Sour Candy (Lady Gaga and Blackpink song)
"Sour Candy" | |
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![]() Promotional graphic for the song. For its release to retailers, the song uses the same cover as the album.[1] | |
Promotional single by Lady Gaga and Blackpink | |
from the album Chromatica | |
Language |
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Released | May 28, 2020 |
Studio |
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Genre | |
Length | 2:37 |
Label | Interscope |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | |
Lyric video | |
"Sour Candy" on YouTube |
"Sour Candy" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga and South Korean girl group Blackpink. It was released for digital download and streaming on May 28, 2020, as a promotional single off Gaga's sixth studio album, Chromatica. The song was written by Gaga, Madison Love, Rami Yacoub, Teddy Park, and its producers BloodPop and Burns. It is a dance-pop, electropop, and deep house song with a house, dance and electronic beat and lyrics which compare the artists to the titular sour candy. The song reached number one in Malaysia and Singapore and the top ten in Australia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, and Lithuania.
Background[]
"Sour Candy" was initially written in a session unrelated to the creation of the Chromatica album by Madison Love, with the help of BloodPop, Rami Yacoub, and Burns. Talking about the session, Love said:
We started riffing on a chorus. We liked the title "Sour Candy". I thought we should write it like Sour Patch Kids in those commercials where they cut off people's hair: They're sour, then they're sweet. That's the wordplay I brought.... We wrote the chorus and I wrote a little verse for a [featured artist]. We were thinking Blackpink could be cool.... Blood brought it to Gaga and she was like, "I love this, I want to work on it." She put her touch on it and transformed the song into her song. At the end she was like, "What about Blackpink on it?"[2]
In an interview for Japanese entertainment site TV Groove, Gaga talked about the genesis of the song and stated that "when [she] called them and asked if they wanted to write a song with [her], they were so happy and motivated. It was a really exciting collaboration." She added: "I wanted to celebrate them because they love powerful women like us, and they also wanted to celebrate me, and we had a great time together with this song. I was excited to hear them interpret the song in Korean, and told them that the part was so creative and fun. I was impressed when I heard their singing voice."[3] Blackpink's management later talked about how the song came about: "We listened to each other's music and became fans of each other, so we naturally carried out this project."[4]
Composition and lyrics[]
"Sour Candy" is a 1990s-influenced[5] dance-pop,[6] electropop,[7] bubblegum pop[8] and deep house[5] anthem that follows a "bouncy" house,[6] dance[9] and electronic[10] beat with an upbeat production.[11] On the song, Gaga and Blackpink are "trading off flirty lines" in English and Korean which use sour candy as a metaphor to "illustrate how they function in a relationship"[5][9][7] as well as showing that they are rough on the outside, but sweet and authentic on the inside.[4] Lyrically, the song sees the singers informing a potential lover to accept and not try to change their damage.[4] The '90s house[12] drop features Gaga performing a "speak-rap",[9] while the K-pop group's verses include "tight, almost mechanical melodies".[13]
According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com, the song is written in the time signature of common time, and is composed in the key of A minor with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. The vocals range from the tonal nodes of G3 to C5.[14]
Release and promotion[]
"Sour Candy" was released on May 28, 2020, a day before the album's release.[15] It was later serviced to Australian and Russian radios through Universal Music Group on May 29, 2020 and June 1, 2020 for promotional purposes.[16][17] On 16 June, 2020, an accompanying lyric video was released. In an article by Rolling Stone, the video was described as the inside of a virtual reality headset, "set in a candy-coated and surreal digital landscape", with the lyrics "flashing, Matrix-style".[18] Gil Kaufman of Billboard found the video "trippy" and "a Willy Wonka-worthy color explosion", featuring "glowing futuristic lion fish-like blobs floating in space."[19] The song was first performed by Blackpink on January 31, 2021, during their livestream concert, The Show.[20]
Critical reception[]
Upon its release, the song received critical acclaim. Joey Nolfi from Entertainment Weekly called the song an "epic collaboration" and "a mouthwatering serve".[9] Michael Roffman from Consequence of Sound said that "'Sour Candy' is another banger from the Oscar winner, proving Chromatica will bring the party to our pandemic."[21] Claire Shaffer from Rolling Stone found it "a sugar-sweet club track for all our at-home parties.[22] Jem Asward from Variety found it "a sparkling combination of the two artists' styles".[13] Zoe Haylock from Vulture opined that "when the lyrics can basically all be Instagram captions, you know it's a good pop song!"[23] Cole Delbyck of HuffPost thought that the song is "fusing Gaga and Blackpink's distinct sounds into one dance-floor-primed [...] bop" and "lives up to the hype surrounding the long in the works collaboration that fans have been filling up their mentions about for years".[24]
Louise Bruton from The Irish Times found it "the perfect mix of weirded-out pop and euphoria".[25] Stephen Daw from Billboard complimented the song for managing to give every participants "equal, well-balanced time", although he noted that something was missing from the track that "could have rounded [it] out".[26] Michael Cragg from The Guardian was critical of the song, saying that it "falls disappointingly flat" and "ends up sounding like a dashed off, cheaply produced interlude".[27] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine called the song "empty-calorie",[28] while Evan Sawdey from PopMatters thought it was "blissfully short" and one of the "lesser songs" of the Chromatica album.[29]
Commercial performance[]
"Sour Candy" debuted at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Gaga her 25th top 40 hit and Blackpink their first top 40 hit.[30] The song became Blackpink's first top-ten single in Australia, where it debuted at number 8.[31] It also became their first top-twenty single in the UK, where it debuted at number 17.[32] The song topped the charts in Malaysia and Singapore.[33][34]
In 2021, the audio upload of "Sour Candy" on YouTube surpassed 100 million views, garnering Blackpink their first Vevo Certified Award and the first by any Korean act in history.
Accolades[]
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
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2020 | MTV Millennial Awards Brazil | International Collaboration | Won | [35] |
Credits and personnel[]
Credits adapted from liner notes from Chromatica.[36]
Recording locations[]
- Recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California
- Mixed at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City, New York
Personnel[]
- Lady Gaga – vocals, songwriter
- Blackpink – vocals
- Burns – producer, songwriter, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion
- BloodPop – producer, songwriter, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion
- Madison Love – songwriter, backing vocals
- Teddy Park – songwriter
- Rami Yacoub – songwriter
- Benjamin Rice – mixer, recording engineer
- Tom Norris – mixer
- E. Scott Kelly – assistant mixer
- Randy Merill – mastering engineer
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
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Monthly charts[]
Year-end charts[]
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Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada)[69] | Gold | 40,000![]() |
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Release history[]
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Various | May 28, 2020 | Interscope | [15] | |
Australia | May 29, 2020 | Contemporary hit radio | UMA | [16] |
Russia | June 1, 2020 | Universal | [17] |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Sour Candy". Google Play Music. May 28, 2020. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey. "Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica' team reveals the history and future of her new era". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ "レディー・ガガ インタビュー! 待望の新作『クロマティカ』で、アリアナ・グランデ、BLACKPINKとのコラボはどうやって実現したの?". tvgroove (in Japanese). May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Bailey, Alyssa (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga and Blackpink's 'Sour Candy' Lyrics Are About Owning Your Damage". Elle. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Breihan, Tom (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga & BLACKPINK – "Sour Candy"". Stereogum. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Kaufman, Gil (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga Unwraps Super Sweet 'Sour Candy' Collab with Blackpink: Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Rossignol, Derrick (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga And Blackpink Drop Their Sweet Collaboration 'Sour Candy'". Uproxx. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Caroline, Edwards (May 28, 2020). "Album Review: Lady Gaga // Chromatica". Riot. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Nolfi, Joey (May 28, 2020). "Hear Lady Gaga, BLACKPINK unwrap 'Sour Candy' in new dance anthem". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Komonibo, Ineye (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga & Blackpink's Collab Is Sweet But Sour". Refinery29. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Brow, Jason; Norwin, Alyssa (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga & BLACKPINK Bring The Girl Power On Upbeat New Track 'Sour Candy'— Listen". Hollywood Life. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Megarry, Daniel (May 28, 2020). "Listen to Lady Gaga and BLACKPINK's new club banger Sour Candy". Gay Times. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Asward, Jem (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga Drops Collaboration With Blackpink, 'Sour Candy'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Germanotta, Stefani; Burns, Matthew; Tucker, Michael; Yacoub, Rami; Love, Madison Emiko; Park, Hong Jun (2020). "Lady Gaga and Blackpink 'Sour Candy' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Lady Gaga; Blackpink (May 28, 2020). "Sour Candy – Single by Lady Gaga & BLACKPINK on Apple Music". music.apple.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Singles to Radio – The Music Network". The Music Network. May 29, 2020. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Lady Gaga & Blackpink - Sour Candy(listen to the song, watch the music video)". Tophit. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ Shaffer, Claire (June 16, 2020). "Lady Gaga, Blackpink Dabble in VR (Sort of) for 'Sour Candy' Lyric Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (June 16, 2020). "Lady Gaga & Blackpink's 'Sour Candy' Lyric Video Is a Willy Wonka-Worthy Color Explosion". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ "Blackpink successfully holds first online concert and reveals Rosé's solo track "Gone" for 1st time". Soompi. January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ Roffman, Michael (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga and BLACKPINK Drop Collaborative Single "Sour Candy"". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Shaffer, Claire (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga, Blackpink Share Confectionary Club Track 'Sour Candy'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Haylock, Zoe (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga Becomes an Honorary Blackpink Member in New Single 'Sour Candy'". New York. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Delbyck, Cole (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga And Blackpink Are in Your Area With Sweet New Bop 'Sour Candy'". HuffPost. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Bruton, Louise (May 29, 2020). "Lady Gaga: Chromatica review – A star is reborn in this return to fully fledged pop". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Daw, Stephen (May 29, 2020). "Ranking All 16 Songs From Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Cragg, Michael (May 29, 2020). "Lady Gaga: Chromatica review – Gaga rediscovers the riot on her most personal album". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Cinquemani, Sal (May 29, 2020). "Review: Lady Gaga's Chromatica Is a Concept in Search of an Album". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Sawdey, Evan (May 29, 2020). "Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica' Hides Its True Intentions Behind Dancefloor Exuberance". PopMatters. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Rolli, Bryan (June 10, 2020). "Blackpink Reached A New Hot 100 Peak With 'Sour Candy,' But Their Next Single Could Chart Even Higher". Forbes. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – Discography Blackpink". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ "Blackpink". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles in Malaysia". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "RIAS International Top Charts Week 23". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on June 9, 2020.
- ^ Roiz, Jessica (September 25, 2020). "Anitta Performs 'Me Gusta,' Lady Gaga Wins Big and More at MTV MIAW Brazil 2020". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ Chromatica (booklet). Lady Gaga. Interscope. 2020.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – Lady Gaga with Blackpink – Sour Candy". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Lady Gaga with Blackpink – Sour Candy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Lady Gaga Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ Lady Gaga & Blackpink — Sour Candy. Tophit. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202023 into search. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ "EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: Reket paugutas endale uue number ühe" (in Estonian). Eesti Ekspress. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Lady Gaga,blackpink: Sour Candy (with Blackpink)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Top Singles (Week 23, 2020)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 22/2020". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
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- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100: June 15, 2020". Billboard Japan. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "2020 23-os SAVAITĖS (gegužės 29-birželio 4 d.) SINGLŲ TOP100" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lady Gaga & Blackpink – Sour Candy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Lady Gaga with Blackpink – Sour Candy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Lady Gaga with Blackpink – Sour Candy". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Russia Airplay Chart for 2020-06-12." Tophit. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202023 into search. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Digital Chart – Week 23 of 2020". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Top 100 Canciones: Semana 23". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Lady Gaga with Blackpink – Sour Candy". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lady Gaga with Blackpink – Sour Candy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "Lady Gaga Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
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- ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. May 29, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
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- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Lady Gaga & BLACKPINK – Sour Candy". Music Canada. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- 2020 songs
- Blackpink songs
- Bubblegum pop songs
- Dance-pop songs
- Deep house songs
- Electropop songs
- Interscope Records singles
- Lady Gaga songs
- Macaronic songs
- Number-one singles in Malaysia
- Number-one singles in Singapore
- Songs written by BloodPop
- Songs written by Burns (musician)
- Songs written by Lady Gaga
- Songs written by Madison Love
- Songs written by Rami Yacoub
- Korean-language songs