Istrefi performed the official song for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, alongside Nicky Jam and Will Smith, at the closing ceremony of the grand final in Moscow. Her discography includes works in Albanian and English, among others "Shumë Pis", "Redrum", "Nuk E Di" and "Live It Up". Istrefi has received a number of awards and nominations, including the European Border Breakers Award and Top Music Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arilena Ara</span> Albanian singer (born 1998)

Arilena Ara is an Albanian singer and television presenter. Ara rose to national recognition in Albania, upon her victory at X Factor Albania in 2013. After her participation in the 18th edition of the music contest Kënga Magjike, her song "Nëntori" found significant success in Romania and Eastern Europe, peaking at number-one in the Romanian Airplay chart. Following her forthcoming success at the 58th edition of the music contest Festivali i Këngës in 2019, she was designated as the Albanian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, before the contest's cancellation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheerleader (song)</span> 2012 single by Omi

"Cheerleader" is a song recorded by Jamaican singer Omi. The track was written and produced by OMI and Clifton Dillon, Mark Bradford, and Ryan Dillon. OMI first began developing the song in 2008, when he created its melody. It was refined over several years alongside famed Jamaican producer Clifton Dillon. It was first recorded with veteran session musicians Sly and Robbie and Dean Fraser. Released as a single on independent label Oufah, the song saw success in Jamaica, where it topped the charts, and also attracted airplay in Hawaii and Dubai. Ultra contacted two disc jockeys to produce remixed versions of the original song. The label and song's producers preferred one remix, produced by a young German DJ, Felix Jaehn, that eschewed much of the song's original instrumentation for a tropical-flavored deep house rendition, prominently featuring a trumpet, a conga beat, and piano. A remix extended play was released in May 2015 by Ultra, which began to first see commercial success that fall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BonBon</span> 2015 single by Era Istrefi

"BonBon" is a song by Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter Era Istrefi. The song was written by Istrefi and Ergen Berisha, while produced by Big Bang, Cricket and Toton. Nesër released it as a single for digital download and streaming in the United States on 30 December 2015. A dance-pop, dancehall, EDM and R&B song, its Albanian-language lyrics imply a message of empowerment and self-love. The song received widespread acclaim from music critics, several of whom praised the music and lyrics as well as Istrefi's appearance. Some praised Istrefi's vocal delivery, likening it to Rihanna or Sia. The song became Istrefi's breakthrough single, topping the charts in Albania and reaching the top 10 in four other countries. It was awarded gold certifications in various countries alongside a platinum certification in France by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruleta (Inna song)</span> 2017 single by Inna featuring Erik

"Ruleta" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna, featuring collaborative vocals by Romanian performer Erik, for her fifth studio album, Nirvana (2017). It was made available for digital download and streaming on 21 June 2017 by Global Records as the album's second single. The track was written by Inna, Erik, Marius Dia and Breyan Isaac, while production was handled by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan and David Ciente. "Ruleta" features lyrics in English and Spanish. It is an EDM and reggaeton-influenced song, with touches of Indian and Caribbean music.

The 2016 Top Music Awards was held at the Pallati i Kongreseve in the capital city of Tirana, Albania, on 25 June 2016 and was broadcast live on Top Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Live It Up (Nicky Jam song)</span> 2018 single by Nicky Jam featuring Will Smith and Era Istrefi

"Live It Up" is a song by the American singer Nicky Jam featuring the American rapper Will Smith and the Kosovo Albanian singer Era Istrefi. It was used as the official song of the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia. The track was produced by Diplo, The Picard Brothers and Free School, and was released on May 25, 2018. The song reached number one in Panama, and the top 10 in Hungary, Poland, Bolivia and Argentina. It received negative reviews, with many criticizing its generic, synthetic sound and detachment between the song's genre and the tournament's host country, Russia.

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

Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter Era Istrefi has released 18 singles as a lead artist and four as a featured artist. Since the Albanian singles chart's inauguration in 2015, 4 of Istrefi's singles have reached the top 10 in Albania, with "BonBon" and Redrum topping the ranking in 2016 and 2017. She started her career after releasing her debut single, "Mani për money", in 2013. Her breakthrough single, "BonBon", followed in 2016, reaching the top 50 in multiple countries, including Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Romania and Switzerland. It further received certifications, among others gold in Canada, Italy and the Netherlands as well as platinum in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selfish (Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Era Istrefi song)</span> 2019 single by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Era Istrefi

"Selfish" is a song by Belgian disc jockey duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter Era Istrefi. It was produced by the duo, who served as songwriters alongside Angemi Antonini, Bas van Dalen, Dan Book, David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, Maria Smith and Victor Thell. The song was released as a single for digital download and streaming on 15 February 2019 by Epic Amsterdam and Smash The House. Interpolating Toto's "Africa", it is a dance-pop, electro-pop and moombahton love song, displaying the romantic affection of a couple that cannot resist keeping their hands off of each other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuk E Di</span> 2019 single by Era Istrefi featuring Nora Istrefi

"Nuk E Di" is a song recorded by Kosovo Albanian singers and sisters Era Istrefi and Nora Istrefi. The song was written by Era Istrefi alongside producers Claydee, Lee Paul Williams and Teddy Economou.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redrum (Sorana and David Guetta song)</span> 2022 single by Sorana and David Guetta

"Redrum" is a song by Romanian singer and songwriter Sorana and French disc jockey David Guetta. It was released for digital download and streaming on 20 January 2022 by Atlantic Records. The song was written by Sorana and 15 others, including Jeffrey Bhasker, Mikkel Cox, Guetta, Malik Jones, Mr Hudson, Scott Mescudi, Giorgio Tuinfort, Kanye West and Ernest Wilson, while the production was handled by Toby Green, Guetta and Cox. A dance-pop track about a love triangle and a resulting heartbreak, it interpolates the refrain of West's 2008 song "Heartless".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bebe (Era Istrefi song)</span> 2022 single by Era Istrefi

"Bebe" is a song by Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter Era Istrefi released as a single for digital download and streaming on 1 April 2022 by Bzzz and Leaf. The song was written by BimBimma and Istrefi, and produced by the latter together with Claydee. An Albanian-language EDM, electro dance, pop, R&B and urban song, it lyrically explores the themes of sexual desire, fantasies and physical attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tkrkt</span> 2022 single by Era Istrefi

"Tkrkt" is a song by Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter Era Istrefi. The song was written by Era Isrefi and produced by Claydee and Paris Kalpos. Leaf released it as a single for digital download and streaming on 21 May 2022. It is an Albanian and English-language EDM, pop and reggaeton song with afro-pop and dancehall elements. Lyrically, the song is an ode to a woman's pleasure of having fun and partying with friends. Upon release, "Tkrkt" received widespread acclaim from music critics. Praise was directed from them towards its composition and production as well as Istrefi's appearance and fashion. Commercially, the song reached number 19 in Albania. Filmed in Dubai, UAE, an accompanying music video was uploaded to Istrefi's YouTube channel on 21 May 2022. With observers complimenting the visual and its location, it depicts the singer performing the song in different exclusive-described settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clap Clap (song)</span> 2022 single by Gran Error, Elvana Gjata and Antonia

"Clap Clap" is a song by Romanian duo Gran Error, Albanian singer Elvana Gjata and Romanian singer Antonia. The song was produced by Achi, Marcel Botezan and Sebastian Barac, who served as co-writers with Iraida. It was released as a single for digital download and streaming by Global Records on 8 July 2022. An English and Spanish-language techno-inspired song, it encourages to be bold and transparent, and to let go of anything that stops their freedom. The song received positive receptions from a few music critics, who applauded the music and sound. It reached the record charts at number one in Albania, number three in Romania and number 32 in Poland. An accompanying music video was directed by Alexandru Muresan and Elena Maria Popescu, and uploaded to Gjata's YouTube channel alongside the single release. Filmed in Bucharest, Romania, the video finds the artists and several other people dancing and partying in a karting arena and gaming center.

"Hala" is a song by Kosovo-Albanian rapper Don Xhoni and singer and songwriter Era Istrefi. The song was written by the artists and produced by Çelik Lipa. AVD Digital released it as a single for digital download and streaming on 30 September 2022.

References

  1. ↑ "Era Istrefi erobert die Welt" (in German). AlbInfo. 25 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 Citations regarding the digital release of "Redrum" by Era Istrefi in various selected countries:
  3. 1 2 "Redrum –Single by Era Istrefi featuring Felix Snow". Spotify. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.Note: Click on the three dots on the right of the track to display the credits.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Ports, Truman (24 February 2017). "Watch Era Istrefi's New Music Video 'Redrum'". V . Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Flynn, Niall (6 March 2017). "Watch the Video for new Era Istrefi Single 'Redrum'". Tmrw Magazine. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Video Premiere: Era Istrefi –'Redrum'". YMMW. 9 March 2017. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Doose, Mike (28 February 2017). "Era Istrefi –Redrum feat. Felix Snow". Beautiful Buzzz. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  8. ↑ "'Redrum' handelt von bittersüßer Liebe –und von Mord?" (in Albanian). BigFM. 2 March 2017. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Currinn, Jonathan (24 February 2017). "New Release: Era Istrefi Featuring Felix Snow –Redrum". Critic Jonni. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  10. 1 2 "The Top List –12/03/2017" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 12 March 2017. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Listen to Redrum and other hits by Era Istrefi". TopHit. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.Note: Refer to the chart diagram to view the chart position of the song in CIS, Russia or Ukraine.
  12. 1 2 "Era Istrefi Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Era Istrefi featuring Felix Snow –Redrum | Official Music Video. Ultra Music. 24 February 2017. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022– via YouTube.Note: Open description for credits.
  14. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Russia: 22 May 2017 –29 May 2017". TopHit. 22 May 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Top Radio Hits CIS Monthly Chart –July 2017". TopHit. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Russia Monthly Chart –June 2017". TopHit. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "Clip 'Redrum' : Era Istrefi ralentit le tempo après le succès étourdissant de 'BonBon'" (in French). Pure Charts. 26 February 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  18. ↑ Caputo, Paolo (17 March 2017). "Era Istrefi –Redrum | (Radio Date: 17/03/2017)" (Press release) (in Italian). Airplay Control. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
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.