La La (song)
Encyclopedia
"La La" is a song by the American
singer Ashlee Simpson
from her 2004 album Autobiography
. In the U.S., it began its run as the album's third and final single
on radio and television in November 2004; in the United Kingdom
(where it was the second single), a CD
single was released in January 2005.
, and John Shanks
, the producer of the album. Jeff Rothschild played drums on the track, Shanks played guitars and bass, and Simpson and DioGuardi did background vocals. The track is three minutes and 42 seconds long.
The song was not initially planned as the album's third single. In October 2004 it was announced that its title track, "Autobiography", would be the third single; however, on October 29, it was announced on Simpson's official website that "Autobiography" would be replaced as the third single by "La La", following Simpson's Saturday Night Live incident.
Following its release as a single in the UK on January 24, 2005, "La La" debuted at number 11 before falling; it spent four weeks in the top 40. In Ireland
, it debuted at number 18 on that country's chart in late January and stayed there in the next week. In February, the song debuted at number 10 on the Australian singles chart (where it stayed for four weeks) and at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the U.S., where it eventually rose to number 86; by comparison, Simpson's first single, "Pieces of Me
", had reached number 5 on the Hot 100 a few months earlier, and her second single, "Shadow", had reached number 57. Despite this relatively low chart peak, "La La" was credited with helping boost the sales of Autobiography, which rose on the charts from number 42 to number 33 (with a 61% sales increase) in one week in December 2004, soon after the single's debut. The single was certified gold by the RIAA
in late March 2005; in Australia it was also accredited as a gold single.
"La La" was used as the backing music for a ThermaSilk shampoo
commercial. It was also covered in the rhythm-based 2006 Nintendo DS
game Elite Beat Agents
.
US Promo Remixes
US Vinyl, 12", Promo Feb 2005
UK CD 1
UK CD 2
UK Maxi-CD
review of the album as "energetic". Another review called it a "punk inspired, fast beat, screaming anthem". Reactions to the song have been mixed, however: People magazine
called the song "insipid" in its review of the album, and Allmusic said that Simpson was "trying way too hard to be sexy." Rolling Stone
said the song casts Simpson "as a barely legal temptress", and said "ironic or not, it's creepy." Billboard was more positive, saying that "La La" (in which it said Simpson was a "frisky bad girl") was one of the songs that could "keep Autobiography on the charts in the foreseeable future." The abovementioned BBC review named the song as one of those on the album that it regarded positively, and another review said Simpson "summons a credible pop-punk sound" on "La La".
The lyrics to the song are quite sexual, with "la la" being used as a euphemism
for sex
and a reference to Simpson dressing up as a French maid
included. However, Simpson has described the lyrics as tongue-in-cheek: "It was one of those songs where every silly thing that was sexual that I could think of I put into the song."
In one interview, Simpson said of the song:
, Simpson's reality show
, which aired in the U.S. on MTV from mid-June to early August 2004: she performed the song during her first live show in episode six, and again at the end of episode seven.
The music video
for "La La", directed by Joseph Kahn
, was filmed over two days, November 11–12, 2004. It debuted on AOL's "First View" on November 22 and on MTV's Making the Video
on November 23; the making of the video was also featured in episode three of the second season of The Ashlee Simpson Show, which aired in February 2005. Following the video's premiere, "La La" debuted at number ten on the TRL countdown on December 1, 2004; it subsequently reached number six, its peak, on its third day on the countdown. It remained on the countdown for nine days.
The video takes place in a suburb
an setting and was filmed in Huntington Beach, California
. Simpson is seen singing the song, dancing on top of a car, in front of a donut
shop, and laying on a couch playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
on Xbox
, all during daylight. The video continues with a raucous late-night party around a swimming pool, which gets broken up by the police, and then Simpson and the crowd head to a laundromat, where the wild partying continues. Simpson's two best friends, Lauren and Stephanie, appear alongside her in the video. Simpson compared the video to the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High
. On The Ashlee Simpson Show, during the filming of the video there is a scene in which Simpson licks a couch cushion (while rolling around on it for sexual imagery), but, as she explains, it was taken out of the video because it was "a little much".
Simpson promoted the song with a number of television performances in December 2004 and January 2005 (see list below), with several UK performances in January. One of her U.S. performances, at the Orange Bowl football
game halftime show
in early January (her first time performing in a stadium), was memorable for the harsh reception the song received from the audience, with "a discernible chorus of boos" after she finished singing, according to the Associated Press. Simpson was the last of three performances during the halftime show, and she later said that there were technical problems and that she couldn't hear herself properly, making the performance more difficult for her. The cause of the booing she received has been variously attributed to a backlash against her because of her SNL incident the previous October, to the poor quality of her singing, and to the fact that the crowd was generally not in the same age bracket as her usual fans. Simpson herself said "maybe they were booing at me, maybe they were booing at the halftime show 'cause the whole thing sucked," and also said that it may have been because of the team she was supporting; "I can't make everybody happy", she said. Simpson also had to change the lyrics to "La La" because of concern that they were too sexual for the show; for instance, a reference to "lemonade
" replaced "French maid".
In April 2005, New Zealand
's children TV Show "What Now?" held a weekly music video poll with the song "La La" being one of the three candidates. The song was competing against "1,2 Step" by Ciara
and Missy Elliott
and "Let Me Love You
" by Mario. "La La" won the poll narrowly beating Mario who was second by a few votes. "1,2 Step" came third.
On November 1, 2005, when Simpson was a guest on MuchMusic
's MuchOnDemand
in Canada
, "La La" received the most votes from viewers out of three of Simpson's videos and was played. Simpson correctly guessed that "La La" would win.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...
from her 2004 album Autobiography
Autobiography (Ashlee Simpson album)
Autobiography is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Ashlee Simpson. Released in the United States by Geffen Records on July 20, 2004, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum in the U.S. Musically, it combines elements of rock and pop....
. In the U.S., it began its run as the album's third and final 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 radio and television in November 2004; in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(where it was the second single), a CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
single was released in January 2005.
Song information
"La La", the fourth track on Autobiography, was written by Ashlee Simpson, Kara DioGuardiKara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
, and John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
, the producer of the album. Jeff Rothschild played drums on the track, Shanks played guitars and bass, and Simpson and DioGuardi did background vocals. The track is three minutes and 42 seconds long.
The song was not initially planned as the album's third single. In October 2004 it was announced that its title track, "Autobiography", would be the third single; however, on October 29, it was announced on Simpson's official website that "Autobiography" would be replaced as the third single by "La La", following Simpson's Saturday Night Live incident.
Following its release as a single in the UK on January 24, 2005, "La La" debuted at number 11 before falling; it spent four weeks in the top 40. In Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, it debuted at number 18 on that country's chart in late January and stayed there in the next week. In February, the song debuted at number 10 on the Australian singles chart (where it stayed for four weeks) and at number 98 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...
in the U.S., where it eventually rose to number 86; by comparison, Simpson's first single, "Pieces of Me
Pieces of Me
"Pieces of Me" is a song by American pop/rock singer Ashlee Simpson and the first single from her début album, Autobiography. The song, which was co-written by Simpson, Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks , is a blend of pop and rock with lyrics about finding comfort and happiness in a relationship with...
", had reached number 5 on the Hot 100 a few months earlier, and her second single, "Shadow", had reached number 57. Despite this relatively low chart peak, "La La" was credited with helping boost the sales of Autobiography, which rose on the charts from number 42 to number 33 (with a 61% sales increase) in one week in December 2004, soon after the single's debut. The single was certified gold by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
in late March 2005; in Australia it was also accredited as a gold single.
"La La" was used as the backing music for a ThermaSilk shampoo
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
commercial. It was also covered in the rhythm-based 2006 Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game Elite Beat Agents
Elite Beat Agents
Elite Beat Agents is a music video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was first released in North America, and has since been released in Europe and South Korea . It is the spiritual sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, a Japanese rhythm game...
.
Track listings
http://www.discogs.com/Ashlee-Simpson-La-La/master/93514US Promo Remixes
- La La [Sharp Boys Club Vocal] 7:19
- La La [Sharp Boys Club Dub] 6:33
- La La [Sharp Boys Vocal Edit] 4:31
US Vinyl, 12", Promo Feb 2005
- A1 La La [Fernando Garibay Mix] 8:10
- A2 La La [Fernando Garibay Edit] 3:50
- B La La [Fernando Garibay Dub] 8:06
UK CD 1
- La La [Album Version] 3:42
- Endless Summer 3:37
- Pieces Of Me [29 Palms Remix Vocal Mix] 8:41
- La La [CD-ROM Video] 3:38
UK CD 2
- La La [Album Version] 3:42
- La La [Sharp Boys Vocal Mix Edit] 4:31
UK Maxi-CD
- La La [Album Version] 3:42
- La La [Sharp Boys Vocal Mix Edit] 4:31
- La La [Sharp Boys Vocal Mix] 7:19
- La La [Sharp Boys Club Dub] 6:33
Remixes and other versions
- La La [Album Version] 3:39
- La La [Instrumental] 3:39
- La La [Fernando Garibay Radio Edit Mix] 3:49
- La La [Fernando Garibay Extended Dub Mix] 8:06
- La La [Sharp Boys Club Dub] 6:33
- La La [Sharp Boys Club Vocal Extended Mix] 7:18
- La La [Sharp Boys Vocal Radio Edit Mix] 4:29
- La La [Fernando Garibay Extended Remix] 8:11
- La La [UK Radio Edit] 3:42
Description
"La La" is the most rock-oriented track on Autobiography, and was described in a BBCBBC
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...
review of the album as "energetic". Another review called it a "punk inspired, fast beat, screaming anthem". Reactions to the song have been mixed, however: People magazine
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
called the song "insipid" in its review of the album, and Allmusic said that Simpson was "trying way too hard to be sexy." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said the song casts Simpson "as a barely legal temptress", and said "ironic or not, it's creepy." Billboard was more positive, saying that "La La" (in which it said Simpson was a "frisky bad girl") was one of the songs that could "keep Autobiography on the charts in the foreseeable future." The abovementioned BBC review named the song as one of those on the album that it regarded positively, and another review said Simpson "summons a credible pop-punk sound" on "La La".
The lyrics to the song are quite sexual, with "la la" being used as a euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
for sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
and a reference to Simpson dressing up as a French maid
French maid
French maid refers to a strongly modified style of servant’s dress that evolved from typical maids’ black and white afternoon uniforms of the nineteenth century . The designs of the French maid dress can range widely from a conservative look to revealing...
included. However, Simpson has described the lyrics as tongue-in-cheek: "It was one of those songs where every silly thing that was sexual that I could think of I put into the song."
In one interview, Simpson said of the song:
Music video and television performances
Performances of "La La" featured twice in the first season of The Ashlee Simpson ShowThe Ashlee Simpson Show
The Ashlee Simpson Show is a television reality show about the life of Ashlee Simpson. The first season, taped from 2003 to mid-2004, focused on the beginnings of her career as a singer and the recording of her debut album, Autobiography...
, Simpson's reality show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
, which aired in the U.S. on MTV from mid-June to early August 2004: she performed the song during her first live show in episode six, and again at the end of episode seven.
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...
for "La La", directed by Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
, was filmed over two days, November 11–12, 2004. It debuted on AOL's "First View" on November 22 and on MTV's Making the Video
Making the Video
Making the Video is an MTV show, consisting of half-hour episodes, which chronicles the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video and the show often includes light-hearted and humorous moments. It always concludes with a premiere of the...
on November 23; the making of the video was also featured in episode three of the second season of The Ashlee Simpson Show, which aired in February 2005. Following the video's premiere, "La La" debuted at number ten on the TRL countdown on December 1, 2004; it subsequently reached number six, its peak, on its third day on the countdown. It remained on the countdown for nine days.
The video takes place in a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an setting and was filmed in Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
. Simpson is seen singing the song, dancing on top of a car, in front of a donut
Doughnut
A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
shop, and laying on a couch playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, often abbreviated to THPS3, is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation. In 2002, it was published for the...
and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
-External links:* on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine...
on Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, all during daylight. The video continues with a raucous late-night party around a swimming pool, which gets broken up by the police, and then Simpson and the crowd head to a laundromat, where the wild partying continues. Simpson's two best friends, Lauren and Stephanie, appear alongside her in the video. Simpson compared the video to the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
. On The Ashlee Simpson Show, during the filming of the video there is a scene in which Simpson licks a couch cushion (while rolling around on it for sexual imagery), but, as she explains, it was taken out of the video because it was "a little much".
Simpson promoted the song with a number of television performances in December 2004 and January 2005 (see list below), with several UK performances in January. One of her U.S. performances, at the Orange Bowl football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game halftime show
Halftime show
A halftime show is a performance given during halftime, the period between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of divisions , or for sports that do not have an extended...
in early January (her first time performing in a stadium), was memorable for the harsh reception the song received from the audience, with "a discernible chorus of boos" after she finished singing, according to the Associated Press. Simpson was the last of three performances during the halftime show, and she later said that there were technical problems and that she couldn't hear herself properly, making the performance more difficult for her. The cause of the booing she received has been variously attributed to a backlash against her because of her SNL incident the previous October, to the poor quality of her singing, and to the fact that the crowd was generally not in the same age bracket as her usual fans. Simpson herself said "maybe they were booing at me, maybe they were booing at the halftime show 'cause the whole thing sucked," and also said that it may have been because of the team she was supporting; "I can't make everybody happy", she said. Simpson also had to change the lyrics to "La La" because of concern that they were too sexual for the show; for instance, a reference to "lemonade
Lemonade
Lemonade is a lemon-flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.The term can refer to three different types of beverage:...
" replaced "French maid".
In April 2005, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's children TV Show "What Now?" held a weekly music video poll with the song "La La" being one of the three candidates. The song was competing against "1,2 Step" by Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
and Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
and "Let Me Love You
Let Me Love You
"Let Me Love You" is an R&B song by American recording artist Mario, from his second studio album Turning Point . It was co-written by Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, and Scott Storch, who also produced it...
" by Mario. "La La" won the poll narrowly beating Mario who was second by a few votes. "1,2 Step" came third.
On November 1, 2005, when Simpson was a guest on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's MuchOnDemand
MuchOnDemand
MuchOnDemand was an hour-long per broadcast viewer interactive television program aired on MuchMusic, Monday through Friday at 5pm ET. It was broadcast live from the Much broadcasting studio on 299 Queen Street West in Toronto. The Best of MuchOnDemand, aired Sundays at 10am ET, highlighting the...
in 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...
, "La La" received the most votes from viewers out of three of Simpson's videos and was played. Simpson correctly guessed that "La La" would win.
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
10 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 46 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 62 |
| German Singles Chart | 68 |
| 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... |
16 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 11 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 32 |
| Singapore Get Ready! Top 20 | 13 |
| UK Singles Chart UK 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 ... |
11 |
| 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... |
86 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
6 |
| Dutch Top40 | 20 |