Easy (Sugababes song)
Encyclopedia
"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, Pebworth and Astasio. The song was released on November 6, 2006 by Island Records
. Sugababes collaborated with Pebworth, Astasio and Taliaferro on a number of songs, of which two were chosen for the compilation album with "Easy" being released as the lead and only single from it. The song has prominent electronic
, synthpop
and pop rock
characteristics and influences of naughtiness and cheekyness. The lyrics encourage one who is interested in another to make their interests a reality.
"Easy" received positive reviews from contemporary critics. The song achieved a peak of number eight on the UK Singles Chart
, making it the band's 12th top ten hit in the United Kingdom. It also garnered chart success across Europe
; reaching the top ten in Slovakia
and the top twenty in Denmark
, Finland
, Hungary
, Ireland
and Norway
. The music video
accompanying "Easy" was directed by the late Tim Royes
and was released on October 2, 2006. The video has a dress and make-up theme to it with scenes taking place in a showroom and public toilet cubicles. Sugababes have performed "Easy" as part of their setlist for their Overloaded: The Singles Tour
and on various television shows including: The Paul O'Grady
Show, Popstars (Germany)
and Freshly Squeezed
.
rock
band Orson
in collaboration with Sugababes group members Keisha Buchanan
, Amelle Berrabah
and Heidi Range
. "Easy" was one out of two new additions to Overloaded: The Singles Collection
, primarily contributed by Jason Pebworth and George Astasio, with whom the Sugababes' share the same management. Thus the duo came up "with a few ideas for a couple of songs", including a "rough" concept for electro-influenced "Easy". Though Pebworth and Astasio originally wrote all of the song's lyrics by themselves, Amelle Berrabah and Keisha Buchanan decided to contribute some of their own ideas to it, eventually changing parts of the arrangement and the melodies, while adding a second verse and the chorus. Because of deadline pressure most of the vocals were recorded separately. Sugababes recorded the track in 2006 in London
. It was mixed by Jeremy Wheatley - who previously mixed Sugababes singles "Hole in the Head
" and "In the Middle
" - with assistance by Richard Edgeler at Twenty-One Studios in London. Production was credited as being done by Brio Taliaterro in collaboration with track co-writers Pebworth and Astasio. The song was executively produced by Sarah Stennet and Mark Hargreaver, and mastered by Chris Parmendis.
Like the group's fifth official single "Freak Like Me
" the song has mid to fast-paced electro-dance-pop groove and it is composed in a key of F minor
with a tempo of 118 beats per minute.
The song was developed minimalistically to start with, building with rhythm guitar
to a fast tempo in addition to synthesisers which contribute to the track' dramatic arrangement. The chorus has a Middle-Eastern sound to it whilst the bridge consists of an electric guitar
riff with Keisha contributing to its prominent ad-libs. The song's overall style, as described by Popjustice
, is very eightie's in addition to its electro bass edge and synth-heavy undercurrent.
Lyrically the song is feminist-influenced and is aimed at men to recognise, approach and appreciate women.
The lyrics contains various euphemisms in describing sexual attraction and intercourse.
BBC
interpreted the song lyrics: "The Sugababes are in love with their man calling him 'baby', 'honey' and lots of other nice names." Sugababes member Amelle Berrabah described "Easy" as a "quite Princey ... sexy, cheeky" song:
"'Easy' is a very naughty and cheeky song," Keisha Buchanan added in an interview with Contactmusic.com
. "It's completely fresh sounding but at the same time has the same qualities as the biggest songs of our career, so it's perfect for this album."
described the song as "synth-heavy sauciness." TheMusicFix.co.uk mentioned: "Easy continues their trend of catchy pop tunes." The BBC
called "Easy" "[s]omething which will make you find your dancing feet [...] The sweet Sugababes sound will not fail to get stuck in your head!" MusicOMH
described the track as having "MTV
and chart-friendly energy [...] with strong beats, sugary vocals and a sing-along chorus that will appeal to 13-year-old girls up and down the country as their dads smile on approvingly." HMV
's review: "'Easy' is the sound of Sugababes at their salicious best; sexual innuendos writhe around slick electro beats, with the girls delivering their most sensual vocal performance to date."
Thisisfakediy.co.uk reviewed the single: "'Easy' thrills with its edge electro bass and the girls come over all seductive with the most transparently obvious lyrical euphemisms heard in a long time." Popjustice
said that the track was "[...] very eightie's style" and that it had a "highly addictive [with] a catchy chorus," the review said the song was the "Sugababes' biggest single yet and is ten times better than "Push the Button."" Contactmusic.com
positively reviewed the song: "Easy sounds like a Sugababes typical - low-slung, sexy verses, an un-second guessable blast of pure pop for a chorus, and a brilliant eccentric scream from Keisha as the song hurdles into its final furlong. It's at once smart, sexy and danceable, packed with hooks and undeniably fun." Dooyoo.co.uk said that the track has: "A catchy chorus that sticks in your head." IndieLondon.co.uk also positively reviewed the single, mentioning: "Easy capably demonstrates how the girls enjoy working with collaborators to ensure their sound remains fresh and contemporary. In this case, pop-rock band-of-the-moment Orson
lend their guitar
sound to the track to give it some extra polish and a little bit of kick. It helped to ensure another huge hit for the girls."
due to a surge in early digital download
sales. The following week, the week of the song's physical release, the band faced competition from rival girlbands with their latest singles - Girls Aloud
's "Something Kinda Oooh" and All Saints
' "Rock Steady" - in addition to the physical release of Madonna
's "Jump
", the song had an original midweek position of number nine but charted at the end of the week at number eight, overtaking Madonna who ended the week at number nine. In its second week on the chart, the single climbed twenty-two places to reach a peak of number eight. After peaking, the song was deleted from iTunes
to encourage people to buy the band's compilation album Overloaded: The Singles Collection
, which was released during this time. As a result of the iTunes deletion and only being available on CD, "Easy" freefalled down the charts - dropping to number sixteen in its third week, number thirty in its fourth week and number fifty-nine in its fifth week. The single spent its last and sixth week on the chart at number seventy-one. "Easy" became the group's twelfth top ten hit in the United Kingdom
. As of June 22, 2009 "Easy" had sold a total of 56,410 copies in the United Kingdom alone. "Easy" outperformed the following previous Sugababes singles saleswise: "Caught in a Moment
," "Follow Me Home
," "In the Middle
," "Shape
" and "Soul Sound
." "Easy" outperformed the following previous Sugababes singles chart peak-wise: "Follow Me Home
," "New Year," "Run for Cover
," "Shape
," "Soul Sound
," and "Too Lost in You
."
In week forty-two of 2006, "Easy" debuted at number forty-five on the Slovakian IFPI
Singles Chart. It went on to peak at number five, becoming the band's most successful song in this country to-date and at the same time obtaining the song's highest international chart peak - it spent a total of twenty weeks on this chart. On November 11, 2006 the single debuted and peaked at number thirty on the Swiss Singles Chart becoming the band's twelfth top forty hit there." On November 17, 2006 "Easy" debuted on the Austrian Singles Chart at number forty-eight. It went on to peak at number twenty-three and spend a total of sixteen weeks on the chart. The single became Sugababes' ninth top forty hit in Austria. On December 8, 2006 the single debuted and peaked at number thirteen on the Danish Singles Chart - becoming the band's eight top twenty hit on this chart. The single debuted at number thirty-four on the Irish Singles Chart
and later peaked at number eighteen - make it Sugababes' eleventh Irish top twenty hit. In the forty-sixth week of 2006 "Easy" debuted and peaked at number twelve on the Finnish Singles Chart - becoming Sugababes' fourth top twenty hit in Finland. "Easy" debuted and peaked at number twenty-six on the German Singles Chart, it went on to spend a total of nine weeks charting and became the group's twelfth top forty hit in Germany. In the forty-eighth week of 2006 the song debuted and peaked at number eighteen on the Norwegian Singles Chart, remaining at eighteen for two consecutive weeks and becoming the groups eleventh top twenty hit on this chart. On March 27, 2007 "Easy" peaked at number seventeen on the Mahasz
Hungarian Singles Chart, it spent six weeks on the chart and became the band's ninth top twenty hit in Hungary
.
The single also garnered chart success in the Czech Republic
, Netherlands
and Sweden
.
for "Easy" was directed by the late Tim Royes
who previously directed for the group, in their music video for previous single "Red Dress
". Royes died shortly after the filming of "Easy" music video after being stuck by a car in New York City
. The group later dedicated their music video for their number one single, "About You Now
" to Tim. The Easy video was filmed in a studio in London
in September 2006.
Promotional shots from the music video leaked onto the internet
on September 29 and were posted on the Popjustice
website. The edited video first aired in the UK in week of October 2, 2006.
The music video begins with a bottle of capless red-orange nail polish lying over on a table leaking. Keisha Buchanan
then becomes visible lying down on her side in what appears to be a dark lightless room, her hair is tied back and she is wearing large circular earrings, tight beige pants and a grey jacket and black pair of high heels. As she is singing she engages in various seductive actions. In the next scene, Heidi Range
is seen at the bathroom sink. She has a characteristic red wig and black latex
outfit on (which in turn garnered comparisons to the look of Britney Spears
in her critically acclaimed music video "Toxic
") as she is busy sucking on a lollipop whilst looking in the mirror. She poses and dances whilst looking at herself in the mirror singing. She then dances and sings as she makes her exit out of the dressing room. In the next scene, where the chorus begins, Keisha re-appears posing and singing in what appears to be a dark bathroom. Amelle Berrabah
is now visible in this scene wearing a dark-coloured fringe
wig
and black latex outfit whilst positioning herself between two walls of a toilet cubicle posing. Heidi now appears in the bathroom and all three of the girls are now singing, posing and dancing separately wall-to-wall in three separate toilet cubicles in the bathroom. In the next scene, Amelle in the bathroom as she turns on the hand-dryer which brings about a wind force which blows her hair up as she removes her jacket. Visible also in the room is a bead curtain and vase of tulip
s. Amelle then leans up against the wall singing and dancing while holding onto the hand dryer. In the following scene, Heidi is seen sitting and singing before glancing at the leaking bottle of red-orange nail polish
from the beginning of the video. She is then seen polishing her nails with it. The second chorus involves the girls dancing in toilet cubicles again, with shots being focused on their foot movements and high heels visible from underneath the cubicle doors.
The girls then undergo a setting and outfit change upon the bridge of the song. They are singing in Greek
-like dresses with a red curtain in a showroom as a backdrop. Heidi's wig has disappeared and her hair is now tied up. Heidi's dress is designed for tummy visibility and Amelle has somewhat of a hair-clashing mask and bright red lipstick on. For the final chorus and scene, the setting returns to the bathroom cubicle where the girls are dancing robotically side-by-side with the open cubicles as a backdrop.
release of "Easy," a b-side was recorded. It was entitled "Shake It" and is over five minutes in length and consists mainly of keyboard
instrumentation and vocals from band member Amelle Berrabah
. The song leaked on September 28, 2006 and was chosen as the b-side to "Easy" over another song which leaked at around the same time entitled "In Recline". It was produced by Karl 'K-Gee' Gordon and Gareth Young, and written by Beverley Clarke, Vikki O'Neill (Both former members of girlgroup Smoke2Seven), Karl 'K-Gee' Gordon and Gareth Young. For the maxi-single release of the song, a live version of the group's former number one hit "Hole in the Head
" as performed enlengthened by the group at the V Festival
was track listed. The CD2 maxi-single cover art differs slightly from the CD1 official cover art in the way in which the band and song name is positioned: CD2 has it positioned in the centre, across the image of the band whereas CD1 has it positioned at the top, above the image of the band. "Easy" was remixed by British
record producers Seamus Haji
& Paul Emanuel for its release - of their work included remixes, vocal remixes, club remixes and dubstrumentals of the song which feature on the maxi-single, remixes single and Denmark
CD single as below:
' BBC Radio 1
"The Scott Mills Show" on September 12, 2006 at 4:20pm GMT. It was not as strongly backed by radio as the majority of the group's previous singles - reaching a peak of number nineteen on the United Kingdom
's airplay chart. It also became the group's fourth single to not be A-listed on BBC Radio 1 (following "New Year," "Soul Sound
" and "Caught in a Moment
"), it however, did achieve B-list rotation on the station.
The group first performed "Easy" on Sessions@AOL
on September 19, 2006. During the performance the girls sing with separate microphone poles with Keisha on the right, Amelle in the middle and Heidi on the left. All members' hair are in a messy loose style. Heidi wears an all-navy outfit with silver grey point shoes. Amelle wears a sleeveless grey top lined in black in addition to a black material waist belt. tight black pants and warm-coloured foot visible heels. Keisha wears a vintage
-styled gold coloured top, a pair of blue jeans with white shoes and bright red lipstick.
It was then later performed on The Paul O'Grady
Show on October 24 and on British Channel 4
entertainment programme Popworld
on November 4, 2006. An exclusive acoustic
version was then performed live by the group on T4
British television programme Freshly Squeezed
on November 5, 2006 - a day prior to the song's release. In continuation of the single's promotion, the band performed it live on music channel VIVA on November 10.
The group performed it at 'A Night At The Dominion' on November 11, 2006. This performance features the band name imprinted in large on the stage in which Amelle, Keisha and Heidi are standing titled together from right to left. They are all wearing black latex outfits and large circular ear-rings, as seen in the song's music video. Amelle's hair is styled tied-up to show her fringe whilst Keisha and Heidi sport straight hair styles and a belly-button tops as opposed to the conventional top Amelle is wearing. Whilst singing the first verse the girls are dancing seductively up against each other. When the chorus begins the girls separate and move rapidly forward to a microphone-pole of their own where they now sing. In the second verse Amelle moves forward onstage to take spotlight performance whilst Heidi and Keisha dance with each other in the background. In this stage, Amelle haunches down and dances. They then regroup again in the chorus and separate up and down the stage for the rest of the performance. Nearing the end the girls start clapping their hands in the air.
Outside of the United Kingdom, the band performed the song live on music talent reality show Popstars (Germany)
on November 23 and on 'SF1 Benissmo' on December 2, 2006. "Easy" also featured as part of the set list for Sugababes' promotional tour for Overloaded: The Singles Collection
.
Credits adapted from Overloaded: The Singles Collection booklet liner notes.
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...
from their first compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Overloaded: The Singles Collection
Overloaded: The Singles Collection
Overloaded: The Singles Collection is a compilation album by British girl group the Sugababes. It was released by Island Records on 13 November 2006 in the United Kingdom. The main version of the album was a 15-track collection of 13 Sugababes singles and two new tracks...
. It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan
Keisha Buchanan
Keisha Kerreece Fayeanne Buchanan is an English singer-songwriter and was a founding member of the BRIT Award-winning girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buchanan had six number one singles and two number one studio albums, making the Sugababes one of the most successful British pop acts...
, Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah is a British singer, songwriter and member of pop girl group the Sugababes. Since replacing founding member Mutya Buena in the group in December 2005, Berrabah has attained two UK number one singles, "About You Now" and "Walk This Way", as well as a number one album, Change...
and Heidi Range
Heidi Range
Heidi India Range is an English singer, songwriter and member of the Sugababes. Range was an original member of girl group Atomic Kitten, although she left the group after two years of its formation with no album released...
, and Jason Pebworth and George Astasio from the band Orson
Orson (band)
Orson was a BRIT Award-winning American rock band from Hollywood, California, formed in 2000.-Career:Originally the band called itself Halogen. Recently, it was also known as Dr. Lady...
. It was produced by Brio Taliaferro, Pebworth and Astasio. The song was released on November 6, 2006 by 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...
. Sugababes collaborated with Pebworth, Astasio and Taliaferro on a number of songs, of which two were chosen for the compilation album with "Easy" being released as the lead and only single from it. The song has prominent electronic
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 pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
characteristics and influences of naughtiness and cheekyness. The lyrics encourage one who is interested in another to make their interests a reality.
"Easy" received positive reviews from contemporary critics. The song achieved a peak of number eight 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 ...
, making it the band's 12th top ten hit in the United Kingdom. It also garnered chart success across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; reaching the top ten in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and the top twenty in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, 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...
, 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...
and Norway
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...
. The music video
Music 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...
accompanying "Easy" was directed by 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...
and was released on October 2, 2006. The video has a dress and make-up theme to it with scenes taking place in a showroom and public toilet cubicles. Sugababes have performed "Easy" as part of their setlist for their Overloaded: The Singles Tour
Overloaded: The Singles Tour
The Overloaded Singles Tour is a 2007 concert tour by British pop trio the Sugababes in support of their first Greatest Hits album touring the United Kingdom and Ireland...
and on various television shows including: The Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
Show, Popstars (Germany)
Popstars (Germany)
Popstars is a German reality television series that began its first installment on the RTL2 network on November 14, 2000. Part of the international Popstars franchise, it originated from the same-titled New Zealand reality program....
and Freshly Squeezed
Freshly Squeezed
Freshly Squeezed is a British television programme broadcast every weekday morning around 07:00 on Channel 4.-Format:The programme takes the format of a music-based breakfast show, featuring studio performances, music videos and interviews.-Current:...
.
Background
The song was written by musicians Jason Pebworth and George Astasio of the BRIT Award-winning AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Orson
Orson (band)
Orson was a BRIT Award-winning American rock band from Hollywood, California, formed in 2000.-Career:Originally the band called itself Halogen. Recently, it was also known as Dr. Lady...
in collaboration with Sugababes group members Keisha Buchanan
Keisha Buchanan
Keisha Kerreece Fayeanne Buchanan is an English singer-songwriter and was a founding member of the BRIT Award-winning girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buchanan had six number one singles and two number one studio albums, making the Sugababes one of the most successful British pop acts...
, Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah is a British singer, songwriter and member of pop girl group the Sugababes. Since replacing founding member Mutya Buena in the group in December 2005, Berrabah has attained two UK number one singles, "About You Now" and "Walk This Way", as well as a number one album, Change...
and Heidi Range
Heidi Range
Heidi India Range is an English singer, songwriter and member of the Sugababes. Range was an original member of girl group Atomic Kitten, although she left the group after two years of its formation with no album released...
. "Easy" was one out of two new additions to Overloaded: The Singles Collection
Overloaded: The Singles Collection
Overloaded: The Singles Collection is a compilation album by British girl group the Sugababes. It was released by Island Records on 13 November 2006 in the United Kingdom. The main version of the album was a 15-track collection of 13 Sugababes singles and two new tracks...
, primarily contributed by Jason Pebworth and George Astasio, with whom the Sugababes' share the same management. Thus the duo came up "with a few ideas for a couple of songs", including a "rough" concept for electro-influenced "Easy". Though Pebworth and Astasio originally wrote all of the song's lyrics by themselves, Amelle Berrabah and Keisha Buchanan decided to contribute some of their own ideas to it, eventually changing parts of the arrangement and the melodies, while adding a second verse and the chorus. Because of deadline pressure most of the vocals were recorded separately. Sugababes recorded the track in 2006 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was mixed by Jeremy Wheatley - who previously mixed Sugababes singles "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...
" and "In the Middle
In the Middle
"In the Middle" is a pop song written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Niara Scarlett, Shawn Lee, Lisa Cowling, Andre Tegler, Phil Fuldner, Michael Bellina, Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range for the Sugababes' third studio album Three...
" - with assistance by Richard Edgeler at Twenty-One Studios in London. Production was credited as being done by Brio Taliaterro in collaboration with track co-writers Pebworth and Astasio. The song was executively produced by Sarah Stennet and Mark Hargreaver, and mastered by Chris Parmendis.
Like the group's fifth official single "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....
" the song has mid to fast-paced electro-dance-pop groove and it is composed in a key of F minor
F minor
F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. The harmonic minor raises the E to E. Its key signature has four flats ....
with a tempo of 118 beats per minute.
The song was developed minimalistically to start with, building with rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
to a fast tempo in addition to synthesisers which contribute to the track' dramatic arrangement. The chorus has a Middle-Eastern sound to it whilst the bridge consists of an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
riff with Keisha contributing to its prominent ad-libs. The song's overall style, as described by Popjustice
Popjustice
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....
, is very eightie's in addition to its electro bass edge and synth-heavy undercurrent.
Lyrically the song is feminist-influenced and is aimed at men to recognise, approach and appreciate women.
The lyrics contains various euphemisms in describing sexual attraction and intercourse.
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...
interpreted the song lyrics: "The Sugababes are in love with their man calling him 'baby', 'honey' and lots of other nice names." Sugababes member Amelle Berrabah described "Easy" as a "quite Princey ... sexy, cheeky" song:
It's basically saying to someone 'come over here, what are you waiting for,' almost, one of the lyrics is there is, 'my engine's running hot can you come and fix it for me', and little bits like that telling a bloke to come to them sort of thing, so it's more about the man coming to the woman, and she's trying to bring him on to come over...
"'Easy' is a very naughty and cheeky song," Keisha Buchanan added in an interview with Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is a Leeds UK based entertainment magazine/webzine. The site was launched in April 2000 by a small team and has now expanded to 12 fulltime staff and many freelance contributors from across the globe...
. "It's completely fresh sounding but at the same time has the same qualities as the biggest songs of our career, so it's perfect for this album."
Critical reception
"Easy" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described the song as "synth-heavy sauciness." TheMusicFix.co.uk mentioned: "Easy continues their trend of catchy pop tunes." The 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 "Easy" "[s]omething which will make you find your dancing feet [...] The sweet Sugababes sound will not fail to get stuck in your head!" MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
described the track as having "MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and chart-friendly energy [...] with strong beats, sugary vocals and a sing-along chorus that will appeal to 13-year-old girls up and down the country as their dads smile on approvingly." HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
's review: "'Easy' is the sound of Sugababes at their salicious best; sexual innuendos writhe around slick electro beats, with the girls delivering their most sensual vocal performance to date."
Thisisfakediy.co.uk reviewed the single: "'Easy' thrills with its edge electro bass and the girls come over all seductive with the most transparently obvious lyrical euphemisms heard in a long time." Popjustice
Popjustice
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....
said that the track was "[...] very eightie's style" and that it had a "highly addictive [with] a catchy chorus," the review said the song was the "Sugababes' biggest single yet and is ten times better than "Push the Button."" Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is a Leeds UK based entertainment magazine/webzine. The site was launched in April 2000 by a small team and has now expanded to 12 fulltime staff and many freelance contributors from across the globe...
positively reviewed the song: "Easy sounds like a Sugababes typical - low-slung, sexy verses, an un-second guessable blast of pure pop for a chorus, and a brilliant eccentric scream from Keisha as the song hurdles into its final furlong. It's at once smart, sexy and danceable, packed with hooks and undeniably fun." Dooyoo.co.uk said that the track has: "A catchy chorus that sticks in your head." IndieLondon.co.uk also positively reviewed the single, mentioning: "Easy capably demonstrates how the girls enjoy working with collaborators to ensure their sound remains fresh and contemporary. In this case, pop-rock band-of-the-moment Orson
Orson (band)
Orson was a BRIT Award-winning American rock band from Hollywood, California, formed in 2000.-Career:Originally the band called itself Halogen. Recently, it was also known as Dr. Lady...
lend their guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
sound to the track to give it some extra polish and a little bit of kick. It helped to ensure another huge hit for the girls."
Chart performance
On November 11, 2006 "Easy" debuted at number thirty 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 ...
due to a surge in early digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
sales. The following week, the week of the song's physical release, the band faced competition from rival girlbands with their latest singles - Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
's "Something Kinda Oooh" and All Saints
All Saints (group)
All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...
' "Rock Steady" - in addition to the physical release 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 "Jump
Jump (Madonna song)
"Jump" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor. Written by Madonna, Stuart Price and Joe Henry, the song was supposed to be released as the third single of the album...
", the song had an original midweek position of number nine but charted at the end of the week at number eight, overtaking Madonna who ended the week at number nine. In its second week on the chart, the single climbed twenty-two places to reach a peak of number eight. After peaking, the song was deleted from 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....
to encourage people to buy the band's compilation album Overloaded: The Singles Collection
Overloaded: The Singles Collection
Overloaded: The Singles Collection is a compilation album by British girl group the Sugababes. It was released by Island Records on 13 November 2006 in the United Kingdom. The main version of the album was a 15-track collection of 13 Sugababes singles and two new tracks...
, which was released during this time. As a result of the iTunes deletion and only being available on CD, "Easy" freefalled down the charts - dropping to number sixteen in its third week, number thirty in its fourth week and number fifty-nine in its fifth week. The single spent its last and sixth week on the chart at number seventy-one. "Easy" became the group's twelfth top ten hit 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...
. As of June 22, 2009 "Easy" had sold a total of 56,410 copies in the United Kingdom alone. "Easy" outperformed the following previous Sugababes singles saleswise: "Caught in a Moment
Caught in a Moment
"Caught in a Moment" is a pop ballad performed by British group Sugababes. It was written by Marius De Vries, Jony Lipsey, Karen Poole, and band members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range for the band's third studio album Three. Released in 2004 as the album's fourth and final single,...
," "Follow Me Home
Follow Me Home
"Follow Me Home" is a song by British girl group Sugababes from their fourth studio album, Taller in More Ways. It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena and Heidi Range in collaboration with Jonathan Lipsey, Karen Poole and Jeremy Shaw. It was produced by Jony Rockstar. The song...
," "In the Middle
In the Middle
"In the Middle" is a pop song written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Niara Scarlett, Shawn Lee, Lisa Cowling, Andre Tegler, Phil Fuldner, Michael Bellina, Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range for the Sugababes' third studio album Three...
," "Shape
Shape (song)
"Shape" is an R&B song performed by English girl group, the Sugababes. It was written and produced by Craig Dodds for the band's second studio album Angels with Dirty Faces , incorporating a sample of the 1993 recording "Shape of My Heart," co-written and performed by Sting and his guitarist...
" and "Soul Sound
Soul Sound
"Soul Sound" is a R&B/soul song performed by English group Sugababes. It was co-written by Charlotte Gordon Cumming, Ron Tom and Sam Harley for the band's debut studio album One Touch and released as its fourth single in the summer of 2001....
." "Easy" outperformed the following previous Sugababes singles chart peak-wise: "Follow Me Home
Follow Me Home
"Follow Me Home" is a song by British girl group Sugababes from their fourth studio album, Taller in More Ways. It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena and Heidi Range in collaboration with Jonathan Lipsey, Karen Poole and Jeremy Shaw. It was produced by Jony Rockstar. The song...
," "New Year," "Run for Cover
Run for Cover (Sugababes song)
"Run for Cover" is a song performed by English girl group the Sugababes. The 'Babes, Jony Lipsey, Cameron McVey and Paul Simm all co-wrote the song for the band's debut album One Touch...
," "Shape
Shape (song)
"Shape" is an R&B song performed by English girl group, the Sugababes. It was written and produced by Craig Dodds for the band's second studio album Angels with Dirty Faces , incorporating a sample of the 1993 recording "Shape of My Heart," co-written and performed by Sting and his guitarist...
," "Soul Sound
Soul Sound
"Soul Sound" is a R&B/soul song performed by English group Sugababes. It was co-written by Charlotte Gordon Cumming, Ron Tom and Sam Harley for the band's debut studio album One Touch and released as its fourth single in the summer of 2001....
," and "Too Lost in You
Too Lost in You
"Too Lost in You" is a pop/R&B song covered by British girl group Sugababes from their third studio album Three . The song was released on 15 December, 2003 as the album's second single. It was written by Diane Warren and co-produced by Andy Bradfield and Rob Dougan...
."
In week forty-two of 2006, "Easy" debuted at number forty-five on the Slovakian IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
Singles Chart. It went on to peak at number five, becoming the band's most successful song in this country to-date and at the same time obtaining the song's highest international chart peak - it spent a total of twenty weeks on this chart. On November 11, 2006 the single debuted and peaked at number thirty on the Swiss Singles Chart becoming the band's twelfth top forty hit there." On November 17, 2006 "Easy" debuted on the Austrian Singles Chart at number forty-eight. It went on to peak at number twenty-three and spend a total of sixteen weeks on the chart. The single became Sugababes' ninth top forty hit in Austria. On December 8, 2006 the single debuted and peaked at number thirteen on the Danish Singles Chart - becoming the band's eight top twenty hit on this chart. The single debuted at number thirty-four 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...
and later peaked at number eighteen - make it Sugababes' eleventh Irish top twenty hit. In the forty-sixth week of 2006 "Easy" debuted and peaked at number twelve on the Finnish Singles Chart - becoming Sugababes' fourth top twenty hit in Finland. "Easy" debuted and peaked at number twenty-six on the German Singles Chart, it went on to spend a total of nine weeks charting and became the group's twelfth top forty hit in Germany. In the forty-eighth week of 2006 the song debuted and peaked at number eighteen on the Norwegian Singles Chart, remaining at eighteen for two consecutive weeks and becoming the groups eleventh top twenty hit on this chart. On March 27, 2007 "Easy" peaked at number seventeen on the Mahasz
Mahasz
Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary....
Hungarian Singles Chart, it spent six weeks on the chart and became the band's ninth top twenty hit 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...
.
The single also garnered chart success in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
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...
for "Easy" was directed by 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 previously directed for the group, in their music video for previous single "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...
". Royes died shortly after the filming of "Easy" music video after being stuck by a car in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The group later dedicated their music video for their number one single, "About You Now
About You Now
"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...
" to Tim. The Easy video was filmed in a studio in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in September 2006.
Promotional shots from the music video leaked onto the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
on September 29 and were posted on the Popjustice
Popjustice
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....
website. The edited video first aired in the UK in week of October 2, 2006.
The music video begins with a bottle of capless red-orange nail polish lying over on a table leaking. Keisha Buchanan
Keisha Buchanan
Keisha Kerreece Fayeanne Buchanan is an English singer-songwriter and was a founding member of the BRIT Award-winning girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buchanan had six number one singles and two number one studio albums, making the Sugababes one of the most successful British pop acts...
then becomes visible lying down on her side in what appears to be a dark lightless room, her hair is tied back and she is wearing large circular earrings, tight beige pants and a grey jacket and black pair of high heels. As she is singing she engages in various seductive actions. In the next scene, Heidi Range
Heidi Range
Heidi India Range is an English singer, songwriter and member of the Sugababes. Range was an original member of girl group Atomic Kitten, although she left the group after two years of its formation with no album released...
is seen at the bathroom sink. She has a characteristic red wig and black latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
outfit on (which in turn garnered comparisons to the look of Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
in her critically acclaimed music video "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
") as she is busy sucking on a lollipop whilst looking in the mirror. She poses and dances whilst looking at herself in the mirror singing. She then dances and sings as she makes her exit out of the dressing room. In the next scene, where the chorus begins, Keisha re-appears posing and singing in what appears to be a dark bathroom. Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah is a British singer, songwriter and member of pop girl group the Sugababes. Since replacing founding member Mutya Buena in the group in December 2005, Berrabah has attained two UK number one singles, "About You Now" and "Walk This Way", as well as a number one album, Change...
is now visible in this scene wearing a dark-coloured fringe
Fringe (hair)
Fringe are a shaped cutting of the front part of the hair so that it is combed forward and hangs or curls over the forehead. A classic fringe is cut fairly straight at or above the eyebrows, but fringes can also be ragged or ruffled, spiked up with hair gel, swept to one side or the other, and...
wig
Wig
A wig is a head of hair made from horsehair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair, or synthetic materials which is worn on the head for fashion or various other aesthetic and stylistic reasons, including cultural and religious observance. The word wig is short for periwig and first...
and black latex outfit whilst positioning herself between two walls of a toilet cubicle posing. Heidi now appears in the bathroom and all three of the girls are now singing, posing and dancing separately wall-to-wall in three separate toilet cubicles in the bathroom. In the next scene, Amelle in the bathroom as she turns on the hand-dryer which brings about a wind force which blows her hair up as she removes her jacket. Visible also in the room is a bead curtain and vase of tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
s. Amelle then leans up against the wall singing and dancing while holding onto the hand dryer. In the following scene, Heidi is seen sitting and singing before glancing at the leaking bottle of red-orange nail polish
Nail polish
Nail polish, or nail varnish, is a lacquer applied to human fingernails or toenails to decorate and/or protect the nail plate.-History:...
from the beginning of the video. She is then seen polishing her nails with it. The second chorus involves the girls dancing in toilet cubicles again, with shots being focused on their foot movements and high heels visible from underneath the cubicle doors.
The girls then undergo a setting and outfit change upon the bridge of the song. They are singing in Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
-like dresses with a red curtain in a showroom as a backdrop. Heidi's wig has disappeared and her hair is now tied up. Heidi's dress is designed for tummy visibility and Amelle has somewhat of a hair-clashing mask and bright red lipstick on. For the final chorus and scene, the setting returns to the bathroom cubicle where the girls are dancing robotically side-by-side with the open cubicles as a backdrop.
Formats and track listings
For the CD singleCD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
release of "Easy," a b-side was recorded. It was entitled "Shake It" and is over five minutes in length and consists mainly of keyboard
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...
instrumentation and vocals from band member Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah is a British singer, songwriter and member of pop girl group the Sugababes. Since replacing founding member Mutya Buena in the group in December 2005, Berrabah has attained two UK number one singles, "About You Now" and "Walk This Way", as well as a number one album, Change...
. The song leaked on September 28, 2006 and was chosen as the b-side to "Easy" over another song which leaked at around the same time entitled "In Recline". It was produced by Karl 'K-Gee' Gordon and Gareth Young, and written by Beverley Clarke, Vikki O'Neill (Both former members of girlgroup Smoke2Seven), Karl 'K-Gee' Gordon and Gareth Young. For the maxi-single release of the song, a live version of the group's former number one hit "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...
" as performed enlengthened by the group at the V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
was track listed. The CD2 maxi-single cover art differs slightly from the CD1 official cover art in the way in which the band and song name is positioned: CD2 has it positioned in the centre, across the image of the band whereas CD1 has it positioned at the top, above the image of the band. "Easy" was remixed by British
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...
record producers Seamus Haji
Seamus Haji
Seamus Haji is a British record producer, who had a number one on the UK Dance Chart, with a cover of Indeep's, "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life". He originally released this as a single in 2004. The single originally reached #69 on the UK Singles Chart, and #13 on re-issue in March 2007 and #1 on...
& Paul Emanuel for its release - of their work included remixes, vocal remixes, club remixes and dubstrumentals of the song which feature on the maxi-single, remixes single and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
CD single as below:
- CD1 Single
(1712313, Released: November 6, 2006)
- "Easy" - 3:36
- "Shake It" - 5:11
- CD2 Maxi-Single
(1713080, Released: November 6, 2006)
- "Easy" - 3:36
- "Easy" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Vocal Remix) - 5:29
- "Easy" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Dubstrumental) - 5:29
- "Hole in the Head" (Live at V Festival) - 4:55
- Digital Single
(Released: 2006)
- "Easy" (Brio's Alternative Mix) - 3:35
- "Easy" (UltrabeatUltrabeat (English band)Ultrabeat are an English electronic music group from Liverpool, England consisting of producer and vocalist Mike Di Scala and producers Ian Redman and Chris Henry. Formed in 2002, Ultrabeat first emerged with their single "Pretty Green Eyes" which reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart...
Remix) - 5:52
- Remixes Single
(SUGASCD19, Released: 2006)
- "Easy" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Remix) - 7:34
- "Easy" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Dubstrumental) - 7:31
- Danish CD Single
(Released: 2006)
- "Easy" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Remix) - 7:34
- "Easy" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Dubstrumental) - 7:31
- "Easy" - 3:36
Promotion and live performances
Airplaywise, the song made its premiere on Scott MillsScott Mills
Scott Robert Mills is a British radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor, best known for presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1...
' BBC 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...
"The Scott Mills Show" on September 12, 2006 at 4:20pm GMT. It was not as strongly backed by radio as the majority of the group's previous singles - reaching a peak of number nineteen on 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...
's airplay chart. It also became the group's fourth single to not be A-listed on BBC Radio 1 (following "New Year," "Soul Sound
Soul Sound
"Soul Sound" is a R&B/soul song performed by English group Sugababes. It was co-written by Charlotte Gordon Cumming, Ron Tom and Sam Harley for the band's debut studio album One Touch and released as its fourth single in the summer of 2001....
" and "Caught in a Moment
Caught in a Moment
"Caught in a Moment" is a pop ballad performed by British group Sugababes. It was written by Marius De Vries, Jony Lipsey, Karen Poole, and band members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range for the band's third studio album Three. Released in 2004 as the album's fourth and final single,...
"), it however, did achieve B-list rotation on the station.
The group first performed "Easy" on Sessions@AOL
Sessions@AOL
Sessions@AOL is a special avenue of programming conducted by AOL Music. Originally an AOL exclusive, Sessions@AOL can now also be seen as an avenue for non-AOL users as well. Sessions@AOL consists of exclusive and intimate performances of songs by popular musicians, with likes of bands such as...
on September 19, 2006. During the performance the girls sing with separate microphone poles with Keisha on the right, Amelle in the middle and Heidi on the left. All members' hair are in a messy loose style. Heidi wears an all-navy outfit with silver grey point shoes. Amelle wears a sleeveless grey top lined in black in addition to a black material waist belt. tight black pants and warm-coloured foot visible heels. Keisha wears a vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
-styled gold coloured top, a pair of blue jeans with white shoes and bright red lipstick.
It was then later performed on The Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
Show on October 24 and on British Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
entertainment programme Popworld
Popworld
Popworld was a British television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4, offering pop news, trivia, gossip, interviews and music videos, as well as musical performances from the most recent top artists....
on November 4, 2006. An exclusive acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
version was then performed live by the group on T4
T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
British television programme Freshly Squeezed
Freshly Squeezed
Freshly Squeezed is a British television programme broadcast every weekday morning around 07:00 on Channel 4.-Format:The programme takes the format of a music-based breakfast show, featuring studio performances, music videos and interviews.-Current:...
on November 5, 2006 - a day prior to the song's release. In continuation of the single's promotion, the band performed it live on music channel VIVA on November 10.
The group performed it at 'A Night At The Dominion' on November 11, 2006. This performance features the band name imprinted in large on the stage in which Amelle, Keisha and Heidi are standing titled together from right to left. They are all wearing black latex outfits and large circular ear-rings, as seen in the song's music video. Amelle's hair is styled tied-up to show her fringe whilst Keisha and Heidi sport straight hair styles and a belly-button tops as opposed to the conventional top Amelle is wearing. Whilst singing the first verse the girls are dancing seductively up against each other. When the chorus begins the girls separate and move rapidly forward to a microphone-pole of their own where they now sing. In the second verse Amelle moves forward onstage to take spotlight performance whilst Heidi and Keisha dance with each other in the background. In this stage, Amelle haunches down and dances. They then regroup again in the chorus and separate up and down the stage for the rest of the performance. Nearing the end the girls start clapping their hands in the air.
Outside of the United Kingdom, the band performed the song live on music talent reality show Popstars (Germany)
Popstars (Germany)
Popstars is a German reality television series that began its first installment on the RTL2 network on November 14, 2000. Part of the international Popstars franchise, it originated from the same-titled New Zealand reality program....
on November 23 and on 'SF1 Benissmo' on December 2, 2006. "Easy" also featured as part of the set list for Sugababes' promotional tour for Overloaded: The Singles Collection
Overloaded: The Singles Collection
Overloaded: The Singles Collection is a compilation album by British girl group the Sugababes. It was released by Island Records on 13 November 2006 in the United Kingdom. The main version of the album was a 15-track collection of 13 Sugababes singles and two new tracks...
.
Personnel
- Amelle BerrabahAmelle BerrabahAmelle Berrabah is a British singer, songwriter and member of pop girl group the Sugababes. Since replacing founding member Mutya Buena in the group in December 2005, Berrabah has attained two UK number one singles, "About You Now" and "Walk This Way", as well as a number one album, Change...
– songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, vocals - George Astasio – songwriter, producerRecord 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...
- Heidi RangeHeidi RangeHeidi India Range is an English singer, songwriter and member of the Sugababes. Range was an original member of girl group Atomic Kitten, although she left the group after two years of its formation with no album released...
– songwriter, vocals - Jason Pebworth – songwriter, producer
- Keisha BuchananKeisha BuchananKeisha Kerreece Fayeanne Buchanan is an English singer-songwriter and was a founding member of the BRIT Award-winning girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buchanan had six number one singles and two number one studio albums, making the Sugababes one of the most successful British pop acts...
– songwriter, vocals - Brio Taliaferro – producer
- Jeremy Wheatley – audio 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...
- Richard Edgeler – audio mixing
- Chris Paramenidis – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Credits adapted from Overloaded: The Singles Collection booklet liner notes.
Charts
| Chart (2006–07) | Peak position |
|---|---|