Who's That Girl (Guy Sebastian song)
Encyclopedia
"Who's That Girl" is a song performed by Australian singer-songwriter Guy Sebastian
. The single features American rapper Eve. It was written by Sebastian, with Eve writing and performing the rap, and Sebastian co-produced the song with Andre Harris. Released as a digital download on November 5, 2010 it served as the lead single
from Sebastian's retrospective
album, Twenty Ten
. The song is an up-tempo electro
R&B
song, and its critical reception has been positive. "Who's That Girl" reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart
and is Sebastian's fifth number one single. It was the fourth Australian artist single in Australian chart history to achieve 4x platinum certification with his debut single "Angels Brought Me Here
" being the first. "Who's That Girl" was shortlisted for the 2011 APRA
Song of the Year and won the APRA Urban Work of the Year. Sebastian received ARIA Award nominations for Single of the Year and Best Pop Release and won the Highest Selling Single ARIA. He was also nominated as "Most Popular Australian Artist". "Who's That Girl" also reached number one and platinum certification in New Zealand.
Sebastian stated in an interview that he recorded his own vocals at his home, "The funny thing about that single is that I did all the vocals in my dining room in Australia and we sent it across to Andre Harris who did his thing on the track by adding his magic production touch." He also spoke about writing the song, "It’s actually a completely original song that I kept going back to rewrite over and over again because, at first, the musician in me thought it was too simple in its structure... but then I realised that sometimes simplicity is the best way forward to keep things fun and hook-y." Sebastian told the New Zealand Herald that it was based on songs he was hearing on the radio from the likes of David Guetta
, and The Black Eyed Peas
. "I'm not reinventing the wheel, not at all. I had that melody, and I could have gone so many ways with it. I could have produced an old-school soul album, but I went towards what you hear on the radio. I'm not going to lie, I listen to what's popular at the moment, and it's what I'm really liking as well." In The Daily Telegraph
he said, "It's what you're hearing on radio now; four on the floor dance-driven with a guest rapper. That's kind of the template at the moment."
Sebastian considered getting Eve on the song as quite a coup. He said she was on her way to London when she opened his email with the song attached and responded immediately, saying she would love to be involved. Eve said in an interview with Nova FM
while she was in Australia to film the video, "I got an email, and when I heard it I was like 'hot song. Ok lets do it'. When asked if she did any research on Sebastian before agreeing to do the song she said 'No. This is the thing. I don't really get into that. Like as an artist. It's more about the music, and if the song is hot, I'll deal with it. And I was like 'Ok, I'll do this song'."
in the summer promotion of the 2011 series of Desperate Housewives
. Sebastian performed at a private event to welcome Oprah Winfrey
to Sydney during her trip to Australia in December 2010. Footage of him singing "Who's That Girl" with Winfrey in the front row of the audience was shown during Oprah! The Interview which screened on Channel 10
on 14 December.
, which is a very big compliment. Jamie Horne of The Border Mail
wrote: "the dancefloor-ready "Who's That Girl" with US rapper Eve should make it clear that the former 'Fro' is not that uncool after all." Chris Havercroft from X-Press Magazine said: "It is the dancefloor where Sebastian does his most damage and when teaming up with rapper Eve for new single Who’s That Girl he shows his knack for targeting his audience". The Daily Telegraph
music editor Kathy McCabe wrote: "This one has one of those choruses which will be on a continuous loop in your head all day. [....] But this isn't one of those throw away tracks artists stick on a best-of album; not only has it reached the upper echelon of the Australian charts but it has a good shot at breaking him overseas." In 2011 "Who's That Girl" became Sebastian's third song to be shortlisted for the APRA
Song of the Year and it won the APRA Urban Work of the Year. It has also received industry voted 2011 ARIA Award nominations for Single of the Year and Best Pop Release.
. Eve came to Australia in mid November to film the video with Sebastian. It premiered on YouTube
on 26 November 2010. The uncluttered video shows Sebastian singing the story of seeing the mystery girl in a dance club, with his mental images of her projected onto the walls. Eve makes a cameo appearance for the rap part of the track.
at number 11, and reached number one in its fifth week, becoming Sebastian's fifth number one single in Australia and Eve's first. Sebastian is the first Australian male artist in Australian music history to achieve five number one singles, and is equal third overall for all Australian acts. The song spent two non consecutive weeks at number one and became the second highest selling Australian artist single in 2010 within six weeks of release. It reached 4x platinum certification in May 2011, becoming only the fourth Australian artist song to ever achieve that certification level. Sebastian's 2003 debut single "Angels Brought Me Here
" was the first Australian artist song to achieve 4x platinum certification. As well as its two industry voted ARIA nominations "Who's That Girl" won the Highest Selling Single ARIA and was nominated as "Most Popular Australian Artist". "Who's That Girl" debuted at number 16 on the New Zealand Singles Chart
, and reached number one in its eleventh week. It is Sebastian's fourth New Zealand top 10 single and second number one there. It has received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ).
ARIA End of Year Charts
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
. The single features American rapper Eve. It was written by Sebastian, with Eve writing and performing the rap, and Sebastian co-produced the song with Andre Harris. Released as a digital download on November 5, 2010 it served 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 Sebastian's retrospective
Retrospective
Retrospective generally means to take a look back at events that already have taken place. For example, the term is used in medicine, describing a look back at a patient's medical history or lifestyle.-Music:...
album, Twenty Ten
Twenty Ten (album)
Twenty Ten is a two disc retrospective album by Australian singer-songwriter Guy Sebastian. Disc one features eighteen songs from his previous five albums and two new songs, including the lead single "Who's That Girl" which features American rapper Eve. Disc two contains acoustic versions of ten of...
. The song is an up-tempo electro
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song, and its critical reception has been positive. "Who's That Girl" reached number one on the 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...
and is Sebastian's fifth number one single. It was the fourth Australian artist single in Australian chart history to achieve 4x platinum certification with his debut single "Angels Brought Me Here
Angels Brought Me Here
"Angels Brought Me Here" is a pop song written by Jörgen Elofsson and John Reid for 2003 Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian, for his first album Just as I Am . Recorded versions were made for both grand finalists, Sebastian and Shannon Noll, with only Sebastian's version officially released by BMG...
" being the first. "Who's That Girl" was shortlisted for the 2011 APRA
APRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
Song of the Year and won the APRA Urban Work of the Year. Sebastian received ARIA Award nominations for Single of the Year and Best Pop Release and won the Highest Selling Single ARIA. He was also nominated as "Most Popular Australian Artist". "Who's That Girl" also reached number one and platinum certification in New Zealand.
Background
"Who's That Girl" was recorded in Australia and London.Sebastian stated in an interview that he recorded his own vocals at his home, "The funny thing about that single is that I did all the vocals in my dining room in Australia and we sent it across to Andre Harris who did his thing on the track by adding his magic production touch." He also spoke about writing the song, "It’s actually a completely original song that I kept going back to rewrite over and over again because, at first, the musician in me thought it was too simple in its structure... but then I realised that sometimes simplicity is the best way forward to keep things fun and hook-y." Sebastian told the New Zealand Herald that it was based on songs he was hearing on the radio from the likes of David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
, and The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
. "I'm not reinventing the wheel, not at all. I had that melody, and I could have gone so many ways with it. I could have produced an old-school soul album, but I went towards what you hear on the radio. I'm not going to lie, I listen to what's popular at the moment, and it's what I'm really liking as well." In The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
he said, "It's what you're hearing on radio now; four on the floor dance-driven with a guest rapper. That's kind of the template at the moment."
Sebastian considered getting Eve on the song as quite a coup. He said she was on her way to London when she opened his email with the song attached and responded immediately, saying she would love to be involved. Eve said in an interview with Nova FM
Nova (radio network)
Nova is a name given to a group of Australian radio stations. The group comprises five stations all owned by DMG Radio Australia, apart from the Perth station, which is a joint venture between DMG and the Australian Radio Network....
while she was in Australia to film the video, "I got an email, and when I heard it I was like 'hot song. Ok lets do it'. When asked if she did any research on Sebastian before agreeing to do the song she said 'No. This is the thing. I don't really get into that. Like as an artist. It's more about the music, and if the song is hot, I'll deal with it. And I was like 'Ok, I'll do this song'."
Release and promotion
"Who's That Girl" was serviced to Australian radio stations on 5 November 2010. It was initially scheduled for a radio release on 1 November 2010 but had to be delayed due to last minute tinkering on the song. It was the most added song to radio in its second week. Sebastian and Eve performed "Who's That Girl" on the grand final episode of The X Factor on 22 November 2010, which aired in both Australia and New Zealand. "Who's That Girl" was used by Channel 7Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
in the summer promotion of the 2011 series of Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
. Sebastian performed at a private event to welcome Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
to Sydney during her trip to Australia in December 2010. Footage of him singing "Who's That Girl" with Winfrey in the front row of the audience was shown during Oprah! The Interview which screened on Channel 10
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
on 14 December.
Critical reception
The song received positive reviews from critics. A reviewer from Soundfiends said: "We’re loving the track, and it reminds us of something that would come from latest "it" boy Taio CruzTaio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
, which is a very big compliment. Jamie Horne of The Border Mail
The Border Mail
The Border Mail is a daily newspaper published in Albury-Wodonga, Australia, serving the twin cities and the surrounding region.The first edition was printed on 24 October 1903 by editor Hamilton Mott and his brother Decimus...
wrote: "the dancefloor-ready "Who's That Girl" with US rapper Eve should make it clear that the former 'Fro' is not that uncool after all." Chris Havercroft from X-Press Magazine said: "It is the dancefloor where Sebastian does his most damage and when teaming up with rapper Eve for new single Who’s That Girl he shows his knack for targeting his audience". The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
music editor Kathy McCabe wrote: "This one has one of those choruses which will be on a continuous loop in your head all day. [....] But this isn't one of those throw away tracks artists stick on a best-of album; not only has it reached the upper echelon of the Australian charts but it has a good shot at breaking him overseas." In 2011 "Who's That Girl" became Sebastian's third song to be shortlisted for the APRA
APRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
Song of the Year and it won the APRA Urban Work of the Year. It has also received industry voted 2011 ARIA Award nominations for Single of the Year and Best Pop Release.
Music video
The music video for "Who's That Girl" was shot at the Paddington Town Hall in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Eve came to Australia in mid November to film the video with Sebastian. It premiered on YouTube
YouTube
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 26 November 2010. The uncluttered video shows Sebastian singing the story of seeing the mystery girl in a dance club, with his mental images of her projected onto the walls. Eve makes a cameo appearance for the rap part of the track.
Charts and certifications
"Who's That Girl" debuted on the ARIA Singles ChartARIA 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...
at number 11, and reached number one in its fifth week, becoming Sebastian's fifth number one single in Australia and Eve's first. Sebastian is the first Australian male artist in Australian music history to achieve five number one singles, and is equal third overall for all Australian acts. The song spent two non consecutive weeks at number one and became the second highest selling Australian artist single in 2010 within six weeks of release. It reached 4x platinum certification in May 2011, becoming only the fourth Australian artist song to ever achieve that certification level. Sebastian's 2003 debut single "Angels Brought Me Here
Angels Brought Me Here
"Angels Brought Me Here" is a pop song written by Jörgen Elofsson and John Reid for 2003 Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian, for his first album Just as I Am . Recorded versions were made for both grand finalists, Sebastian and Shannon Noll, with only Sebastian's version officially released by BMG...
" was the first Australian artist song to achieve 4x platinum certification. As well as its two industry voted ARIA nominations "Who's That Girl" won the Highest Selling Single ARIA and was nominated as "Most Popular Australian Artist". "Who's That Girl" debuted at number 16 on the 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...
, and reached number one in its eleventh week. It is Sebastian's fourth New Zealand top 10 single and second number one there. It has received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
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...
(RIANZ).
Chart peaks
Weekly charts| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
1 | 4x Platinum |
| 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... |
1 | Platinum |
ARIA End of Year Charts
| Year | Overall rank |
Australian artist rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 42 | 2 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | November 5, 2010 | 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... |
Sony Music Australia |
| New Zealand | |||
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia in 2010
- List of number-one singles in Australia in 2011
- List of top 10 singles in 2010 (Australia)
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (New Zealand)