U + Ur Hand

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“U + Ur Hand”
“U + Ur Hand” cover
Single by Pink
from the album I'm Not Dead
B-side "Crash & Burn"
Released August 28, 2006 (UK)
October 31, 2006 (U.S. radio)[1]
Format Digital download, CD single, maxi single
Recorded Conway Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA
Genre Rock, dance-rock, R&B
Length 3:34
Label LaFace
Writer(s) Luke Gottwald, Max Martin, Pink, Rami
Producer Luke Gottwald, Max Martin
Certification Gold (ARIA)
Platinum (RIAA)
Pink non-U.S. singles chronology
"Who Knew"
(2006)		 "U + Ur Hand"
(2006)		 "Nobody Knows"
(2006)


Pink U.S. singles chronology
"Who Knew"
(2006)		 "U + Ur Hand"
(2006)		 "Who Knew"
(re-issue)
(2007)

"U + Ur Hand" is a song by Pink, and was the third single released from her fourth album, I'm Not Dead (2006). It was one of the five album tracks that leaked onto the internet in July 2005.[2] "U + Ur Hand" was released as a single in Europe, Australia and other selected countries on August 28, 2006. The song is credited with re-energizing sales of I'm Not Dead in the U.S.

Contents

[edit] Writing and controversy

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

Pink wrote the song with Luke Gottwald, Max Martin and Rami. According to an interview in the documentary "Making of the U + Ur Hand Video", she always found it irritating when boys were riding on her when she is dancing in a club: "When you turn a boy down in a club you are automatically a lesbian, according to them". She heard a boy once say "Oh well it's just me and my hand tonight" after a girl turned him down. Pink found that funny and started to write a song about it.[3][4]

The song caused controversy in the U.S. because of its allegedly "racy" references to masturbation, and consequently some radio stations refused to play it.[5] Pink and her publicist stated that she wasn't allowed to sing "U + Ur Hand" on the U.S. television show American Idol because of such references.[5] She was asked to change the title and lyric to "U + Ur Heart", but she reportedly said, "You want me to rewrite my song for you. For American fucking Idol? ... what does that even mean, how do you have sex with your heart?".[6] She performed "Who Knew" instead.[5]

[edit] Release and reception

Pink reportedly wanted "U + Ur Hand" to be the second single from I'm Not Dead,[5] but "Who Knew" was released as the second and "U + Ur Hand" was instead released as the third. The single had success in Europe, reaching number ten in the United Kingdom, number four in Germany and number eleven in France;[7] it peaked inside the top ten on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.[8] In Australia the song peaked at number five on the ARIA Singles Chart and is certified gold for sales of 35,000 copies. It was ranked at number twenty-five on ARIA's Top 100 Singles of 2006.

It was released to radio in the United States on October 30.[1] In January 2007 "U + Ur Hand" debuted on the Hot 100 at number ninety-four,[9] and it peaked at number nine. It was the most successful single from I'm Not Dead in the U.S., and her highest charting song since "Just like a Pill" (2002).[10] "U + Ur Hand" peaked at number twenty-four on the Canadian Hot 100, in the first edition of the chart provided by Billboard.[11]

Billboard magazine credited the single with causing an increase in the U.S. sales of I'm Not Dead, which returned to the Billboard 200 albums chart in the same period the single entered the Hot 100.[12] The album later re-entered the top 100 on the strength of "U + Ur Hand" and a resurgence of interest in "Who Knew".[13] According to Tom Carraba, Zomba Label Group general manager and executive vice president of sales and marketing, the "patience" of radio stations, the "great" music video for the single and Pink's participation in Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveShow tour was responsible for the increase in popularity of "U + Ur Hand", which consequently led to renewed interest in the album. Carraba said the single "is the vehicle that will reignite the U.S. marketplace. We think we have a number-one record on our hands."[8] One program director at the radio station WBBM-FM attributed the success of the single to its appeal to women, calling it "a female anthem" and "very fitting to people who are sick of getting hit on by guys at the club, and want to give them a nice buzz off ... [i]t's relevant to what's going on with young people".[5]

Rolling Stone said in their review of I'm Not Dead that Pink "sets a proudly bitchy tone in the song",[14] and All Music Guide described Pink as "taunting and teasing" in "U + Ur Hand".[15] British newspaper The Guardian wrote, "the pithy put-downs of ["U + Ur Hand"] make bearable the sudden shift from classy beats to lumpen power pop".[16]

[edit] Music video

Pink shot videos for "U + Ur Hand" and "Stupid Girls" at the same time, before the decision was made to release the latter as the first single from I'm Not Dead. Dave Meyers directed both videos. The "U + Ur Hand" video was shot in Sun Valley, California, at the Haziza Gallery in Los Angeles, at La Center Studios and at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California in December 2005.[3][4] Pink stated that in the "U + Ur Hand" video she was "glammed" up and that it took four hours of make-up and one hour of shooting for every different look in the video.[17] She said she wanted it to be "a colorful video".[3][4] The outfit that Pink was wearing in the bedroom scene consisted of pieces of black lace that was imported from France and cost US$300 per yard of the fabric.[3] The actor in the tea garden scene is Tristan Castro.[4]

Comparison between the "U + Ur Hand" video and the drawings of Martin Emond
Comparison between the "U + Ur Hand" video and the drawings of Martin Emond

The music video for "U + Ur Hand" premiered on Canada's MuchMusic network on July 18, 2006, and was released in Europe at the end of August. In the United States it premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on September 29 as the "First Look" for that day. The video reached number one on TRL six days after its debut, Pink's second video to reach the top on the countdown after the video for her 2003 single "Trouble".

The video features Pink posing as several of New Zealand artist Martin Emond's characters, including "Baby Red Knuckles", "Rocker Bikerboy" and "Hard Candy". In the video she has six different looks. During the video, Pink is shown reading a book is with pictures of each scene that follows. Pink's character is named "Lady Delish". The use of these characters was uncredited and unauthorised. At the time of the video release, Illicit Streetwear and the Martin F. Emond estate were reviewing their options to take action.[18]

[edit] Track listings and formats

CD single
  1. "U + Ur Hand"
  2. "Crash & Burn"
Maxi CD single
  1. "U + Ur Hand"
  2. "Crash & Burn"
  3. "U + Ur Hand" (BeatCult remix)
  4. "U + Ur Hand" (Bimbo Jones remix)
  5. "U + Ur Hand" (CD-ROM video)

(Other official remixes of the song include the Junior Vasquez remix.)

[edit] Charts

Chart (2006/2007) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[7] 5
Austrian Singles Chart[7] 3
Belgian Singles Chart[7] 20
Canadian Hot 100[7] 31
Dutch Top 40[7] 31
France Singles Chart[7] 11
Finnish Singles Chart[7] 14
German Singles Chart[7] 4
Irish Singles Chart[7] 13
New Zealand Singles Chart[7] 10
Polish National Top 50[19] 20
Chart (2006/2007) Peak
position
Portugal Singles Chart[7] 4
Swedish Singles Chart[7] 5
Swiss Singles Chart[7] 5
Turkish Top 20 Chart[20] 18
UK Singles Chart[7] 10
U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40[21] 2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[10] 9
U.S. Billboard Pop 100[10] 5
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks[22] 5
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay[10] 1
United World Chart[7] 15

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Available for Airplay - 2006 - 10/30 Mainstream". FMBQ. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  2. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer. "Leaked Pink Songs Hint At A Rock-Heavy New Album". MTV News. July 15, 2005. Retrieved February 23, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d "Making of the U + Ur Hand Video", part 1.
  4. ^ a b c d "Making of the U + Ur Hand Video", part 2.
  5. ^ a b c d e Baldacci, Leslie. "Shocking pink". Chicago Sun-Times. May 15, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  6. ^ "Pink Visits Austereo's Kyle And Jackie O". popdirt.com. May 25, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "P!nk - U + Ur Hand". MusicSquare.
  8. ^ a b Visakowitz, Susan. "Pink's latest album gets another chance". Reuters March 24, 2007.
  9. ^ Cohen, Jonathan. "Beyonce's 'Irreplaceable' Starts '07 Atop Hot 100". Billboard. January 4, 2007. Retrieved March 2, 2007.
  10. ^ a b c d "Pink - Artist Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  11. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 - U + Ur Hand". Billboard. July 7, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  12. ^ Caulfield, Keith. "Ask Billboard - Pink: Still Not Dead". Billboard. February 16, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2007.
  13. ^ Bronson, Fred. "Chart Beat Chat - Suddenly In The Pink". Billboard. March 30, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
  14. ^ Walters, Barry. "Pink - I'm Not Dead". Rolling Stone. April 4, 2006. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
  15. ^ "I'm Not Dead - Pink". All Music Guide. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
  16. ^ Clarke, Betty. "Pink, I'm Not Dead". The Guardian. March 31, 2006. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
  17. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer. "Pink Would Rather Fall Off A Car Than Get Glammed Up For Her Videos". MTV News. December 21, 2005. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
  18. ^ "Pinks Illicit Style". Illicit Streetwear. Retrieved October 12, 2006.
  19. ^ "Poland Top 50 Archives". APC-Stats.com
  20. ^ Turkish Airplay Chart
  21. ^ http://www.rockonthenet.com/charts/arc.htm www.rockonthenet.com
  22. ^ "Pink - Billboard Singles". Billboard and All Music Guide. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
Preceded by
"My Love" by Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.		 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay number-one single
February 10 – February 17, 2007		 Succeeded by
"Proper Education (The Wall)" by Eric Prydz Versus Pink Floyd
v • d • e
Pink
Albums
Other albums
Singles
Tours
DVD
Related articles