Cry Me Out
Encyclopedia
"Cry Me Out" is a song by English recording artist Pixie Lott
from her debut album, Turn It Up
(2009). Written by Lott, Mads Hauge, Phil Thornalley
and Colin Campise, and produced by Hauge and Thornalley, the song was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2009 as the album's third single
, being Lott's first ballad
single. The singer explained that she made this particular single choice because she wanted to do something more classy, mature and emotional, as well as to bring about more success for her debut album.
melody
and light drum
beats as its backing to Lott's vocals. Similar to her previous two number-one singles, "Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)
" and "Boys and Girls
", Lott has again teamed up with Mads Hauge and Phil Thornalley for this song. A new contributor was Colin Campsie who has been credited as the song's fourth co-writer.
Lott explained the song to BBC News
:
Lott also told Digital Spy
that the song's opening lyric "I got your e-mails, you just don't get females" was her favourite line on the Turn It Up album.
's Paul Lester called the song "a superb ballad, as affecting as it is accomplished" and described its opening line as "witty and wise, a master class in how to put contemporary language to the service of a sublime melody." Digital Spy
reviewer David Balls viewed to the song as "a sultry, soulful affair that warms the cockles like a cup of cocoa on a cold winter's night", adding that "Lott's vocals have a rich and smoky tone beyond her years." Jack Foley wrote for IndieLondon that the song "taps into the clever songwriting tendencies her PR insists she has with some cheeky lyrics and a keen sense of beat and melody." The LINC Online referred to the track as "a decidedly retro-sounding gem of tune heading more in the direction of the epic ballad than her previous singles may suggest", whilst Daily Stars Sarah-Louise James summarized it as "a retro-tinged stomper."
at number 117 on the issue dated 20 September 2009. It peaked at number twelve on 6 December 2009, becoming her first song not to reach number one and to miss the top ten completely. Nevertheless, it spent a fortnight on the UK Official Download Chart
at its peak position of number ten. On 12 February 2010, "Cry Me Out" earned Lott her second silver single certification from the British Phonographic Industry
, eventually became her best-selling single despite moderate chart success. The single also debuted and peaked at number thirty-one on the Irish Singles Chart
on 10 December 2009. "Cry Me Out" peaked at number four on the Danish Singles Chart
on 14 January 2011, after being performed during the auditions of the fourth season of the Danish version of X Factor
.
page that the music video
would be available to watch by the end of October and was later uploaded onto YouTube
on 30 October 2009. It was directed by Jake Nava
(who also directed videos for Beyoncé
, Leona Lewis
and Shakira
) and was shot in Cuba.
The black-and-white
-themed video features Lott performing ballet
in an empty room. Other scenes include her lying on a dining table surrounded by men, as if she is there as a meal to eat. The video starts off with a scene of a man crying as Lott walks down a case of stairs wearing a black dress. She then can be seen doing model-like poses in a classic-styled home. Lott then sits down and looks at herself in a mirror, a maid then appears and fixes Lott's outfit up before Lott knocks over a bottle of black nail polish and walks off as the maid helps her put on a black jacket. The next scene involves Lott wearing a gothic
-like dress and an unusual hairdo, she then goes to turn on the record player in a different room before involving herself in a ballet dance of her own and later dropping to the floor and having an emotional breakdown. Pixie is then situated lying down on a lengthy dining table surrounded by men, as if she were their meal. She is later in a different scene, where she can be seen walking through the house's corridor as various other ballet dancers can be seen dancing to and from between the rooms visible in the corridor behind and in front of Lott. The final scene involves Lott swimming with her dress on underwater and dancing in the ballet room with the other ballet dancers before lying in a swimming costume and holding a cocktail glass on a chair adjacent to a swimming pool with six ballet dancers dancing inside of it.
Lott described her experience filming the video to The Sun
: "We had a great time shooting it. The locals gathered round each scene to have a look, which was funny."
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
from her debut album, Turn It Up
Turn It Up (Pixie Lott album)
Turn It Up is the debut studio album by English recording artist Pixie Lott. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 September 2009 by Mercury Records. The album debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart, before dropping to number thirteen in its second week. Turn It Up has so far spent five...
(2009). Written by Lott, Mads Hauge, Phil Thornalley
Phil Thornalley
Phil Thornalley is a songwriter-producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He is perhaps best known for co-writing the song "Torn" which Natalie Imbruglia later covered to great success for her 1997 debut album, Left of the Middle...
and Colin Campise, and produced by Hauge and Thornalley, the song was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2009 as the album's third 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...
, being Lott's first ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
single. The singer explained that she made this particular single choice because she wanted to do something more classy, mature and emotional, as well as to bring about more success for her debut album.
Background
The song is a slow-paced traditional soul ballad that has a combination of a soft pianoPiano
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...
melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
and light drum
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
beats as its backing to Lott's vocals. Similar to her previous two number-one singles, "Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)
Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)
"Mama Do " is a song by English recording artist Pixie Lott from her debut album, Turn It Up. Written and produced by Mads Hauge and Phil Thornalley, the song was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 6 June 2009 and physically on 8 June 2009 as the album's lead single, spending one week...
" and "Boys and Girls
Boys and Girls (Pixie Lott song)
"Boys and Girls" is a song by English recording artist Pixie Lott, released as the second single from her debut album, Turn It Up. It was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 5 September 2009 by Mercury Records as an iTunes EP, followed by an iTunes single on 6 September and a physical...
", Lott has again teamed up with Mads Hauge and Phil Thornalley for this song. A new contributor was Colin Campsie who has been credited as the song's fourth co-writer.
Lott explained the song to BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
:
Lott also told 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....
that the song's opening lyric "I got your e-mails, you just don't get females" was her favourite line on the Turn It Up album.
Critical reception
"Cry Me Out" received positive reviews from music critics. BBC MusicBBC 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....
's Paul Lester called the song "a superb ballad, as affecting as it is accomplished" and described its opening line as "witty and wise, a master class in how to put contemporary language to the service of a sublime melody." 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....
reviewer David Balls viewed to the song as "a sultry, soulful affair that warms the cockles like a cup of cocoa on a cold winter's night", adding that "Lott's vocals have a rich and smoky tone beyond her years." Jack Foley wrote for IndieLondon that the song "taps into the clever songwriting tendencies her PR insists she has with some cheeky lyrics and a keen sense of beat and melody." The LINC Online referred to the track as "a decidedly retro-sounding gem of tune heading more in the direction of the epic ballad than her previous singles may suggest", whilst Daily Stars Sarah-Louise James summarized it as "a retro-tinged stomper."
Chart performance
Following the release of Turn It Up, "Cry Me Out" debuted 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 ...
at number 117 on the issue dated 20 September 2009. It peaked at number twelve on 6 December 2009, becoming her first song not to reach number one and to miss the top ten completely. Nevertheless, it spent a fortnight on the UK Official Download Chart
UK Official Download Chart
The UK Official Download Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the music industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being published on a Wednesday afternoon, so as to not to clash with the release of the main UK Singles Chart...
at its peak position of number ten. On 12 February 2010, "Cry Me Out" earned Lott her second silver single certification from the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
, eventually became her best-selling single despite moderate chart success. The single also debuted and peaked at number thirty-one on the 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...
on 10 December 2009. "Cry Me Out" peaked at number four on the Danish Singles Chart
Tracklisten
Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl...
on 14 January 2011, after being performed during the auditions of the fourth season of the Danish version of X Factor
X Factor (Denmark)
X Factor is the Danish version of The X Factor, a show originating in the United Kingdom and is created by talent show judge and record and TV producer Simon Cowell.-Series summary: "Under 25 boys" or "Under 25s" category "Under 25 girls" category...
.
Music video
Lott stated on her TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page that the 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...
would be available to watch by the end of October and was later uploaded onto 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 30 October 2009. It was directed by Jake Nava
Jake Nava
Jake Nava was born on 17 August and grew up in northern London. He currently lives in eastern London.He graduated from the University of WestministerJake Nava is an English-born music video and film director.-Filmography:MUSIC VIDEOS...
(who also directed videos for Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
and Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
) and was shot in Cuba.
The black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
-themed video features Lott performing ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
in an empty room. Other scenes include her lying on a dining table surrounded by men, as if she is there as a meal to eat. The video starts off with a scene of a man crying as Lott walks down a case of stairs wearing a black dress. She then can be seen doing model-like poses in a classic-styled home. Lott then sits down and looks at herself in a mirror, a maid then appears and fixes Lott's outfit up before Lott knocks over a bottle of black nail polish and walks off as the maid helps her put on a black jacket. The next scene involves Lott wearing a gothic
Gothic fashion
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture; a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical Gothic fashion includes dyed black hair, black lips and black clothes. Both male and female goths wear dark eyeliner and dark fingernails. Styles are...
-like dress and an unusual hairdo, she then goes to turn on the record player in a different room before involving herself in a ballet dance of her own and later dropping to the floor and having an emotional breakdown. Pixie is then situated lying down on a lengthy dining table surrounded by men, as if she were their meal. She is later in a different scene, where she can be seen walking through the house's corridor as various other ballet dancers can be seen dancing to and from between the rooms visible in the corridor behind and in front of Lott. The final scene involves Lott swimming with her dress on underwater and dancing in the ballet room with the other ballet dancers before lying in a swimming costume and holding a cocktail glass on a chair adjacent to a swimming pool with six ballet dancers dancing inside of it.
Lott described her experience filming the video to The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
: "We had a great time shooting it. The locals gathered round each scene to have a look, which was funny."
Track listing
- UK and Australian iTunes remix bundle
- "Cry Me Out" – 4:04
- "Cry Me Out" (Bimbo JonesBimbo JonesBimbo Jones is a UK dance music group comprising producers Lee Dagger and Marc JB and vocalist Katherine Ellis. Known for their remix work and white label releases, they produced a remix of Meck's 2006 UK number-one single "Thunder in My Heart Again"...
Remix Edit) – 3:28 - "Cry Me Out" (Bimbo Jones Remix) – 6:28
- "Cry Me Out" (Desert Eagle Discs Remix) – 6:00
Personnel
- Pixie Lott – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Ian Burdge – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Tom Coyne – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Calina de la Mare – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Clare Finnimore – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Richard George – violin
- Jon Green – guitarGuitarThe 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...
, pianoPianoThe 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... - Mads Hauge – 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...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, backing vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitar, Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television... - Sally Herbert – string arrangementsString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
, stringStrings (music)A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
conductor - Rick Koster – violin
- Graham Linehy – string engineer
- Everton Nelson – violin
- Jackie Norrie – violin
- Claire Orsler – viola
- Carlos Oyanedel – additional mixing
- Chris Sansom – additional engineer
- Emlyn Singleton – violin
- Julia Singleton – violin
- Phil TanPhil TanPhil Tan is an Atlanta, GA-based music/audio engineer.He is a 3-time Grammy Award recipient, as mixing engineer for Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" , Ludacris' "Release Therapy" and Rihanna's "Only Girl " .Among the artists on Tan's list of credits: Jill Scott, Jennifer...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - David Tench – WurlitzerWurlitzerThe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
- Phil ThornalleyPhil ThornalleyPhil Thornalley is a songwriter-producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He is perhaps best known for co-writing the song "Torn" which Natalie Imbruglia later covered to great success for her 1997 debut album, Left of the Middle...
– producer, glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone... - Bruce White – viola
- Chris Worsey – cello
Weekly charts
| Chart (2009–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |