Take a Hint

Last updated

"Take a Hint"
Take a Hint.jpg
Promotional single by Victorious cast featuring Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies
from the EP Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show
ReleasedMarch 3, 2012
Genre Pop
Length2:34
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) James Michael

"Take a Hint" is a song performed by the Victorious cast featuring American singers and actresses Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies. It was first released as a promotional single on March 3, 2012, through Columbia Records and Nickelodeon. It was later added to the show's second soundtrack Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show on June 5, 2012. Music critics have described "Take a Hint" as a pop track with lyrics about having the right to reject unwanted advances.

Contents

A Victorious episode titled "Tori & Jade's Play Date" premiered the same day as the promotional single's release. It features Tori Vega (Justice) and Jade West (Gillies) singing the song when hit on by two boys. The song was met with positive reviews from critics, with some praising its lyrics and melody. "Take a Hint" peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. It was certified platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and certified silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Justice performed the song live throughout 2012.

Background and release

"Take a Hint" was written by Meghan Kabir, Kevin Kadish, and James Michael, with Michael also serving as the track's producer. [1] [2] The song was released as a promotional single through Nickelodeon and Columbia Records on March 3, 2012, by the Victorious cast featuring two of the show's actresses, Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies. [3] [4] The track was featured in the show's third season, sixth episode, titled "Tori & Jade's Play Date". [2] [5] [6]

In the episode, teacher Erwin Sikowitz (Eric Lange) becomes frustrated when Tori Vega (Justice) and Jade West (Gillies) can't stop arguing and be friends. He tells them to hang out at a fictional karaoke restaurant called Nozu, warning that if they couldn't get along, they would fail his class. When two boys start flirting with them at the restaurant, Tori and Jade reject their advances as they sing "Take a Hint" together. [2] [5] [7] The track was later added on the show's second soundtrack Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show on June 5, 2012. [8]

Music and lyrics

Music critics have described "Take a Hint" as a pop track. [7] [9] Critics mention that the songs lyrics are about having the right to consent and standing up to unwelcome advances: "No you can’t buy me a drink/Let me tell you what I think/I think you could use a mint." [5] [7] [10] Jessica Dawson for Common Sense Media wrote that "Take a Hint" contains innuendos: "Get your hands off my hips/Stop that staring at my/Hey", and has hints of profanity: "I don't want to be a priss/I just try to be polite/But it always seems to bite me in the ***." [7] The song has Gillies counting toward the end. [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Common Sense Media Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]

"Take a Hint" received positive reviews from music critics. Dawson gave the song three stars out of five, mentioning that it is "harmless and humorous". She stated while it is "fun and meant to be lighthearted", she opined that the tracks "overall message might be a little mature for young tween fans who watch the show". [7] Autumn McAlpin for The Orange County Register called the song an "anti-creepy-boy tune", [12] while Jack Irvin of People magazine described it as "memorable". [9]  Delilah Gray of The List and both staff of The Times of India and Geo News described it as a "hit song". [4] [13] [14]

Callie Ahlgrim, writing for Business Insider , said that the track "really slaps", [15] while Taylor Mascetta from The Fordham Ram labeled the song an "empowering anthem". [16] Merritt Hughes of The Berkeley Beacon commended "Take a Hint", praising Justice and Gillies's "iconic performance". [17] Writing for MovieWeb , Israel Olorunnisola placed "Take a Hint" at number four on his Victorious: 10 Songs You Forgot Were Awesome list, saying the song has a "catchy melody" and "witty and empowering lyrics." [5] For Her Campus , Megan Gaertner and Allison Kane placed the song at number one on their the Best Songs from Victorious list, describing the track as a "complete bop" that introduced them to feminism. [10]

Promotion and commercial performance

To promote the song, Justice performed it live throughout 2012. [12] [18] In 2022, fellow Victorious actor Matt Bennett performed the song live with Gillies during some of his DJ concert sets. [19] [20] [21]

"Take a Hint" peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in March 2012, lasting two weeks on the chart. [22] On January 5, 2022, nearly ten years after its original release, "Take a Hint" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 1,000,000 certified units in the United States. [23] It became the first track from Victorious to be certified platinum status in the United States and the second song featured on the show to earn an RIAA certification, following "Freak the Freak Out" which was certified gold in June 2011. [24] [25] In 2023, it was certified silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 200,000 certified units. [26] In December 2022, "Take a Hint" surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify, marking it as Justice's first track and Gillies's second to reach this milestone. [2]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Take a Hint"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [26] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [23] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [1]

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 Stevenson, Mike (December 26, 2022). "This 'Victorious' Song Makes History for Victoria Justice, Liz Gillies' Music Careers". Music Times. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Take a Hint (feat. Victoria Justice & Elizabeth Gillies) on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Gray, Delilah (January 31, 2023). "The Stunning Transformation Of Victoria Justice". The List . Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Olorunnisola, Israel (March 19, 2023). "Victorious: 10 Songs You Forgot Were Awesome". MovieWeb . Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  6. ↑ Villamor, Sophia; Patchell-Evans, Tygre (December 6, 2019). "The 10 Best Episodes of Victorious". Her Campus . Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dawson, Jessica (March 3, 2012). "Take a Hint (CD single)". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ Phares, Heather (March 2012). "Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show [Original TV Soundtrack] Victoria Justice / Victorious Cast". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Irvin, Jack (November 1, 2024). "Liz Gillies Says Her Music Career Faced 'Endless False Starts.' How She's 'Opened the Floodgates' (Exclusive)". People . Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Gaertner, Megan; Kane, Allison (November 8, 2019). "The Best Songs from Victorious". Her Campus . Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  11. ↑ Margolis, Sam; McQuiston, Rachel (December 8, 2019). "5 Most Iconic 'Victorious' Songs". Her Campus . Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  12. 1 2 McAlpin, Autumn (August 3, 2012). "Victoria Justice thrills kids of all ages at Pacific". The Orange County Register . Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Victorious fans celebrate as Tori and Jade aka Victoria Justice and Liz Gillies reunite over a decade later". The Times of India . December 19, 2024. Archived from the original on December 31, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Elizabeth Gillies reveals she is ready to create 'entirely authentic' music". Geo News. November 2, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  15. ↑ Ahlgrim, Callie (March 12, 2024). "The 17 best and 17 worst Ariana Grande songs of all time". Business Insider . Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  16. ↑ Mascetta, Taylor (November 20, 2019). "A 'Victorious' Return of a Nickelodeon Classic". The Fordham Ram . Archived from the original on October 9, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  17. ↑ Hughes, Merritt (February 28, 2024). "A Southern lesbian's search for representation inspired by Jade West". The Berkeley Beacon . Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Elitch Gardens announces summer concert lineup". Denver Post . April 4, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
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  20. ↑ Nollette-Patulski, Oscar (November 2, 2022). "iPartied with Matt Bennett". The Michigan Daily . Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  21. ↑ Zachian, Skylar (July 9, 2022). "Event of the Summer: iParty with Matt Bennett!". Young Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  22. 1 2 "Victoria Justice Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles)". Billboard . December 12, 2022. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  23. 1 2 "American single certifications – Victorious Cast – Take a Hint". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  24. ↑ Cantor, Brian (January 7, 2022). "Victoria Justice & Elizabeth Gillies' 'Victorious' Song 'Take A Hint' Earns Platinum Certification In United States". Headline Planet. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  25. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (October 11, 2013). "Victoria Justice to Star in MTV Pilot From Jason Blum, Catherine Hardwicke". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  26. 1 2 "British single certifications – Victorious Cast – Take A Hint". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Victoria Justice Chart History (US Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . January 3, 2025. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Victoria Justice Chart History (US Kid Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . January 3, 2025. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2025.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  29. ↑ "Victoria Justice Chart History (US Pop Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . January 3, 2025. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2025.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  30. ↑ "Kid Digital Song Sales - Year-End 2012 | Billboard". Billboard . Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
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