Chewing Gum (Annie song)
Encyclopedia
"Chewing Gum" is an electropop song written by Richard X
and Hannah Robinson
for Norwegian singer Annie's debut album Anniemal
(2004). The song is based on metaphor which likens men to chewing gum
.
The song was released as the album's lead single
in August 2004. It received positive reviews from music critics. "Chewing Gum" was the album's most commercially successful single, reaching number eight on the Norwegian Singles Chart and number twenty-five on the UK Singles Chart
.
The song has been featured on the online game Audition Online
as well as in television programmes such as Glee
and Grey's Anatomy. The song was also featured in the film, Big Momma's House 2
.
". He asked Annie to record vocals for his debut album Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1
. In exchange, he contributed "Chewing Gum", co-written with Hannah Robinson, to Anniemal. Richard X's songwriting was inspired by a put-down that his girlfriend devised to describe self-important, vain people.
The song's lyrics compare being in a relationship with chewing gum, "chewing for fun" and then moving on to the next relationship "when all the flavor has gone." Annie compared the song's sound to the work of New Wave
group the Tom Tom Club
. Reviewers compared "Chewing Gum" to the group's 1981 single "Genius of Love
".
ranked the track at number eleven on its list of the "Top 50 Singles of 2004". Stylus Magazine
listed it tenth on its list of the top 40 singles of 2004. The song was listed thirty-first on the 2004 Pazz & Jop
list, a survey of several hundred music critics conducted by Robert Christgau
.
was directed by Barnaby Roper. In it, two versions of Annie sing the lyrics to each other as part of a dialogue. The video includes sequences of Annie and body double
s of her dancing in a sound stage
. The video was filmed in less than a day.
7-inch vinyl single
(679L075X; Promo only; Released September 2004)
12-inch vinyl single
(679L075T; Released September 2004)
UK CD single (CD1)
(679L075CD1; Released September 2004)
UK CD single (CD2)
(679L075CD2; Released September 2004)
Richard X
Richard Philips, best known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for artists including Annie, Kelis, Liberty X, Rachel Stevens...
and Hannah Robinson
Hannah Robinson
Hannah Robinson is a British songwriter. Her best known compositions include the "Some Girls", a UK #2 for British pop star Rachel Stevens and Ladyhawke's "My Delirium". She also a vocalist and in 2006 achieved a #1 on the U.S...
for Norwegian singer Annie's debut album Anniemal
Anniemal
Anniemal is the debut album of Norwegian electropop singer Annie. It was first released by 679 Recordings in September 2004. Annie began recording music in 1999 with her boyfriend, Tore Kroknes, who died in 2001...
(2004). The song is based on metaphor which likens men to chewing gum
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...
.
The song was released as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
in August 2004. It received positive reviews from music critics. "Chewing Gum" was the album's most commercially successful single, reaching number eight on the Norwegian Singles Chart and number twenty-five on the UK Singles Chart
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 ...
.
The song has been featured on the online game Audition Online
Audition Online
Audition Online , also known as X-BEAT in Japan, is a downloadable multiplayer online casual rhythm game produced by T3 Entertainment. It was originally released in South Korea in 2004, but it has been localized by various publishers around the world. Audition Online is free to play but it earns...
as well as in television programmes such as 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...
and Grey's Anatomy. The song was also featured in the film, Big Momma's House 2
Big Momma's House 2
Big Momma's House 2 is a 2006 American crime comedy film directed by John Whitesell and written by Don Rhymer. The film is a sequel to Big Momma's House and stars Martin Lawrence reprising his role as FBI agent Malcolm Turner. The film was released theatrically on 27 January 2006, and was...
.
Background and writing
Producer Richard X was impressed with Annie's debut single "Greatest HitGreatest Hit (Annie song)
In 1999, Mikal Tellé, Annie's friend and neighbour, issued a limited edition 7-inch single of "The Greatest Hit" under his label Tellé Records. The release sold out in two days, and track became an underground hit in nightclubs in Norway and Britain, resulting in offers for record deals...
". He asked Annie to record vocals for his debut album Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1
Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1
Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1 is the debut compilation album by British pop producer Richard X. The album features 15 tracks all produced by Richard X, most of which feature guest vocals....
. In exchange, he contributed "Chewing Gum", co-written with Hannah Robinson, to Anniemal. Richard X's songwriting was inspired by a put-down that his girlfriend devised to describe self-important, vain people.
The song's lyrics compare being in a relationship with chewing gum, "chewing for fun" and then moving on to the next relationship "when all the flavor has gone." Annie compared the song's sound to the work of New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group the Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
. Reviewers compared "Chewing Gum" to the group's 1981 single "Genius of Love
Genius of Love
"Genius of Love" is a 1981 song by Tom Tom Club from their eponymous debut album.-Song:"Genius of Love" was Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not been released in North America, over a hundred thousand copies of the single sold as imports from Island Records's UK, at which point...
".
Critical reception
"Chewing Gum" received very positive reviews from music critics. Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
ranked the track at number eleven on its list of the "Top 50 Singles of 2004". Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
listed it tenth on its list of the top 40 singles of 2004. The song was listed thirty-first on the 2004 Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
list, a survey of several hundred music critics conducted by Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
.
Music video
The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Barnaby Roper. In it, two versions of Annie sing the lyrics to each other as part of a dialogue. The video includes sequences of Annie and body double
Body double
A body double is a general term for someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character in any recorded visual medium, in shots where the character's body is shown but the face is either not visible or shown indistinctly, or in shots where the image of the credited actor's face is joined,...
s of her dancing in a sound stage
Sound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
. The video was filmed in less than a day.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Chewing Gum".7-inch vinyl single
(679L075X; Promo only; Released September 2004)
- "Chewing Gum" (vocal mix)
- "Chewing Gum" (instrumental mix)
12-inch vinyl single
(679L075T; Released September 2004)
- "Chewing Gum" (MyloMyloMyles MacInnes , better known by the stage name Mylo, is a Scottish electronic musician and record producer.-Career:...
remix) - "Chewing Gum" (album version)
- "Chewing Gum" (Headman dub)
UK CD single (CD1)
(679L075CD1; Released September 2004)
- "Chewing Gum" (radio edit) – 3:30
- "Kiss Me"
UK CD single (CD2)
(679L075CD2; Released September 2004)
- "Chewing Gum" (radio edit) – 3:30
- "Chewing Gum" (Mylo remix) – 5:54
- "Chewing Gum" (Headman vocal remix) - 6:29
- "Chewing Gum" (Headman dub) – 6:31
- "Chewing Gum" (video)
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
46 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 31 |
| UK Singles Chart 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 ... |
25 |
Personnel
The following people contributed to "Chewing Gum":- Annie – lead vocals
- Hannah Robinson – backing vocals
- Richard X – productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Pete Hofmann – engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Henrick Bulow – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Mat Maitland, Richard Andrews – art direction and design