Anthonio
Encyclopedia
"Anthonio" is a song by Norwegian recording artist Annie from the special edition bonus disc of her second studio album, Don't Stop
(2009). The track was released as a single
on 4 May 2009, and marked Annie's debut on the Pleasure Masters label. It was released digitally
and in limited edition CD and 12"
formats.
at Carnival
. She said of the song: "I think every girl has met an Anthonio, or will do at some point at least! There's an Anthonio in every city and you're sure to meet him when you least expect it!" In the song, Annie describes a brief but passionate encounter between herself and the namesake of the song, Anthonio. Annie's character in the song never sees Anthonio again and is rebuffed by her attempts to contact him. The song concludes with the final couplet "It may come as a surprise/My baby has your eyes", revealing that Annie gave birth to Anthonio's child.
page belonging to the character of Anthonio Mendes started to leave messages on Annie's own MySpace page, some of them remorseful. An answer song
named "Annie" subsequently appeared on the Internet, reportedly by "Anthonio". The song was actually recorded by Heartbreak
's Sebastian Muravchix. Three hundred copies of a limited edition vinyl
release of the song were made available 11 May 2009, which included a B-side featuring Annie named "Angel Face". According to Pleasure Masters' MySpace page, Muravchix is working on a debut album under the Anthonio persona.
's independent record label, Pleasure Masters. The Fred Falke
and Designer Drugs remixes were released to Beatport
on 21 April. A CD single, a 12-inch single
and two digital download
formats were made available, all including remixes of the song. Limited edition handmade singles were released, limited to just one hundred copies. The single came in a coloured envelope addressed to Anthonio, with Norwegian stamps and a "return to sender
" mark (a reference to the lyrics). It also included a handwritten letter from Annie to Anthonio, a photograph of Annie with her and Anthonio's lovechild Sam, in addition to the compact disc.
"Anthonio" was critically acclaimed by music blogs and various other music critics. David Balls of Digital Spy
gave the song five stars out of five, saying "it contains all the right ingredients to become the anthem of the summer." Fraser McAlpine of the BBC
Chart Blog described it as "hauntingly good". The Fred Falke remix of "Anthonio" also received attention; Matthew Richardson from Prefix Magazine felt that the remix "changes completely sea change the hurt tone of the original, and make Annie's questions sound curious as opposed to pleading", while Chris Gaerig wrote for Pitchfork Media
that it is "a much less jagged and reflexive affair. The sharp and ominous electronic punches of 'Anthonio' are replaced by an underscored melodic march and slowed pace; a more fitting landscape for Annie's soft, volumeless vocals. And the slowly crescendoing accompaniment during the chorus is more similar to the kind of happy-go-lucky charm of Anniemal
."
No music video
for the song was released.
for Times Online
. The song was inspired by a 14-year-old fan of Annie's whose ferret got lost and died. Annie said, "I shouldn't laugh [...] But she was crying. I was with Richard and Hannah, so we wrote a song called Ferret Summer. It's about a ferret going into the sea and being lost for ever." A thirty-second clip of the single was premiered by Digital Spy
on 1 May 2009, who called it "a gem of a B-side that's sure to surprise some of Annie's traditional fanbase." The review continued that the song "features the same Ibiza-ready beats as its A-side, but it assumes the role of a more mellow and ambient bedfellow. [...] Serving as the perfect antidote to the euphoric 'Anthonio', 'Ferret Summer' is destined to soundtrack those early morning come-downs spent watching the sun rise slowly over the horizon."
(Released )
iTunes single
(Released )
Digital EP / limited edition CD single
(Released )
Beatport
EP
(Released )
. Low promotion on radios and television and a lack of music video contributed to the song's lack of success. However, "Anthonio" did manage to peak at number five on the UK Indie Chart
.
Don't Stop (Annie album)
Don't Stop is the second studio album by Norwegian recording artist Annie. Originally intended for a 2008 release on UK-based Island Records, the planned release date was pushed back...
(2009). The track was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on 4 May 2009, and marked Annie's debut on the Pleasure Masters label. It was released digitally
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...
and in limited edition CD and 12"
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
formats.
Background
Annie described the song as "the ultimate summer track" and revealed it was based on a real-life encounter with a man named Anthonio she met in Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
at Carnival
Brazilian Carnival
The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival," from carnelevare, "to remove meat." Carnival celebrations...
. She said of the song: "I think every girl has met an Anthonio, or will do at some point at least! There's an Anthonio in every city and you're sure to meet him when you least expect it!" In the song, Annie describes a brief but passionate encounter between herself and the namesake of the song, Anthonio. Annie's character in the song never sees Anthonio again and is rebuffed by her attempts to contact him. The song concludes with the final couplet "It may come as a surprise/My baby has your eyes", revealing that Annie gave birth to Anthonio's child.
Answer song
Shortly after "Anthonio" premiered, a MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page belonging to the character of Anthonio Mendes started to leave messages on Annie's own MySpace page, some of them remorseful. An answer song
Answer song
An answer song is, as the name suggests, a song made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. It is also known as a response song. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s through 1950s...
named "Annie" subsequently appeared on the Internet, reportedly by "Anthonio". The song was actually recorded by Heartbreak
Heartbreak (band)
Heartbreak is an Italo disco, electronic, electro, synthpop, disco duo composed of Ali Renault and Sebastian Muravchix. Their music finds its strength through a juxtapose of Renault and Muravchix's respective background in Electro and Italo Disco...
's Sebastian Muravchix. Three hundred copies of a limited edition vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
release of the song were made available 11 May 2009, which included a B-side featuring Annie named "Angel Face". According to Pleasure Masters' MySpace page, Muravchix is working on a debut album under the Anthonio persona.
Release and reception
"Anthonio" was released via Richard XRichard X
Richard Philips, best known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for artists including Annie, Kelis, Liberty X, Rachel Stevens...
's independent record label, Pleasure Masters. The Fred Falke
Fred Falke
Frédérick "Fred" Falke is a French based house producer and DJ of German origin.Falke started out as a bass player around 1995 before turning his hand to production work in the late 1990s...
and Designer Drugs remixes were released to Beatport
Beatport
Beatport is an online music store specializing in electronic dance music and culture. Beatport is a privately held company owned and operated by Beatport LLC and based in Denver, Colorado.-History:...
on 21 April. A CD single, a 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
and two 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...
formats were made available, all including remixes of the song. Limited edition handmade singles were released, limited to just one hundred copies. The single came in a coloured envelope addressed to Anthonio, with Norwegian stamps and a "return to sender
Return to Sender
"Return to sender" is a common phrasing used when undeliverable mail is processed to be sent back to the indicated return address. It may also refer to:* "Return to Sender" , a 1962 Elvis Presley song...
" mark (a reference to the lyrics). It also included a handwritten letter from Annie to Anthonio, a photograph of Annie with her and Anthonio's lovechild Sam, in addition to the compact disc.
"Anthonio" was critically acclaimed by music blogs and various other music critics. David Balls 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....
gave the song five stars out of five, saying "it contains all the right ingredients to become the anthem of the summer." Fraser McAlpine of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Chart Blog described it as "hauntingly good". The Fred Falke remix of "Anthonio" also received attention; Matthew Richardson from Prefix Magazine felt that the remix "changes completely sea change the hurt tone of the original, and make Annie's questions sound curious as opposed to pleading", while Chris Gaerig wrote for Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
that it is "a much less jagged and reflexive affair. The sharp and ominous electronic punches of 'Anthonio' are replaced by an underscored melodic march and slowed pace; a more fitting landscape for Annie's soft, volumeless vocals. And the slowly crescendoing accompaniment during the chorus is more similar to the kind of happy-go-lucky charm of Anniemal
Anniemal
Anniemal is the debut album of Norwegian electropop singer Annie. It was first released by 679 Recordings in September 2004. Annie began recording music in 1999 with her boyfriend, Tore Kroknes, who died in 2001...
."
No music video
Music 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 the song was released.
B-side
The digital EP and limited edition CD of "Anthonio" included a brand-new B-side, "Ferret Summer". The song was first referenced in a September 2005 interview with Peter RobinsonPeter Robinson (journalist)
Peter Robinson is a British music journalist. He is the creator of the pop music-based blog Popjustice. Robinson first came to the attention of music fans with his self-published biography/fanzine of The KLF, Justified and Ancient History...
for Times Online
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. The song was inspired by a 14-year-old fan of Annie's whose ferret got lost and died. Annie said, "I shouldn't laugh [...] But she was crying. I was with Richard and Hannah, so we wrote a song called Ferret Summer. It's about a ferret going into the sea and being lost for ever." A thirty-second clip of the single was premiered by 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....
on 1 May 2009, who called it "a gem of a B-side that's sure to surprise some of Annie's traditional fanbase." The review continued that the song "features the same Ibiza-ready beats as its A-side, but it assumes the role of a more mellow and ambient bedfellow. [...] Serving as the perfect antidote to the euphoric 'Anthonio', 'Ferret Summer' is destined to soundtrack those early morning come-downs spent watching the sun rise slowly over the horizon."
Track listings
CD single / 12" single(Released )
- "Anthonio" – 3:21
- "Anthonio" (Designer Drugs Remix) – 4:59
- "Anthonio" (Fred FalkeFred FalkeFrédérick "Fred" Falke is a French based house producer and DJ of German origin.Falke started out as a bass player around 1995 before turning his hand to production work in the late 1990s...
Remix) – 7:20 - "Anthonio" (Berlin Breakdown Version) – 4:06
iTunes single
(Released )
- "Anthonio" – 3:21
- "Anthonio" (Designer Drugs Remix) – 4:59
Digital EP / limited edition CD single
(Released )
- "Anthonio" – 3:21
- "Anthonio" (Designer Drugs Remix) – 4:59
- "Anthonio" (Fred Falke Remix) – 7:20
- "Anthonio" (Berlin Breakdown Version) – 4:06
- "Anthonio" (Vaughn_e Remix) – 2:56
- "Ferret Summer" – 4:43
Beatport
Beatport
Beatport is an online music store specializing in electronic dance music and culture. Beatport is a privately held company owned and operated by Beatport LLC and based in Denver, Colorado.-History:...
EP
(Released )
- "Anthonio" (Fred Falke Remix) – 7:20
- "Anthonio" (Fred Falke Instrumental) – 7:20
- "Anthonio" (Designer Drugs Remix) – 4:59
- "Anthonio" (Designer Drugs Instrumental) – 4:59
Charts
After both the digital and physical release of "Anthonio" via Pleasure Masters, the song failed to debut 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 ...
. Low promotion on radios and television and a lack of music video contributed to the song's lack of success. However, "Anthonio" did manage to peak at number five on the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
5 |
| Spain Top 100 | 76 |