Underneath (song)

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“Underneath”
“Underneath” cover
Single by Alanis Morissette
from the album Flavors of Entanglement
Released Flag of the United States April 15, 2008
Flag of Europe May 16, 2008
Flag of the United Kingdom May 26, 2008
Recorded 2007
Genre Pop Rock
Length 4:10 (Album/Single Version)
Label Maverick
Writer(s) Alanis Morissette, Guy Sigsworth
Producer Guy Sigsworth
Alanis Morissette singles chronology
"Crazy"
(2005)		 "Underneath"
(2008)		 "Incomplete"
(2008)

"Underneath" is a song recorded for Alanis Morissette's seventh studio album, Flavors of Entanglement, which was produced by Guy Sigsworth.[1] It is the album's first single.[2] The song was digitally released on April 15, 2008 after originally being scheduled for March 25. According to Morrisette, "'Underneath' is about how you can only change the world after you change yourself."[3]

Contents

[edit] Music video

A music video for "Underneath" was premiered on September 15 in Los Angeles, as part of the Elevate Film Festival.[4][5] The video was directed by Matt Docter and Ric Frazier[6] and produced by the Docter Twins[7]. The purpose of the festival was to create documentaries, music videos, narratives and shorts regarding subjects to raise the level of human consciousness on the earth.[8] Morissette submitted the song, and then (as with the other fourteen videos) had the music video written, directed, shot and edited in two days. The video features Morissette and a few other characters around a pool, and swimming. Morissette also walks around or lays down as she sings either into or off camera. It was released on the internet in January 2008.[9]

An official music video, directed by Sanji, was released on in May 2008.[10]

This new video shows Alanis's romantic life paralleling her life in the real world, with respective scenes in a heart chamber and a busy city street. As her romantic life collapses, Morissette is concurrently shown struggling to pass out flyers about environmental issues. She makes an approving gesture to a woman driving a Mercedes Bluetec automobile, which was the first ever apparent product placement that has occurred in a music video by Morissette. She later is confronted by a couple driving a SUV/pickup when she placed a flyer under the wiper. Soon after, Alanis is shown pushing a man, presumably her romantic interest, out of her heart. She sends a text message to him saying "I SAID DON'T CALL ME". Alanis continues to struggle passing out flyers, and in her desperation she is shown embracing the man in her heart again. She later returns home, and tears down numerous environment-themed posters, which have hidden messages such as "I'm Fat" and "I Avoid Taking Responsibility". Only a "Save the Earth" poster remains. Meanwhile, the Alanis in the heart does the same thing, leaving behind a "Save the Heart" poster. In the end, Alanis's romantic interest comes to her door, at which point they embrace.

Taking into the account the meaning of the song, which basically suggests that changes that one wants to make in the world must first begin within his/her own heart, this video implies that Morissette has restructured her life by toning down her environmental activism which has been driving a wedge between her and her boyfriend. Also, it shows that she has been covering up her insecurities through her work as an activist, while avoiding tackling her issues head on. In the end, she reaches a balance between her romantic life and activist work. So the essential message relayed in the video is: How can you save the world if you can't save a relationship?

[edit] Critical reception

In January 2008, New York magazine named "Underneath" "the best song we've heard all day",[11] and About.com said the video is "well worth watching and is a great reminder of the talents of Alanis", and that the song's lyrics are "classic Alanis".[9] Blender magazine gave the video two stars, writing, "[the song] features a bunch of weak, tentative and already dated beats—Madonna tried this same strategy (and pulled it off with significant aplomb) exactly 10 years ago. So while her voice sounds even harsher when set against the track's popping, mechanical drums, the video just confuses [...] Not a lot of "comeback of the year" potential here."[1]

[edit] Track listings

2-track CD-single
  1. "Underneath" (album version) - 4:07
  2. "20/20" - 4:17
3-track CD-single
  1. "Underneath" (album version) - 4:07
  2. "20/20" - 4:17
  3. "Underneath" (Josh Harris remix) - 7:19
UK/Ireland iTunes Digital Single
  1. "Underneath" (album version) - 4:07
  2. "Underneath" (Josh Harris remix) - 7:19
US Promotional Remix CD
  1. Josh Harris Remix - 7:18
  2. Josh Harris Radio Edit - 3:39
  3. Morgan Page Vox Mix - 7:45
  4. Morgan Page Mixshow Edit - 5:20
  5. RedTop Main Mix - 6:33
  6. RedTop Mix Show Edit - 4:49
US Digital Promotional Remixes
  1. Josh Harris Club Mix
  2. Morgan Page Vox Mix
  3. RedTop Main Mix
  4. Lost Daze Extended Mix
  5. John Dahlback Remix
  6. Dave Armstrong & Redroche Remix
  7. The Whatever/Whatever Remix
  8. Zoned Out Remix


Chart (2008) Peak
position
Austria Singles Top 75 10[12]
Canadian Hot 100 15[13]
Hot Canadian Digital Singles 10[14]
Chilean Singles Chart 88[15]
Germany Singles Top 100 32[16]
Italian Singles Chart 22[17]
Japan Hot 100 46[18]
Swiss Singles Top 100 18[19]
UK Singles Chart 99[20]
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks 28[21]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b "Is Alanis Morissette Still Famous?". Blender.
  2. ^ Seven-Time Grammy Winner Alanis Morissette to Release "FLAVORS OF ENTANGLEMENT" May 20 on Maverick/Reprise
  3. ^ Kreps, Daniel. "Alanis Morissette Gets Dancey and Personal on Next Record". RollingStone.com. November 1, 2007.
  4. ^ MusicMan. "Alanis Morissette 'Underneath' Video At Elevate Film Festival". Popdirt.com. September 19, 2007.
  5. ^ "New Alanis Morissette Live Video - 'Underneath'". stereogum. September 24, 2007.
  6. ^ Ric Frazier official website
  7. ^ Docter twins official website
  8. ^ Official Elevate Film Festival website. September 15, 2007.
  9. ^ a b Lamb, Bill. "Alanis Morissette's "Underneath" Video". About.com. January 16, 2008.
  10. ^ Official music video at Alanis' YouTube channel
  11. ^ Gresehover, Ehren. "Alanis Morissette Returns!". New York. January 14, 2008.
  12. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=845&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Austria&ci=3096741&cdi=9799997&cid=06%2F14%2F2008
  13. ^ [1]"Alanis Morissette"]. billboard.com. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  14. ^ [2]"Alanis Morissette"]. billboard.com. Retrieved May 2, 2008.
  15. ^ Chilean Singles Chart
  16. ^ http://acharts.us/germany_singles_top_100
  17. ^ [http://www.fimi.it/classifiche.asp?idtipo_classifica=0006&archivio=true ].
  18. ^ Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
  19. ^ http://acharts.us/swiss_singles_top_100
  20. ^ http://theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles.php
  21. ^ Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
v • d • e
Alanis Morissette
Studio albums
Other releases
Singles
"Too Hot" • "Walk Away" • "Feel Your Love" • "Plastic" • "An Emotion Away" • "No Apologies" • "Real World" • "(Change Is) Never a Waste of Time" • "You Oughta Know" • "Hand in My Pocket" • "All I Really Want" • "Ironic" • "You Learn" • "Head over Feet" • "Uninvited" • "Thank U" • "Joining You" • "Unsent" • "So Pure" • "That I Would Be Good" • "Hands Clean" • "Precious Illusions" • "Everything" • "Out Is Through" • "Eight Easy Steps" • "Crazy" • "Underneath" • "Incomplete"
Related topics