Kidz (song)
Encyclopedia
"Kidz" is a song by British pop group Take That
from their sixth studio album, Progress
. It was released as the second single from the album on 20 February 2011. The song features Mark Owen
and Gary Barlow
performing lead vocals.
final on 12 December 2010, however they instead performed "The Flood
" after Simon Cowell
felt the song would reflect the recent riots and protests over the rising student tuition fees
, due to their backing dancers being dressed as riot police and the lyrics within the song. "Kidz" was officially announced as the second single from Progress on 12 January 2011. The single artwork was posted onto Take That's official website on 7 February 2011. The single was initially going to be released on 28 February 2011, but the date was moved forward to 21 February 2011. The single's B-side, 'Rocket Ship', features Gary Barlow on lead vocals. The digital download single was packaged with a remix entitled 'Revenge of the Kidz', which was mixed by Howard Donald.
as the highlight of Progress
where the "reintroduction of Robbie Williams into the Take That ranks [has given] them a shot in the arm" concluding that "Kidz" is one of the "brilliantly mad future-disco titans".
Entertainment.ie
agreed with this view and described the single as a "stand out track" on the album with "a massive production kicking off with pounding drums, resonating piano and grimy synths." Reality Shout music reviews also praised the song stating that "armed with the song-writing capabilities of Gary Barlow, the producing prowess of Stuart Price, Mark Owen's wheezy vocals, and Robbie Williams' gutsy, candid lyricism and confident delivery, 'Kidz' is a riotous cacophony of attitude, synth, relentless hooks and a monolithic chorus. It starts with the sound of stomping boots closing in, and ends with the sound of police sirens and screams; every tiny detail is crafted perfectly, right down to each individual beat." Nick Levine of Digital Spy
also praised the song awarding it 5 stars and calling it a "rabble-rousing glam-disco-pop stomper with ambiguously apocalyptic lyrics and – not inappropriately – one hell of a chorus" comparing Mark Owen
's vocal to Liam Gallagher
and referring to it as one of Take That's most thrilling releases.
in February 2011. In the video, Take That appear as conquering heroes from different ages of war. The music video premiered through the official Take That iTunes App at 8am on 27 February 2011. The video begins with images of television and warfare before switching to Jason Orange viewing the events on Earth from inside a spaceship which is named 'Progress'. Mark Owen begins to sing which is beamed live across the world whilst armed forces mass waiting for their arrival as Gary Barlow begins the descent into Earth's atmosphere as the captain of the ship. The spaceship is revealed to be shaped as the TT logo as it lands, sending a container down to the ground which opens to reveal Take That inside it. The members then walk towards the military forces in front of them as a child breaks through the line and takes a photograph of them to which they pose. They then return to the spaceship and leave Earth as the world dances behind them.
a week before its official release, climbing a total of 168 places from #199 the previous week. The song then climbed to #28 the week after. It fell two spots on its fifth week to #30 The song spent 8 weeks in the UK Singles Chart. The song entered the Danish singles chart at number 15 before peaking at #12 where it stayed for 4 weeks. The song entered the German charts one release of the album and peaked at #20 becoming their 17th single to enter the German top 40 where it stayed for 6 weeks. Following the performance of the single on the Echo Awards the single also charted in the South Korean chart as well as peaking at #58 in Austria and #27 in Belgium. The song also peaked at #8 in Hungary where it remained in the top 40 for 12 weeks.
. The song was placed on the Radio 1 A List on 16 February 2011 where it remained for six weeks. The band performed the song live on the Dutch talk show Life4You on 20 March 2011, and in Germany at the ECHO Awards on 24 March. Take That also performed the song along with "The Flood
" on the final of the fourth Danish season of The X Factor
on 25 March 2011.
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
from their sixth studio album, Progress
Progress (Take That album)
Progress is the sixth studio album by British band Take That. It is the band's first album to feature Robbie Williams since 1995. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2010. The album received positive reviews, with most critics commending the influence of electronic music and...
. It was released as the second single from the album on 20 February 2011. The song features Mark Owen
Mark Owen
Mark Anthony Patrick Owen , is an English singer-songwriter. He is a member of pop band Take That. The band were hugely successful during the 1990s and have enjoyed even more success since their reunion in 2005...
and Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
performing lead vocals.
Background
The song was first announced as the album's second single when the group announced they were to perform the song live on The X FactorThe X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
final on 12 December 2010, however they instead performed "The Flood
The Flood (Take That song)
"The Flood" is a song by British pop group Take That from their sixth studio album, Progress. It was released as the lead single in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2010...
" after Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
felt the song would reflect the recent riots and protests over the rising student tuition fees
2010 UK student protests
The 2010 UK student protests were a series of demonstrations that began in November 2010 in several areas of the United Kingdom, with the focal point of protests centred in London. The initial event was the largest student protest in the UK since the Labour government first proposed the Teaching...
, due to their backing dancers being dressed as riot police and the lyrics within the song. "Kidz" was officially announced as the second single from Progress on 12 January 2011. The single artwork was posted onto Take That's official website on 7 February 2011. The single was initially going to be released on 28 February 2011, but the date was moved forward to 21 February 2011. The single's B-side, 'Rocket Ship', features Gary Barlow on lead vocals. The digital download single was packaged with a remix entitled 'Revenge of the Kidz', which was mixed by Howard Donald.
Critical reception
"Kidz" has been referred to by Q MagazineQ (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
as the highlight of Progress
Progress (Take That album)
Progress is the sixth studio album by British band Take That. It is the band's first album to feature Robbie Williams since 1995. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2010. The album received positive reviews, with most critics commending the influence of electronic music and...
where the "reintroduction of Robbie Williams into the Take That ranks [has given] them a shot in the arm" concluding that "Kidz" is one of the "brilliantly mad future-disco titans".
Entertainment.ie
Entertainment.ie
entertainment.ie is a Dublin-based Irish website which provides extensive cinema, TV, live music, theatre, comedy, exhibition and festival listings for free, as well as celebrity gossip, music and movie news, movie and DVD reviews, CD reviews and up-to-date lottery results.The site was developed in...
agreed with this view and described the single as a "stand out track" on the album with "a massive production kicking off with pounding drums, resonating piano and grimy synths." Reality Shout music reviews also praised the song stating that "armed with the song-writing capabilities of Gary Barlow, the producing prowess of Stuart Price, Mark Owen's wheezy vocals, and Robbie Williams' gutsy, candid lyricism and confident delivery, 'Kidz' is a riotous cacophony of attitude, synth, relentless hooks and a monolithic chorus. It starts with the sound of stomping boots closing in, and ends with the sound of police sirens and screams; every tiny detail is crafted perfectly, right down to each individual beat." Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
also praised the song awarding it 5 stars and calling it a "rabble-rousing glam-disco-pop stomper with ambiguously apocalyptic lyrics and – not inappropriately – one hell of a chorus" comparing Mark Owen
Mark Owen
Mark Anthony Patrick Owen , is an English singer-songwriter. He is a member of pop band Take That. The band were hugely successful during the 1990s and have enjoyed even more success since their reunion in 2005...
's vocal to Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
and referring to it as one of Take That's most thrilling releases.
Music video
The official music video for "Kidz" was filmed in BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
in February 2011. In the video, Take That appear as conquering heroes from different ages of war. The music video premiered through the official Take That iTunes App at 8am on 27 February 2011. The video begins with images of television and warfare before switching to Jason Orange viewing the events on Earth from inside a spaceship which is named 'Progress'. Mark Owen begins to sing which is beamed live across the world whilst armed forces mass waiting for their arrival as Gary Barlow begins the descent into Earth's atmosphere as the captain of the ship. The spaceship is revealed to be shaped as the TT logo as it lands, sending a container down to the ground which opens to reveal Take That inside it. The members then walk towards the military forces in front of them as a child breaks through the line and takes a photograph of them to which they pose. They then return to the spaceship and leave Earth as the world dances behind them.
Chart performance
The song debuted at number thirty-one 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 ...
a week before its official release, climbing a total of 168 places from #199 the previous week. The song then climbed to #28 the week after. It fell two spots on its fifth week to #30 The song spent 8 weeks in the UK Singles Chart. The song entered the Danish singles chart at number 15 before peaking at #12 where it stayed for 4 weeks. The song entered the German charts one release of the album and peaked at #20 becoming their 17th single to enter the German top 40 where it stayed for 6 weeks. Following the performance of the single on the Echo Awards the single also charted in the South Korean chart as well as peaking at #58 in Austria and #27 in Belgium. The song also peaked at #8 in Hungary where it remained in the top 40 for 12 weeks.
Promotion
On 15 February 2011 Take That performed the song live at the opening of the 2011 BRIT Awards2011 BRIT Awards
The 2011 BRIT Awards was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena...
. The song was placed on the Radio 1 A List on 16 February 2011 where it remained for six weeks. The band performed the song live on the Dutch talk show Life4You on 20 March 2011, and in Germany at the ECHO Awards on 24 March. Take That also performed the song along with "The Flood
The Flood (Take That song)
"The Flood" is a song by British pop group Take That from their sixth studio album, Progress. It was released as the lead single in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2010...
" on the final of the fourth Danish season of The X Factor
X Factor (Denmark)
X Factor is the Danish version of The X Factor, a show originating in the United Kingdom and is created by talent show judge and record and TV producer Simon Cowell.-Series summary: "Under 25 boys" or "Under 25s" category "Under 25 girls" category...
on 25 March 2011.
Track listing
- Digital Download
- "Kidz" – 4:36
- "Rocket Ship" – 4:56
- "Revenge Of The Kidz" – 6:12
- UK CD Single
- "Kidz" – 4:44
- "Rocket Ship" – 4:56
- iTunes Exclusive
- "Kidz" (Live From The O2) – 4:25
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea (South Korea Gaon Chart) Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... |
83 |
| UK Download (Official Chart Company) | 31 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 20 February 2011 | 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... |
| 21 February 2011 | CD single | |
| Europe | 8 March 2011 | 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... |