Shape (song)
Encyclopedia
"Shape" is an R&B
song performed by English
girl group
, the Sugababes
. It was written and produced by Craig Dodds for the band's second studio album
Angels with Dirty Faces (2002), incorporating a sample of the 1993 recording "Shape of My Heart," co-written and performed by Sting (who can be heard providing backing vocals
) and his guitarist Dominic Miller
.
Produced by Dodds, the song was released as the album's fourth and final single in the second quarter of 2003, and peaked at number 9 on the Irish Singles Chart
. As well as reaching number 11 on the UK Singles Chart
, the song also went top 10 in the Netherlands and top 20 in Norway
.
for "Shape" was directed by Michael Gracey and Pete Commins, and filmed mostly on location at Sydney's State Theatre and at Fox Studios, in Sydney
, Australia
.
It sees the girls clad in digitized butterflies as strapless tops and skirts, at a masked party. They each catch the eye of a boy and get chased. Near the end their butterfly outfits have almost flown away, and they each jump off a balcony
and float and sing in the water, as their 3 men watch from the balcony and walk away in the last scene.
According to the British newspaper The Sun the video for "Shape" had to be censored because in the video the Sugababes wear flesh-coloured bodysuits which gives the effect they are naked. Extra computerized white butterflies, were used to cover the Sugababes.
"Shape"
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 performed by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
, the Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
. It was written and produced by Craig Dodds for the band's 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...
Angels with Dirty Faces (2002), incorporating a sample of the 1993 recording "Shape of My Heart," co-written and performed by Sting (who can be heard providing backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
) and his guitarist Dominic Miller
Dominic Miller
Dominic Miller is an Argentine-English guitarist who toured and recorded with World Party and King Swamp, worked on Phil Collins' solo album ...But Seriously and played guitar on every Sting album and tour since 1990...
.
Produced by Dodds, the song was released as the album's fourth and final single in the second quarter of 2003, and peaked at number 9 on the 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...
. As well as reaching number 11 on the 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 ...
, the song also went top 10 in the Netherlands and top 20 in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic 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 "Shape" was directed by Michael Gracey and Pete Commins, and filmed mostly on location at Sydney's State Theatre and at Fox Studios, in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 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...
.
It sees the girls clad in digitized butterflies as strapless tops and skirts, at a masked party. They each catch the eye of a boy and get chased. Near the end their butterfly outfits have almost flown away, and they each jump off a balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
and float and sing in the water, as their 3 men watch from the balcony and walk away in the last scene.
According to the British newspaper The Sun the video for "Shape" had to be censored because in the video the Sugababes wear flesh-coloured bodysuits which gives the effect they are naked. Extra computerized white butterflies, were used to cover the Sugababes.
Track listings and formats
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Shape".| # | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| UK CD single 1 | ||
| 1. | "Shape" [Radio Edit] | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Killer" | 4:00 |
| 3. | "Freak Like Me" [Brits 2003 Version] | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Shape" [Video] | 4:11 |
| UK CD single 2 | ||
| 1. | "Shape" | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Shape" [Salaam Remi Remix] | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Shape" [Double R Remix Feat. Romeo] | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Shape" [D-Bop's Vocal Breakdown Mix] | 7:40 |
| UK Cassette | ||
| 1. | "Shape" [Radio Edit] | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Killer" | 4:00 |
| 3. | "Shape" [Live From Leeds University] | 4:42 |
Charts
The song has sold 52,295 copies in the UK alone.| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 50 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 49 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
7 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 75 |
| German Singles Chart | 39 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 1 |
| 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... |
9 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 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.... |
27 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 40 |
| 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 |
Official versions and appearances
These are the official versions and remixes and the release they appear on, of:"Shape"
| Version | Release appearance |
|---|---|
| Radio Edit | "Shape" single |
| Album Version | Angels with Dirty Faces, "Shape" single, Overloaded: The Singles Collection Overloaded: The Singles Collection Overloaded: The Singles Collection is a compilation album by British girl group the Sugababes. It was released by Island Records on 13 November 2006 in the United Kingdom. The main version of the album was a 15-track collection of 13 Sugababes singles and two new tracks... , Change Change (Sugababes album) Change is the fifth studio album by English girl group Sugababes, released through Island Records during October 2007 in most European territories. The album features production by Dr... [French Version] |
| Salaam Remi Remix | "Shape" single |
| Double R Remix Feat. Romeo | |
| Video | "Shape" single, Overloaded: The Videos Collection |
| D-Bop's Vocal Breakdown Mix | Overloaded: The Remix Collection, "Shape "Single |
| Live Version | Overloaded: The Live Collection |
External links
- [ Allmusic.com review of Angels with Dirty Faces]