Ready for the Floor
Encyclopedia
"Ready for the Floor" is the Grammy Award
-nominated second single by the British Electronic group Hot Chip
from their 2008 album Made in the Dark
. It was released on 28 January 2008 and reached number six in the United Kingdom
.
):
as being "all about duality", showing Alexis Taylor "going back and forth (and sometimes split down the middle) between mild-mannered tech wiz and, basically, the Joker
."
gave the single a score of 9/10 and described it as one that "might not sell a million records" but that it could make "'household name' an achievable status".
Drowned in Sound said that it had "a chord change that uplifts the soul" and that the song was "a slice of sweetly insistent ‘80s Italo-house lite" but also said it could also be described "as a piece of sophisticated mainstream pop". MusicOMH
said that "Ready For The Floor" bore an "undoubted resemblance [...] at first glance" to "Boy From School
" but said it was "more subtle in its use of brushed electro beats and clever countermelodies".
A number of reviews discussed the style of Alexis Taylor’s vocals. MusicOMH described his vocals as "quietly dreamy" whilst Drowned in Sound said there was "something incredibly sweet about the way that Alexis Taylor croons 'you’re my number one guy'" and described his vocals as "full of nerdy sexual chocolate."
Boomkat.com said that "Ready for the Floor (Smoothed Out on an R&B Tip version)", sounded "more in line with Morr-ish poptronica than R. Kelly" and was "undoubtedly tinted with a slightly more downbeat hue than the album and radio edits." Boomkat.com also commented on the B-side, "My Brother Is Watching Me", describing it as "a slow burning, exceptionally quiet electronic ballad".
The song was also well received in the United States, where it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
in December 2008.
Pitchfork Media
named it as the third best track of 2008 & 76th best song of the 2000s.
n singer Kylie Minogue
. Alexis Taylor explained: "It started because someone asked me if we would ever write for Kylie. I said that we'd been asked to write for her but we'd never got round to it. And I said if we had to give her one of our songs, Ready for the Floor would probably be the most suitable. From that, I got misquoted. We didn't write Ready for the Floor for Kylie, didn't send it to her and she never heard it."
has included a cover version of the song on her debut EP Self-Taught Learner
. This cover version was featured on the soundtrack to the 2009 dark comedy film Jennifer's Body
.
Electro-pop artist, Little Boots, also covers the song.
7" single 1
7" single 2
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated second single by the British Electronic group Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
from their 2008 album Made in the Dark
Made in the Dark
Made in the Dark is the third studio album from British electronic indie pop band Hot Chip. The album, of 13 songs, was released on 4 February 2008 on the EMI label. It peaked at number four on the UK Album Chart, number 25 on the Australian album charts, and entered at number 109 on the U.S....
. It was released on 28 January 2008 and reached number six 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...
.
Lyrics
Alexis Taylor gave an explanation about the use of the line, "You're my number one guy" in the song, and also explained how it visually impacted the music video (Taylor is dressed as the JokerJoker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
):
Music video
The music video for "Ready for the Floor", directed by Nima Nourizadeh, was described by Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
as being "all about duality", showing Alexis Taylor "going back and forth (and sometimes split down the middle) between mild-mannered tech wiz and, basically, the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
."
Critical reception
"Ready for the Floor" was generally well received by music critics and charted well in the UK, reaching position 6. Drowned in SoundDrowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
gave the single a score of 9/10 and described it as one that "might not sell a million records" but that it could make "'household name' an achievable status".
Drowned in Sound said that it had "a chord change that uplifts the soul" and that the song was "a slice of sweetly insistent ‘80s Italo-house lite" but also said it could also be described "as a piece of sophisticated mainstream pop". MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
said that "Ready For The Floor" bore an "undoubted resemblance [...] at first glance" to "Boy From School
Boy From School
"Boy from School" is a single by Hot Chip, released on 27 June 2006, from Hot Chip's second album, The Warning. The original title of the song was "And I Was a Boy from School", however, this was shortened on the request of EMI...
" but said it was "more subtle in its use of brushed electro beats and clever countermelodies".
A number of reviews discussed the style of Alexis Taylor’s vocals. MusicOMH described his vocals as "quietly dreamy" whilst Drowned in Sound said there was "something incredibly sweet about the way that Alexis Taylor croons 'you’re my number one guy'" and described his vocals as "full of nerdy sexual chocolate."
Boomkat.com said that "Ready for the Floor (Smoothed Out on an R&B Tip version)", sounded "more in line with Morr-ish poptronica than R. Kelly" and was "undoubtedly tinted with a slightly more downbeat hue than the album and radio edits." Boomkat.com also commented on the B-side, "My Brother Is Watching Me", describing it as "a slow burning, exceptionally quiet electronic ballad".
The song was also well received in the United States, where it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
in December 2008.
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
named it as the third best track of 2008 & 76th best song of the 2000s.
Collaboration with Kylie Minogue
Some media reports incorrectly asserted that Hot Chip had originally written the song "Ready for the Floor" for the AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singer Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
. Alexis Taylor explained: "It started because someone asked me if we would ever write for Kylie. I said that we'd been asked to write for her but we'd never got round to it. And I said if we had to give her one of our songs, Ready for the Floor would probably be the most suitable. From that, I got misquoted. We didn't write Ready for the Floor for Kylie, didn't send it to her and she never heard it."
Cover version
American singer Lissy TrullieLissy Trullie
Elizabeth "Lizzy" McChesney, better known by the stage name Lissy Trullie, is an American singer-songwriter and former model. She released her debut EP, Self-Taught Learner, in February 2009, and as of 2009, performs with a band named Lissy Trullie...
has included a cover version of the song on her debut EP Self-Taught Learner
Self-Taught Learner
Self-Taught Learner is the debut EP from American Indie singer-songwriter Lissy Trullie, released on February 17, 2009. It was released on June 29, 2009 in the UK...
. This cover version was featured on the soundtrack to the 2009 dark comedy film Jennifer's Body
Jennifer's Body
Jennifer's Body is a 2009 black comedy horror film written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. The film stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody. Fox portrays a newly-possessed teenage serial killer specializing in killing her male classmates as her best friend...
.
Electro-pop artist, Little Boots, also covers the song.
Track listings
Enhanced CD- Ready for the Floor
- Shake a Fist (Diplo's Noise of Art Remix)
- Bubbles They Bounce
- Ready for the Floor (SoulwaxSoulwaxSoulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
Dub) - Ready for the Floor (music video)
7" single 1
- A: Ready for the Floor (radio edit)
- B: Bubbles They Bounce
7" single 2
- A: Ready for the Floor (Smoothed Out on an R&B tip Version)
- B: My Brother Is Watching Me
Chart positions
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 73 |
| 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 ... |
6 |
| UK Download Chart | 9 |
| 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... |
22 |