Wonderman (Tinie Tempah song)
"Wonderman" is the sixth single by English rapper Tinie Tempah. It features vocals by English singer Ellie Goulding, and is the fifth official single from Tinie's debut album Disc-Overy, being the second song to be released as a single following the release of the album - the first being Invincible. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Labrinth.[1]who has also worked with Tinie Tempah on "Pass Out" and "Frisky", and mixed by James F Reynolds, who mixed the entire Disc-Overy album.[2] The single released on March 7, 2011.[3][4] The single has peaked at number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.
Background
Ellie Goulding provides guest vocals on this track, which lays Tempah's rap over a dreamy electro pop beat. She told the BBC program Newsbeat: "He's one of these people I believe in, and not just because of his music, but because he's a lovely person. [The track is] about not having all that much when you're little and then working very hard and then having a lot more than you used to have and being very grateful. So I can relate to it - it's really cool." Tempah told The Sun how he hooked up with the electro-pop singer: "We met properly earlier this year at the Dingwalls venue in Camden, North London, when we were on the same bill and just hit it off. She's just a really cool chick. She's come to watch a few of my shows and vice versa. We continued to stay in touch. The media kept saying. 'When are you guys going to work together?' So I was like 'You know what? Let's do it for the album.'"[5]
Critical reception
Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song a positive review, giving it four out of five stars and stating: "A typically savvy Labrinth production, 'Wonderman' blends elements of rap, rock, electronica and dance into a parcel as glossily tempting as all the best pop - and then ribbons it with the inimitable quivery vocals of Ellie Goulding, sounding suitably celestial as she sings about "the chosen one" calling his name. And Tinie himself? Well, to his credit, he's still eking juice out of this well-squeezed theme - or maybe we're just suckers for a rapper who namechecks Kestral Lager and Benidorm in a song whose subject matter touches on the fatalistic, the supernatural and the biblical?"[6]
Live performances
Tempah and Goulding performed the track for the first time on live television at the 2011 BRIT Awards official launch ceremony in January 2011.[7] Tempah and Goulding also performed the track at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in April 2011.[8] They also performed the track together at the 2011 Radio 1's Big Weekend.
Chart performance
It entered the UK Singles Chart the week after Disc-Overy released on October 17, 2010 at number 45, then the next week it slipped to number 66. "Wonderman" then made it's first appearance in the Top 40 on January 30, 2011 at number 40. The next week it climbed 26 places to number 14 and currently lies at 12.
Music video
The music video was directed by Robert Hale.[9] A press release stated that the music video is a "fun-filled homage to seventies classic The Six Million Dollar Man, with Tinie starring as 'The Wonderman' aided by his assistant, Ellie Goulding in their mission to save the world."[10] The full official video was released on January 19, 2011 by Tempah's VEVO on YouTube.[11] The video ends with the text "TO BE CONTINUED" with Tempah as the background.
Track listing
- UK Digital Download[12]
- "Wonderman" – 3:41
- "Wonderman" (Instrumental) – 3:36
- "Wonderman" (BareNoize Remix) – 4:14
- "Wonderman" (Jacob Plant Remix) – 4:47
- "Wonderman" (All About She Remix) – 3:46
- "Wonderman" (Dirty Duvall Remix) – 4:17
- UK Promo CD Single
- "Wonderman" – 3:41
- "Wonderman" (Instrumental) – 3:36
- Limited Edition Record Store Day 7" Single
- "Wonderman" - 3:41
- "Simply Unstoppable" (Edit) - 3:05
Charts
References
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"Wonderman"
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