Crush (David Archuleta song)
Encyclopedia
"Crush" is the first single by American Idol
season seven
runner-up David Archuleta
. It was first released to radio stations via New York City
's radio station Z100
on August 1, 2008, and commercially in the United States on August 12, 2008, through digital distribution. "Crush" was produced by Emanuel Kiriakou
and co-written by Kiriakou, Jess Cates
and Dave Hodges
.
The song was recorded for his self-titled first album
, which was released on November 11, 2008.
Chuck Taylor of Billboard
praised it for being a suitable match for Archuleta, citing it as a "hummable, age-appropriate midtempo pop ditty for the 17-year-old, showcasing his fine mass-appeal vocal stylings with creamy harmonies and some nice falsetto effects." He also predicted chart success for the song, saying "'Crush' is likely to put its money where its title is on the charts."
Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly
called the song "surprisingly good!" as well as "hip and contemporary." He stated, "David adroitly walks the line between giving his core fans their fill of vocal runs while showing enough restraint that he won't automatically alienate non-Idol-loving listeners."
Blender Magazine also praised the song, giving it three and a half out of five stars and claiming to have "just listened to the thing six times in a row and we're not terribly angry about spin seven." They also liked that the song seemed perfectly crafted for radio, saying, "Songs like "Crush" are great because they sound as if the radio immaculately conceived them."
Ken Barnes of USA Today
liked the "effortless glides into falsetto and some rousing moments in the bridge and chorus", but also said it "tends to plod", and "could become pretty tedious with repetition."
was directed by Declan Whitebloom. The music video was first leaked on September 7, 2008, through AOL
, initially restricted to Canada
and then released on September 16, 2008, on iTunes
. The video now has over 30 million hits on YouTube.
It consists of Archuleta on a vacation trying to get the attention of a girl (played by Hagood Coxe) on whom he apparently has a crush. At the beginning, several teens go swimming in the lake near their summer house, with one of the guys flirting with the girl in the water. After they have finished swimming, the guy runs off, while Archuleta stays behind to help the girl out of the lake. The group is also shown in a cabin playing a game involving post its, while Archuleta is also shown playing his guitar
in the cabin. Another scene shows the group by a campfire with several of them paired off into couples. At the end, Archuleta goes out on the deck of the cabin, and the girl follows him out, showing that she shares his feelings. Archuleta is also shown playing the piano
near a lake throughout the video.
at #2 in the week of August 21, 2008, with 166,000 copies sold in its first week. This was the highest entry for a song on the Hot 100 in 2008 and the highest for any song on this chart since Fall Out Boy
's "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
", which also entered the chart at #2 in the chart week of February 3, 2007.
"Crush" entered the Billboard Pop 100
, at #93 and peaked at #12; it also made the top ten on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
chart. The song entered the Canadian Hot 100
at #7 in the same week.
The single has sold 1.9 million copies as of March 4, 2010 according to Nielsen SoundScan
.
"Crush" was released digitally in UK on February 23, 2009, although no physical CD single was released.
"Crush" was awarded for Choice Music Love Song, in Teen Choice Awards 2009.
It also received 'BMI Pop Award' in 2010.
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
season seven
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
runner-up David Archuleta
David Archuleta
David Archuleta, is a former United States Air Force Airman of Okinawan stationary troops and is currently an American male kickboxer.-Biography:...
. It was first released to radio stations via New York City
New York City
New 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...
's radio station Z100
Z100
-Internet TV:* Z100.TV, a website serving as an international directory of online TV-channels and associated video media-Radio:* WHTZ, 100.3 in New York City* KKRZ, 100.3 in Portland, Oregon* KZRO, 100.1 in Mount Shasta, California, a.k.a...
on August 1, 2008, and commercially in the United States on August 12, 2008, through digital distribution. "Crush" was produced by Emanuel Kiriakou
Emanuel Kiriakou
- Early life :Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou started playing music at the age of thirteen in his father’s Greek band.-Producer:...
and co-written by Kiriakou, Jess Cates
Jess Cates
Jess Cates is a Los Angeles based songwriter who has co-written multi-platinum selling songs such as Nick Lachey's "What’s Left Of Me", and the Backstreet Boys hit of 2006 "Incomplete". In recent years, Cates has worked in a commercially successful songwriting team with Lindy Robbins and Emanuel...
and Dave Hodges
Dave Hodges
Dave Hodges is a marijuana activist and businessman who founded San Jose's first storefront cannabis collective, SJCBC LLC . As of March 1st, 2011 SJCBC LLC no longer provides cannabis in San Jose, CA...
.
The song was recorded for his self-titled first album
David Archuleta (album)
David Archuleta is the self-titled debut album of American Idol season 7 runner-up David Archuleta. It was released on November 11, 2008, in the United States, under Jive Records. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 29, 2009. The first single, "Crush", was released to radio on...
, which was released on November 11, 2008.
Release history
| Country | Release Date |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| United Kingdom |
Reception
"Crush" was met with positive reviews by many critics.Chuck Taylor of 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...
praised it for being a suitable match for Archuleta, citing it as a "hummable, age-appropriate midtempo pop ditty for the 17-year-old, showcasing his fine mass-appeal vocal stylings with creamy harmonies and some nice falsetto effects." He also predicted chart success for the song, saying "'Crush' is likely to put its money where its title is on the charts."
Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the song "surprisingly good!" as well as "hip and contemporary." He stated, "David adroitly walks the line between giving his core fans their fill of vocal runs while showing enough restraint that he won't automatically alienate non-Idol-loving listeners."
Blender Magazine also praised the song, giving it three and a half out of five stars and claiming to have "just listened to the thing six times in a row and we're not terribly angry about spin seven." They also liked that the song seemed perfectly crafted for radio, saying, "Songs like "Crush" are great because they sound as if the radio immaculately conceived them."
Ken Barnes of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
liked the "effortless glides into falsetto and some rousing moments in the bridge and chorus", but also said it "tends to plod", and "could become pretty tedious with repetition."
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...
was directed by Declan Whitebloom. The music video was first leaked on September 7, 2008, through AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, initially restricted to 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...
and then released on September 16, 2008, on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. The video now has over 30 million hits on YouTube.
It consists of Archuleta on a vacation trying to get the attention of a girl (played by Hagood Coxe) on whom he apparently has a crush. At the beginning, several teens go swimming in the lake near their summer house, with one of the guys flirting with the girl in the water. After they have finished swimming, the guy runs off, while Archuleta stays behind to help the girl out of the lake. The group is also shown in a cabin playing a game involving post its, while Archuleta is also shown playing his 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...
in the cabin. Another scene shows the group by a campfire with several of them paired off into couples. At the end, Archuleta goes out on the deck of the cabin, and the girl follows him out, showing that she shares his feelings. Archuleta is also shown playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
near a lake throughout the video.
Chart performance
After being released digitally in the U.S., "Crush" entered at the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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 #2 in the week of August 21, 2008, with 166,000 copies sold in its first week. This was the highest entry for a song on the Hot 100 in 2008 and the highest for any song on this chart since Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
's "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
"This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the lead single from their commercially successful fourth studio album Infinity on High . The song was first played on September 30, 2006 at a Philadelphia radio station, 102.1, and leaked onto the internet...
", which also entered the chart at #2 in the chart week of February 3, 2007.
"Crush" entered the 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...
, at #93 and peaked at #12; it also made the top ten on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart. The song entered the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
at #7 in the same week.
The single has sold 1.9 million copies as of March 4, 2010 according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
.
"Crush" was released digitally in UK on February 23, 2009, although no physical CD single was released.
"Crush" was awarded for Choice Music Love Song, in Teen Choice Awards 2009.
It also received 'BMI Pop Award' in 2010.
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
7 |
| Japan Hot 100 Singles | 37 |
| 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 .... |
36 |
| 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... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
15 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs | 13 |
Official versions
- Blast Off Productions Remix (6:16)
- Blast Off Productions Radio Remix (4:01)
- Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Club Mix (7:42)
- Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Radio Edit (3:56)
- Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Dub (6:54)
- Jason NevinsJason NevinsJason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's...
Extended Mix (6:49) - Jason Nevins Radio Edit (4:07)
- Jason Nevins Extended Instrumental (6:49)
- Jason Nevins Radio Instrumental (4:06)
- Tonal Club Mix (5:18)
- Tonal Radio Edit (4:12)
Certifications and sales
| Country | Certification | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singles | Digital | ||
| United States | - | 1,977,000 |
In popular culture
- It was used in promotion for the third season of ABC FamilyABC FamilyABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
's series Lincoln HeightsLincoln Heights (TV series)Lincoln Heights is an American drama television series about Eddie Sutton, a Mission Vista police officer who moves his family back to his old neighborhood, Lincoln Heights, to start a new life and to help out his old neighborhood...
. - It was featured in episode 13, season 1 of 9021090210 (TV series)90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
- It was featured in a TV spot for the film New in Town
- The song is on the Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 11Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 11Radio Disney Jams 11 is the eleventh album in the Radio Disney Jams series. It is a compilation of popular songs played on Radio Disney.- Track listing :-Bonus DVD:The Bonus DVD includes the following:...
album. - The song was performed by Archuleta during Crush Night, February 7, 2009, on Nickelodeon.
- The song appears on Now That's What I Call Music! 30Now That's What I Call Music! 30 (U.S. series)- Free downloads :For the second time , additional content can be unlocked from the CD via Push Entertainment, including free downloads from the following developing artists plus videos by artists featured on this and previous Now! releases.# Green River Ordinance – "Come On"# My Favorite Highway –...
.