U.G.L.Y.

"U.G.L.Y." is a song by American recording duo Daphne & Celeste. It was released in June 2000 as the second single from their studio album, We Didn't Say That!. The song was written and composed by Michele Chiavarini, Tracy Kilrow, Michael Marz and S. Burkes, while its producer was Chiavarini. "U.G.L.Y." is a teen pop and bubblegum pop song with a cheerleading style, making it similar in this respect to Toni Basil's song "Mickey". Lyrically, the song is about people who Daphne & Celeste think are ugly.

The song received mixed reviews from music critics, with some saying it was a good single, but many panning it and at least one reportedly saying it was "inappropriate and ridiculous". It is still the subject of criticism to this day due to its harsh lyrics. Although it received unfavorable reviews upon its release as a single, the song did very well in New Zealand, where it peaked at number seven (its highest position on any chart anywhere in the world). Elsewhere it wasn't quite so successful, but the single would later be immortalized in the American box office hit film Bring It On (released August 2000) and its accompanied soundtrack.^[1]

Background

After the release of their first single, "Ooh Stick You", the duo decided to release "U.G.L.Y." as the second single from their forthcoming album, We Didn't Say That! (2000). The song was written and composed by Michele Chiavarini, Tracy Kilrow, Michael Marz and S. Burkes, and was produced by Chiavarini.

Critical reception

Dean Carlson from AllMusic reviewed the album, but did not at that point intend to review the track itself.^[2] However, he did go on to review "U.G.L.Y." individually, giving it two and a half out of five stars when so doing.^[3] Andy Capper from NME said: "'UGLY' continues the playground putdown vibes of Daphne & Celeste's first single, 'Ooh Stick You'. It's a cool little tune, bolstered by a complete lack of irony or sickly kitsch vibes. Daphne & Celeste are queens in the making."^[4]

Reaction and criticism

Although some said it was fun, many critics found the song a bit rude and harsh, despite the fact that it would become the duo's signature song. Parents and families also found it a bit rude. A particular concern was that the song might encourage bullying – a concern the girls seem to have anticipated, for they stressed the tongue-in-cheek nature of its lyrics ahead of its release during an interview that would appear on the UK No. 2 and Canadian CD singles, with Daphne claiming in that interview that "Everyone is indeed ugly in their own special way".

Reviews of We Didn't Say That! on DooYoo.co.uk are largely negative, as are remarks in those reviews about this specific song.^[5] Andy Capper's review of it from NME is positive, but acknowledges nonetheless that it is "a bit ruder" than their previous single.^[4]

Chart performance

The single was a big success in New Zealand, where it peaked at number seven on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was certified platinum.^[6] However, it did not do as well in any other country. The song debuted at number forty-seven on the Australian Singles Chart, but only managed to peak at number forty. The song entered the charts at number eighteen in the United Kingdom, where it only managed to go that far.

Formats and track listings

UK CD single No. 1

"U.G.L.Y." (Radio Edit) – 3:25
"U.G.L.Y." (Tomboy Mix) – 7:03
"U.G.L.Y." (T-Total "Make Over" Mix) – 6:32

UK CD single No. 2 / Canadian CD single

"U.G.L.Y." (Radio Edit) – 3:25
"U.G.L.Y." (Uglier Mix) – 4:50
"Exclusive Daphne & Celeste Interview" – 4:38

Charts

Chart (2000)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[7]	40
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	18
New Zealand (RIANZ)^[6]	7
United Kingdom (The Official Chart Company)^[8]	18

References

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