Cherry Pop
| "Cherry Pop" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Alexandra Stan | ||||||||||
| from the album Unlocked | ||||||||||
| Released |
May 28, 2014 (Romania) (see release history) | |||||||||
| Format | Digital download | |||||||||
| Recorded | ||||||||||
| Genre | Dance-pop, K-pop | |||||||||
| Length | 3:11 | |||||||||
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| Alexandra Stan singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Cherry Pop" is a song by Romanian dance/pop vocalist Alexandra Stan, extracted from her second studio album Unlocked. The song which contains influences of K-Pop and house music was released on May 28, 2014 to Romanian digital outlets through Roton and Fonogram Records as the second single from the album. The worldwide-release followed in early summer 2014. The song was co-written by herself , together with the song's lead songwriters and producers Erik Lidbom and Lukas Hällgren of Swedish origin. "Cherry Pop" was received well by critics, with them praising its production and lyrics, while citing it as one of the highlights from Unlocked. Along, with "Vanilla Chocolat", the song was performed as a medley on the casting show of musical genre Vocea României. The performance was criticised because Stan sung the songs in full-playback.
Background and composition
After "Thanks for Leaving" and her collaboration with the band Zero for the song Inimă de gheață (frozen heart), songs with which Stan tried flavors of different genres from those with whom she usually works, the artist returns with a new production. Cherry Pop is a cheerful song with vibrant rhythms and typical Japanese influences. The song falls into the dance-pop genre, with an up-tempo sound and with elements of house music. Cherry Pop is the second single released by Alexandra Stan in 2014 and has a happy and optimist message, combined with electrifying beats. The song is composed by Stan, in collaboration with the Swedish composers Erik Lidbom and Lukas Hällgren, being registered at the Fonogram Studios. Stan has started since last year to work on new songs for her second studio album. She spent a week in October 2013, in Fonocamp camp in Azuga, where she composed along with Romanian and international artists. Then, she went to Los Angeles for a special session with renowned composers and producers.
Cherry Pop came after few hours instead the official release in first place in the iTunes-charts from Japan, and, according to Japanese sources, it became the most-sourced ringtone to have on a mobile phone. The news that "Cherry Pop" came in first place in the rankings of the most downloaded songs in Japan, has come to Alexandra Stan even during a concert she held in Turkey. The surprise was announced later by the organizers and the club's public in a unique way: by writing on the main screen of the club: "Congratulations, Alexandra Stan, you're number 1!" She was interviewed by Romanian television TVR saying:
| “ | I am also very happy and surprised. I don't thinked that my song would enter the iTunes Charts in Japan so speedy. I think my fans in that terrirory missed me, and I missed them, too. If you work hard and belive in yourself nothing wrong can happen to you. Of course, there were people, that said that I cannot enter any charts anymore, but as you see, I did. That make yourself wanna win. | ” |
She posted on twitter: "So happy right now! "Cherry Pop" launched today in Japan and entered the charts directly at #1, all thanks to you! ありがとう! #cherrypop"
Critical reception
The song became mixed reviews, including good words about Cherry Pop's vibrating rhythm and the story-tellend lyrics. The pre-chours became negative reviws for sounding "too childish". Altough Stan was praised for trying a new music genre (Korean and Japanese pop), she was also criticised for moving too far away from her "Romanian-dance-roots" singles like Mr. Saxobeat or Lemonade.[1] Some reviewers from The-Singles-Jukebox:[2]
| “ | Anthony Easton: Considering she has released both “Lemonade” and “Lollipop”, I think that she understands the food-as-sex metaphor, and this claim toward novelty is disingenuous. Plus, the verses after the false ending suggest that this is just about kissing, and, well, that also seems disingenuous. But the production, lit like Christmas lights on tinsel and chintz, is so popluxe we can forgive the lyrics. | ” |
| “ | Ian Mew: Cherry Pop” appears to be an attempt to extrapolate an entire song from the dubstep bridge to HyunA’s “Bubble Pop!”, several years past that song’s zeitgeist moment. Only without any dubstep. And where that task proves too difficult, there’s enough spare from her “Ice Cream” to fill in the gaps. The song doesn’t even work in practice as well as that concept, but maybe it will make for a useful audition for producer Erik Lidbom, whose extensive career producing Asian pop hasn’t yet reached the top division that a HyunA lead single would represent. | ” |
| “ | Will Adams: It takes a certain degree of willful ignorance to convince oneself that Alexandra Stan and the songwriters have no idea what the expression actually means (the video’s choreography only undermines this), but “Cherry Pop” is more fun under that interpretation. Reading the “cherry pop” as a soda or popsicle bolsters the sweetness of a lyric like, “my fantasy fell into something true,” and production so sugary. And while there are several better options for a stutter hook, it’s nice to see Alexandra get better pop songwriting on her side, not to mention music that shows exactly what the bridge between Circus and Femme Fatale would sound like. | ” |
| “ | Megan Harrington: Though this song is only about 75% of where it needs to be, I like Stan and even when I wish she’d dig deeper than singing the song’s title ad infinitum as though repetition itself added meaning in layers, I always appreciate how game she sounds. In a world where a very safe-sounding throwback single can net an Ariana Grande a hit, it’s exciting to hear Alexandra Stan take a chance on something slightly weird. To that end, however, I hope there’s an appropriate amount of outrage directed toward Stan’s culture jack and I’m lighting a candle that Nadia Oh might consider tutoring Stan in the art of being truly outré. | ” |
Music video
The music video was released to YouTube on 28 May 2014. The video was filmed in a studio in Buftea, on a special set built for the song and it was directed by Khaled Mokhtar. In the video Stan is seen dancing with background dancers and playing tennis in a futuristic setting.
Live Performance
Vanilla Chocolat and Cherry Pop were both performed by Alexandra Stan on the Vocea României's semifinal (fourth season/fourteenth episode) held on December 12, 2014.[3] Stan's performance was strongly criticised by juror Tudor Chirilă, saying:
| “ | "I have something to talk about. I respect Marius Moga. He sung very good live, not like the act before him. I mean Alexandra Stan's performance" | ” |
The artist was also criticised from some of her fans on Facebook. One of them wrote:
| “ | " Tudor Chirila had to sweep you away worse than he already did ! Katy Perry is ( for example) an artist (which you are not ) that has international succes with pop music and that sings LIVE !!!!! If you know that you can not do a thing , stay home." | ” |
Few days after her performance on Vocea României, Stan gave some statements about the act to Romanian newspaper Cancan:
| “ | "I was invited to present my show , that has not a simple choreography, and also my new song - " Vanilla Chocolat ". I did not come as a competitor. However , the conditions of my appearance on "The Voice of Romania" were discussed in advance with the show's producers , so it shouldn't be a surprise for anyone!"<ref name="agentiadepresamondena>{{cite news|url=http://www.agentiadepresamondena.com/cum-raspunde-alexandra-stan-la-acuzatiile-ca-facut-playback-la-vocea-romaniei/|title=Cum răspunde Alexandra Stan la acuzațiile că a făcut playback la Vocea României|date=4 December 2014|publisher=Agențiadepresămondenă|language=Romanian|accessdate=30 April 2015}}</ref> | ” |
Cherry Pop and other songs from Unlocked were performed on her Cherry Pop Tour in Japan and her Unlocked Tour worldwide, both held in 2014. She sung in big citys like Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. "It's the sixth time I go to Japan and I'm just as excited as the first time. When I meet my fans out there, they energized me. They're very polite and are smiling all the time, when they hear my songs. That's why I have prepared a new show, one even stronger than before. I changed everything from choreography to costume , to orchestration . From 21 to 29 March, I'll have concerts every day, and will be interviewed by Japanese television and radio stations.", said Alexandra Stan.
Chart Performance
The single debuted at the fifth position in the iTunes Dance Chart Japan, just two hours after its official release in that territory. It reached there the chart's first position and the iTunes Download Chart Japan 's first place. Cherry Pop entered the Japan Billboard Hot 100 chart in summer 2014 at the sixty-fourth position, staying there for one only week.
The single debuted on the eighty-second position in the Romanian Top 100 in early July 2014. The song spent three weeks on that chart, reaching the seventy-fourth place in its second week and the position seventy-first in its third and last chart-week. Cherry Pop reached also the thirty-seventh place in the Radio 21 's Top 50-chart Hit Super 50.[4]
Track listings
Release history
Charts
References
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