"Wild Things" is a song recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara for her debut studio album, Know-It-All (2015). It was released to digital retailers on October 27, 2015, through Def Jam Recordings, as a promotional single before being sent to contemporary hit radio on February 2, 2016, as the album's second official single.[3][4] The song, an indie pop and jazz record, was recorded throughout December 2014 in Los Angeles, California, and written by Cara herself, alongside Sebastian Kole, Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanye, and the song's producer, James Ho, who produced the song under the "Malay" name.[5] Lyrically, the song is about being free and "wild" in the world.
Upon its release, the song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised it for its message and sound. Commercially, "Wild Things" has charted at number fifty on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has also attained top-forty peaks in multiple territories including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In Cara's native Canada, the song peaked at number 14, five positions higher than her highly successful debut, "Here". The song has also been certified 5× Platinum by Music Canada (MC), and 2× Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and Recorded Music New Zealand (RMNZ).
The song's music video, directed by Aaron A, was released on the 7th of March, 2016, and depicts Cara and her friends hanging out together, and was nominated for Best Pop Video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. An extended play (EP) of remixes was released for the song, featuring two guest appearances from G-Eazy. The song itself was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2017 Canadian Radio Music Awards and Single of the Year at the 2017 Juno Awards. At the Juno Awards of 2016, the song was performed alongside its predecessor, "Here". The performance was nominated in the Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series category at the Canadian Screen Awards.
Background and production
"Wild Things" was recorded in Los Angeles in December 2014; the inspiration for the song came about after a conversation between Cara and her A&R Thabiso Nkhereanye, regarding some hats that bore a message that Cara disapproved of.[6] The song was written by Cara and Nkhereanye themselves, alongside Sebastian Kole, who had previously produced her debut single, "Here", and Malay, who also helped in producing the track.
Mike Wass of Idolator called it "Another fiery celebration of outsiders."[7]Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos labeled it "anthemic" and a "celebration of youth", saying "[Wild Things] follows in the vein of the anti-cool kid stance on 'Here.' Unlike her debut single, however, Cara goes for more straight-up pop on the more fast-paced, percussive tune."[1] Jessie Morris of Complex stated that the song is "another infectious and insightful coming-of-age track."[8]
Commercial performance
Canada
Upon its release, the single charted at number 14 on the Canadian Hot 100, alongside charting at number 12 on the Canada AC and peaking at number 5 on both the CHR/Top 40 and Hot AC charts. It was also certified 5× Platinum by Music Canada (MC) for equivalent sales of 400,000 units in the country. By the end of 2016, the single was positioned at number 27 on the Canadian Hot 100.
In Australia, the single charted at number 25 on the ARIA Charts and was certified 2× Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for equivalent sales of 140,000 units in the country. By the end of 2016, the single was positioned at number 98 on the ARIA Charts. In Brazil, although the single did not chart, it was certified Platinum by Pro-Música Brasil (PMB) for equivalent sales of 60,000 units in the country. In New Zealand, the single charted at number 12 on the Official Aotearoa Music Charts and was certified 2× Platinum by Recorded Music New Zealand (RMNZ) for equivalent sales of 60,000 units in the country. By the end of 2016, the single was positioned at number 41 on the Official Aotearoa Music Charts.
Music video
An accompanying music video for "Wild Things" was directed by Aaron A and premiered on March 7, 2016.[9] Opening with a monologue in which Cara describes what "wild" means to her in the song, the video features Cara and her friends exploring Brampton and the suburbs of Toronto, engaging in carefree activities such as drawing fake tattoos on one another and setting off fireworks at Cherry Beach.[10][9][11] "To me," Cara says during the video's introductory sequence, "Where The Wild Things Are is a place that exists in our minds. It's a place of liberty and shamelessness. It can take a split second or a lifetime to find it, but once you do, you'll be free."[11] The video was nominated for Best Pop Video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 15. týden 2016 in the date selector. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201614 into search. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
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