Saturday Night (Natalia Kills song)

Last updated

"Saturday Night"
Saturday Night (Natalia Kills song).png
Single by Natalia Kills
from the album Trouble
Released28 June 2013 (2013-06-28)
Genre Synth-pop
Length4:46 (Single edit)
4:45 (Album version)
Label Interscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jeff Bhasker
Natalia Kills singles chronology
"Problem"
(2013)
"Saturday Night"
(2013)
"Trouble"
(2014)

"Saturday Night" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Natalia Kills for her second studio album, Trouble (2013). It was exclusively released to online media retailers as the album's second single on 28 June 2013, following the release of the promotional single "Controversy" and the album's lead single "Problem". Written by American record producer Jeff Bhasker and Kills, the song faces the themes of "squandered youth and disenchantment", [1] and talks about moving on while going through a difficult time. Musically, it is a new wave-tinged, synth-based song.

Contents

Upon its release, critical response to "Saturday Night" was generally positive: contemporary music critics highlighted the lyrics' personal content and billed it as Kills' best song to date. "Saturday Night" was able to peak at number twenty-three at the singles chart of New Zealand, and reached the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. Along with the single release, a music video directed by Guillaume Doubet was released in July 2013. It revolves around domestic abuse, drug addiction, and Kills' relationship with her parents.

Background

The guitar twangs in "Saturday Night" are reminiscent of those present in Nancy Sinatra (pictured) songs. Nancy Sinatra.JPG
The guitar twangs in "Saturday Night" are reminiscent of those present in Nancy Sinatra (pictured) songs.

Kills revealed to Elle that the songwriting process for "Saturday Night" was difficult, as she had to confront memories and feelings. She further explained that, to her, it felt like a "confession". [2] This song was deemed by Kills as her life's soundtrack: "When I was almost 14, I left home, got a job, and thought I was going to be a big TV star. I was determined to prove myself. I kept telling myself, 'I'm going to be fine,' even when I wasn't—especially when I didn't even believe it. The song is about carrying on, even though you feel like you can't. It's about feeling OK when everything is not." [3] She later reiterated those sentiments with website Digital Spy, and stated that it would show people what she truly was and what she had gone through over the years. [4]

Composition

At a length of 4 minutes and 46 seconds (4:46), [5] "Saturday Night" is a mid tempo [6] synth-driven song, styled in the genres of pop and new wave, and is backed up by a "propulsive" synth line. [7] Its instrumentation incorporates guitar twangs which resemble those heard in Nancy Sinatra's catalog; [1] keyboards [8] and a drumbeat. [9] The autobiographical lyrics depict growing up in a home where domestic violence occurs, while also discussing "poignancy and lived experience". [10] The song's "arena-ready, fists-aloft" chorus sees Kills singing "'Cause it's just another Saturday night", with repetitive "whoas". [6]

Critics have likened it to the works of the band Fun [6] (whom collaborated with Bhasker on their Grammy-nominated album, Some Nights ), [11] the electronic music duo The Knife, and the Canadian band Austra. [7] Some have compared Kills' vocal performance (and respective production) to that of American recording artist Lana Del Rey. [1] [6] Allison from MuchMusic noted a contrast between its "serious subject matter" with an "uptempo, 80s synth beat", which according to the editor, creates a "visceral listening experience". [12] Bradley Stern from MuuMuse wrote that the song's production was reminiscent of typical Ryan Tedder-produced songs. [6]

Release

American psychedelic pop band Yeasayer (pictured) produced a remix of "Saturday Night". Yeacon.jpg
American psychedelic pop band Yeasayer (pictured) produced a remix of "Saturday Night".

"Saturday Night" was released on 28 June 2013 as Trouble's official second single: clean and explicit versions were released simultaneously before they were placed under its album's page. [13] [14] It was also serviced to Swedish pop radio stations. [15] More than four months later, a remix EP for the song was released, containing two already known [16] [17] remixes by Gregori Klosman and Lovelife and two new remixes by Samantha Ronson vs. DK, and by Yeasayer. [18] Another remix was produced by Betablock3r and released, but not included in the extended play. [19]

Reception

The song received universal acclaim from critics upon release, with many deeming it as her strongest single to date. Sam Lansky from Idolator praised the song's lyrics and classified it as the best of the singer's career. Jacques from Arcadey also praised the lyrics and described the song as "tight and radio-friendly". [1] [20] Matt Collar from Allmusic felt "Saturday Night" was one of the album's standout tracks. [21] On the week of 16 September 2013, "Saturday Night" entered at number 34 on the New Zealand Singles Chart, [22] [23] and peaked at number 23. [24] On the week of 14 October 2013, "Saturday Night" dropped to number 30. [25] It reentered at number 33 on the week of 11 November 2013. [26]

The song entered the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs at number 42, moving to numbers 37 and 24 in the following week, and ultimately peaking at 6. [27] In Sweden, the top 10 of downloads listed "Saturday Night" at number 7, having the same position at the top 10 of streams. [28] The song has proven to be popular on Internet blogs and media outlets, peaking at the top of the popular chart at The Hype Machine. [29]

Music video

A music video for "Saturday Night", directed by Guillaume Doubet, was shot in May 2013, [30] and was released onto Kills' Vevo official account on 10 July 2013. Additional behind-the-scenes footage for the music video was released on 31 July 2013 onto YouTube. [31]

It primarily depicts the "troubled" relationship between the singer and her parents. [32] The singer revealed to Life+Times how she translated the message of the song into a music video: "I wanted to make a song and a video that showed how fucked up youth can be; having no control, money or guidance." Furthermore, she deemed the video "literal", confirming that the actors look "just like [her] real family" and that the set designer built the set from photos of the house she grew up in. [33] During an interview with Playboy, Kills described the shooting of the video as "exciting" and revealed that she sent out pictures of what her real parents looked like and chose the actors that would play them in the video. [34]

The video starts with her fictional mother applying blush over a bruised eye. As the music video continues, Kills repeatedly reenters the set with her parents as their relationship starts to "spiral". [30] The video ends with a Christmas home movie of Kills' family. [10] Various suggestions of domestic abuse, illegal business, problems with the law and drug addiction are presented throughout the video. Bradley Stern from MuuMuse thought the music video was a metaphor for Kills' personal life, commenting: "As much as she escapes the room, she always winds up walking back inside. She never really can escape her past." [32]

Track listing

  1. "Saturday Night" – 4:46
  1. "Saturday Night" (Yeasayer) – 4:16
  2. "Saturday Night" (Samantha Ronson vs. DK Remix) – 3:58
  3. "Saturday Night" (Gregori Klosman) – 4:51
  4. "Saturday Night" (Lovelife Remix) – 4:29

Credits and personnel

Recording places
Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Trouble, Interscope Records. [8]

Charts

Chart (2013/2014)Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [23] 23
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [35] 6

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label
South Africa [36] 28 June 2013 Digital download Interscope Records
Portugal [37]
Brazil [38]
Italy [39]
Finland [40]
New Zealand [41]
Netherlands [42]
Czech Republic [43]
Slovenia [44]
Switzerland [45]
Germany [46] 1 July 2013
Austria [47]
Canada [48] 2 July 2013
United States [49]
Mexico [50]
Japan [51] 3 July 2013
Australia [52] 5 July 2013

Related Research Articles

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

Cuban-American MC and rapper Pitbull has released eleven studio albums, four compilation albums, one soundtrack album, four official mixtapes, over 300 singles, over 1,000 songs, and over 200 music videos. Pitbull has the most collaborations among any other music artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teddy Sinclair</span> English singer and actress (born 1986)

Natalia Noemi "Teddy" Sinclair is an English singer and actress. She has recorded music under various aliases, most famously as Natalia Kills and Verbalicious. She is currently the lead vocalist of the band Cruel Youth, which also releases music under the name The Powder Room.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unbroken (Stan Walker song)</span> 2010 single by Stan Walker

"Unbroken" is a song performed by Australian-New Zealand recording artist Stan Walker. Written and produced by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, the song was released by Sony Music Australia on 12 April 2010 as the lead single from Walker's second album, From the Inside Out. Walker felt privileged to record a song written by Tedder and complimented him, "He's the man, one of the best songwriters and producers in the world. I am so blessed." The piano-based pop ballad received a mixed response from critics.

<i>Perfectionist</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Natalia Kills

Perfectionist is the debut studio album by English singer Teddy Sinclair, under the name Natalia Kills. It was released on 1 April 2011 by will.i.am Music Group, Cherrytree Records, KonLive and Interscope Records. Despite having started out as an actress, Sinclair later became a rap artist and released a single in 2005; however, her label went bankrupt. Songwriting remained her principal activity until 2008, when she was signed by will.i.am and started recording the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirrors (Natalia Kills song)</span> 2010 single by Natalia Kills

"Mirrors" is a song by the English recording artist Natalia Kills from her debut studio album, Perfectionist (2011). It was released by Cherrytree Records on 10 August 2010 as the lead single from the album. The track was written and produced by Akon, Giorgio Tuinfort and Martin "Cherry Cherry Boom Boom" Kierszenbaum, with additional writing from Kills. Described as a "disco pop" song, "Mirrors" contains references to various themes including sexual sadomasochism and arrogance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broken Machine (song)</span> 2010 single by Zowie

"Broken Machine" is a song written and performed by New Zealand musician Zowie. It was released digitally on 6 September 2010.

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

American rapper Wiz Khalifa has released seven studio albums, one compilation album, one soundtrack album, three extended plays (EP), two collaborative albums, 84 singles, sixteen promotional singles, twenty-one mixtapes, and 82 music videos. After signing to independent record label Rostrum Records at a young age, Khalifa released his first mixtape Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, and his first studio album, Show and Prove (2006). Following the release of Show and Prove, Warner Bros. Records signed Khalifa in 2007 as part of a joint deal with Rostrum. At Warner, Khalifa released the singles "Youngin' on His Grind" and "Say Yeah". The latter became his first song to appear on a Billboard chart, peaking at number 20 on the US Hot Rap Songs. Disagreements with Warner over the release of a purported major-label debut album led Khalifa to departed from the label, and release his second studio album Deal or No Deal in 2009 on Rostrum Records alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Far East Movement discography</span>

The discography of Far East Movement, an American electronic pop rap group, consists of five studio albums, four extended plays, five mixtapes, thirty-six singles and thirty-nine music videos. The group formed in 2003 in Los Angeles and released their first mixtape, Audio-Bio, in 2005, with their first studio album Folk Music following in 2006. One of the songs from Folk Music, "Round Round", brought the group their first major exposure after its use in the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The release of their second studio album, Animal, brought the group to the attention to the Interscope Records subsidiary Cherrytree Records, who signed them.

<i>Do It in the AM</i> 2011 studio album by Frankmusik

Do It in the AM is the second studio album by English recording artist Frankmusik. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2011 by Island Records. Preceding its release, the album's eponymous official lead single "Do it in the AM", which features labelmates Far East Movement, was released in the US on 3 May 2011 and in the UK on 1 August 2011. The album's title was revealed in a press release issued on Frankmusik's Myspace page.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free (Natalia Kills song)</span> 2011 single by Natalia Kills featuring will.i.am

"Free" is a song by English recording artist Natalia Kills from her debut studio album, Perfectionist. Written by Kills, Jeff Bhasker, Kid Cudi and No I.D., produced by Bhasker. Lyrically, the song discusses materialism, consumerism, and obsessions with glamour and wealth. It was released digitally in Europe and the US as the album's third single in June 2011. The song was released as the second single in the UK on 11 September 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Run the Night</span> 2011 single by Havana Brown

"We Run the Night" is a song by Australian DJ and recording artist Havana Brown, written and produced by Cassie Davis and Snob Scrilla of production duo More Mega. It was released for digital download on by Island Records as Brown's debut single. The song was included on the EP When The Lights Go Out as well as Brown's debut studio album Flashing Lights.

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

English singer Teddy Sinclair has released two studio albums, one extended play (EP), and ten singles as an artist, as well as eight as a featured artist. She began her musical career by releasing a standalone single, entitled "Don't Play Nice", under the alias of Verbalicious, with label All Around the World. Although the song reached number eleven in the United Kingdom, the label went bankrupt shortly after the song's release. In 2008, Sinclair collaborated with French recording artist M. Pokora in the song "They Talk Shit About Me", as Verse. Sinclair later changed her stage name to Natalia Cappuccini and released the extended play Wommanequin independently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Time (song)</span> 2012 single by Imagine Dragons

"It's Time" is the debut single by American rock band Imagine Dragons, released on February 6, 2012, as the lead single from the band's first major label EP, Continued Silence. Later that year the song was included on the band's first full album Night Visions. The song had already been included on the band's independently released EP It's Time (2011), and it had been available on YouTube since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schoolboy Q discography</span> Hip hop recording artist discography

American rapper Schoolboy Q has released five studio albums, two mixtapes, 30 singles, and 36 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YOLO (The Lonely Island song)</span> 2013 single by The Lonely Island featuring Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar

"YOLO" is a song by American comedy troupe The Lonely Island featuring American singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from the former's third studio album The Wack Album. The song was released as the lead single from the album on January 25, 2013, worldwide outside North America. The single premiered in North America on Saturday Night Live on January 26, and released as a single the following day.

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

"Clarity" is a song by Russian-German DJ Zedd featuring the vocals of British singer Foxes. It was released on 14 November 2012 as the third single from the former's debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Anton Zaslavski, Matthew Koma, Porter Robinson and Skylar Grey and produced by Zedd. It was released as iTunes Single of the Week on 2 October 2012, and as an 4-track remix EP on 12 February 2013, by Interscope Records. Zedd released an extended mix of the song exclusively on Beatport on 18 February 2018.

<i>Trouble</i> (Natalia Kills album) 2013 studio album by Natalia Kills

Trouble is the second studio album by English singer Teddy Sinclair under the name Natalia Kills. It was released on 3 September 2013 by Cherrytree Records through will.i.am Music Group and Interscope. Recording for the album started in early 2012 and took place in Los Angeles and New York. During that time, Sinclair was accompanied by producers including Jeff Bhasker, who served as Trouble's executive producer and handled the production, instrumentation and songwriting.

"Outta Time" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Natalia Kills for her second studio album, Trouble (2013). Musically, it is a retro pop soul-tinged song that recalls Phil Spector's catalog, complete with guitar riffs and supporting vocals while its lyrics tell a sad love story. It was unveiled on August 26, 2013 through a newsletter, and was later released on September 3, 2013 on iTunes as the album's second promotional single.

"Trouble" is a song recorded by English singer and songwriter Natalia Kills for her second studio album of the same name (2013), appearing on it as its closing track. The song's lyrics were written about bad behavior and trouble, while musically, "Trouble" is a midtempo '90s-esque pop rock number that emulates arena rock. The overall sound of the song was praised by contemporary music critics, who also highlighted its placement on the album track listing.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lansky, Sam (28 June 2013). "Natalia Kills' "Saturday Night": Hear Her Truly Great New Single". Idolator. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  2. Catarinella, Alex (25 June 2013). "Natalia Kills Problem Music Video – Natalia Kills Interview". Elle. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  3. Lewis, Casey (July 2013). "Go Behind the Scenes of Natalia Kills' New Music Video, "Saturday Night"". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  4. Corner, Lewis (7 August 2013). "Natalia Kills interview: 'I thought I would be dead by now'". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 9 August 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  5. a
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Stern, Bradley (30 June 2013). "Natalia Kills Premieres New Single "Saturday Night" and Video for "Problem", Remains A God Damn Problem". MuuMuse. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  7. 1 2 "UK Dance-Pop Singer Natalia Kills Is Ready for "Saturday Night" – Song of the Day". Fuse. 2 July 2013. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  8. 1 2 Trouble (liner notes). Natalia Kills. United States: Interscope Records. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. Stern, Brad (2 July 2013). "Richard Vission, Natalia Kills, Lana Del Rey + More: 5 Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week". MTV Buzzworthy. MTV (Viacom Media Networks). Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  10. 1 2 "WATCH: Natalia Kills' 'Saturday Night'". Out . Here Media. 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  11. "HuffPost – Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost". HuffPost . Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  12. Allison (10 July 2013). "Natalia Kills gets personal on Saturday Night". MuchMusic. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  13. "Saturday Night: Natalia Kills: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com . Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  14. "Saturday Night [Explicit]: Natalia Kills: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com . Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  15. "Swedish Top 10 – Download (July 26th, 2013)". Daily Play MPE. 25 July 2013. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  16. "Natalia Kills – Saturday Night (Gregori Klosman presents SLAK Remix) by Gregori Klosman". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  17. "Natalia Kills – Saturday Night (Lovelife Remix)". Cherrytree Records. 26 July 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  18. 1 2 "Saturday Night (Remixes) – EP". iTunes Store . January 2013. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  19. "Listen:Natalia Kills – Saturday Night (Betablock3r Remix)". Cherrytree Records. 2 August 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  20. Jacques (30 June 2013). "Natalia Kills – Saturday Night (Single Review)". Arcadey. Archived from the original on 8 August 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  21. Collar, Matt. "Trouble – Natalia Kills". Cherrytree Records. Archived from the original on 16 November 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  22. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 16 September 2013". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  23. 1 2 "Natalia Kills – Saturday Night". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  24. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ . Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  25. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 14 October 2013". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  26. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 11 November 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  27. "Natalia Kills – Chart history". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  28. "Search Results For: Natalia Kills". Daily Play MPE. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  29. "Natalia Kills #1 Most Popular on Hype Machine with Saturday Night". Cherrytree Records. 2 July 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  30. 1 2 Corner, Lewis (10 July 2013). "Natalia Kills debuts new single 'Saturday Night' music video – Watch". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  31. "Natalia Kills – Saturday Night (Behind The Scenes)". YouTube . 31 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  32. 1 2 "Natalia Kills Bares Her Soul in Stunning Video for "Saturday Night"". MuuMuse. 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  33. Breslin, Yale (11 September 2013). "Natalia Kills: Bad Girl, Big "Trouble"". Life+Times. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  34. Butler, Vanessa (18 September 2013). "Singer & Songwriter Natalia Kills Celebrity Interview". Playboy Online . Playboy Enterprises, Inc. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  35. "Natalia Kills Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  36. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (South Africa). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  37. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Portugal). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  38. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Portugal). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  39. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Italy). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  40. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Finland). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  41. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (New Zealand). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  42. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Netherlands). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  43. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Czech Republic). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  44. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Slovenia). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  45. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Switzerland). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  46. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Germany). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  47. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Austria). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  48. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  49. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (United States). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  50. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Mexico). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  51. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Japan). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  52. "Saturday Night – Single". iTunes Store (Australia). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2013.