Army of Love
Encyclopedia
"Army of Love" is a single by Estonian recording artist Kerli from her second studio album (2011). The song was written by Kerli, Jean Baptiste
, Mick McHenry and Ryan Buendia and was produced by Free School Music and Jean Baptiste. It was released on December 16, 2010 via free download on Kerli's official website. It was released for purchase as a single on April 12, 2011. A 9-track remix EP was released on May 3, 2011, and part 2 was released on June 21, 2011.
For the week of May 7, 2011, the song peaked at number 1 on Billboard
s Hot Dance Club Play Songs chart.
, Mike McHenry and Ryan Buendia. It was produced by Free School Music and Baptiste. "Army of Love" features a very distinct rhythmic electronic beat primarily consisting of an electronic keyboard
, synths
and a short drum beat
. The song samples melody from 3 AM Eternal by the KLF.
Dance Music / Electronica's DJ Ron Slomowicz selected the track as "Song of the Day", stating "Whether blatantly selling out or making a true artistic shift in musical direction, 'Army of Love' is catchy and may just make Kerli more accessible across the board."
PopEater.com
gave the song a positive review, commending the "infectious electronic beat" and noting that her "etherial vocals are the icing on the cake."
s Hot Dance Club Songs chart and after eleven weeks, peaked at number 1.
It also peaked at number 3 on the "Raadio Uuno Top 40" and number 10 on the Estonian Top 40.
through Kerli's Vevo
channel.
. It was directed by Kaimar Kukk.
. During this, people (presumably Moonchildren) come out of various places and follow her to the street for the next scene. They follow her into a forest, where she finds a unicorn
as a fairy
(Kerli) sits swinging on a swing. The next scene features Kerli on a truck singing for the large crowd that surrounds it. The video is concluded by the Moonchildren marching after her as she rides the unicorn. The screen fades to black and another title is shown: "To Be Continued..."
In the beginning of the video, up until the point when she says "Moonchildren, prepare to take over the universe", you can hear words like "integrity", "love", and "unity" being whispered into the background. Throughout the first part of the video, words such as "integrity", "love", "unity", "coming", and "K713" blink on and off screen.
.
Review
site Idolator said that the song's music video is the "hottest rave to hit Middle Earth," referencing the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
due to Kerli's elfin appearance in the video and the forest setting.
Jean Baptiste Kouame
Jean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
, Mick McHenry and Ryan Buendia and was produced by Free School Music and Jean Baptiste. It was released on December 16, 2010 via free download on Kerli's official website. It was released for purchase as a single on April 12, 2011. A 9-track remix EP was released on May 3, 2011, and part 2 was released on June 21, 2011.
For the week of May 7, 2011, the song peaked at number 1 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Dance Club Play Songs chart.
Background
Kerli announced on November 4, 2010 that the first promotional single from her sophomore album would be titled "Army of Love" and that video had nearly finished production.Composition
"Army of Love" was written by Kerli, Jean BaptisteJean Baptiste Kouame
Jean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
, Mike McHenry and Ryan Buendia. It was produced by Free School Music and Baptiste. "Army of Love" features a very distinct rhythmic electronic beat primarily consisting of an electronic keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
, synths
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and a short drum beat
Drum beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments...
. The song samples melody from 3 AM Eternal by the KLF.
Critical reception
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....
Dance Music / Electronica's DJ Ron Slomowicz selected the track as "Song of the Day", stating "Whether blatantly selling out or making a true artistic shift in musical direction, 'Army of Love' is catchy and may just make Kerli more accessible across the board."
PopEater.com
Popeater
PopEater.com was an American gossip news web site owned by AOL Television. It was one of the most popular gossip blogs in America, ranking in the top 20s on Technorati's Top 100 and ranks #28 on Pikimal. On 11 July 2011, Arianna Huffington and PopEater co-announced PopEater had "a new home" at...
gave the song a positive review, commending the "infectious electronic beat" and noting that her "etherial vocals are the icing on the cake."
Chart performance
The song debuted at number 51 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Dance Club Songs chart and after eleven weeks, peaked at number 1.
It also peaked at number 3 on the "Raadio Uuno Top 40" and number 10 on the Estonian Top 40.
Music video
The music video officially premiered on December 22 on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
through Kerli's Vevo
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
channel.
Development
The video was filmed over several days in EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. It was directed by Kaimar Kukk.
Synopsis
The video begins with a title that says: "Kerli", then "Army of Love". The first scene of the video is Kerli sitting in what appears to be a child's bedroom. She is in a rocking chair, playing with a Rubik's cube. Then it shows Kerli in an abandoned warehouse where she picks up a phone and announces "Moonchildren, prepare to take over the universe". The scene cuts to Kerli outside the building singing the first chorus and verse into a megaphoneMegaphone
A megaphone, speaking-trumpet, bullhorn, blowhorn, or loud hailer is a portable, usually hand-held, cone-shaped horn used to amplify a person’s voice or other sounds towards a targeted direction. This is accomplished by channelling the sound through the megaphone, which also serves to match the...
. During this, people (presumably Moonchildren) come out of various places and follow her to the street for the next scene. They follow her into a forest, where she finds a unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
as a fairy
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
(Kerli) sits swinging on a swing. The next scene features Kerli on a truck singing for the large crowd that surrounds it. The video is concluded by the Moonchildren marching after her as she rides the unicorn. The screen fades to black and another title is shown: "To Be Continued..."
In the beginning of the video, up until the point when she says "Moonchildren, prepare to take over the universe", you can hear words like "integrity", "love", and "unity" being whispered into the background. Throughout the first part of the video, words such as "integrity", "love", "unity", "coming", and "K713" blink on and off screen.
Reception
As of June 23, 2011, the music video has nearly 2,010,000 views on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Review
Review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service, such as a movie , video game, musical composition , book ; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theater show or dance show...
site Idolator said that the song's music video is the "hottest rave to hit Middle Earth," referencing the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
due to Kerli's elfin appearance in the video and the forest setting.
Track listings and formats
- Digital download
- "Army of Love" - 3:24
- Digital remix EP
- "Army of Love (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Radio Edit)" - 4:12
- "Army of Love (Chew Fu Rain Las Vegas Radio Edit)" - 3:46
- "Army of Love (Sultan & Ned Shepard Radio Edit)" - 3:39
- "Army of Love (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Remix)" - 7:02
- "Army of Love (Chew Fu Rain Las Vegas Refix Extended Club)" - 5:35
- "Army of Love (Sultan & Ned Shepard Extended Club Mix)" - 5:15
- "Army of Love (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Instrumental)" - 7:01
- "Army of Love (Chew Fu Rain Las Vegas Refix Dub)" - 5:35
- "Army of Love (Sultan & Ned Shepard Club Dub)" - 4:59
- Digital remix EP, pt. 2
- "Army of Love (Extended Army)" - 5:20
- "Army of Love (WAWA Edit)" - 3:32
- "Army of Love (Cherry Cherry Boom Boom Edit)" - 3:14
- "Army of Love (WAWA Extended Mix)" - 6:17
- "Army of Love (Cherry Cherry Boom Boom Refreak Mix)" - 4:39
- "Army of Love (DJ Lynnwood Club Mix)" - 7:07
- "Army of Love (WAWA Dub)" - 6:17
- "Army of Love (DJ Lynnwood Dub)" - 6:09
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | December 16, 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... (free via Kerli's website) |
| United States | April 12, 2011 | Digital download (for purchase) |
| May 3, 2011 | Digital remix EP | |
| June 21, 2011 | Digital remix EP, pt. 2 |