Dollhouse (song)
Encyclopedia
"Dollhouse" is an electropop song by American pop
singer–songwriter Priscilla Renea
from her debut album, Jukebox
. Produced by Benny Blanco
and Lil' Ronnie
, it was released as the album's lead single
in late 2009 in North America. It is an uptempo dance song with influences of neo-electro and synthpop
. The main idea behind the song is relationship independence and was written as an uptempo empowerment anthem that declares independence from an insensitive, indifferent partner.
s, keyboards
, and heavily synthesized drum machine
. Influences derive from electronic music
, synthpop
, and neo-electro with an ethereal sound very similar to Lily Allen
's 2008 hit single "The Fear
". Set in common time
, the song has a hook
, is moderately fast, and composed in the key of F major
and has a metronome
of 136 beats per minute. Renea's voice spans from D flat to B flat.
The song's lyrics, written by Renea, Benny Blanco
, and Lil' Ronnie
, have been interpreted as an empowerment anthem about relationship independence. The song's protagonist sings in first person
perspective while condemning her insensitive partner for many faults including lack of interest and straying away from their love.
was released to Renea's YouTube
channel on August 17, 2009, the same day the song was released for digital download.
The video depicts Renea and her partner shrunk down to size and living in a dollhouse. Renea in the video is depicted as a picture-perfect girl wearing bright red and green dresses who is unhappy with her lover. Within the video she expresses her anger and resentment at him up to a point where she cannot stand it anymore and breaks free of his clutches, growing back to normal size and having him sent away. There are many scenes of Renea singing on a life-sized chair while still the size of a doll, in parts of the dollhouse she lives in, and one scene where she is life-sized again, putting her now ex-boyfriend in a box to be sent away, which ends the music video.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer–songwriter Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea Hamilton is an American singer and songwriter. She is signed to Capitol Records, and her debut album, Jukebox, was released on December 1, 2009 but failed to garner success. Her second album is expected to be released sometime in 2011, although no official release details have been...
from her debut album, Jukebox
Jukebox (Priscilla Renea album)
Jukebox is the debut studio album by American pop singer-songwriter Priscilla Renea. It was released on December 1, 2009 and sold 1,200 records in its first week. It failed to reach the Billboard 200 but reached number twenty-three on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, where it stayed for one week....
. Produced by Benny Blanco
Benny Blanco
Benjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
and Lil' Ronnie
Lil' Ronnie
Lil' Ronnie, born Ronnie Jackson is a music producer from Kansas City, Missouri, Atlanta, Georgia who produced tracks for such artists as R. Kelly, T.I., Bow Wow, Britney Spears T-Pain, Usher, Mary J blige, Ciara, Reuben Studdard and many more. In 2009 he released the single Addicted featuring Bow...
, it 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 late 2009 in North America. It is an uptempo dance song with influences of neo-electro and synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
. The main idea behind the song is relationship independence and was written as an uptempo empowerment anthem that declares independence from an insensitive, indifferent partner.
Music and lyrics
"Dollhouse" is an uptempo electropop song with strong uses of synthesizerSynthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, and heavily synthesized drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. Influences derive from electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
, and neo-electro with an ethereal sound very similar to Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
's 2008 hit single "The Fear
The Fear (song)
"The Fear" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You. Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the lead single of the album...
". Set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
, the song has a hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
, is moderately fast, and composed in the key of F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
and has a metronome
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
of 136 beats per minute. Renea's voice spans from D flat to B flat.
The song's lyrics, written by Renea, Benny Blanco
Benny Blanco
Benjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
, and Lil' Ronnie
Lil' Ronnie
Lil' Ronnie, born Ronnie Jackson is a music producer from Kansas City, Missouri, Atlanta, Georgia who produced tracks for such artists as R. Kelly, T.I., Bow Wow, Britney Spears T-Pain, Usher, Mary J blige, Ciara, Reuben Studdard and many more. In 2009 he released the single Addicted featuring Bow...
, have been interpreted as an empowerment anthem about relationship independence. The song's protagonist sings in first person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
perspective while condemning her insensitive partner for many faults including lack of interest and straying away from their love.
Music video
The 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 released to Renea's 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 on August 17, 2009, the same day the song was released for digital download.
The video depicts Renea and her partner shrunk down to size and living in a dollhouse. Renea in the video is depicted as a picture-perfect girl wearing bright red and green dresses who is unhappy with her lover. Within the video she expresses her anger and resentment at him up to a point where she cannot stand it anymore and breaks free of his clutches, growing back to normal size and having him sent away. There are many scenes of Renea singing on a life-sized chair while still the size of a doll, in parts of the dollhouse she lives in, and one scene where she is life-sized again, putting her now ex-boyfriend in a box to be sent away, which ends the music video.
Track list
Australia Remixes (iTunes Only)- "Dollhouse" (Jason NevinsJason NevinsJason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's...
Radio Edit) - 3:56 - "Dollhouse" (Mr. Mig Mainstream Radio Edit) - 4:02
- "Dollhouse" (Bimbo JonesBimbo JonesBimbo Jones is a UK dance music group comprising producers Lee Dagger and Marc JB and vocalist Katherine Ellis. Known for their remix work and white label releases, they produced a remix of Meck's 2006 UK number-one single "Thunder in My Heart Again"...
Radio Edit) - 3:29
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
10 |
| U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Songs | 25 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 34 |