The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)
"The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" | ||||||||
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Single by Las Ketchup | ||||||||
from the album Hijas del Tomate | ||||||||
B-side | "Remix" | |||||||
Released | 10 June 2002 | |||||||
Recorded | 2002 in Lolmang Studios | |||||||
Genre | ||||||||
Length | 3:32 | |||||||
Label | ||||||||
Songwriter(s) | Manuel Ruiz | |||||||
Producer(s) | Manuel Ruiz | |||||||
Las Ketchup singles chronology | ||||||||
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"The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" is the debut single by Spanish pop group Las Ketchup, taken from their debut studio album Hijas del Tomate (2002). It was released on 10 June 2002, and became an international hit later that year.
In addition to the original Spanish version, the song exists in forms with Spanglish and Portuguese verses, although the nonsensical chorus is identical in all three versions. This song reached number-one in the United Kingdom, as well as 26 other countries worldwide. As of 2006, the song has sold over 7 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.[1]
The song tells the story of a pimp-like, gypsy (afrogitano) with mystical qualities. Just after its release, the song became controversial because of rumors that it had emphatic references to Satanism, the devil and the inferno.[2] The song's dance routine was a novelty in the early 2000s. Furthermore, the song and its dance moves were featured in the 2012 game Just Dance 4.
Background
"The Ketchup Song (Asereje) (Spanish Version)"
A 20 second sample of "The Ketchup Song", which features the chorus. | |
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Las Ketchup was first introduced to Columbia Records through Shaketown Music, a small record label in Córdoba, Andalusia, who sent out the group's demo to a number of different record companies.[3] The demo featured the songs "Asereje" and "Kusha Las Payas". When A&R Javier Portugués and Columbia director Raúl López listened to the demo, they stared at each other in delight exclaiming, "Wow, this is fantastic!"[3] At first the intention was to arrange a distribution deal with ShakeTown Music but upon hearing the song they realised its international potential and so negotiated for Las Ketchup to sign with Sony.[3]
Composition
The song is written in the key of Eb minor and follows the chord progression of Ebm–Db–Cb–Abm–Bb7 in the chorus. The pre-chorus uses an altered chord (B minor), or a modal interchange, as the cadence.[4] According to Pandora.com, the song features "mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation, humorous lyrics, and electric guitar riffs".[5]
Content
Despite its title, The Ketchup Song is not about ketchup. The song is about a transcendentally seductive man called Diego, who walks into a crowded nightclub at midnight on a Friday. He is described as "looking fine" with the "moon in his pupils (con la Luna en las pupilas)" as he checks out "every girl in sight". He is a regular, always "there in the disco (allí en la disco)", "playing sexy, feeling hotter" and he dances like "he does the mambo". The DJ, who knows Diego, routinely plays the song "on the spot always around twelve" for him, where Diego dances to it. His dance moves and visage "hypnotize" the spectators in the club, where "some will call" him "charming (chuleria)". Mystically, Diego habitually "comes and disappears" in the club, convincing the people there that this a work of "witchcraft ("brujeria"). Due to this conjure, they are led to believe that he is "the real, Rastafari afrogitano".[6]
Transliteration
The chorus is reminiscent of Spanish, but is actually a nonsensical distortion of the 1979 rap hit "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang.[7]
I said a hip, hop, the hippie to the hippie: Aserejé ja de je de jebe
the hip-hip-hop, a you don't stop: tu de jebere sebiunouva (seibiunouva)
the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie: majabi (majavi) an de bugui
to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat: an de buididipí
Music video
The music video was shot at Palm Beach, Estepona in Spain, at Chiringuito bar.
The video starts with the female band members laying out a carpet on the ground and putting the bar stools on display to set up their musical show. They then serve people exotic beverages at the beach bar. A male bar attendant with an afro enthusiastically pours drink in a glass and juggles a bottle around. Meanwhile, more and more beach-goers are shown drawing in to the bar, to watch the trio's performance. In some shots of the video, the trio would be performing near wooden window frames which are laid individually on the sandy beach.
During the song's chorus, the band members perform their signature dance moves of this song, alongside other visitors who also joyously participate. The band is then assisted to stand up on a table, where they execute their Asereje dance in front of a larger, jubilant crowd who gleefully jive in to the dance. By the end of the video, the crowd becomes jam-packed and in multitudes, with the young and old dancing to the song near the beach bar.[8]
Dance routine
For the first dance move, the hands must be held open facing down and continuously waving them over another two times for six beats. The second involves tossing the thumb over the shoulder twice, right before spinning one's arm around each other while raising from the waistline to face level. The last move of the dance involves placing the back of one's hand on the forehead and the palm of the other hand on the back of the head while knocking one's knees together a couple of times.[9]
Critical reception
Andy Thomas from Drowned In Sound gave the song a 9 out of 10, stating, "The Ketchup Song is better than the Macarena...", while acknowledging that the song is "not smart, it's not clever, and it's not going to get a single positive review outside of the teeny bop press." Thomas described the song's band members (Las Ketchup) as "three slightly odd looking women from Spain who are the proud exponents of this year's Macarena. It's got dance moves (wiggle your hands, thumb a lift, raise your arms, knock your knees together) and a sunny video where the trio serve drinks in a beach bar."[10]
Commercial performance
The song reached the top of the charts in virtually every country it charted, except for the Billboard chart, where it peaked at number 54. In France, the song reached number-one for eleven weeks and eventually sold 1,310,000 copies, making it the best-selling single of 2002, and the second best-selling of the 21st century in the country, behind "Un Monde parfait" by Ilona Mitrecey.[11] Furthermore, the song was the 50th best-selling single of the 2000s in the UK.[12]
Controversy
The controversy that sparked was rooted in the title of the song, "Aserejé", which—if broken down—supposedly makes reference to a demonic being. The letter 'A' in Spanish means (to); ser (be); and hereje (heretical).[13]
Aserejé, ja, de je, de jebe tu de jebere sebiunouva, majabi an de bugui an de buididipi reportedly means "Asejeré" (Spanish: un ser hereje—"a heretic being"), ja (the letters of Jehovah), deje, dejebe tu dejebe (deja tu ser—leave your being); if connected, it reads un ser hereje Jehová deja tu ser, or, "a heretic being Jehovah leave your being."[2][13] Other lyrics like No es cosa de brujería que lo encuentre to' los días (pecando) por donde voy caminando ("It's not witchcraft the fact that I find him (sinning) everyday wherever I walk through") supposedly make references to a demonic being, just like Diego tiene chulería ("Diego has natural charm"), which some critics say it literally means that the Devil is a beautiful angel.
The Spanish lyrics, such as, Mira lo que se avecina, a la vuelta de la esquina viene Diego ("Look what's coming up, around the corner comes Diego") supposedly signifies Diego as some kind of messenger.[13] Con la Luna en las pupilas ("With the moon in his pupils") supposedly means Diego can only be seen at night; Y donde más no cabe un alma ("And there, where no soul can be squeezed in") supposedly means hell; Y el DJ que lo conoce toca el himno de las doce ("And the DJ that knows him [the messenger] plays the midnight hymn") is supposedly a reference to Satanic rituals, which usually occur at midnight.
The group members, however, have insisted that the song is in large parts nonsensical rather than satanical.[13]
Track listings
CD maxi | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
1. | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (Spanglish Version) | 3:32 |
2. | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (Spanish Version) | 3:32 Song (Aserejé) |
4. | Untitled (Motown Club Single Edit) | 3:41 |
CD maxi | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
1. | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (Crystal Sound Xmas mix) | 3:50 |
2. | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (Karaoke Version) | 3:44 |
3. | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (Chiringuito Club mix) | 5:30 |
4. | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (video – Crystal Sound Xmas mix) |
Charts and sales
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[59] | 3× Platinum | 210,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[60] | 2× Platinum | 0* |
Belgium (BEA)[61] | 5× Platinum | 250,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[62] | 2× Platinum | 20,000^ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[63] | Platinum | 15,483[63] |
France (SNEP)[64] | Diamond | 1,750,000[65] |
Germany (BVMI)[66] | 2× Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
Greece (IFPI Greece)[67] | 2× Platinum | 40,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ)[68] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI)[69] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[70] | 2× Platinum | 0* |
Norway (IFPI Norway)[71] | 6× Platinum | 60,000* |
Sweden (GLF)[72] | 4× Platinum | 120,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[73] | 3× Platinum | 120,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[74] | Platinum | 600,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References
- ↑ Bakker, Sietse (2006-02-27). "Las Ketchup to represent Spain!". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- 1 2 "Prohiben 'Aserejé' hasta en la TV". Terra Networks (in Spanish). 4 April 2007. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Interview With Javier Portugués". HitQuarters. 11 Nov 2002. Retrieved 3 Jun 2011.
- ↑ http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0055224
- ↑ https://www.pandora.com/las-ketchup/barbie-girls/aserje-ketchup-song
- ↑ http://www.ndr.de/ndr1niedersachsen/sendungen/Las-Ketchup-Ketchup-Song,lasketchup112.html
- ↑ "TODO LO QUE SUBE DEBE BAJAR, LO IMPORTANTE ES QUE AHORA ESTAMOS ARRIBA". Terra Networks (in Spanish). 2004. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ↑ https://www.thelocal.es/20160621/whatever-happened-to-las-ketchup-music-world-music-day
- ↑ Walters, Brian (1 May 2004). Call to Prayer: My Travels in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Virtualbookworm Publishing. pp. 148–. ISBN 978-1-58939-592-3.
- ↑ http://drownedinsound.com/releases/5610/reviews/5042
- ↑ "Top 100 des singles les plus vendus du millénaire en France, le top 10 final!". Chartsinfrance, PureCharts. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 2015-03-17.
- ↑ Radio 1 Official Chart of the Decade, as broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday 29 December 2009, presented by Nihal
- 1 2 3 4 "Tachan de satánicas a Las Ketchup". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 15 October 2002. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
- ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ "Las Ketchup – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Las Ketchup.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)". Tracklisten.
- ↑ "Las Ketchup – Chart history" European Hot 100 for Las Ketchup.
- ↑ "Las Ketchup: The Ketchup Song" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (in French). Les classement single.
- ↑ "Musicline.de – Las Ketchup Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ↑ "Greek peak". Web.archive.org. 1 December 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-12-01. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
- ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- ↑ "Chart Track: Week 46, 2002". Irish Singles Chart.
- ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)". Top Digital Download.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Las Ketchup search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)". VG-lista.
- ↑ "Nielsen Music Control". Archived from the original on 2007-10-15.
- ↑ "Top40-charts.com". Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Romanian Top 100". Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" Canciones Top 50.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)". Singles Top 100.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ↑ "Las Ketchup: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
- ↑ Billboard allmusic.com (Retrieved 19 July 2008)
- ↑ "Las Ketchup – Chart history" Billboard Hot Latin Songs for Las Ketchup.
- ↑ "Billboard: Tropical Airplay". Billboard. Rovi Corporation.
- ↑ "2002 Australian Singles Chart". aria. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2002 Austrian Singles Chart" (in German). Austriancharts. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2002 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2002 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ The first is the list of the best-selling domestic singles of 2002 in Finland, the second is that of the foreign singles:
- "Myydyimmät kotimaiset singlet vuonna 2002" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
- "Myydyimmät ulkomaiset singlet vuonna 2002" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
- ↑ "2002 French Singles Chart" (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2002 Irish Singles Chart". IRMA. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2002 Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Swisscharts. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2002 UK Singles Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2002 Swedish Singles Chart". ChartsPlus. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ↑ "2003 Australian Singles Chart". aria. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2003 Austrian Singles Chart" (in German). Austriancharts. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2003 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2003 French Singles Chart" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2003 Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Swisscharts. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "2003 UK Singles Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ↑ "ARIA Chart Sales : End of Decade Singles Top 100" (PDF). Aria.com.au. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
- ↑ "Die ultimative Chart Show | Hits des neuen Jahrtausends | Download". RTL.de. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Las Ketchup in the field Interpret. Enter The Ketchup Song in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
- ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Danish single certifications – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Asereje)". IFPI Denmark. Click on næste to go to page 50 if certification from official website
- 1 2 "Las Ketchup" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
- ↑ "French single certifications – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Asereje)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- ↑ "Les Singles Diamant :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
- ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Las Ketchup; 'The Ketchup Song')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ↑ "Greek single certifications – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song" (in Greek). IFPI Greece.
- ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2003年1月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. January 2003 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 520: 13. March 10, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Dutch single certifications – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Asereje)" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.
- ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song". Recorded Music NZ.
- ↑ "Norwegian single certifications – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
- ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2003" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
- ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Las Ketchup; 'The Ketchup Song')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ↑ "British single certifications – Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song". British Phonographic Industry. Enter The Ketchup Song in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search