| "Gia" | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Despina Vandi | |||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Gia | |||||||||||||||||||
| Released | December 19, 2001 (See release history) |
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| Format | CD single Maxi CD 12 Vinyl Enhanced CD EP |
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| Recorded | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Dance pop, Eurodance, house, techno, trance | ||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:09 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Heaven Music Ultra |
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| Writer(s) | Phoebus | ||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Phoebus (with co-production by Bass Bumpers) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Certification | Gold | ||||||||||||||||||
| Despina Vandi singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||
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"Gia" is a techno/dance pop track recorded by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was originally released as the first single off her 2001 multi-platinum Greek album also of the same name. Vandi signed with Ultra Records for the international release of the track, and in 2003 a CD single was made available in many markets, following by a 2004 US re-issued which included a new English language version.[1]
"Gia" (A Greek meaning for the word "Hi") is best known for its blending of Arabian drums, Modern Laika, Eurodance-influenced techno beats and bilingual lyrics. It is also the first foreign-language Dance recording to top the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart, where it peaked at number one in 2004.[2][3]
"Gia" stayed on the charts of Billboard for 12 weeks and made Vandi one of the six artists that stayed so many weeks on the charts for 2004. [4]
The track has also been mashed-up with another Vandi single, "Come Along Now", which was released in 2004 as "Come Along Now Vs. Gia". It is featured on the Ministry of Sound's "The Annual 2005".[5]
According to the Greek "Chart Show" and IFPI, the song is in the third position in the Top 30 with the best songs of the most successful Greek artists during 2000-2009.[6]
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The original music video of the song was directed by Kostas Kapetanidis and was set in a temple with Vandi and four male dancers and featured a young child. In 2003, a new video was made for the Greek-English release of the song, which was also directed by Kapetanidis and was shot in Morocco.
| Country | Release date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Greece | December 19, 2001 | |
| Worldwide | 2003 | |
| United States | August 27, 2004 | EP |
| November 21, 2004 | CD single |
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot Dance Radio Airplay | 1 [7] |
| BBC Radio 1 | Record of the Week [8] [9] |
| UK Music Week The Upfront Club Top 40 | 1 [10] [11] |
| Dance Airplay of Australia | 1 [12] |
| Dance Floor Charts (MTV) | 1 [13] |
| Greece IFPI Top 50 Singles | 1 |
| Belgium Singles Top 50 (Wallonia) | 3 [14] |
| Romania Airplay Singles Top 100 | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales | 18 [15] |
| Finland Top 20 Singles | 20 [16] |
| Sweden Top 60 Singles | 25 [14] |
| Australia Top 50 Singles | 35 [14] |
| Germany Singles Top 100 | 36 [17] |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 39 [18] |
| Australia Club Charts | 41 |
| Belgium Singles Top 50 (Flanders) | 42 [14] |
| Netherlands Singles Charts | 55 [14] |
| Europe Official Top 100 Singles | 56 [19] |
| UK Singles Top 75 | 63 |
| Switzerland Top 100 Singles | 73 [14] |
| Preceded by "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" by Deborah Cox |
Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay number one single (first run) January 18–25, 2004 |
Succeeded by "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" by Deborah Cox |
| Preceded by "Hey Ya!" by OutKast |
Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay number one single (second run) February 8, 2004 |
Succeeded by "Toxic" by Britney Spears |
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