About You Now
Encyclopedia
"About You Now" is a 2007 single
by English girl group Sugababes
, written by Cathy Dennis
and producer Dr. Luke
for the group's fifth studio album, Change
(see 2007 in music
). The song is the album's opening track, and was released as its leading single between September and October 2007.
Upon its release, the song became the group's highest-charting single since 2005's "Push the Button", reaching the top of the charts in Hungary
and the UK
, as well as the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain and Belgium. An acoustic version of the song appears as a bonus track on the group's sixth studio album Catfights and Spotlights
(2008).
reviewer Peter Robinson
described the song as a "pop-electro-rock masterpiece," calling it "the best Sugababes single since Round Round
." Though he noted a similarity to Kelly Clarkson
's 2002 single "Since U Been Gone
", Robinson praised the song's unselfconsciousness, "very pleased-to-be-exactly-what-it-is" attitude, also writing that "it doesn't sound anything like what the Sugababes have done before but it is instantly recognisable as a Sugababes song." Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy
awarded the song four stars out of five and summed it as "a pop dish fit for a king [...] the lyrics are Waterman
-esque perfect pop with the added spice of Sugababes kinkiness." He remarked that while "About You Now" lacked "the sauciness of a "Push the Button" or spiky attitude of "Hole in the Head
", it makes up for it with robot voice effects, a pulsating electronic backbeat and a chorus so addictive that it should probably be taken away and labelled a Class A drug."
Adam Webb, writing for Yahoo! Music
, called the song a "classic Sugababes: ballsy, tuneful, sassy, slightly amateurish around the edges and generally better than 99.9 per cent of whatever else masquerades under the title of pop music in 2007." Though he noted a lack of edge, blunted by the departure of former band member Mutya Buena
, Webb went on declaring it "a short, sharp jolt of classic, perfect pop," giving it seven stars out of ten. By contrast, IndieLondon
gave a mixed reception to the song, writing that "it taps into a breezier sound that’s designed to fizz with synths, guitars and perky beats. But it doesn’t work as well as past hits and lacks the same crossover appeal of earlier cuts "Round, Round" or, most notably, "Freak like Me
." Tom Young
of BBC
called "About You Now" a "fierce opening shot. It’s one of their strongest tunes to date, and no surprise [...] number one." In 2008, "About You Now" was nominated for a BRIT Award for Best British Single, eventually losing to Take That
's "Shine
."
after the release of a remix package for legal download. A week later, a major boost in downloads, induced by the official release of the digital single, helped catapulting the song to the top of the UK chart. This feat made the Sugababes only the fourth act and second British act to chart at number-one on download sales alone. "About You Now" became the band's fourth collective chart-topper following "Freak like Me
" (2002), "Round Round
" (2002) and "Push the Button" (2005) and spent four weeks at number-one, surpassing the chart run of latter single. According to The Official Charts Company, it was ranked both the sixth most-downloaded and sixth best-selling single in the UK in the year of 2007. Having sold more than 485,000 copies on the UK alone as of 2011, it ranks as their best-selling single.
In Ireland, "About You Now" debuted at number ten on the Irish Singles Chart
on downloads alone. A week later, it climbed to number five with the physical release, and later peaked at number two for two weeks, becoming the Sugababes' fourth single to peak on particular position. In Austria, it debuted at number 13 on the Austrian Singles Chart where it peaked at number 4 in its third week, becoming the band's third biggest hit there after "Push the Button" and "Overload". "About You Now" saw similar success in Germany where it also peaked at number four on German Singles Chart, eventually becoming the Sugababes' third biggest hit there, again behind "Push the Button" and "Overload". On the Australian ARIA chart, the song peaked at number 57. In New Zealand despite spending 21 weeks on the charts, it only managed to peak at 18. This song peaked at MTV Adria Top 20 Chart At Number 2. In Serbia, song was two weeks number one on KG9 flash list. It was revealed on 30 December 2009 that "About You Now" is the 98th best-selling song of the decade on Nihal's Radio 1 show. As well as this, PPL’s music reporting department compiled the top 50 tracks of the decade based on the number of plays on UK radio, television, online and in public, where "About You Now" was placed 5th.
On 13 July 2008, "About You Now" re-entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 48, moving to No. 34 the next week after being prominently featured in an episode of Hollyoaks
. This version, recorded for Radio 1
's Live Lounge
, was used for the funeral of Max Cunningham
.
and shot on 24 August 2007 at the Festival Hall in Waterloo
in London, England. Although various pictures of the clip were leaked on the net the following days, it was not until 6 September the full video made its world premiere via internet. By 7 September 2007 the video had also debuted on music channels. The video is dedicated to the late Tim Royes
, who directed the videos for the Sugababes's 2006 singles "Red Dress
" and "Easy
". The Nokia 7500
Mobile Phone is used by the two actors in the video, The male actor has the black model whereas the female actor has the white model.
star Miranda Cosgrove
covered "About You Now" on the iCarly
soundtrack. It was released as the fourth and final single from the soundtrack on 5 February 2009. The original lyrics were slightly altered to be made more suitable due to Cosgrove's younger audience. Cosgrove's version was promoted heavily on Nickelodeon
, where the music video was played during commercial breaks. "About You Now" was featured on the hit compilation album, Now That's What I Call Music! 30
. It is her favorite song from the soundtrack.
"About You Now" was met with generally positive reception, critically and commercially. In the US, the single has become her highest peaking song to date, reaching a height of 47 on Billboard's
Hot 100 singles chart. It is also her first single to chart in the United Kingdom
, where it debuted and peaked at number 79 on the official singles chart. The song was heavily promoted by Cosgrove. During her first ever live performance, Cosgrove performed the song at the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In another promotional attempt, on 5 February 2009, Cosgrove released a promotional extended play
, titled after the song. The EP, which released exclusively onto iTunes
, featured remixes
of "About You Now" and "Stay My Baby
", "F.Y.I." and "Party Girl". Aside from this performance, Cosgrove also performed the song on The Today Show
on 6 September 2010, along with future single "Kissin U", and an unreleased track, "BAM", both off of her debut studio album Sparks Fly released on 27 April 2010.
television series iCarly
called "Leave It All to Me
," on which Cosgrove stars as the title character on the show. The song features her former Drake and Josh cast mate Drake Bell
, and was written by Michael Corcoran
, one of Bell's band members. Following the success of iCarly, Columbia Records
released a soundtrack album of the show on 10 June 2008. The soundtrack album included "Leave It All to Me
", "Stay My Baby
", "About You Now" and "Headphones On". Cosgrove stated, "Before that, I didn't see myself making an album, but when I spent time in the studio doing the theme song and saw how much fun it was, I wanted to go back."
In July 2008, she officially announced plans for a debut album, stating that the album was "different" from her contributions to the iCarly soundtrack, with her "co-writing and getting really into it," and saying that "[I'm] playing a character on iCarly, but this shows more of myself. Some people might think I'm just another actress putting out an album, but I wanted to prove that I'm more than that." The album took two years to make, with Columbia Records
' marketing manager Chris Poppe stating in May 2010 that "Miranda started working on [the album] at 14, and she's 16 now. The difference between those two ages is huge, and the songs have had to grow along with her." On 5 February 2009, Cosgrove released her debut solo recording; the 5-song EP
About You Now
exclusively onto the iTunes
store.
on 5 December 2008, following the premiere of Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh
. It features Mexican singer Diego González as her love interest
. In terms of chart performance, this is her most successful single to date.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by English girl group Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, written by Cathy Dennis
Cathy Dennis
Cathy Dennis is a British dance-oriented pop singer-songwriter, record producer and actress...
and producer Dr. Luke
Dr. Luke
Lukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
for the group's fifth studio album, Change
Change (Sugababes album)
Change is the fifth studio album by English girl group Sugababes, released through Island Records during October 2007 in most European territories. The album features production by Dr...
(see 2007 in music
2007 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
). The song is the album's opening track, and was released as its leading single between September and October 2007.
Upon its release, the song became the group's highest-charting single since 2005's "Push the Button", reaching the top of the charts in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and the UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, as well as the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain and Belgium. An acoustic version of the song appears as a bonus track on the group's sixth studio album Catfights and Spotlights
Catfights and Spotlights
Catfights and Spotlights is the sixth studio album by British pop band Sugababes, released by Island Records in the Netherlands and Ireland on 17 October 2008 and in the United Kingdom on 20 October 2008. It was primarily produced by Klas Åhlund, Steve Booker and Orson, with additional contribution...
(2008).
Background
The song itself combines "pop," "rock" and "electro," much like other songs produced by Dr. Luke. The album version, which is used in the music video, is longer than the radio version and includes an extra verse by Berrabah and an extra bridge by Buchanan.Reception
"About You Now" received generally favorable reviews from both music critics and fans alike. PopJusticePopjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
reviewer Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson (journalist)
Peter Robinson is a British music journalist. He is the creator of the pop music-based blog Popjustice. Robinson first came to the attention of music fans with his self-published biography/fanzine of The KLF, Justified and Ancient History...
described the song as a "pop-electro-rock masterpiece," calling it "the best Sugababes single since Round Round
Round Round
"Round Round" is a song performed by British girl group Sugababes, released on 12 August 2002 through Island Records. It was written by band members Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range, as well as Miranda Cooper, Niara Scarlett, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Shawn Lee, and Lisa...
." Though he noted a similarity to Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's 2002 single "Since U Been Gone
Since U Been Gone
"Since U Been Gone" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was released as the second single from her second album, Breakaway in the US and Australia and was released as the first single in Europe...
", Robinson praised the song's unselfconsciousness, "very pleased-to-be-exactly-what-it-is" attitude, also writing that "it doesn't sound anything like what the Sugababes have done before but it is instantly recognisable as a Sugababes song." Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
awarded the song four stars out of five and summed it as "a pop dish fit for a king [...] the lyrics are Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
-esque perfect pop with the added spice of Sugababes kinkiness." He remarked that while "About You Now" lacked "the sauciness of a "Push the Button" or spiky attitude of "Hole in the Head
Hole in the Head
"Hole in the Head" is a dance-pop song performed by Sugababes, released in October 2003 as the lead single from their third studio album Three...
", it makes up for it with robot voice effects, a pulsating electronic backbeat and a chorus so addictive that it should probably be taken away and labelled a Class A drug."
Adam Webb, writing for Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
, called the song a "classic Sugababes: ballsy, tuneful, sassy, slightly amateurish around the edges and generally better than 99.9 per cent of whatever else masquerades under the title of pop music in 2007." Though he noted a lack of edge, blunted by the departure of former band member Mutya Buena
Mutya Buena
Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena is an English recording artist who rose to fame as a member of girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buena had four UK number one singles, an additional six top-ten hits and three multi-platinum albums. After leaving the group in December 2005, she released her...
, Webb went on declaring it "a short, sharp jolt of classic, perfect pop," giving it seven stars out of ten. By contrast, IndieLondon
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
gave a mixed reception to the song, writing that "it taps into a breezier sound that’s designed to fizz with synths, guitars and perky beats. But it doesn’t work as well as past hits and lacks the same crossover appeal of earlier cuts "Round, Round" or, most notably, "Freak like Me
Freak Like Me
"Freak like Me" is the first single from Adina Howard's 1995 R&B debut album Do You Wanna Ride?. Like Howard's image, the song can be best described as hypersexual. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA....
." Tom Young
Tom Young
-External links:...
of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
called "About You Now" a "fierce opening shot. It’s one of their strongest tunes to date, and no surprise [...] number one." In 2008, "About You Now" was nominated for a BRIT Award for Best British Single, eventually losing to Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
's "Shine
Shine (Take That song)
"Shine" is the second single taken from Take That's comeback album Beautiful World.-Song information:"Shine" was released on 26 February 2007 and features lead vocals by Mark Owen....
."
Chart performance
"About You Now" would make its first chart appearance in the United Kingdom, in the week beginning 17 February 2011. It debuted at number thirty five on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
after the release of a remix package for legal download. A week later, a major boost in downloads, induced by the official release of the digital single, helped catapulting the song to the top of the UK chart. This feat made the Sugababes only the fourth act and second British act to chart at number-one on download sales alone. "About You Now" became the band's fourth collective chart-topper following "Freak like Me
Freak Like Me
"Freak like Me" is the first single from Adina Howard's 1995 R&B debut album Do You Wanna Ride?. Like Howard's image, the song can be best described as hypersexual. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA....
" (2002), "Round Round
Round Round
"Round Round" is a song performed by British girl group Sugababes, released on 12 August 2002 through Island Records. It was written by band members Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range, as well as Miranda Cooper, Niara Scarlett, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Shawn Lee, and Lisa...
" (2002) and "Push the Button" (2005) and spent four weeks at number-one, surpassing the chart run of latter single. According to The Official Charts Company, it was ranked both the sixth most-downloaded and sixth best-selling single in the UK in the year of 2007. Having sold more than 485,000 copies on the UK alone as of 2011, it ranks as their best-selling single.
In Ireland, "About You Now" debuted at number ten on the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
on downloads alone. A week later, it climbed to number five with the physical release, and later peaked at number two for two weeks, becoming the Sugababes' fourth single to peak on particular position. In Austria, it debuted at number 13 on the Austrian Singles Chart where it peaked at number 4 in its third week, becoming the band's third biggest hit there after "Push the Button" and "Overload". "About You Now" saw similar success in Germany where it also peaked at number four on German Singles Chart, eventually becoming the Sugababes' third biggest hit there, again behind "Push the Button" and "Overload". On the Australian ARIA chart, the song peaked at number 57. In New Zealand despite spending 21 weeks on the charts, it only managed to peak at 18. This song peaked at MTV Adria Top 20 Chart At Number 2. In Serbia, song was two weeks number one on KG9 flash list. It was revealed on 30 December 2009 that "About You Now" is the 98th best-selling song of the decade on Nihal's Radio 1 show. As well as this, PPL’s music reporting department compiled the top 50 tracks of the decade based on the number of plays on UK radio, television, online and in public, where "About You Now" was placed 5th.
On 13 July 2008, "About You Now" re-entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 48, moving to No. 34 the next week after being prominently featured in an episode of Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
. This version, recorded for Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
, was used for the funeral of Max Cunningham
Max Cunningham
Max Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Matt Littler. From 1995 to 1996, Max was portrayed by Ben Sheriff before Littler took over. In 2008, Max, along with Tony Hutchinson , was the longest running character in Hollyoaks...
.
Music video
The music video for "About You Now" was directed by Marcus AdamsMarcus Adams
Marcus Adams is a British film director. Marcus has produced successful music videos, award-winning advertisements and complete feature films....
and shot on 24 August 2007 at the Festival Hall in Waterloo
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
in London, England. Although various pictures of the clip were leaked on the net the following days, it was not until 6 September the full video made its world premiere via internet. By 7 September 2007 the video had also debuted on music channels. The video is dedicated to the late Tim Royes
Tim Royes
Tim Royes was a music video director and editor, producing videos for artists such as Melanie C , Emma Bunton , the Sugababes , Rachel Stevens , and Enya...
, who directed the videos for the Sugababes's 2006 singles "Red Dress
Red Dress (song)
"Red Dress" is a song performed by British girl group Sugababes from their fourth studio album, Taller in More Ways. It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, Heidi Range, and Brian Higgins, Miranda Cooper, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Shawn Lee, Lisa Cowling, and Bob Bradley of the...
" and "Easy
Easy (Sugababes song)
"Easy" is a song by British girlband Sugababes from their first compilation album, Overloaded: The Singles Collection. It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan, Amelle Berrabah and Heidi Range, and Jason Pebworth and George Astasio from the band Orson. It was produced by Brio Taliaferro,...
". The Nokia 7500
Nokia 7500
The Nokia 7500 is a mobile phone produced by Nokia. It is part of Nokia's Prism Collection. It is a triband phone that runs S40 5th Edition. The screen has a resolution of 320x240 pixels showing 16 million colors. Included is a 2 megapixel camera with flash, a 512 MB microSD card, and a 700mAh...
Mobile Phone is used by the two actors in the video, The male actor has the black model whereas the female actor has the white model.
Track listing
-
- UK CD single 1
- "About You Now" (Radio Edit) – 3:09
- "Rocks" (NapsterNapsterNapster is an online music store and a Best Buy company. It was originally founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing Internet service that emphasized sharing audio files that were typically digitally encoded music as MP3 format files...
Live Session) – 3:03
-
- UK 7"
- "About You Now" (Album Version) – 3:32
- "About You Now" (Kissy Sell Out Remix) – 5:23
-
- Int. CD single / UK CD2 single 2
- "About You Now" (Album Version) – 3:32
- "About You Now" (Sticky 'Dirtypop' Remix) – 4:48
- "About You Now" (Spencer & Hill Remix) – 5:51
- "In Recline" – 3:26
Weekly charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2007) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75) | 64 |
| Germany (VIVA) | 61 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 6 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
| Germany (VIVA) | 87 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 99 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (2000–09) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 98 |
Certifications
Chart precession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 24 September 2007 | Digital download | Island Records Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
| Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
28 September 2007 | CD single | |
| United Kingdom | 1 October 2007 | ||
| Australia | 6 October 2007 | ||
| Germany | 12 October 2007 | ||
| France | 25 February 2008 | ||
| Spain | 12 May 2008 | Airplay |
Miranda Cosgrove version
NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
star Miranda Cosgrove
Miranda Cosgrove
Miranda Taylor Cosgrove is an American actress and singer-songwriter. Her career began at the age of three, where she participated in television commercials. Cosgrove's film debut was in 2003, as Summer Hathaway in School of Rock...
covered "About You Now" on the iCarly
ICarly
iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
soundtrack. It was released as the fourth and final single from the soundtrack on 5 February 2009. The original lyrics were slightly altered to be made more suitable due to Cosgrove's younger audience. Cosgrove's version was promoted heavily on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, where the music video was played during commercial breaks. "About You Now" was featured on the hit compilation album, Now That's What I Call Music! 30
Now That's What I Call Music! 30 (U.S. series)
- Free downloads :For the second time , additional content can be unlocked from the CD via Push Entertainment, including free downloads from the following developing artists plus videos by artists featured on this and previous Now! releases.# Green River Ordinance – "Come On"# My Favorite Highway –...
. It is her favorite song from the soundtrack.
"About You Now" was met with generally positive reception, critically and commercially. In the US, the single has become her highest peaking song to date, reaching a height of 47 on Billboard's
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 singles chart. It is also her first single to chart in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it debuted and peaked at number 79 on the official singles chart. The song was heavily promoted by Cosgrove. During her first ever live performance, Cosgrove performed the song at the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
In another promotional attempt, on 5 February 2009, Cosgrove released a promotional extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, titled after the song. The EP, which released exclusively onto iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, featured remixes
RemixeS
RemixeS is a compilation of French singer Mylène Farmer's singles by various famous DJ's, including JXL, Felix Da Housecat and Paul Oakenfold.-Brackground, writing and release:...
of "About You Now" and "Stay My Baby
Stay My Baby
A cover version of the song by Miranda Cosgrove was released as the second single from the iCarly soundtrack. A music video was also filmed and was directed by Jesse Dylan...
", "F.Y.I." and "Party Girl". Aside from this performance, Cosgrove also performed the song on The Today Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
on 6 September 2010, along with future single "Kissin U", and an unreleased track, "BAM", both off of her debut studio album Sparks Fly released on 27 April 2010.
Background
Cosgrove's musical career first began with her recording the theme song of the NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
television series iCarly
ICarly
iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
called "Leave It All to Me
Leave It All to Me
"Leave It All to Me" is the theme song to the Nickelodeon show iCarly. It is also the debut single of Miranda Cosgrove and features her former Drake & Josh co-star, Drake Bell. It was written by Michael Corcoran, one of Bell's band members. A shortened version is used in the show's opening credits,...
," on which Cosgrove stars as the title character on the show. The song features her former Drake and Josh cast mate Drake Bell
Drake Bell
Jared Drake Bell , better known as Drake Bell, is an American actor, comedian, guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer, and occasional television director. After beginning his career as a child star in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared on The Amanda Show and became well-known among young...
, and was written by Michael Corcoran
Michael Corcoran
Michael Corcoran was an Irish American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a close confidant of President Abraham Lincoln. As its colonel, he led the 69th New York regiment to Washington, D.C. and was one of the first to serve in the defense of Washington by building Fort...
, one of Bell's band members. Following the success of iCarly, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
released a soundtrack album of the show on 10 June 2008. The soundtrack album included "Leave It All to Me
Leave It All to Me
"Leave It All to Me" is the theme song to the Nickelodeon show iCarly. It is also the debut single of Miranda Cosgrove and features her former Drake & Josh co-star, Drake Bell. It was written by Michael Corcoran, one of Bell's band members. A shortened version is used in the show's opening credits,...
", "Stay My Baby
Stay My Baby
A cover version of the song by Miranda Cosgrove was released as the second single from the iCarly soundtrack. A music video was also filmed and was directed by Jesse Dylan...
", "About You Now" and "Headphones On". Cosgrove stated, "Before that, I didn't see myself making an album, but when I spent time in the studio doing the theme song and saw how much fun it was, I wanted to go back."
In July 2008, she officially announced plans for a debut album, stating that the album was "different" from her contributions to the iCarly soundtrack, with her "co-writing and getting really into it," and saying that "[I'm] playing a character on iCarly, but this shows more of myself. Some people might think I'm just another actress putting out an album, but I wanted to prove that I'm more than that." The album took two years to make, with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
' marketing manager Chris Poppe stating in May 2010 that "Miranda started working on [the album] at 14, and she's 16 now. The difference between those two ages is huge, and the songs have had to grow along with her." On 5 February 2009, Cosgrove released her debut solo recording; the 5-song EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
About You Now
About You Now (EP)
About You Now is the debut solo remix extended play by American actress and singer Miranda Cosgrove, released by Columbia Records and Nickelodeon Records to iTunes on February 3, 2009. The extended play was released as a promotional tool, and was not to be taken as her official musical debut...
exclusively onto the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
store.
Music video
The music video, directed by Billie Woodruff premiered on NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
on 5 December 2008, following the premiere of Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh is a television movie, and the first new program that came out of the Drake & Josh franchise in over a year...
. It features Mexican singer Diego González as her love interest
Chart performance
Cosgrove's version of "About You Now" peaked at number forty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. In terms of chart performance, this is her most successful single to date.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Chart Company UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... ) |
79 |
Other versions
The original version performed by the Sugababes was a massive hit throughout the UK and Europe. The popularity of the song compelled many artists from all different genres from all over Europe to do their own versions. Below is a list of some of the most notable covers.- An acoustic, slower composition was first covered by YouTube musician Martina (a.k.a. giftofmelody); this inspired the subsequent Radio 1 Live Lounge version found on the commercial CD single, "Changes".
- Rachel TuckerRachel TuckerRachel Tucker is a Northern Irish singer and actress who competed as one of the finalists in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008...
performed this song on the first week of live shows, on BBC1's I'd Do Anything. - The Saw DoctorsThe Saw DoctorsThe Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the...
covered this song on The Podge and Rodge ShowThe Podge and Rodge ShowThe Podge and Rodge Show is an Irish chat show, broadcast and produced by RTÉ, featuring the popular Podge and Rodge as hosts...
on 12 February 2008. Released as a charity single – all proceeds go towards cystic fibrosis, it has reached the top of the Irish Singles ChartIrish Singles ChartThe Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
. - The CourteenersThe CourteenersThe Courteeners are a rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England in 2006 by Liam Fray , Michael Campbell , Daniel Conan Moores , Mark Cuppello -Formation:...
performed an acoustic cover version during a BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Live Lounge session. The song was later released on the commercial CD single for their song "No You Didn't, No You Don'tNo You Didn't, No You Don't"No You Didn't, No You Don't" is the fifth single released by indie rock band The Courteeners, it is from their debut studio album St. Jude. It was released on 23 June 2008 on a CD single and two 7 inch vinyls reaching #35 in the UK Singles Chart....
". - A cover of this song is the first single from Timo RäisänenTimo RäisänenTimo Räisänen is a Anglo-Indian Swede Indie pop musician, born in Gothenburg on 25 July 1979. He was previously part of Håkan Hellström's band, and has played in the band Her Majesty. In 2004 he started his own career....
's album ...And Then There Was Timo in 2008. - Snow PatrolSnow PatrolSnow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
have performed a cover of this song at MencapMencapThe Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability.-Profile:Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers...
's Little Noise SessionsLittle Noise SessionsThe Little Noise Sessions is a series of acoustic charity concerts held annually at the Union Chapel, London, England in November, although one was held in Exeter in December 2009. The proceeds of ticket sales are donated to the charity, Mencap...
, live at the Union ChapelUnion Chapel, IslingtonThe Union Chapel is a Grade II* listed church and music venue in Islington, North London, England, located on Compton Terrace.An example of Victorian gothic architecture, it was designed by James Cubitt, and constructed between 1874 and 1877, with further additions 1877-90, providing an ambitious...
on 25 November 2007. The recording was officially released on the 2009 compilation Up to NowUp to NowUp to Now is the first compilation album by alternative rock band Snow Patrol. The album features tracks spanning Snow Patrol's fifteen year music career, including tracks from The Reindeer Section, a side-project/supergroup involving musicians from all over Scotland...
. - N-DubzN-DubzN-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
did a cover of the song on their Uncle B TourUncle B TourThe Uncle B Tour was N-Dubz's first tour as a signed band. The tour was in support of their debut album, Uncle B.-Set list:* N-Dubz Backstage * I Swear* You Better Not Waste My Time* Feva Las Vegas** Costume Change...
. It was in a medley with "With YouWith You (Chris Brown song)"With You" is a pop/R&B song by Chris Brown, nominated for 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and written by Johntá Austin, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, and produced by Stargate...
" by Chris Brown. - The Twins, Nicola & Francine did a cover of the song during the semi-final round of Your Country Needs You, while competing to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009Eurovision Song Contest 2009The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
. Subsequently, Jade EwenJade EwenJade Almarie Louise Ewen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes. Ewen began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released...
who rose to stardom from the same show would go to join the SugababesSugababesThe Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
in late 2009. - In 2011 Kim WildeKim WildeKim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
covered the song for her new album SnapshotsSnapshots (Kim Wilde album)Snapshots is the twelfth studio album and the first covers album by British singer Kim Wilde. It was released in Germany on 26 August 2011 by Columbia SevenOne and was released in other regions as an import on 13 September 2011...
.