Ambitions (song)
Encyclopedia
"Ambitions" is an English language
song by Norwegian
band Donkeyboy
, taken from their debut album Caught in a Life
. It was released as their debut single in 2009 and was a number-one hit in the Norwegian Singles Chart
.
The chorus of the song is built around a bassline similar to those of Michael Jackson
's "Billie Jean
" and some of Madonna
's 1980s songs, and features guest vocals by Linnea Dale
. It stayed at top of the Norwegian Singles Chart for a total of 13 weeks in 2009 (weeks 27 to 38 and week 43). In February 2010, the single also topped the Swedish Singles Chart
. By March 2010, it was announced that Ambitions had been on the Norwegian Singles Chart for 52 continuous weeks. Donkeyboy were due to release it in the UK on 19 April 2010, but postponed the release.
UK 2009 sixth season
The X Factor
winner Joe McElderry
released a cover version
of the song on 10 October 2010.
An alternative music video released by Donkeyboy shows various candidates in a talent competition in dancing and their tribulations and ambitions and hopes and how they are dashed. At the end of the video, Donkeyboy members invite in one of the main characters, Tobias Mead, sixth runner-up on Britain's Got Talent 2010, who just lost into their car, making his "ambitions" come true that way.
by NRK P3
. "Ambitions" debuted on the Norwegian singles chart
at #7 on April 6, 2009, and reached the #1 spot on June 29, after 13 weeks on the charts
. "Ambitions" remained at the #1 spot for twelve consecutive weeks, before being replaced by the band's second single "Sometimes
" on September 22. This was the first time ever for a Norwegian artist to occupy the top two spots on the singles chart. Guitarist Peter Michelsen described the situation as "completely absurd".
, the 2009 winner in the sixth season
of UK version of The X Factor
, it was his second single, the lead single and opening track from his debut album, Wide Awake. It was released on digital download on 10 October 2010, with the CD single release the following day.
on 19 September 2010 and was uploaded on McElderry's official YouTube
channel moments later. This video was made private once the official video was posted on the channel
and on Paul O'Grady Live
on 15 October 2010 as well as on Alan Titchmarsh Show
. The filming started on 9 September 2010 and wrapped the next day. The secret location of the video was later revealed to be in Bulgaria
after McElderry went missing there. The music video leaked on 18 September 2010 but officially premiered on MSN
on 23 September 2010. The video is described as an all-singing, all-dancing affair, McElderry told Daily Mirror "They wanted me to just do a few hand gestures, but I wanted a full-on dance routine. I made them get me a choreographer and everything."
The video opens with Joe getting out of a taxi and he wanders through the streets, which soon is revealed to be a video set he walks past various people including extras, dancers and a director. They soon all start dancing at the first chorus. At the second verse, he's at a fictional Rome set with an orchestra behind him. A boy walks by and drops his papers on the floor, Joe walks up to him and helps him pick them up, the boy throws the papers in the air and backup dancers appear and everyone starts dancing. After this, Joe walks into a room singing the lines "I can't tolerate". He looks in a mirror. Dancers appear behind him again as he sings the final chorus, though this time, the video cuts to the three different scenes throughout the final chorus. The dancers in the room walk away as Joe looks at the camera for the final time and turns around and walks away as the screen fades out. Joe confirmed that there will be an online music video. Fans will take part in a competition doing the dance routine from the official music video and posting it on YouTube
, the best videos will be put in the music video.
gave the song 4 stars, stating "Provocative, ostentatious, restless, fearless, shameless... are just a handful of adjectives we'd happily slap on the back of Lady GaGa's meat dress. Current X Factor champ Joe McElderry, on t'other hand, is just a lovely young man with a lovely face and a lovely voice. However, as his first non-Winner's Song single shows, sometimes that's enough. 'Ambitions' is actually a cover of a Scando chart-topper from little-known Norwegian band Donkeyboy, but Awur Joe, you'll be glad to know, Really Makes It... In fact, he impresses with a falsetto that has all of Mika's finesse but none of the flounce, the chorus hits the spot on first listen and the whole thing's got more bounce than a puppy with rubber booties on. A few more tunes like this, and the Geordie lad's going to make a lot of pop fans go a little bit... GaGa."
4music
also praised the song saying "this is all very surprising! I fully expected Joe McElderry's new single to sound like something from the Glee
soundtrack. Not that that would have been a bad thing (after all, who doesn't love a bit of Rachel Berry
and co.), but the real thing is much more satisfying than that would have been. While the falsetto vocals on Ambitions immediately bring to mind Mika
, there's a lot more to Ambitions than initially meets the eye. With its rich, layered vocals and uplifting chorus, Joe could potentially have a massive hit record on his hands. Well, we wouldn't want another 'Leon Jackson
' situation, would we now?".
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
song by Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
band Donkeyboy
Donkeyboy
Donkeyboy are a pop band from Drammen, Norway, formed in 2005. The band consists of Cato Sundberg , Kent Sundberg , Peter Michelsen , Thomas Drabløs , and Alexander Garborg Ågedal .-Biography:Donkeyboy were signed to Warner Music after an employee came across their music on MySpace...
, taken from their debut album Caught in a Life
Caught in a Life
Caught in a Life is Norwegian band Donkeyboy's debut album in October 2009. It was produced by Simen M Eriksrud and Espen Berg at Livingroom Studios, Oslo. It topped the Norwegian Albums Chart in the winter of 2009.It was released on October 19, 2009...
. It was released as their debut single in 2009 and was a number-one hit in the Norwegian Singles Chart
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
.
The chorus of the song is built around a bassline similar to those of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Billie Jean
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
" and some of Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's 1980s songs, and features guest vocals by Linnea Dale
Linnea Dale
-Biography:Born in Tinn, Telemark, Norway, Linnea Dale is currently attending the high school Skien videregående skole. She was a contestant on the fifth season of the Norwegian Idol series in 2007, finishing in seventh place. She performed "What Do I Know About Love", a song written by herself, in...
. It stayed at top of the Norwegian Singles Chart for a total of 13 weeks in 2009 (weeks 27 to 38 and week 43). In February 2010, the single also topped the Swedish Singles Chart
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
. By March 2010, it was announced that Ambitions had been on the Norwegian Singles Chart for 52 continuous weeks. Donkeyboy were due to release it in the UK on 19 April 2010, but postponed the release.
UK 2009 sixth season
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
winner Joe McElderry
Joe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
released a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song on 10 October 2010.
Music video
The music video directed by Kristoffer Borgli talks about a fictional disease "Abicere Leprous" which is caused by people giving up on their ambitions in life. Symptoms start with a vesicular skin rash, and it then spreads and destroys the entire body. The disease is almost always fatal within three years of catching it. The video interviews people infected with the disease and asks them how they were infected and what they are doing with their lives.An alternative music video released by Donkeyboy shows various candidates in a talent competition in dancing and their tribulations and ambitions and hopes and how they are dashed. At the end of the video, Donkeyboy members invite in one of the main characters, Tobias Mead, sixth runner-up on Britain's Got Talent 2010, who just lost into their car, making his "ambitions" come true that way.
Reception
"Ambitions" was released on March 26, 2009, and was put into heavy rotationSpin (radio)
In radio broadcasting, a spin is a single play of a song. The term is also used as a unit to measure popularity, typically in spins per week...
by NRK P3
NRK P3
NRK P3 is one of three nation-wide analogue radio channels operated by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established as NRK's third radio channel in 1993, and focuses on youth culture: principally music, together with humour, entertainment, and health education.Over the years NRK P3...
. "Ambitions" debuted on the Norwegian singles chart
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
at #7 on April 6, 2009, and reached the #1 spot on June 29, after 13 weeks on the charts
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
. "Ambitions" remained at the #1 spot for twelve consecutive weeks, before being replaced by the band's second single "Sometimes
Sometimes (Donkeyboy song)
Sometimes is an English language massive hit in Norway for the Norwegian band Donkeyboy, their second most successful single after "Ambitions", their debut single that stayed 13 weeks on top of the Norwegian Singles Chart...
" on September 22. This was the first time ever for a Norwegian artist to occupy the top two spots on the singles chart. Guitarist Peter Michelsen described the situation as "completely absurd".
Charts
| Chart (2009/2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Icelandic Singles Chart Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
27 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
Joe McElderry version
The song was covered by Joe McElderryJoe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
, the 2009 winner in the sixth season
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of UK version of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, it was his second single, the lead single and opening track from his debut album, Wide Awake. It was released on digital download on 10 October 2010, with the CD single release the following day.
Background
The record label considered changing the title of McElderry's version to "Somebody". It received its first play on BBC Radio 1BBC 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...
on 19 September 2010 and was uploaded on McElderry's official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel moments later. This video was made private once the official video was posted on the channel
Promotion
The song had three television appearances. He performed the single on the Sunday 10 October show of The X Factor 2010The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
and on Paul O'Grady Live
Paul O'Grady Live
Paul O'Grady Live was a British comedy chat show hosted by Paul O'Grady, that began airing on 10 September 2010 on ITV1 and ITV1 HD/STV HD/UTV HD in the United Kingdom. The show is a Friday night chat show that features a mixture of celebrity guests, airing at 21:00. The show culminates with...
on 15 October 2010 as well as on Alan Titchmarsh Show
Music video
The video was directed by Nigel DickNigel Dick
Nigel Dick is an English music video and film director, writer and musician based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Band Aid video "Do They Know It's Christmas?", as well as over 300 other music videos.Nigel Dick should not be confused with the Australian Dr...
. The filming started on 9 September 2010 and wrapped the next day. The secret location of the video was later revealed to be in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
after McElderry went missing there. The music video leaked on 18 September 2010 but officially premiered on MSN
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
on 23 September 2010. The video is described as an all-singing, all-dancing affair, McElderry told Daily Mirror "They wanted me to just do a few hand gestures, but I wanted a full-on dance routine. I made them get me a choreographer and everything."
The video opens with Joe getting out of a taxi and he wanders through the streets, which soon is revealed to be a video set he walks past various people including extras, dancers and a director. They soon all start dancing at the first chorus. At the second verse, he's at a fictional Rome set with an orchestra behind him. A boy walks by and drops his papers on the floor, Joe walks up to him and helps him pick them up, the boy throws the papers in the air and backup dancers appear and everyone starts dancing. After this, Joe walks into a room singing the lines "I can't tolerate". He looks in a mirror. Dancers appear behind him again as he sings the final chorus, though this time, the video cuts to the three different scenes throughout the final chorus. The dancers in the room walk away as Joe looks at the camera for the final time and turns around and walks away as the screen fades out. Joe confirmed that there will be an online music video. Fans will take part in a competition doing the dance routine from the official music video and posting it on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, the best videos will be put in the music video.
Track listing
UK singleReception
Digital SpyDigital 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....
gave the song 4 stars, stating "Provocative, ostentatious, restless, fearless, shameless... are just a handful of adjectives we'd happily slap on the back of Lady GaGa's meat dress. Current X Factor champ Joe McElderry, on t'other hand, is just a lovely young man with a lovely face and a lovely voice. However, as his first non-Winner's Song single shows, sometimes that's enough. 'Ambitions' is actually a cover of a Scando chart-topper from little-known Norwegian band Donkeyboy, but Awur Joe, you'll be glad to know, Really Makes It... In fact, he impresses with a falsetto that has all of Mika's finesse but none of the flounce, the chorus hits the spot on first listen and the whole thing's got more bounce than a puppy with rubber booties on. A few more tunes like this, and the Geordie lad's going to make a lot of pop fans go a little bit... GaGa."
4music
4Music
4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at with its own and pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and...
also praised the song saying "this is all very surprising! I fully expected Joe McElderry's new single to sound like something from the Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
soundtrack. Not that that would have been a bad thing (after all, who doesn't love a bit of Rachel Berry
Rachel Berry (Glee)
Rachel Berry is a fictional character and de facto female lead from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Rachel was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad...
and co.), but the real thing is much more satisfying than that would have been. While the falsetto vocals on Ambitions immediately bring to mind Mika
Mika (singer)
Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit...
, there's a lot more to Ambitions than initially meets the eye. With its rich, layered vocals and uplifting chorus, Joe could potentially have a massive hit record on his hands. Well, we wouldn't want another 'Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He won the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008...
' situation, would we now?".
Charts
The song debuted at number 6 in the UK and 4 in the Irish singles chart.| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles | 4 |