Candy (Robbie Williams song)
"Candy" | ||||
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Single by Robbie Williams | ||||
from the album Take the Crown | ||||
Released | 11 September 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011–2012 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:21 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Jacknife Lee | |||
Robbie Williams singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Candy" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
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"Candy" is a song by English pop singer Robbie Williams, released on 11 September 2012 as the lead single from his ninth studio album Take the Crown. It was written by Williams and Gary Barlow, sampling a riff from "Eurodans" by Terje Olsen. The song was Williams's first UK number-one single since "Radio" in 2004, and was deliberately produced in the style of other 2012 chart-toppers in a calculated attempt to re-establish his presence in the UK charts.
The track premiered on BBC Radio 1 just days before the station removed Williams from their playlist, deeming him no longer relevant to their target audience.[1] Williams claimed to be gutted by the decision, citing Radio 1 as a pop star's "main oxygen".[2] When the song reached number one without Radio 1 airplay, the singer thanked the station, who "have supported me for a long, long time and I'm very grateful to them. Oh, and I can still have number ones without them!"[3]
Background and release[]
The track was originally rumoured to be titled "Vertigo". Williams said of the track: "It's a summer song, very much in a similar vein to 'Rock DJ', about a girl who thinks she's great. And she might be, but she's a bit nefarious with her ways. Some songs take an age to write and some songs just fall out of your mouth completely formed, and you don't have to think about it. I don't know why that fell out of my mouth and out of my brain at that particular time – it just did."[4] On 10 September, Williams debuted "Candy" on Radio 2's Breakfast Show with host Chris Evans.[5] The official artwork for the track features a model of Williams's head covered in pink and red spots.[5]
"Candy" was written by Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow and Terje Olsen, while production was handled by Jacknife Lee.[6] The song samples Norwegian producer Todd Terje‘s single "Eurodans".[7] In the hook, he uses nursery rhymes about the plague (Ring a Ring o’ Roses) and taxes.[8] "Hey ho here she goes/ Either a little too high or a little too low/ Got no self-esteem and vertigo/ Cause she thinks she's made of candy," Williams chants on the chorus.[9] The song contains melodic elements of the nursery rhyme Ring a Ring o' Roses and even contains the title of the rhyme at the start of the second verse.
Reception[]
Critical response[]
Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, writing that "'Candy' doesn't touch the dizzying heights of 'Rock DJ' or 'Angels', but it's also far from his worst song to date." Corner also wrote: "Robbie chants on a bouncy, playground chant of a chorus brassier than his stage persona – and there within lies the charm."[9] John Bush of AllMusic wrote that "The trailer single 'Candy' is a trite, uptempo track with a sing-song chorus but not much of a shelf life, it's the perfect radio hit."[10] Sam Lanksy of Idolator wrote the song "is sprightly and spunky with a clever hook — arguably the best sweets-related diss since Annie's 'Chewing Gum.'"[11] Tom Hocknell of BBC Music called it "catchier than Velcro, although it’s unclear why anyone needs to own it – after the second listen it owns you. It’s eager to please, certainly."[12]
Alexis Petridis of The Guardian was less positive, writing that "[...] It's so desperate to be a smash hit that it ends up sounding like one of those novelty singles that used to blight the September charts, bought by returning holidaymakers with rosy memories of the hotel disco; all it's lacking is an accompanying dance."[13] Philip Matusavage of musicOMH also gave the song a mixed review, writing that "It's a neat précis of the problems facing Robbie in 2012. Its bouncy dancehall brass is undeniably and infectiously catchy but it’s also short-lived; the song leaves no impression at its end."[14] Kitty Empire of The Observer observed that "it would better suit a boy band in a Caribbean time warp. But somehow, it looks as if it will re-establish Williams's presence in the charts today, regardless."[15]
Chart performance[]
In Germany, "Candy" broke an airplay record for the most plays in a week.[16] It peaked at number 3 on the main chart. In Austria, the song was a success, debuting and peaking, for three consecutive weeks, at number 4 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40 chart.[17] "Candy" was a growing success in the Netherlands, debuting at number 27 on the Dutch Top 40 chart.[18] After six weeks climbing the charts, the song entered the top-ten, reaching number 6, on 10 November 2012. In the Dutch Mega Top 100 "Candy" reached number 1 on 17 November 2012.[18] It reached top 10 in more than 20 countries, and Top 40 in other territories including Japan and New Zealand.
In his native UK, despite BBC Radio 1 not putting it on their playlist, "Candy" gathered over 10,000 radio spins before the official digital release.[19] The song later achieved more than 30,000 spins on UK radio.[20] On the UK Singles Chart, "Candy" became the singer's first number-one in eight years (the last being 2004's "Radio"), his seventh solo UK number-one and the 14th number-one of his career (including Take That and solo material).[21] It also became his fastest-selling single in the UK since "Rock DJ" 12 years earlier, and with 137,000 copies sold that week, it also became the fastest-selling male artist single of the year, and the third fastest-selling single of 2012 overall.[22] The song remained number one on the UK singles chart for a second week, shifting 90,000 copies.[23] It was the 22nd best-selling single of 2012 in the UK, with sales of 503,000.[24] In June 2013, "Candy" became Robbie's second biggest hit in the UK, after "Angels", with sales passing the 650,000 mark.
Music video[]
A music video to accompany the release of "Candy" was first released onto YouTube on 10 September 2012 at a total length of three minutes and twenty-four seconds. It stars Robbie Williams and Kaya Scodelario.[25] The video was filmed in Spitalfields in east London in the summer of 2012 and was directed by Joseph Kahn.[26]
Formats and track listings[]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Candy" | 3:21 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Candy" | 3:21 |
2. | "Candy" (Max Sanna & Steve Pitron Remix) | 6:52 |
3. | "Candy" (Major Look Remix) | 4:26 |
4. | "Candy" (More Candy) | 7:07 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Candy" | 3:21 |
2. | "Candy" (Max Sanna & Steve Pitron Remix) | 6:56 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Candy" (live from the BRITs) | 3:30 |
Credits and personnel[]
- Lead vocals – Robbie Williams
- Producers – Jacknife Lee, Terje Olsen
- Lyrics – Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams
- Music – Gary Barlow, Terje Olsen
- Label - Universal Records
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
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Year-end charts[]
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Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Austria (IFPI Austria)[67] | Gold | 15,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[68] | Gold | 150,000^ |
Italy (FIMI)[69] | 2× Platinum | 60,000* |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[70] | Gold | 15,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[71] | Platinum | 600,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history[]
Country | Date | Format |
---|---|---|
Various[72] | 25 September 2012 | Digital download |
United Kingdom[73] | 28 October 2012 | |
Germany, Switzerland and Austria |
2 October 2012[74] | |
8 October 2012[75] | CD single |
References[]
- ^ http://www.nme.com/news/music/robbie-williams-36-1265954
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24487746
- ^ Robbie Williams: Live at the O2, Concert Live (22 November 2012) Disc 3, Track 5, 6:03
- ^ "TAKE THE CROWN: NEW ALBUM OUT 5TH NOVEMBER". RobbieWilliams.com. 2 September 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Robbie Williams debuts new single". The Telegraph. London. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "Robbie Williams – Take The Crown (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "Robbie Williams Taps Todd Terje's 'Eurodans' on New Single 'Candy'". Spin. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ Wilkinson, Sophie (30 October 2012). "NME Tracks - Robbie Williams - 'Candy'". NME. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Robbie Williams: 'Candy' - Single review". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ John Bush. "Take the Crown". Allmusic. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ Lansky, Sam (11 September 2012). "Robbie Williams Goes "Candy"-Colored In New Video". Idolator. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "Music - Review of Robbie Williams - Take the Crown". BBC. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ Alexis Petridis (1 November 2012). "Robbie Williams: Take the Crown – review". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ Matusavage, Philip (5 November 2012). "Robbie Williams - Take The Crown". musicOMH. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ Kitty Empire (4 November 2012). "Robbie Williams: Take the Crown – review | Music | The Observer". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ "Robbie Williams mit Radiorekord – Besuch bei kleinem deutschem Lokalsender". Klatsch-Tratsch.de. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Austriancharts.at – Robbie Williams – Candy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "ROBBIE WILLIAMS - CANDY (NUMMER)". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ "Congratulations to @robbiewilliams on receiving over 10,000 plays on UK radio for "Candy"". Twitter - Nielsen Music UK. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.
- ^ "Congratulations to @robbiewilliams for winning a @NielsenMusicUK Airplay Award for reaching 30,000 plays on UK Radio with "Candy"". Twitter - Nielsen Music UK. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012.
- ^ Eames, Tom (4 November 2012). "Robbie Williams scores first No.1 single since 2004 with 'Candy'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "Robbie Williams equals Gary Barlow's career tally as Candy hits Number 1". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012.
- ^ Robbie Williams Crowned U.K. Charts King: Top Song, Album | Billboard
- ^ Dan Lane (2 January 2013). "The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of 2012 revealed!". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ Robbie Williams - Candy on YouTube
- ^ "Robbie Williams at Spitalfields". Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ Robbie Williams - Candy (CD) at Discogs
- ^ "Robbie Williams Chart Positions". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ^ http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20121113-1611/Issue1185.pdf
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Robbie Williams – Candy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Robbie Williams – Candy" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201242 into search.
- ^ "Danishcharts.com – Robbie Williams – Candy". Tracklisten.
- ^ "Robbie Williams – Candy – Euro Digital Songs". Billboard.biz. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Robbie Williams – Candy" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ "Listat - Radio Nova - Suomen suosituimmat vko 42/2012".
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Robbie Williams – Candy" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Candy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ "Media Forest Week 46, 2012". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest.
- ^ "Robbie Williams - Candy - Top Digital Download" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- ^ "Robbie Williams Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Robbie Williams – Candy – Lebanese Charts". Billboard.biz. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012.
- ^ "Robbie Williams – Candy – Luxembourg Digital Songs". Billboard.biz. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012.
- ^ "Mexico Ingles - Robbie Williams – Candy". Billboard.biz. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 46, 2012" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Robbie Williams – Candy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Robbie Williams – Candy". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Norway Digital Songs – Robbie Williams – Candy". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 11 November 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 20132 into search.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Robbie Williams – Candy" Canciones Top 50.
- ^ "DigiListan – Robbie Williams – Candy". Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Robbie Williams – Candy". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Robbie Williams – Candy". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ "Ukrainian Top 40 - Robbie Williams – Candy". FDR. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2012". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Top de l'année Top Singles 2012" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles Jahrescharts 2012" (in German). VIVA. Viacom International Media Networks. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ "MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 2012" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2012". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2012" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2013". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "End of Year 2013" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ "Austrian single certifications – Robbie Williams – Candy" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Robbie Williams; 'Candy')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
- ^ "Italian single certifications – Robbie Williams" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 20 November 2012. Select "Tutti gli anni" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Robbie Williams" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Robbie Williams)". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ "British single certifications – Robbie Williams". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 December 2012. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Robbie Williams in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ Candy Release Dates Worldwide
- ^ Candy EP iTunes UK
- ^ "Amazon.de Digital download". Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ Amazon.de CD Single
External links[]
- 2012 singles
- 2012 songs
- Robbie Williams songs
- Number-one singles in Scotland
- UK Singles Chart number-one singles
- Songs written by Gary Barlow
- Songs written by Robbie Williams
- Song recordings produced by Jacknife Lee
- Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn