Say Hey (song)

"Say Hey" is a song by Australia recording artist Kylie Minogue from her sixth studio album Impossible Princess (2001). Minogue wrote the track and Brothers in Rhythm produced it. The song was recorded at DMC, Real World and Sarm West Studios in London, England where Minogue had constantly collaborated with producers and songwriters in that location. Musically, "Say Hey" is an electronica track that employs elements of trip-hop music. The lyrical content deals with verbal communication towards her and her lover.

"Say Hey" was lauded from music critics, many who highlighted it from the parent album. Many critics commended the songs composition and production values. Minogue has performed the track twice on two of her concert tours; Intimate and Live Tour and Anti Tour, and both performance received positive commentary for its retrospective performance.

Background

Minogue left London-based record label PWL in 1992 after British tabloids accused the staff of PWL for creating too similar music to other artists who were signed to the label.^[1] Minogue signed a three-album deal with British dance label Deconstruction Records in order to achieve further credibility in the music industry.^[2][3] Minogue released her first self-titled album through Deconstruction in fall 1994 and received mixed reception from music critics.^[4] Commercially, the album peaked inside the top three in Australia and sold over two million copies worldwide as of April 2007.^[4][5]

Minogue begun work on her sixth studio album and had greater freedom in both songwriting and composing. Many British tabloids rumored stories that Minogue wanted to establish herself as an indie artist. However, she denied, telling Mixmag: "I have to keep telling people that this isn't an indie-guitar album. I'm not about to pick up a guitar and rock."^[6] To promote the album, she released the lead single "Some Kind of Bliss", but was only chosen due to a bias decision by Deconstruction as she personally favored "Limbo".^[7] The song received negative reviews from most music critics in 1997.^[8][9] The song under-performed in international countries, mainly in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, where it peaked inside the top twenty and top fifty respectively.^[10][11]

Composition

Musical styles and recording

"Say Hey" is an electronica song.^[12] Minogue composed the song alongside the tracks producers Brothers in Rhythm.^[13] Nick Levine from Digital Spy had reviewed the parent album in retrospect and called "Breathe" and "Say Hey" "elegant electronica tracks".^[12] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine said majority off the music was "gaunt", but remained cohesive and fresh. He said that "Say Hey" was "delirious spacey" and fits like a puzzle alonside "Limbo".^[14] Ben Willmott from NME compared the song to Icelandic singer Bjork's single "Violently Happy", which was featured on her debut commercial studio album Debut.^[15]

Polari Magazine also compared it to Bjork's songs from her debut album Debut and felt it would not have "sounded out of place".^[17] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian stated "[Drunk] and [Say Hey] [...] the trip-hop obscurities from her anomalous mid-90s electronica period."^[18] Tom Parker, who had written the re-released album's liner notes, said the song was one off the "key dance tracks" on the album and called it an "intimate midnight soak in electronica."^[13] Minogue commented that the track was a "late night" or "early morning" song and felt that the production off the song was "dreamy".^[16]

"Say Hey" was recorded at DMC Studios, Real World Studios and Sarm West Studios in London, England during 1997. All instruments including keyboards and synthesizers were played by Steve Anderson, who worked on several tracks from the album.^[13] The song was engineered and programmed by Alan Bremner and Paul Wright, while the track was mixed by Bremner.^[13] Minogue recorded three songs before recording the track, which were "You're The One", "Some Kind of Bliss" and "Cowboy Style"; the first song was later cut from the studio album and was released only as a demo song.^[19]

Lyrical content

"Say Hey", alongside "Too Far" are the only self-penned songs by Minogue to date.^[13] Lyrically, the song talks about verbal communication with her boyfriend, French photographer and designer Stéphane Sednaoui.^[20] According to Minogue, after coming home in early hours off the morning, she was taking a bath and felt that she needed to contact Sednaoui. She commented that although she wanted to leave a message for him while they were apart, it was "not necessarily to speak with him."^[16]

Minogue felt she had no contact with him through the album process and "Say Hey" issues her statement of "wanting to have some contact" with him.^[16] Minogue didn't want to talk to him but needed to have any sort off "communication to each other."^[16] Larry Flick from Billboard commented on the lyrical structure as "groove poems" that fuse intelligent and self-examined words "into timely music."^[21] Referring to her comment on its "midnight" appeal, the lyric "It's getting late / You might be sleeping," was an example off this.^[16]

Critical reception

"Say Hey" was noted for its similarities with Björk's (pictured) earlier work.

"Say Hey" received favorable reviews from most music critics. Michael R. Smith from The Daily Vault labelled "Say Hey" and "Drunk" "intoxicating atmospheric tracks" that were placed at the "very heart" off the studio album.^[22] Larry Flick from Billboard was positive towards the entire album, and highlighted "Limbo" and "Say Hey" as the album standouts. He praised the tracks "groove poems" and felt they were "trend-hopping" and fused perfect "modern pop music."^[21] Robin Bresnark from Melody Maker said although majority of the tracks were about "self-disgust, desperation and anger," he likened how "Say Hey" was one of the tracks that were more slower.^[23]

While reviewing the concert review off the Anti-Tour, Mike Wass from Idolator was favorable towards "Say Hey" and "Drunk" for illustrating her most "experimental phase" and praised Minogue's inclusion of Impossible Princess tracks.^[24] Sullivan had praised the songwriting in both "Say Hey" and album track "Drunk".^[18] Gary James from Entertainment Focus commended all her written tracks and had especially praised "Say Hey", "Too Far", "Cowboy Style" and "Limbo".^[20]

Conversly, Sputnikmusic was critical towards "Say Hey" and album track "Breathe" for being the "weak points" off the studio album. He commented "[Kylie] sings in a tired lazy tone while the music is uninspiring doing nothing to get a reaction from the listener. These both could have been added as bonus tracks that way they wouldn’t take away from the alternative pop sound."^[25] Adrian Denning was critical towards the tracks "misconception" of being "indie", a portrayal the media had reported upon Minogue during the late 1990s, and felt that rock could have been more suitable; he cited "Some Kind of Bliss" as an example.^[26] Willmott was critical towards the parent album, and the track itself for making her a "fraud." He commented that the likes of "Say Hey" and "Through the Years" were too similar to Icelandic singer Bjork and labelled it "noisy".^[15]

Live performances

"Say Hey" was featured on two of Minogue's tours; Intimate and Live Tour and Anti Tour. Minogue first performed the track on her first tour in 1998. The track was used in act three along with several other tracks on the Impossible Princess album and featured Minogue in her cowboy-inspired dress that she introduced for the act opener "Cowboy Style" but did not wear the cowboy hat.^[27] Like the rest off the costumes on the tour including the performance off "Say Hey", it features Minogue with a lot of "princess"-inspired outfits that were created by her and her long-time friend and Fashion designer William Baker.^[28] The song was featured on the CD and DVD versions off the concert tour.^[29][30]

In April 2011, Minogue was in talks about the conception off the Anti Tour after completing her Aphrodite World Tour.^[31] After announcing two sellout shows in Australia and three sellout shows in the United Kingdom, Minogue revealed the setlist and included "Say Hey" into the list.^[32][33][34] The live performance featured Minogue in the same costume as the previous dates, a white singlet with denim hot pants on, featuring three back up singers and her live band in the background.^[35] The performance received positive reviews from most music critics and publications who attended the performances, with many praising her including the song on the setlist in order to revive her previous catalog.^[36] Although Minogue releases videos from the tour on her YouTube channel, she did not release any off "Say Hey" an a potential DVD was not released.^[37]

Other usage

"Say Hey" has been featured on many of Minogue's compilation albums. The songs first appearance was on her 2002 BMG greatest hits compilation album Confide in Me, a compilation consisting majority off her singles and tracks from her Deconstruction period, and Heather Phares from the publication praised the Impossible Princess tracks including "Say Hey".^[38] It then appeared on her 2004 compilation album Artist Collection, that consisted majority off her Impossible Princess era.^[39] It's most recent appearance was on her second disc off Confide in Me: The Irresistible Kylie released in July 2007 by UK independent label Music Club.^[40]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and the singer's official website.^[13]

Song credits

• Songwriting – Kylie Minogue
• Production – Brothers in Rhythm
• Vocals production – Minogue
• Recording – Alan Bremner and Paul Wright; DMC Studios, Real World Studios and Sarm West Studios, London, England. 1997
• Keyboards, synthesizers, other instruments – Steve Anderson

References

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics