"Hothouse" is a song by American band 78violet. It is their first single release since their renaming from Aly & AJ in 2009. It was released on July 8, 2013, as the lead single from their new and yet to be titled album. The song was written by sisters Aly and AJ Michalka, and Mike Einziger (of the band Incubus), while production was handled by David Kahne.
Background and composition
The folk-pop song introduces the public to a new psychedelic sound from the duo that strays from their commercial pop rock roots. "When you hear it, it kind of takes you a little bit back to the '60s, '70s and has that throwback sound as well as the female strength," older sister Aly, 24, told MTV News.[2]
Reception
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Paige Kochanski of openoureyes.org said "The lead single brings on a new approach and maturity with a whimsical, breathy tone to the vocals while instrumentally staying airy and exotic," praising the duo's maturity and grace she ended on a positive note stating, "The new song appeals universally to old fans while introducing themselves to a new side of the music world and creating something that’s both interesting and intriguing."[4] Music Scene's David Deady said "Hothouse has a curious mix of both mainstream and indie appeal and aptly reflects where the sisters are in their careers, perhaps trying to distance themselves from their early roots while not forsaking the fans who have remained so loyal," also saying "It is simply a glorious piece of music, intelligently structured and exquisitely produced. I applaud the sisters for taking such a risk on their comeback and hopefully with the release of this single and a new album on the horizon, 78Violet can finally attain a lasting and dominant position in the music world and rightfully reap the rewards that their talent warrants."[3]
Music video
The seven-minute music video is no different. The cinematic "mini movie" opens with voice-over dialogue from the sisters as they model through the visually stunning landscape. "We have something that is very special and we want to let people know our relationship together is kind of really untouchable," explains Aly. The music video was released July 8 on the girls personal account and was re-released on July 18 on their Vevo channel.[5]
Promotion
Immediately after the single's release the duo began promotion. On June 26 the girls performed their first concert in five years at the Roxy Theater in West Hollywood. The duo appeared in several interviews, beginning with ClevverNews[6] where they discussed the single and album. The day of the release they interviewed on Huffpost live with Ahmed.[7] On July 9 they hosted a concert in New York City at the Gramercy Theater. The duo also performed "Boy" and "Hothouse" live on Billboard's Tastemakers. Along with a performance on Vevo. During this time the duo would be nominated for "Best Siblings in Pop" on Popdust and would single-handedly beat out the Jonas Brothers, the McClain Sisters, and Chord and Nash Overstreet.[8]
Release history
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July 8, 2013 |
Digital download |
78violet Music LLC |
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