"Ugly Heart" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by G.R.L. | ||||
from the EP G.R.L. | ||||
Released | June 3, 2014 | |||
Recorded | 2014 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:19 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | ||||
G.R.L. singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Ugly Heart" on YouTube |
"Ugly Heart" is the second single by American-British-Canadian girl group G.R.L. from their self-titled EP. The song features songwriting credits from Ryan Baharloo, Ester Dean, Lukasz Gottwald, John Charles Monds and Henry Walter, with production credits from Gottwald and Walter under their production monikers, Dr. Luke and Cirkut. The song was released on June 3, 2014, as the lead single from the EP. "Ugly Heart" is a guitar-driven pop song that also incorporates a ukulele.
The track centers on a man who initially appears beautiful on the outside, but later displays his ugly side. The group thought a lot of women would be able to relate to the song and hoped it would inspire them to find someone who would treat them well. The song was met with general acclaim from critics. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Chris Marrs Piliero. It depicts the girls being arrested by the police, after they tattoo the word "ugly" on a man's face. It was watched 2.5 million times in less than a week following its release.
"Ugly Heart" was the last single to be released by the group before band member Simone Battle's death on September 5, 2014. [1]
The song received renewed interest in October 2016 when British girl group Little Mix released their latest single "Shout Out to My Ex," from their fourth studio album Glory Days. Some people said that the choruses of the two songs had similarities. [2] [3]
Group member Paula Van Oppen explained that "Ugly Heart" was about ending a relationship with a guy who initially appeared to be nice on the outside, but once you got to know him well, the ugly side to his personality came out. [4] Van Oppen said the inspiration for the song "was giving that message of strength and confidence and being a good person, inside and out. Not just having the exterior surface be all that you are." [4] Natasha Slayton hoped the track would inspire people to date someone who treated them well, instead of dating someone because of their beauty. [5] Simone Battle commented that the track felt personal to her, as it reminded her of a time when she had crush on a guy in high school, who pretended to like her back and embarrassed her. [4] Battle also thought there would be a lot of women who could relate to the song. [4] While Van Oppen added that the group's songs were empowering. [4]
The song leaked in March 2014, before it was officially released on June 3, 2014. [6] It was sent to mainstream radio on June 24, 2014. [7] The single's artwork was unveiled the day before the single was released. [8]
"Ugly Heart" was written by Ryan Baharloo, Ester Dean, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, John Charles Monds and Henry "Cirkut" Walter. [9] It was produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut, with Max Martin as executive producer. [10] "Ugly Heart" is a guitar-driven pop song, with electronic influences. [11] The song also makes use of a ukulele, which gives it a "country vibe". [4] [6] Battle described "Ugly Heart" as being "really eclectic", while Slayton branded it "a Hawaiian hoedown". [4] [12] During the bridge, Van Oppen talks over strumming guitars, followed by Battle who sings a high note, before the song goes back into the chorus. [11] Alex Kritselis from Bustle.com said the chorus had "a chant-like quality to it" that made it easy sing along with. [11]
"Ugly Heart" received general acclaim from contemporary music critics. A writer from Popjustice branded it a "really quite brilliant song about hot wankers" and gave it a 9 out of 10 rating. The writer believed the song was better than the group's debut and improved their chances of a successful career. [13] Jamieson Cox from Time described the song as "moonlit, guitar-oriented pop" and a "sneering kiss-off" with many "undeniable" features of a Dr. Luke production. He also praised the band members chemistry on the song. [14] Mike Wass from Idolator thought the track was an "irresistible anthem" that left him "hooked" after one listen. He particularly liked the "guitar-pop direction" because it differed from the more dominant charting electro-pop songs. [15] Perez Hilton described the song as infectious, great and awesome. He likened the beginning of "Ugly Heart" to a signature Jason Mraz track and praised the lead vocals. [16]
Homorazzi.com reporter Donovan Pagtakhan named it the group's best song to date and a "catchy pop track with a folk vibe", [17] while Maximum Pop! said the track "feels like a tune you'd pump in your car when riding with your girlfriends. [18] Brad Stern from MTV labeled it a "certifiable, Dr. Luke-produced smash" packed with "chant-along-friendly hooks". [19] Jason Lipshutz from Billboard quipped "the group uncovers the winning pop formula that previous single "Vacation" failed to unlock." [6] Melissa Redman from Renowned for Sound gave "Ugly Heart" three and a half stars out of five. She called the tune "cliche", but thought it had a "catchy appeal" and was a "nice effort from G.R.L" overall. [20] Sugarscape.com's Carl Smith dubbed it an "insanely sassy single". [5] Igee Okafor writing for magazine The Source likened "Ugly Heart" to "up-tempo and high-energy" releases by Ke$ha. They described the ukulele as "infectious" and the vocals as "powerful and impeccable". [21] Billboard named the song #50 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time. [22]
For the week commencing July 14, 2014, "Ugly Heart" debuted at number 41 on the ARIA Singles Chart in Australia. [23] It reached a peak position of number 2. [24] Ugly Heart also landed at No. 10 on The Australian 2014 Year End charts. [25] The track reached a peak position of number 3 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart. [26] In the United Kingdom, on the week after Battle's death, "Ugly Heart" debuted at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart due to lack of streaming and despite being at number 6 on the sales-only based version of the chart. [27] [28] Although the song did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number 7 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and has sold over 113,000 copies in the United States. [29]
Filming for the accompanying music video began on June 9, 2014. [30] The video was directed by Chris Marrs Piliero and shot in downtown Los Angeles. [31] The video opens with each of the girls being escorted from a tattoo parlour by male police officers. [32] While they are getting booked at the police station, the girls begin dancing on the tables and in a cell. They are then taken into a line-up room, where they continue to dance. [32] The focus then turns to a man on the other side of the glass, with tattoos spelling out "ugly" all over his face. As the video ends, Battle says "Now your face is like your heart. Ugly." [32]
The video attracted over 2.5 million views in less than a week following its release. As of January 2021, the music video has been viewed over 100 million times on YouTube. [9] Lucas Villa of ticket merchant AXS branded it a cute video in which "even bad girls just want to have fun". [33]
Digital download
Other version
The group first performed the song at the iTunes Festival SXSW on March 14, 2014. [34] On May 10, 2014, they performed it at KIIS-FM's Wango Tango. [35] They performed the track at the 2014 Dinah Shore Weekend in Las Vegas. [36] They later performed at the 103.3 AMP Radio "Birthday Bash" in Boston on June 15, 2014. [37] On July 29, 2014, G.R.L. performed an acoustic version of the song for Perez TV. [38] The group's first televised performance of the single was on Sunrise, while they also performed the song on the second live decider of X Factor Australia on August 18, 2014. They performed on Good Morning America on August 20, 2014.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Certifications
|
Country | Date | Format |
---|---|---|
United States | June 3, 2014 | Digital download [6] |
June 24, 2014 | Mainstream radio [7] | |
United Kingdom | August 31, 2014 | Digital download [63] |
"Stupid Girls" is a song recorded by American singer Pink from her fourth studio album I'm Not Dead (2006). It was released in February 2006 as the first single from her third studio album on LaFace Records. The song marked Pink's return to LaFace Records under Zomba Label Group via Sony BMG, after Arista Records consolidated LaFace's operations into its own in mid-2001. "Stupid Girls" was written by Pink, Billy Mann, Niklas Olovson, and Robin Mortensen Lynch. Mann and MachoPsycho both produced the track. The song introduces a more provocative, feminist, and explicit side of Pink. Lyrically, it condemns sexism and encourages intelligence in women.
"Can't Fight the Moonlight" is a song written by Diane Warren and performed by American singer LeAnn Rimes. It is the theme song of the film Coyote Ugly. Released as a single on August 22, 2000, the song reached the top 10 in 19 European countries, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, topping the charts in 12 of these territories, including the United Kingdom; it became Australia's best-selling single of 2001. In the United States, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2002.
"I'll Never Break Your Heart" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys. The song was written by singer-songwriters Eugene Wilde and Albert Manno and produced by Veit Renn and Timmy Allen. It was released in the United Kingdom on December 4, 1995, as the second single from their self-titled debut album and was issued across the rest of Europe later the same month. It was later included on their US debut album and was released as their fourth US single in June 1998.
"Stars Are Blind" is a song recorded by American television personality and socialite Paris Hilton for her debut studio album, Paris (2006). It was released as the lead single from the album on June 5, 2006, by Warner Bros. Records. The song was written by Fernando Garibay, Sheppard Solomon and Ralph McCarthy, and produced by Garibay with additional production by Solomon. Jennifer Karr was the vocal arranger and background vocalist for the song.
"Wow" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her tenth studio album X (2007). It was written by Minogue, Greg Kurstin and Karen Poole, while production was handled by Kurstin. The song was released as the second single from X on 14 January 2008, by Parlophone.
Emmalyn Estrada, known professionally as Emmalyn, is a Canadian singer. Her first single, "Get Down", entered Billboard's Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of August 29, 2009, at number 88 and peaked at number 59 for the week of October 31, 2009. She is best known as a member of the girl group G.R.L., formed by Robin Antin.
"We Are Young" is a song recorded by American pop rock band Fun, featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the third track on the group's second studio album, Some Nights (2012). The song was released on September 20, 2011, as the lead single from the album. The song quickly received widespread acclaim from music critics, with many noting the song as a breakthrough for the indie genre and praising the song's catchiness. "We Are Young" attained commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in several countries.
Lauren Diane Bennett is an English singer. She is known for being a member of the American girl group G.R.L. Bennett has also worked with the Paradiso Girls, CeeLo Green, Robin Antin, The Pussycat Dolls, and LMFAO. She was featured on the lattermost's 2011 track "Party Rock Anthem", which became her first number one single in the United Kingdom and United States.
Simone Sherise Battle was an American singer, dancer and actress. Beginning her career after appearing in the American series Zoey 101 and Everybody Hates Chris, she also starred in several music videos and in the film We the Party (2012) alongside Snoop Dogg. Battle garnered attention after auditioning for the American version of The X Factor in 2011, and was eliminated at the first live show.
"Primadonna" is a song by Marina and the Diamonds, the stage name of Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis, from her second studio album, Electra Heart (2012). It was released on 20 March 2012 as the album's official lead single. The song reached the top five in Austria, Ireland and New Zealand alongside the top-ten in the Scotland and Slovakia.
MKTO is an American pop and hip hop duo, consisting of Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller. Their self-titled album was released on January 30, 2014, by Columbia Records. In July 2015, the duo released their first extended play, titled Bad Girls EP. As of 2022, the band has sold over 1 million records worldwide.
"Really Don't Care" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato, featuring English singer Cher Lloyd. The song was released on May 20, 2014, as the fourth and final single from the former's fourth studio album Demi (2013). Both of them co-wrote the track with Savan Kotecha and its producers Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub. "Really Don't Care" has been certified 2× platinum by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is Lovato's third number one on the US Dance chart. The track reached the top 10 in Israel as well as the top 30 in Canada, Slovakia, and the United States.
G.R.L. is an American girl group formed by Robin Antin. The group consists of members Lauren Bennett, Natasha Slayton and Emmalyn Estrada.
"Wild Wild Love" is a song by American rapper Pitbull featuring American-Canadian-English girl group G.R.L. The song was released February 25, 2014, and serves as the lead single off of Pitbull's eighth studio album Globalization. It was written by Pitbull, Ammar Malik, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Alexander Castillo Vasquez, Michael Everett (co-composer), and Henry Walter, with the production handled by the latter five. The song reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Norway.
"Amnesia" is a song by Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, taken from their self-titled debut album 5 Seconds of Summer (2014). The mellow pop rock slow jam was announced as a new single during a live stream by the band on 1 July 2014, and was released to American contemporary hit radio as the third single from the album on 15 July 2014.
"Try" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her fifth studio album, Gypsy Heart (2014). It was released on June 9, 2014 by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves, Babyface and Antonio Dixon and was produced by the latter two. Lyrically, the midtempo pop ballad is about not trying to be someone else to make others happy. It was written after a session where Caillat was feeling pressure to be someone she was not, both musically and image-wise. It received acclaim from music critics, who noted it was a simple, but beautiful empowering ballad.
"Lighthouse" is the third single by American-British-Canadian girl group G.R.L., and the first single following the death of group member Simone Battle, who died in 2014. The song features songwriting credits from Lukasz Gottwald, and Henry Walter, with production credits from Gottwald and Walter under their production monikers, Dr. Luke and Cirkut. The track was released on January 15, 2015. "Lighthouse" was recorded in the memory of Battle.
The discography of G.R.L. consists of one extended play, three singles, one featured single, one promotional single, four music videos and other album appearances. Beginning in 2013, G.R.L. began recording songs for their debut album. Their first promotional single, "Vacation" was released on June 18, 2013. In 2014, they were the featured artist on the single "Wild Wild Love", by American rapper Pitbull.
"Shout Out to My Ex" is a song by British girl group Little Mix, released on 16 October 2016 through Syco Music and Columbia Records, as the lead single from the group's fourth studio album Glory Days (2016). A dance-pop song, it was co-written by group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Jesy Nelson, with lyrics referencing the downfall of a relationship at the expense of a cheating ex. The song is cited as a girl power and breakup anthem.
"Crying in the Club" is the debut solo single by American singer and songwriter Camila Cabello. It was released on May 19, 2017, by Epic Records and Syco. It was written by Cabello, Sia, Benny Blanco and Happy Perez, with production handled by Blanco, Perez and Cashmere Cat. The song contains an interpolation of Christina Aguilera's 1999 single "Genie in a Bottle". A mid-tempo tropical pop and dance track, it was originally intended to be the lead single from Cabello's debut studio album, which was originally titled The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving. It was later removed from the track listing and featured on Side A of the 7-inch eponymous extended play released on July 14, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)