I Am Not a Robot
Encyclopedia
"I Am Not a Robot" is a song by Marina and the Diamonds. It was the lead single from her second extended play, The Crown Jewels EP
, released on 22 June 2009. It was also re-released as the third single from her debut studio album, The Family Jewels
, on 26 April 2010. The single was added to BBC Radio 1
's A Playlist during April 2010. A re-recorded gospel version of the song was used in an advertisement for Bupa
in March 2011
.
In regards to the decision to re-release
the single, Diamandis said it was because "people seem to empathize and relate with the song, regardless of gender or age."
called "I Am Not a Robot" "one of 2009's best singles [...] an infectious pop track featuring a unique vocal with more fluctuations than Florence
sat on a washing machine." Alexis Petridis
from The Guardian
commented on the song whilst reviewing The Family Jewels saying "the lovely delicacy of "I Am Not a Robot"'s tune is easy to miss when there's a woman doing Dalek
voices over the top of it. Such are the dangers of trying a little too hard." John Murphy from musicOMH
praised the song saying it "shows a pleasing touch of vulnerability which works very well." Marina was also praised following a performance on BBC Radio 1
's Live Lounge on 23 April 2010.
on 24 June 2009, two days after the song's first single release. The music video features Diamandis in five scenes: one with her covered in black oil and glitter, one made-up in black, green and pink body paint, one with diamond lips and eyelids, one with the green, pink, and black body paint smeared, and lastly just her as her normal self. Each sequence shows Diamandis in the centre of the screen with either a starry, grey, white or black background whilst singing to the camera. Diamandis explained in a BBC Radio 1
interview with Scott Mills
that the black oil reacted to her skin and it took forty minutes to rub off. It also took her 18 hours to get all of her make up done for the video.
CD single
7" single
Limited edition 7" single in autographed envelope sleeve
U.S. promo CD single
Additional Remixes
The Crown Jewels EP
The Crown Jewels EP is the second extended play by Welsh singer-songwriter Marina and the Diamonds. It was digitally released 1 June 2009 and physically 22 June 2009. The cover artwork was designed by Cristiana Couceiro. The artwork shown is for the digital edition, the physical edition had...
, released on 22 June 2009. It was also re-released as the third single from her debut studio album, The Family Jewels
The Family Jewels (album)
The Family Jewels received mostly positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
, on 26 April 2010. The single was added to 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...
's A Playlist during April 2010. A re-recorded gospel version of the song was used in an advertisement for Bupa
Bupa
Bupa is a large British healthcare organisation, with bases on three continents and more than ten million customers in over 200 countries. It is a private healthcare company, in direct contrast to the UK's National Health Services, which are tax-funded healthcare systems and do not require private...
in March 2011
March 2011
March 2011 was the third month of the current year. It began on a Tuesday and ended after 31 days on a Thursday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from March 2011....
.
Description
In an interview with WalesOnline, Diamandis says:In regards to the decision to re-release
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
the single, Diamandis said it was because "people seem to empathize and relate with the song, regardless of gender or age."
Critical reception
Gareth James from ClashClash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
called "I Am Not a Robot" "one of 2009's best singles [...] an infectious pop track featuring a unique vocal with more fluctuations than Florence
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
sat on a washing machine." Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for UK newspaper The Guardian, as well as a regular and contributor to the magazine GQ.Petridis began his career writing for Varsity whilst a student at the University of Cambridge...
from The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
commented on the song whilst reviewing The Family Jewels saying "the lovely delicacy of "I Am Not a Robot"'s tune is easy to miss when there's a woman doing Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
voices over the top of it. Such are the dangers of trying a little too hard." John Murphy from 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:...
praised the song saying it "shows a pleasing touch of vulnerability which works very well." Marina was also praised following a performance on 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...
's Live Lounge on 23 April 2010.
Music video
The music video for "I Am Not a Robot" was directed by Rankin & Chris Cottam and was released onto YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on 24 June 2009, two days after the song's first single release. The music video features Diamandis in five scenes: one with her covered in black oil and glitter, one made-up in black, green and pink body paint, one with diamond lips and eyelids, one with the green, pink, and black body paint smeared, and lastly just her as her normal self. Each sequence shows Diamandis in the centre of the screen with either a starry, grey, white or black background whilst singing to the camera. Diamandis explained in a 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...
interview with Scott Mills
Scott 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...
that the black oil reacted to her skin and it took forty minutes to rub off. It also took her 18 hours to get all of her make up done for the video.
Track listings
UK iTunes EP- "I Am Not a Robot" – 3:35
- "I Am Not a Robot Flex'd Rework" (Passion PitPassion PitPassion Pit is an American electropop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The group, which formed in 2007, consists of Michael Angelakos , Ian Hultquist , Ayad Al Adhamy , Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer...
Remix) – 4:47 - "I Am Not a Robot" (Clock Opera Remix) – 4:35
- "I Am Not a Robot" (Doorly Remix) – 5:18
- "I Am Not a Robot" (Acoustic) – 3:48
CD single
- "I Am Not a Robot" – 3:35
- "I Am Not a Robot" (Doorly Remix) – 5:20
7" single
- A. "I Am Not a Robot" – 3:35
- B. "I Am Not a Robot Flex'd Rework" (Passion Pit Remix) – 4:54
Limited edition 7" single in autographed envelope sleeve
- A. "I Am Not a Robot" – 3:35
- B. "I Am Not a Robot" (Clock Opera Remix) – 4:39
U.S. promo CD single
- "I Am Not a Robot" (Passion Pit Remix) – 4:54
- "I Am Not a Robot" (StarsmithStarsmithStarsmith is a songwriter, producer, remixer and DJ. He studied a classical music degree at the University of Surrey majoring in performance on saxophone...
24 Carat Remix) – 5:18 - "ObsessionsObsessions (Marina and the Diamonds song)"Obsessions" is the debut single by Marina and the Diamonds. It was released as a double a-side with "Mowgli's Road" on 19 November 2008 whilst Diamandis was signed to Neon Gold Records...
" (OcelotOcelot (musician)oCeLoT aka Aaron Peacock is a record producer and DJ. He has been producing music since 1993 and has released material on Dropout Productions, Vertigo Records, Ceiba Records, and Insomnia Records.-External links:**-Interviews:**...
Remix) – 6:27
Additional Remixes
- "You Are Not A Robot" (ft. Hoodie Allen)
- "I Am Not A (L.A.) Robot"
Personnel
- Marina Diamandis – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Liam HoweLiam HoweLiam Coverdale Howe is a London based record producer, musician and songwriter.- Musical beginnings :...
– 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...
, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, philicorda, synthsSynthesizerA 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...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, 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 Wilkinson – 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...
- Dougal Lott – assistant engineering
- Lucy Shaw – string arrangementsString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
, double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Alison Dods – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Cina de la Mere – violin
- Rachel Robson – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Chris Allan – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Steve Durham – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|