"Tea Party" is a song by Estonian recording artist Kerli. It is featured on the album Almost Alice

Almost Alice

-Charts:-References:...

, a multi-artist compilation album

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 which features music that is inspired by the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)

Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...

released on March 2, 2010. Almost Alice debuted at no. 5 on the Billboard 200

Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 and topping Billboards Digital Albums and Soundtracks charts.

Although the song intentionally never saw an official release as a single, a maxi single

Maxi single

A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...

 featuring the song and six remixes was released on June 15, 2010.

The music video, which is directed by Justin Harder, premiered on March 10, 2010.

Composition

Kerli stated she wanted to create something "psychedelic

Psychedelic

The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...

 [and] twisted" and inspired by the Alice in Wonderland film.

Release

Kerli stated it was intended that the song would never see its proper release as a single as she feels her upcoming second studio album is better and she "didn't want the label to fully go with something like 'Tea Party' as a single and then not push all the other stuff if 'Tea Party' didn't do everything they needed it to." However, a remix single was given a digital release on June 15, 2010.

Critical reception

USA Today

USA Today

USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

gave "Tea Party" a positive review while criticizing the Almost Alice album as a whole, citing it as "curiously meek" and stating the album lacked an Alice in Wonderland theme with the exception of "Tea Party": a "bouncy, innuendo-packed slice of dance pop that will have parents wondering how it slipped past Disney censors."

The Houston Chronicle

Houston Chronicle

The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...

gave Almost Alice a negative review along with "Tea Party", saying the song could have "benefited from a more adventurous arrangement".

Music video

The music video is directed by Justin Harder and debuted on March 10, 2010. It features Kerli throwing a lavish tea party with her guests in abstract make-up and costumes. It is revealed towards the end Kerli added a potion to the tea which causes the guests to turn into dolls which she collects and places on a shelf.

Live performances

Kerli performed "Tea Party", "Walking on Air

Walking on Air

"Walking on Air" is a song performed by Estonian singer-songwriter Kerli. It is the second official single from her debut album, Love Is Dead . It was originally featured on her now out of print self-titled EP . It is written by Kerli and Lester Mendez and produced by Mendez...

" and "Strange" at the Alice in Wonderland Ultimate Fan Event at the Hollywood and Highland Center on February 19, 2010. The performance was a promotion of the Alice in Wonderland film and its soundtrack.

On May 26, 2010, Kerli performed "Tea Party" at the opening night of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, is a specialized for-profit private college located in California dedicated to educating students for the Fashion, Entertainment, Beauty, Interior Design, and Graphic Design industries....

 exhibit for Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)

The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, United States, serve as the international headquarters for media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Studio's house offices for each of the company's divisions along with creative spaces designed for movie production. The Walt Disney...

 in Los Angeles, California.

Track listing

Digital maxi single

1. "Tea Party" – 3:28
2. "Tea Party" (Jason Nevins
   Jason Nevins
   Jason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's...
   
   Radio Remix) – 3:12
3. "Tea Party" (Jason Nevins Extended Remix) – 5:55
4. "Tea Party" (Jason Nevins Extended Instrumental) – 5:55
5. "Tea Party" (Chew Espresso Fix) – 3:49
6. "Tea Party" (Chew Espresso Fix Extended) – 5:55
7. "Tea Party" (Chew Espresso Fix Extended Instrumental) – 5:55