Rain (Mika song)
Encyclopedia
"Rain" is a song by Mika
, appearing on his second studio album The Boy Who Knew Too Much
. Rain was released in United Kingdom
as the second single of the album. It was later released in Japan and the US as the third single of the album, as Blame it on the Girls
was the second single in these countries. The song was produced and mixed by Greg Wells
and features the violinist Owen Pallett
.
magazine, Mika says: Keira performed Mika's song at Australian Idol's grand finale along with "We Are Golden
". On February 5, 2010 Mika performed a special operatic version of the song in a duet with opera star Danielle de Niese
on the ITV1 show 'Popstar to Operastar
'.
gave to the song 4 stars (out of 5) and said: "Those unconvinced that much had changed when Mika returned with 'We Are Golden
' this summer should be pleasantly surprised by 'Rain', the second single from his second album. The shrieking has been reined in, the nursery rhyme hooks have been ditched and instead we're treated to a concoction of shimmering synths, layered vocals and throbbing, clubby beats. As it builds towards a crescendo that's both intriguingly dark and glitteringly magical, Mika proves he's perfectly capable of channelling his hyperactivity in the right direction. Here's hoping for more of this in the future".
Heather Phares from Allmusic says that "Rain" is a kissing cousin to "Relax"'s pulsing, melancholy disco-pop.
for "Rain" was filmed in Epping Forest
in Essex
and premiered online on 16 October 2009. It was directed by Nez Khammal. The video is set in a dark enchanted forest
with Mika waking up in a colourful tent
. He is soon joined by various strangely dressed imps
and creatures who dance around him at first but chase him out of the forest amid exploding fireworks.
in both digital and physical formats. The single peaked at #72 on the UK Singles Chart
, making this Mika's lowest charting UK single. Casablanca Records believed this was due to low promotional airplay on UK Radio. The song was received better continental Europe
, where it peaked at #4 in Italy and inside the Top 40 in The Netherlands and Spain
, and debuted at #8 in Wallonia. The single debuted at #5 in French Singles Chart
and peaked #16 in Digital Singles Chart.
Mika (singer)
Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit...
, appearing on his second studio album The Boy Who Knew Too Much
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
"The Boy Who Knew Too Much" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 5, 1994. In the episode, Bart runs away from a pursuing Principal Skinner after attempting to skip school...
. Rain was released in 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 the second single of the album. It was later released in Japan and the US as the third single of the album, as Blame it on the Girls
Blame It on the Girls
"Blame It on the Girls" is the second single from Mika's second studio album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much. It was released on October 5, 2009. It was also the third single released in the UK on February 15, 2010. The song was produced and mixed by Greg Wells...
was the second single in these countries. The song was produced and mixed by Greg Wells
Greg Wells
Greg Wells is a multiple Grammy nominated musician, record producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Wells has produced and written hits with Adele, Weezer, Pink, Theophilus London, Deftones, Katy Perry, Rufus Wainwright, The All American Rejects, OneRepublic, Mika, Aerosmith, Burt Bacharach,...
and features the violinist Owen Pallett
Owen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
.
Description
The song's lyrics are taken from a break-up letter that Mika and Keira S. wrote to an ex. In an interview with QQ (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...
magazine, Mika says: Keira performed Mika's song at Australian Idol's grand finale along with "We Are Golden
We Are Golden
"We Are Golden" is the first single from English singer Mika's second studio album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much. The song was produced and mixed by Greg Wells and features the Andrae Crouch Gospel Choir.-Release:...
". On February 5, 2010 Mika performed a special operatic version of the song in a duet with opera star Danielle de Niese
Danielle de Niese
Danielle de Niese is a lyric soprano. After success as a young child in singing competitions in Australia, she moved to the USA where she developed an operatic career...
on the ITV1 show 'Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
'.
Reception
The song received very positive reviews from most critics. Nick Levene from Digital SpyDigital 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....
gave to the song 4 stars (out of 5) and said: "Those unconvinced that much had changed when Mika returned with 'We Are Golden
We Are Golden
"We Are Golden" is the first single from English singer Mika's second studio album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much. The song was produced and mixed by Greg Wells and features the Andrae Crouch Gospel Choir.-Release:...
' this summer should be pleasantly surprised by 'Rain', the second single from his second album. The shrieking has been reined in, the nursery rhyme hooks have been ditched and instead we're treated to a concoction of shimmering synths, layered vocals and throbbing, clubby beats. As it builds towards a crescendo that's both intriguingly dark and glitteringly magical, Mika proves he's perfectly capable of channelling his hyperactivity in the right direction. Here's hoping for more of this in the future".
Heather Phares from Allmusic says that "Rain" is a kissing cousin to "Relax"'s pulsing, melancholy disco-pop.
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 "Rain" was filmed in Epping Forest
Epping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and premiered online on 16 October 2009. It was directed by Nez Khammal. The video is set in a dark enchanted forest
Enchanted forest
In literature, an enchanted forest is a forest under, or containing, enchantments. Such forests are described in the oldest folklore from regions where forests are common, and occur throughout the centuries to modern works of fantasy...
with Mika waking up in a colourful tent
Tent
A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...
. He is soon joined by various strangely dressed imps
IMPS
The OMA Instant Messaging and Presence Service is an Open Mobile Alliance enabler for Instant Messaging and Presence. The Wireless Village consortium developed the first cut of the specifications. After Wireless Village was merged with OMA, its specs became OMA IMPS 1.0 specifications. IMPS is...
and creatures who dance around him at first but chase him out of the forest amid exploding fireworks.
Charts
The single was released on November 23, 2009 in the United KingdomUnited 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...
in both digital and physical formats. The single peaked at #72 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 this Mika's lowest charting UK single. Casablanca Records believed this was due to low promotional airplay on UK Radio. The song was received better continental 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...
, where it peaked at #4 in Italy and inside the Top 40 in The Netherlands and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and debuted at #8 in Wallonia. The single debuted at #5 in French Singles Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
and peaked #16 in Digital Singles Chart.
| Chart (2009)/ (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
90 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
5 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... |
3 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
24 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
5 |
| German Singles Chart | 56 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Slovak Airplay Chart 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... |
13 |
| Spanish Singles Chart PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
18 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 28 |
| 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 ... |
72 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles | 52 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 69 |
Tracklisting
Credits
- MikaMika (singer)Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit...
– 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...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA 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...
, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Chris Nicolaides – background vocals
- Owen PallettOwen PallettMichael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
– 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.... - Tim Pierce – guitarGuitarThe 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...
- Dan Rothchild – background vocals
- Greg WellsGreg WellsGreg Wells is a multiple Grammy nominated musician, record producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Wells has produced and written hits with Adele, Weezer, Pink, Theophilus London, Deftones, Katy Perry, Rufus Wainwright, The All American Rejects, OneRepublic, Mika, Aerosmith, Burt Bacharach,...
– keyboards, drums, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, 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... - Martin Waugh – background vocals
- Stuart PriceStuart PriceStuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
– Programming (uncredited)