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Wake Up (Hilary Duff song)
Encyclopedia
"Wake Up" is a song by American recording artist Hilary Duff
from her first compilation album, Most Wanted
. It was released as the lead single
from the album on July 12, 2005 by Hollywood Records
. Described by Duff as an '80s-influenced dance-pop
song, "Wake Up" is lyrically about going out and having fun.
The song was released digitally in the United Kingdom
on October 24, 2005.
"Wake Up" received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised it for being "irresistible" and having a fun nature, while others criticized it for its "insipid" lyrics and noted that it sounds like "leftovers" from Duff's previous releases. The song achieved some commercial success, becoming a top-ten hit in Ireland, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. It reached the top forty in several other countries: Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States.
The song's accompanying music video features Duff leaving her house and attending various nightclubs and parties.
song backed by teen pop
beats, with "a more mature pop-techno sound" than Duff's previous work. She has described the song's genre as "very dancey, kind of pop – not '80s
, but kind of with that in it." According to her, the song "makes you want to forget about all the pressure of dealing with your boss, or your teacher, or your mom, or [whoever]," and lyrically discusses "getting out and not forgetting to have some fun." Duff has also said that "it's really a catchy song but it talks about being in all my favorite places in the world, which is Tokyo and Paris and London and New York." The song is written in the key of E major
and is set in common time
, with a tempo of 118 beats per minute. Its instrumentation comes from a guitar
, bass
and drum
s. It features the sequence of E5—E/G#—A(#11) as its chord progression. Duff's vocal range spans exactly one octave, from C♯4–C♯5.
praised the song, calling it the "[p]erfect beach pop anthem" and "irresistible bubblegum
." Though he criticized Duff's "thin" voice, Lamb noted, "While Britney
[Spears] and Jessica
[Simpson] have turned toward a more adult, risque image, 17-year-old Hilary Duff shows us that a significant part of being a teenager is simply having fun hanging out with friends." Talia Kraines of BBC Music
said that the song "could have been straight off Britney's debut
."
Sal Cinquemani criticized the song's lyrics, calling them "insipid." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic described the song as "a sweet-natured, slightly listless spin on Gwen Stefani
's 'Cool,'" and according to him, it "sound[s] a bit like leftovers" from Duff's previous releases.
sales, the single entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
at number twenty-nine in mid-August, the week's highest debut. It spent two weeks in the top forty and six on the Hot 100, and it also reached the top forty on Billboards Pop 100
chart. In October 2005, the RIAA
certified "Wake Up" gold for its download sales.
"Wake Up" was more successful outside the U.S. It was released in the UK in late October and debuted at number seven, Duff's highest position on the singles chart there; it stayed in the top forty for six weeks. In Ireland, it peaked inside the top five in its third week, and in Australia, it reached number fifteen, remaining in the top forty for eleven weeks. Its success across most of continental Europe was limited: in Norway, it reached the top five, but it peaked outside the top twenty in France (where it remained on the chart for nineteen weeks), Switzerland, and the Netherlands, and it did not reach the top forty in Sweden, Austria or Germany. "Wake Up" is the second most successful song by any artist in the Hollywood Records label in the UK, with the highest peak position at number seven. The song received heavy rotation on UK radio stations and music channels, the song is still played every so often on UK airwaves.
and was shot in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. Duff said, "I'm a huge fan of [the bands he's worked with], so I was really excited that he would direct my video." She added:
It starts with Duff waking up on a couch, then sitting up to begin singing the song. Shortly after, the video cuts to a shot of her singing while sitting on a bench in her bedroom. After listening to music through headphones for a short while, she gets up, applies make-up, and puts on a black wig. She leaves her bedroom and rides around town in a car with several friends. She is then seen at various nightclubs in different cities. For the duration of the video, there are shots of her at different parties and clubs while she sings and clubgoers around her dance.
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
from her first compilation album, Most Wanted
Most Wanted (Hilary Duff album)
Most Wanted is the first compilation album by American recording artist Hilary Duff. Released on August 10, 2005, through Hollywood Records, the album comprises ten previously released tracks , and three new recordings: "Wake Up", "Beat of My Heart", and "Break My Heart"...
. It was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from the album on July 12, 2005 by Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
. Described by Duff as an '80s-influenced dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song, "Wake Up" is lyrically about going out and having fun.
The song was released digitally 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...
on October 24, 2005.
"Wake Up" received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised it for being "irresistible" and having a fun nature, while others criticized it for its "insipid" lyrics and noted that it sounds like "leftovers" from Duff's previous releases. The song achieved some commercial success, becoming a top-ten hit in Ireland, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. It reached the top forty in several other countries: Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States.
The song's accompanying music video features Duff leaving her house and attending various nightclubs and parties.
Composition
"Wake Up" is a mid-tempo dance-popDance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song backed by teen pop
Teen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....
beats, with "a more mature pop-techno sound" than Duff's previous work. She has described the song's genre as "very dancey, kind of pop – not '80s
1980s in music
For music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
, but kind of with that in it." According to her, the song "makes you want to forget about all the pressure of dealing with your boss, or your teacher, or your mom, or [whoever]," and lyrically discusses "getting out and not forgetting to have some fun." Duff has also said that "it's really a catchy song but it talks about being in all my favorite places in the world, which is Tokyo and Paris and London and New York." The song is written in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
and is set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
, with a tempo of 118 beats per minute. Its instrumentation comes from a 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...
, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. It features the sequence of E5—E/G#—A(#11) as its chord progression. Duff's vocal range spans exactly one octave, from C♯4–C♯5.
Critical reception
Bill Lamb of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
praised the song, calling it the "[p]erfect beach pop anthem" and "irresistible bubblegum
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
." Though he criticized Duff's "thin" voice, Lamb noted, "While Britney
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...
[Spears] and Jessica
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
[Simpson] have turned toward a more adult, risque image, 17-year-old Hilary Duff shows us that a significant part of being a teenager is simply having fun hanging out with friends." Talia Kraines of BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
said that the song "could have been straight off Britney's debut
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
."
Sal Cinquemani criticized the song's lyrics, calling them "insipid." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic described the song as "a sweet-natured, slightly listless spin on Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
's 'Cool,'" and according to him, it "sound[s] a bit like leftovers" from Duff's previous releases.
Chart performance
In the United States, "Wake Up" was released to mainstream top 40 radio on July 12, 2005, Largely because of high digital downloadMusic 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 single entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number twenty-nine in mid-August, the week's highest debut. It spent two weeks in the top forty and six on the Hot 100, and it also reached the top forty on Billboards Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
chart. In October 2005, the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certified "Wake Up" gold for its download sales.
"Wake Up" was more successful outside the U.S. It was released in the UK in late October and debuted at number seven, Duff's highest position on the singles chart there; it stayed in the top forty for six weeks. In Ireland, it peaked inside the top five in its third week, and in Australia, it reached number fifteen, remaining in the top forty for eleven weeks. Its success across most of continental Europe was limited: in Norway, it reached the top five, but it peaked outside the top twenty in France (where it remained on the chart for nineteen weeks), Switzerland, and the Netherlands, and it did not reach the top forty in Sweden, Austria or Germany. "Wake Up" is the second most successful song by any artist in the Hollywood Records label in the UK, with the highest peak position at number seven. The song received heavy rotation on UK radio stations and music channels, the song is still played every so often on UK airwaves.
Music video
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Marc WebbMarc Webb
Marc Preston Webb is an American music video, short film and major motion picture director. He directed the 2009 romantic comedy-drama Days of Summer and is currently directing the 2012 Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.-Life and career:Webb was born in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of...
and was shot in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Duff said, "I'm a huge fan of [the bands he's worked with], so I was really excited that he would direct my video." She added:
"The video moves really quickly and has all [these] quick pops. It shows me in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, LondonLondonLondon 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...
, ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, New YorkNew York CityNew 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...
, and it goes through all these different looks, [one] in each city, and it just shows that no matter where you are, people want [to do] the same things: they dance and they party. [...] The [style] looks kind of grainy and it's a totally different look for me."
It starts with Duff waking up on a couch, then sitting up to begin singing the song. Shortly after, the video cuts to a shot of her singing while sitting on a bench in her bedroom. After listening to music through headphones for a short while, she gets up, applies make-up, and puts on a black wig. She leaves her bedroom and rides around town in a car with several friends. She is then seen at various nightclubs in different cities. For the duration of the video, there are shots of her at different parties and clubs while she sings and clubgoers around her dance.
Track listings and formats
- EU / U.S. Promo Single
- "Wake Up" (Album Version) – 3:39
- UK / U.S. CD Single
- "Wake Up" (Album Version) – 3:39
- "Wake Up" (DJ Kaya Dance Remix) – 4:12
- AUS CD Single
- "Wake Up" (Album Version) – 3:38
- "Who's That Girl" (Acoustic Version) – 3:26
- GER / UK Maxi Single
- "Wake Up" (Album Version) – 3:42
- "Wake Up" (DJ Kaya Long-T Remix) – 5:31
- "Come Clean" (Remix 2005) – 3:45
- "Wake Up" (Music Video) – 3:44
Credits and personnel
- WriterLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
– Dead Executives, Hilary Duff - 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...
– Dead Executives - Drums – Dean ButterworthDean ButterworthDean "Deano" Butterworth is a professional drummer. He played for popular singer Morrissey and was announced as the official drummer for the band Good Charlotte in March 2005 after they parted with their previous drummer, Chris Wilson in 2005...
- Background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
– The Fruit, Monique Powell
Charts
| Chart (2005/2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian 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... |
15 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
46 |
| 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... |
38 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 20 |
| 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... |
24 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
68 |
| 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... |
5 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
24 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
5 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
45 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
31 |
| 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 ... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
29 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
22 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold |