S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)
Encyclopedia
"S.O.S." is a song performed by American R&B
and pop
recording artist Jordin Sparks
. It is the second single from her second studio album
titled Battlefield
. The song was released first in Australia
on September 4, 2009 and was sent to US radio on September 29, 2009. It was released in the UK on October 12, 2009.
"S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" is an uptempo electropop song which contains a sample of "Let the Music Play" by Shannon
. It combines 1980s synths with modern techno-dance beats. Sparks explained why she decided to go in a dancier direction with this song: "I'll always be the ballad girl from American Idol
, but I wanted to try something new, though not so far that people wouldn't believe me." The video was shot in Los Angeles, California on August 10, 2009, with Chris Robinson
serving as the director. He also worked with Sparks on the "No Air
" music video.
. Nick Levine of Digital Spy
said "Two excursions into dance-pop territory, the stomping, Shannon-sampling 'SOS (Let The Music Play)' and the boyfriend-baiting 'Emergency (911)', also do the business". The New York Times
said "intriguingly, the music on that song ('Emergency 911'), and another club track, 'S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)', evokes the brazen dance-pop of Lady Gaga
." A critic from Rolling Stone
criticized the album and said that Sparks' album "falls flat on 'S.O.S. (Let The Music Play),' a piece of bland disco that wishes it were 'Just Dance." The Guardian
appeared to praise Sparks for attempting a song that was more urban, stating that the "squelchy electronics and a relatively earthy lyric ('Look in her eyes, she's mentally undressing him') give 'SOS' an urban hue."
Entertainment Weekly
commented that "second single 'S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)', with its refrain copped from Shannon's 1983 dance classic, may not be thrillingly original, but resistance is futile when Sparks, showing heretofore unseen vocal dexterity, takes to the dance floor to ward off a vixen who's barking up the wrong boyfriend."
In the New York Post
s review of the album it was said that "there are a lot of vocal and tonal departures on this disc, nowhere more so than with the thumpin' 'S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)'. This straight-outta-the-80s track (which will be her next single) is my fave on the whole album -- it's techno-summer perfection. And the hook is divine, despite its unexpected ancestry."
special on September 17, 2009 on VH1
, where she performed the song.
On October 13, 2009 it was also performed on The Paul O'Grady Show
, a UK chat show, and the following day on the National Lottery Show in the UK.
serving as the director. He previously worked with Sparks on the music video for "No Air
". The video shows Sparks dancing while wearing a gold dress and long gold nails. In interluding scenes in the video she can be seen dancing in a club wearing a black dress and hoodie. Her friend is seen unhappily watching her boyfriend flirt around other girls and texts Sparks. Eventually her boyfriend sees her and Sparks blows a kiss to the camera.
Source:
" in 2008, which peaked at number 10. The song sold 12,000 downloads on the week of the album's
release. The song's sales stands at 111,000 in the US as of February 18, 2010.
It is Jordin's first single to ever be number 1 on a US Chart (the Billboard Dance/Club play).
|-
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|UK Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|175
|-
!Chart (2010)
!Position
|-
|Romanian Top 100
|align="center"|46
|-
!Country
!Date
!Format
!Label
|-
|New Zealand
|August 14, 2009
|CD single
|RCA/Jive Records
|-
|Australia
|September 4, 2009
|CD single
|Zomba Music
|-
|United States
|September 29, 2009
|Airplay
|Jive Records
|-
|Netherlands
|October 2, 2009
|Digital download
|Sony Music
|-
|United Kingdom
|October 12, 2009
|CD single
|RCA Records
|}
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...
and 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...
recording artist Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
. It is the second single from her second studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
titled Battlefield
Battlefield (album)
Battlefield is the second studio album by American R&B and pop singer Jordin Sparks. It was first released on July 17, 2009 in Australia and Ireland, July 20 in the UK and from July 21 worldwide, on Jive Records...
. The song was released first in Australia
Australia
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...
on September 4, 2009 and was sent to US radio on September 29, 2009. It was released in the UK on October 12, 2009.
"S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" is an uptempo electropop song which contains a sample of "Let the Music Play" by Shannon
Shannon (singer)
Shannon is an American singer. She is best known for her 1983 million-selling record, "Let the Music Play". The record re-defined the electro funk sound that would eventually be called freestyle music.-Biography:...
. It combines 1980s synths with modern techno-dance beats. Sparks explained why she decided to go in a dancier direction with this song: "I'll always be the ballad girl from American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, but I wanted to try something new, though not so far that people wouldn't believe me." The video was shot in Los Angeles, California on August 10, 2009, with Chris Robinson
Chris Robinson (director)
Chris Robinson is an American film director working mostly with music videos and commercials. He has directed commercials for brands such as iPod, Coca Cola and Verizon and music videos for songs like "Fallin'" and "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys, "Roc Boys" by Jay-Z, the grammy nominated...
serving as the director. He also worked with Sparks on the "No Air
No Air
"No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks featuring American R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Michael Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell...
" music video.
Critical reception
Review were generally positive with critics praising Sparks' attempt at dance-popDance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
. Nick Levine of 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....
said "Two excursions into dance-pop territory, the stomping, Shannon-sampling 'SOS (Let The Music Play)' and the boyfriend-baiting 'Emergency (911)', also do the business". The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said "intriguingly, the music on that song ('Emergency 911'), and another club track, 'S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)', evokes the brazen dance-pop of Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
." A critic from 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...
criticized the album and said that Sparks' album "falls flat on 'S.O.S. (Let The Music Play),' a piece of bland disco that wishes it were 'Just Dance." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
appeared to praise Sparks for attempting a song that was more urban, stating that the "squelchy electronics and a relatively earthy lyric ('Look in her eyes, she's mentally undressing him') give 'SOS' an urban hue."
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
commented that "second single 'S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)', with its refrain copped from Shannon's 1983 dance classic, may not be thrillingly original, but resistance is futile when Sparks, showing heretofore unseen vocal dexterity, takes to the dance floor to ward off a vixen who's barking up the wrong boyfriend."
In the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
s review of the album it was said that "there are a lot of vocal and tonal departures on this disc, nowhere more so than with the thumpin' 'S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)'. This straight-outta-the-80s track (which will be her next single) is my fave on the whole album -- it's techno-summer perfection. And the hook is divine, despite its unexpected ancestry."
Promotion
On August 25, 2009 it was announced that Sparks will be taking part in the 2009 VH1 DivasVH1 Divas
In 1998, VH1 debuted the first annual VH1 Divas concert. VH1 Divas Live was created to support the channel's Save The Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The VH1 Divas concerts aired annually from 1998 to 2004. After a five year hiatus, the...
special on September 17, 2009 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, where she performed the song.
On October 13, 2009 it was also performed on The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
, a UK chat show, and the following day on the National Lottery Show in the UK.
Music video
The video was shot in Los Angeles, California on August 10, 2009, with Chris RobinsonChris Robinson (director)
Chris Robinson is an American film director working mostly with music videos and commercials. He has directed commercials for brands such as iPod, Coca Cola and Verizon and music videos for songs like "Fallin'" and "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys, "Roc Boys" by Jay-Z, the grammy nominated...
serving as the director. He previously worked with Sparks on the music video for "No Air
No Air
"No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks featuring American R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Michael Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell...
". The video shows Sparks dancing while wearing a gold dress and long gold nails. In interluding scenes in the video she can be seen dancing in a club wearing a black dress and hoodie. Her friend is seen unhappily watching her boyfriend flirt around other girls and texts Sparks. Eventually her boyfriend sees her and Sparks blows a kiss to the camera.
Track list
- Australian single
- "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" – 3:32
- "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" (Buzz Junkies Remix) (Club Mix) – 5:21
Official version and remixes
- Album/Single Version
- Video Edit
- Buzz Junkies Club Mix
- Buzz Junkies Radio Edit
- Jason Nevin's Club Mix/Extended Mix
- Jason Nevin's Radio Edit
Personnel
- Chris BarbosaChris BarbosaChris Barbosa is a producer from New York who redefined electro funk as Latin freestyle in the early 1980s with Shannon's "Let the Music Play".- Early career :...
– musicComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, lyricsLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:... - Ed Chisolm – music, lyrics
- CutfatherCutfatherMich Hedin Hansen better known by his stage name Cutfather is a Danish music producer and songwriter.-Career:He is perhaps best known for his remix of "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison , and the song "Superstar" released internationally by Jamelia in 2003.He has worked with Danish producer...
(Mich Hedin Hansen) – additional music and lyrics, 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...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Pilfinger (Lasse Kramhøft) – additional music and lyrics, production, keyboardMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - David Kopatz – additional music and lyrics, production
- Keely Hawkes – additional music and lyrics, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– 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... - John Hanes – mix engineeringAudio 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...
- Tim Roberts – mix engineering assistant
Source:
Chart performance
The song entered the UK singles chart 3 weeks previous to its release at 39, the following week rising to 18. It then peaked at number 15, a week before its physical release. On October 18, it rose to number 13. It is also her highest peaking record in Sweden, where it peaked at number 7. Her previous highest peaking record in Sweden was "No AirNo Air
"No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks featuring American R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Michael Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell...
" in 2008, which peaked at number 10. The song sold 12,000 downloads on the week of the album's
Battlefield (album)
Battlefield is the second studio album by American R&B and pop singer Jordin Sparks. It was first released on July 17, 2009 in Australia and Ireland, July 20 in the UK and from July 21 worldwide, on Jive Records...
release. The song's sales stands at 111,000 in the US as of February 18, 2010.
It is Jordin's first single to ever be number 1 on a US Chart (the Billboard Dance/Club play).
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hungarian Airplay Top 40 Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
16 |
| Romanian Top 100 Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... |
5 |
End-of-year charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"|-
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|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 ...
| style="text-align:center;"|175
|-
!Chart (2010)
!Position
|-
|Romanian Top 100
|align="center"|46
|-
Chart procession and succession
Radio date and release history
{|class="wikitable"!Country
!Date
!Format
!Label
|-
|New Zealand
|August 14, 2009
|CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
|RCA/Jive Records
|-
|Australia
|September 4, 2009
|CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
|Zomba Music
|-
|United States
|September 29, 2009
|Airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
|Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
|-
|Netherlands
|October 2, 2009
|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...
|Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
|-
|United Kingdom
|October 12, 2009
|CD single
|RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
|}