Radio (Alesha Dixon song)
Encyclopedia
"Radio" is a song by English recording artist Alesha Dixon
from her third album, The Entertainer
. The song is The Entertainers second single, after "Drummer Boy
" and was released on 28 November, coinciding with the album's release. One of the remixes features rapper Wiley
, a member of grime band Roll Deep
, whom Dixon collaborated with previously whilst featuring on their single, "Take Control
". Dixon performed "Radio" for the first time on Strictly Come Dancing
on 14 November.
and Shahid "Naughty Boy" Khan; Khan also produced the record. Lyrically, the song speaks of a difficult relationship and her refusal to give up and accept the issues. The Klaas remix of "Radio" features rapper Wiley
. Dixon is donating all profits from the pre-orders to Children in Need
. On 14 November Alesha performed "Radio" for the first time live on BBC One
's Strictly Come Dancing
, which she also judges on. It is the first time Dixon has performed on the programme since "The Boy Does Nothing" two years ago. Dixon also performed on T4
's Koko Pop, and performed "Take Control
" with Roll Deep
. Additionally, Dixon performed the single on Lorraine
on ITV1
, presented by Lorraine Kelly
.
's 'Dancing on My Own
'". Another positive review, came from Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
who gave 4/5 stars for the song, saying "Upon further listening, the reason for her apathetic approach towards ear candy becomes all too clear. "I'm turning up the radio / I'll drown you out / 'Cause I don't want to let you go," she mourns over a combination of jagged beats and throbbing synths that sounds suspiciously like Robyn
's own weepy club ballad 'Dancing on My Own
'. Nonetheless, the result is Dixon's sturdiest effort since 'Breathe Slow
' - and if you're going to have a crack at sad-pop, you may as well look to the Commander in Chief, right?".
. The video is set in an American trailer park
. Whilst Dixon is in the video, she isn't the main focus. Instead, the video follows the lives of a feuding couple who live next door to Dixon. Their relationship disintergrates, and a fight erupts, causing a nearby elderly woman to dial 9-1-1
. The police arrive, and arrest the man, believe domestic abuse has taken place, and the video ends with the police car
s driving off, leaving the woman alone in tears. Throughout the video shots of Dixon singing are interspersed, with her either walking through the trailer park, in her caravan, or outside at night.
Female First stated they were "loving the video", and that Dixon "look[ed] fantastic in her little caravan". However, they criticised the unrealistic set that the couple featured in, saying it as "the biggest trailer [they'd] ever seen" and "shame they couldn't fill it with furniture".
, peaking at 10.
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
from her third album, The Entertainer
The Entertainer (Alesha Dixon album)
The Entertainer received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Matthew Chisling from Allmusic rated it 4 stars out of 5 and wrote positively that: "Every line to every song on The Entertainer is brassy, reflecting a more confident and sexy pop star"...
. The song is The Entertainers second single, after "Drummer Boy
Drummer Boy (song)
This page is about the song by Alesha Dixon. For the song of the same name by Debi Nova see Drummer Boy ."Drummer Boy" is song by English singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon. It was released on 3 September 2010 as the lead single from her third studio album, The Entertainer...
" and was released on 28 November, coinciding with the album's release. One of the remixes features rapper Wiley
Wiley (rapper)
Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
, a member of grime band Roll Deep
Roll Deep
Roll Deep are an Urban Music Awards-winning London-based grime music collective. They were founded in 2002, by a group of MCs including Wiley. Roll Deep were also closely associated with Boy Better Know with members in both. Their debut album, In at the Deep End, was released in June 2005...
, whom Dixon collaborated with previously whilst featuring on their single, "Take Control
Take Control (Roll Deep song)
"Take Control" is the third single from London-based collective Roll Deep's album, Winner Stays On, and preludes the album release by a week. The song, which features vocals from R&B singer Alesha Dixon, released in the UK on 31 October...
". Dixon performed "Radio" for the first time on Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
on 14 November.
Background
"Radio" was written by Scottish singer Emeli SandéEmeli Sandé
Adele Emeli Sandé , known by her stage name Emeli Sande, is a Scottish R&B and Soul recording artist and songwriter, from Aberdeen, Scotland...
and Shahid "Naughty Boy" Khan; Khan also produced the record. Lyrically, the song speaks of a difficult relationship and her refusal to give up and accept the issues. The Klaas remix of "Radio" features rapper Wiley
Wiley (rapper)
Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
. Dixon is donating all profits from the pre-orders to Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
. On 14 November Alesha performed "Radio" for the first time live on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, which she also judges on. It is the first time Dixon has performed on the programme since "The Boy Does Nothing" two years ago. Dixon also performed on T4
T4
- In airports and airlines :* The IATA airline code for Hellas Jet* Madrid Barajas Airport Terminal 4* London Heathrow Airport Terminal 4- In biology and medicine :* T4 phage, a bacteriophage* Thyroxine , a form of thyroid hormones* The T4 spinal nerve...
's Koko Pop, and performed "Take Control
Take Control (Roll Deep song)
"Take Control" is the third single from London-based collective Roll Deep's album, Winner Stays On, and preludes the album release by a week. The song, which features vocals from R&B singer Alesha Dixon, released in the UK on 31 October...
" with Roll Deep
Roll Deep
Roll Deep are an Urban Music Awards-winning London-based grime music collective. They were founded in 2002, by a group of MCs including Wiley. Roll Deep were also closely associated with Boy Better Know with members in both. Their debut album, In at the Deep End, was released in June 2005...
. Additionally, Dixon performed the single on Lorraine
Lorraine (TV programme)
Lorraine is the early weekday morning, lifestyle and entertainment show for the British ITV network, presented by Lorraine Kelly. ITV Breakfast produces Lorraine, which airs every weekday from 08:30 until 09:25, following Daybreak...
on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
, presented by Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and actress, best known as a presenter for TV-am, and later GMTV and ITV Breakfast, on Lorraine.-Early life:...
.
Critical reception
Critic website Stereo Board stated that "Alesha's fearlessly powerful vocals with an unforgettable, anthemic chorus that is set to make it a sure-fire radio sensation." Female First gave the single four out of five stars, stating there were "in love with it". Others criticised the song, saying it sounded like "Dixon [had] unknowingly sample[d] RobynRobyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
's 'Dancing on My Own
Dancing on My Own
"Dancing on My Own" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, taken from her fifth studio album, Body Talk Pt. 1 . The song was written and produced by Robyn and Patrik Berger, and was inspired by gay disco anthems by Ultravox, Sylvester and Donna Summer. The song was released as Body Talk Pt....
'". Another positive review, came from Robert Copsey from 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....
who gave 4/5 stars for the song, saying "Upon further listening, the reason for her apathetic approach towards ear candy becomes all too clear. "I'm turning up the radio / I'll drown you out / 'Cause I don't want to let you go," she mourns over a combination of jagged beats and throbbing synths that sounds suspiciously like Robyn
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
's own weepy club ballad 'Dancing on My Own
Dancing on My Own
"Dancing on My Own" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, taken from her fifth studio album, Body Talk Pt. 1 . The song was written and produced by Robyn and Patrik Berger, and was inspired by gay disco anthems by Ultravox, Sylvester and Donna Summer. The song was released as Body Talk Pt....
'. Nonetheless, the result is Dixon's sturdiest effort since 'Breathe Slow
Breathe Slow
"Breathe Slow" is the second single from Alesha Dixon's second album, The Alesha Show, released by Asylum Records, a part of Atlantic Records, on February 9, 2009. The song is now Dixon's most successful single to date in the United Kingdom, peaking at number three...
' - and if you're going to have a crack at sad-pop, you may as well look to the Commander in Chief, right?".
Music video
The music video for "Radio" was directed by Alex Herron near Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The video is set in an American trailer park
Trailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
. Whilst Dixon is in the video, she isn't the main focus. Instead, the video follows the lives of a feuding couple who live next door to Dixon. Their relationship disintergrates, and a fight erupts, causing a nearby elderly woman to dial 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
. The police arrive, and arrest the man, believe domestic abuse has taken place, and the video ends with the police car
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
s driving off, leaving the woman alone in tears. Throughout the video shots of Dixon singing are interspersed, with her either walking through the trailer park, in her caravan, or outside at night.
Female First stated they were "loving the video", and that Dixon "look[ed] fantastic in her little caravan". However, they criticised the unrealistic set that the couple featured in, saying it as "the biggest trailer [they'd] ever seen" and "shame they couldn't fill it with furniture".
Track listings
-
- Digital download
- "Radio" - 3:04
-
- CD Single
- Radio - 3:04
- Radio (7th Heaven Radio Edit) - 3:01
-
- Digital EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
- Digital EP
- "Radio" - 3:04
- "Radio" (7th Heaven Club Remix) - 6:39
- "Radio" (featuring WileyWiley (rapper)Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
[Klaas Remix Edit] - 3:37 - "Radio" (True Tiger Remix) - 4:00
- "Radio" (Mutated Forms Remix) - 4:09
Charts
Due to little airplay on radio and music channels the single missed out on the top 40 in the United Kingdom. It did however, become a top 10 hit on the UK R&B ChartUK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
, peaking at 10.
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK R&B Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
10 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 November 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Asylum Records Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell... |
| 29 November 2010 | CD single |