LOL Smiley Face
Encyclopedia
"LOL Smiley Face","), is a song by American recording artist Trey Songz
. It features rappers Gucci Mane
and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
. The three co-wrote the song with producers Troy Taylor
and Tony Scales. The song serves as the second single from Songz' third studio album, Ready
. "LOL Smiley Face" is an R&B
song featuring bouncy, poppy
synths, and lyrically refers to sexting
and other electronic multimedia messaging. The song was released as the second single from Songz's third album Ready
on August 24, 2009.
The song received generally positive reviews from critics, who noted its catchy melody. The song peaked at number fifty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100
and number twelve on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. Rather than releasing a traditional music video, a montage of fans singing and dancing to the track was released.
, at three different studios, Doppler Studios, Patchwerk Studios and D2 Music Studios. "LOL" was written by its performers, Trey Songz, Gucci Mane
and Soulja Boy
, and its producers, Troy Taylor
and Tony Scales also contributed to the writing process. Taylor recorded the track while Jean Marie Horvat mixed
the song.
When speaking on the conceptual basis of Ready, Songz said, "You think about a record like 'LOL Smiley Face,' it's something real simple, but when you look at the title or listen to the record, you're like, 'Wow.' That's something great from a songwriter's perspective. I'm just trying to make hits and classic records that people can vibe to and live their life." In an interview with BallerStatus, Songz commented on his thoughts of making a remix of the song, stating, "I think there's going to be a remix for that song, because a lot of people dig it. A lot of people have hit me up actually about it. That song is blowing up real fast man." He also stated the possibility of American rapper Nicki Minaj
appearing on a remix, saying, "She wanted to do more of a commercial record, a cuter sex record. 'LOL' was actually already done, but when she heard it, she hit me up, and said 'I love that song. You're a punk for not putting me on it.' She'll definitely be on the remix." However no remix was seen to be in the works nor did it come to fruition.
, pop
and hip-hop
music. It is backed with heavy percussion and smooth vocals. According to Andrew Rennie of NOW
, the song, along with "Neighbors Know My Name
", continues Songz's usage of his hook-heavy and playful style. Ajitpaul Mangat of Tiny Mix Tapes
called the chorus "ringtone ready." The song is lyrically about sexting
, as verses talk about tales of "wired romance." Its lyrics contain references to Twitter
, TwitPic
, MySpace
, and BlackBerry
, and Soulja Boy
's line contains a reference to his song "Kiss Me Thru the Phone
." According to Mark Edward Nero of About.com
, the song is aimed at teenage girls. Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
said that Ready was built about the "popping tracks" of "LOL Smiley Face" and "Say Aah".
called the song "gimmicky", he said it was "catchy" and "addictive", commenting that the song "actually deserves creativity points: it's a silly, lighthearted song that's not meant to be taken seriously." Tyler Lewis of PopMatters
called the song silly, and in an album review, commented, "The less said about “LOL :)”, the better", calling the listening experience "frustrating." Ajitpaul Mangat of Tiny Mix Tapes
said that in the song, "we have a genuinely novel pop music moment: a booty call (an R&B staple) that only this generation can relate to." Mangat also commended the song's beat, chorus, and Soulja Boy's cameo, commenting, "In the end, it is all somehow apropos." Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy
said the song had an "irrefutably catchy melody", and complimented the song because of the appearance of Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy, stating, "it's incredibly playful, as any song about texting
should be." Melanie Fried of Billboard
called "LOL Smiley Face" "the most absurdly appealing, tech-savvy song of the year to date", commenting "Anyone younger than 15 is already texting their friends about their new favorite song."
at number fifty-one, the second highest debut of the week behind Breaking Benjamin
's "I Will Not Bow
". The song peaked at its entry position, remaining on the chart for eight weeks. At the time "LOL" was Songz's second biggest hit overall, only behind his breakthrough single "Can't Help but Wait
." On the week labeled October 10, 2009, the song peaked at number twelve on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, as Songz's seventh overall and fifth top twenty entry on the chart.
on September 2, 2009 as a part of a medley with "I Need a Girl
" and "Successful." Instead of releasing a typical video for the song, the accompanying clip features fans singing and dancing along to the clip, as well as tweeting
and texting the title. The video was released online on November 25, 2009.
Source
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
. It features rappers Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane
Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...
and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
. The three co-wrote the song with producers Troy Taylor
Troy Taylor (producer)
Troy Taylor was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, into a family of musicians. He got his start by singing in talent shows at an early age then moved on to playing keyboards. Before reaching the age of 21, Taylor was signed as an artist to Motown Records and later helped produce several...
and Tony Scales. The song serves as the second single from Songz' third studio album, Ready
Ready (Trey Songz album)
Ready is the third studio album by American R&B singer Trey Songz. The album, his first studio release since 2007's Trey Day, was released by Songbook and Atlantic Records on August 31, 2009, in the United States...
. "LOL Smiley Face" is an 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 featuring bouncy, poppy
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
synths, and lyrically refers to sexting
Sexting
Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones. The term was first popularized in early 21st century, and is a portmanteau of sex and texting, where the latter is meant in the wide sense of sending a text possibly with...
and other electronic multimedia messaging. The song was released as the second single from Songz's third album Ready
Ready (Trey Songz album)
Ready is the third studio album by American R&B singer Trey Songz. The album, his first studio release since 2007's Trey Day, was released by Songbook and Atlantic Records on August 31, 2009, in the United States...
on August 24, 2009.
The song received generally positive reviews from critics, who noted its catchy melody. The song peaked at number fifty-nine on the 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...
and number twelve on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. Rather than releasing a traditional music video, a montage of fans singing and dancing to the track was released.
Background
The song was recorded in Atlanta, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, at three different studios, Doppler Studios, Patchwerk Studios and D2 Music Studios. "LOL" was written by its performers, Trey Songz, Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane
Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...
and Soulja Boy
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
, and its producers, Troy Taylor
Troy Taylor (producer)
Troy Taylor was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, into a family of musicians. He got his start by singing in talent shows at an early age then moved on to playing keyboards. Before reaching the age of 21, Taylor was signed as an artist to Motown Records and later helped produce several...
and Tony Scales also contributed to the writing process. Taylor recorded the track while Jean Marie Horvat mixed
Audio 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...
the song.
When speaking on the conceptual basis of Ready, Songz said, "You think about a record like 'LOL Smiley Face,' it's something real simple, but when you look at the title or listen to the record, you're like, 'Wow.' That's something great from a songwriter's perspective. I'm just trying to make hits and classic records that people can vibe to and live their life." In an interview with BallerStatus, Songz commented on his thoughts of making a remix of the song, stating, "I think there's going to be a remix for that song, because a lot of people dig it. A lot of people have hit me up actually about it. That song is blowing up real fast man." He also stated the possibility of American rapper Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
appearing on a remix, saying, "She wanted to do more of a commercial record, a cuter sex record. 'LOL' was actually already done, but when she heard it, she hit me up, and said 'I love that song. You're a punk for not putting me on it.' She'll definitely be on the remix." However no remix was seen to be in the works nor did it come to fruition.
Composition
The song is derived from R&BContemporary 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...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
music. It is backed with heavy percussion and smooth vocals. According to Andrew Rennie of NOW
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
, the song, along with "Neighbors Know My Name
Neighbors Know My Name
"Neighbors Know My Name" is a song by American R&B singer Trey Songz. It was written by Songz with Patrick Hayes and Troy Taylor, who produced the song with John Mcgee. It was released to rhythmic and urban airplay as the fifth and final single from his third studio album, Ready on February 16, 2010...
", continues Songz's usage of his hook-heavy and playful style. Ajitpaul Mangat of Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
called the chorus "ringtone ready." The song is lyrically about sexting
Sexting
Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones. The term was first popularized in early 21st century, and is a portmanteau of sex and texting, where the latter is meant in the wide sense of sending a text possibly with...
, as verses talk about tales of "wired romance." Its lyrics contain references to Twitter
Twitter
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...
, TwitPic
Twitpic
TwitPic is a website that allows users to easily post pictures to the Twitter microblogging and social media service. TwitPic is often used by citizen journalists to upload and distribute pictures in near real-time as an event is taking place.-History:...
, MySpace
MySpace
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....
, and BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
, and Soulja Boy
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
's line contains a reference to his song "Kiss Me Thru the Phone
Kiss Me Thru the Phone
"Kiss Me Thru the Phone" is a song from hip-hop artist Soulja Boy released as the second single from his 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. It is currently the best-selling single from the album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the U.S. Rap Charts, the top ten in the United Kingdom and...
." According to Mark Edward Nero of About.com
About.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....
, the song is aimed at teenage girls. Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
said that Ready was built about the "popping tracks" of "LOL Smiley Face" and "Say Aah".
Critical reception
Although Mark Edward Nero of 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....
called the song "gimmicky", he said it was "catchy" and "addictive", commenting that the song "actually deserves creativity points: it's a silly, lighthearted song that's not meant to be taken seriously." Tyler Lewis of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
called the song silly, and in an album review, commented, "The less said about “LOL :)”, the better", calling the listening experience "frustrating." Ajitpaul Mangat of Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
said that in the song, "we have a genuinely novel pop music moment: a booty call (an R&B staple) that only this generation can relate to." Mangat also commended the song's beat, chorus, and Soulja Boy's cameo, commenting, "In the end, it is all somehow apropos." Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
said the song had an "irrefutably catchy melody", and complimented the song because of the appearance of Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy, stating, "it's incredibly playful, as any song about texting
Text messaging
Text messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...
should be." Melanie Fried 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...
called "LOL Smiley Face" "the most absurdly appealing, tech-savvy song of the year to date", commenting "Anyone younger than 15 is already texting their friends about their new favorite song."
Chart performance
On the week ending September 19, 2009, "LOL" debuted on 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 number fifty-one, the second highest debut of the week behind Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
's "I Will Not Bow
I Will Not Bow
-Music video:The music video for "I Will Not Bow" was released to the band's Myspace on August 21, 2009. It featured clips from the movie Surrogates. The video was shot at the World Trade Center building 7, but has no connection or significant meaning having to do with the 9/11 events as stated by...
". The song peaked at its entry position, remaining on the chart for eight weeks. At the time "LOL" was Songz's second biggest hit overall, only behind his breakthrough single "Can't Help but Wait
Can't Help but Wait
"Can't Help but Wait" is the second single from the Trey Songz album Trey Day. The song is written by Johntá Austin, Mikkel S. Eriksen, and Tor Erik Hermansen. On the issue date of October 6, 2007, the single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 99. American actor Jackie Long appears in the...
." On the week labeled October 10, 2009, the song peaked at number twelve on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, as Songz's seventh overall and fifth top twenty entry on the chart.
Performance and music video
Songz and Drake performed the song on music video show 106 & Park106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on September 2, 2009 as a part of a medley with "I Need a Girl
I Need a Girl (Trey Songz song)
"I Need a Girl" is a song by American recording artist Trey Songz. The track was written by Johntá Austin, along with the song's production team, Stargate, who also produced his breakthrough hit, "Can't Help But Wait." The song served as the lead single for Songz's third studio album Ready...
" and "Successful." Instead of releasing a typical video for the song, the accompanying clip features fans singing and dancing along to the clip, as well as tweeting
Twitter
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...
and texting the title. The video was released online on November 25, 2009.
Credits and personnel
- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
- Trey Songz, Gucci Mane, Soulja Boy, Tony Scales, Troy Taylor - ProductionRecord 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...
- Troy Taylor, Tony Scales - RecordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
- Troy Taylor - 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...
- Jean Marie Horvat
Source
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | August 24, 2009 | Urban Urban contemporary Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music... airplay |