Thinking of You (Katy Perry song)
Encyclopedia
"Thinking of You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Katy Perry
from her 2008 album One of the Boys
and the fourth single from the album. It is one of three tracks from the album written solely by Perry and the first single since "Ur So Gay
" to be produced by another producer (Butch Walker
) other than Dr. Luke
. "Thinking of You" received mixed reviews from music critics. Many critics didn't enjoy the music, but did compliment the lyrics.
The song became Perry's lowest charting single to date worldwide. The song debuted at number 79 on the US Billboard
charts, and peaked at number 29 on the charts. It also peaked at number 27 in the United Kingdom
.
Two versions of a music video were released. One was a promotional video which was directed by a friend of hers where she is in a white and dark apartment. The second version was the commercial released version, which received positive reception from music critics.
ballad song and features acoustic instruments. The single was released on January 12, 2009, in the US, and in Australia seven days later. The CD Single
was released in Australia and Europe on March 9, 2009. The digital download was released soon after.
Perry performed the song on MuchMusic
HQ's MuchOnDemand
on December 15, 2008. The song was included in the international soundtrack to India, a Love Story
, an Emmy
-winning Brazilian telenovela.
Paul W of OMG.MUSIC praised the song, saying that "'Thinking Of You' is Miss Perry in a reflective mood and dare say it, it's the first time we hear a more serious side of the queen of shock. Taking the pace down a step from last single 'Hot 'N' Cold', 'Thinking Of You' is a slow pop-rock ballad. Katy's vocals are convincingly seeped in emotion and tug at the heart strings, proving she doesn't need to rely on gimmicky lyrics to get noticed. It makes a welcome change and shows a versatility to her songwriting skills. No one could can accuse her of being predictable."
BBC also gave a positive review for the song, saying, "Thinking Of You is a four-minute plus ballad which laments the end of a relationship, and it seems that Katy's true voice shines through here. On some tracks, it feels like she's doing songs 'in the style of', but on this song you can hear an edge and a rawness that makes you feel like you're finally listening to the real Katy."
Jon Caramanica wrote for The New York Times
that "“Thinking of You,” produced by the underappreciated Butch Walker
, is gently and compellingly angry. Turns out that feeling deeply is shocking enough." Nicole Frehsee wrote for Rolling Stone
that ""Thinking of You," which compares an unrequited lover to "an Indian summer in the middle of winter," is generic Dawson's Creek
schlock."
Hot 100. It later rose to number 29 and stayed there for three consecutive weeks. It became Perry's first and only single to peak outside the top ten. The song debuted at number 58 on the Canadian Singles Chart
and later peaked at number 34 on the charts, becoming Perry's first single there to miss the top ten, but it still managed to be certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
.
In Europe, the song received moderate success. The song debuted at number 63 on the UK Singles Chart
. After seven weeks on the chart, the song peaked at number 27. The song peaked at 38 on the Irish Singles Chart
. In France, the song was highly successful, as it debuted at number 11 on the singles chart, and stayed in the charts for 32 weeks, Perry's longest charting single there. The song peaked at number 29 on the Swedish Singles Chart and number 14 on the Italian Singles Chart. In Australia, the song debuted at number 34 on the Australian Singles Chart, where it peaked. The single stayed in the charts for six weeks. The song didn't chart in New Zealand
, becoming Perry's only single to not chart there, but it did chart on New Zealand's Official Radio Hot 100 at number 51.
As of September 2011, the song has sold 953,000 downloads in the United States.
was released in 2007 and surfaced on YouTube
in May 2008. The video includes multiple rooms, including a white room with Perry that suggests violence (e.g., red wine), a dark room with an unhappy Perry in an unsatisfactory relationship, and a cloudy location. The video uses a cross-cutting technique that compares the two relationships: one with Perry reminiscing and another showing regret. The video ends with the revelation that Perry literally stabbed a man in the back in the white room. Perry stated in an interview
that the aim of the video was never to get a commercial release
, but that it is just a simple video "made by a friend".
. The video premiered exclusively on iTunes
on December 23, 2008. The music video is presented as a flashback montage with a young woman whose lover is killed in France during World War II
. Perry is clearly unhappy with her new love and longs for her deceased lover. It features actor Matt Dallas
as Perry's soldier love and model Anderson Davis as Perry's second love in the video. The music video for song has received more than 11 million views on YouTube
as of November 2011.
The video received largely positive reviews from the critics.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
from her 2008 album One of the Boys
One of the Boys (Katy Perry album)
One of the Boys is the second studio album by American recording artist Katy Perry and her major-label debut. Her change in record label and adoption of a pseudonymous surname accompanies a notable shift from the Christian gospel rock of her self-titled debut album. The album was released on June...
and the fourth single from the album. It is one of three tracks from the album written solely by Perry and the first single since "Ur So Gay
Ur So Gay
"Ur So Gay" is the song released by pop singer Katy Perry, produced by Greg Wells and engineered by Drew Pearson. The song was Perry's first major label release, and was later placed on her major label album, One of the Boys. Capitol Records offered the song as a free download on their website...
" to be produced by another producer (Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
) other than Dr. Luke
Dr. Luke
Lukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
. "Thinking of You" received mixed reviews from music critics. Many critics didn't enjoy the music, but did compliment the lyrics.
The song became Perry's lowest charting single to date worldwide. The song debuted at number 79 on the US Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts, and peaked at number 29 on the charts. It also peaked at number 27 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...
.
Two versions of a music video were released. One was a promotional video which was directed by a friend of hers where she is in a white and dark apartment. The second version was the commercial released version, which received positive reception from music critics.
Background and promotion
"Thinking of You" was written by Perry and produced by Butch Walker. The song is a popPop 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...
ballad song and features acoustic instruments. The single was released on January 12, 2009, in the US, and in Australia seven days later. The 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...
was released in Australia and Europe on March 9, 2009. The digital download was released soon after.
Perry performed the song on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
HQ's MuchOnDemand
MuchOnDemand
MuchOnDemand was an hour-long per broadcast viewer interactive television program aired on MuchMusic, Monday through Friday at 5pm ET. It was broadcast live from the Much broadcasting studio on 299 Queen Street West in Toronto. The Best of MuchOnDemand, aired Sundays at 10am ET, highlighting the...
on December 15, 2008. The song was included in the international soundtrack to India, a Love Story
Caminho das Índias
Caminho das Índias is a Brazilian Emmy-winning television telenovela produced by Rede Globo and first broadcast from January 19 to September 11, 2009. It ranked within the top of the most watched shows on Brazilian television...
, an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning Brazilian telenovela.
Critical reception
The Beat Review gave four out of five stars for the song, calling, Thinking of You "an absolutely astounding ballad that features Katy’s amazing range with her raspy, rocky yet sultry vocals. She delivers the song with full emotion and conviction in accordance to the pop/rock theme of the whole melody. All in a while Katy shows her versatility in singing these kinds of songs which she is doing exceptionally."Paul W of OMG.MUSIC praised the song, saying that "'Thinking Of You' is Miss Perry in a reflective mood and dare say it, it's the first time we hear a more serious side of the queen of shock. Taking the pace down a step from last single 'Hot 'N' Cold', 'Thinking Of You' is a slow pop-rock ballad. Katy's vocals are convincingly seeped in emotion and tug at the heart strings, proving she doesn't need to rely on gimmicky lyrics to get noticed. It makes a welcome change and shows a versatility to her songwriting skills. No one could can accuse her of being predictable."
BBC also gave a positive review for the song, saying, "Thinking Of You is a four-minute plus ballad which laments the end of a relationship, and it seems that Katy's true voice shines through here. On some tracks, it feels like she's doing songs 'in the style of', but on this song you can hear an edge and a rawness that makes you feel like you're finally listening to the real Katy."
Jon Caramanica wrote for 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...
that "“Thinking of You,” produced by the underappreciated Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
, is gently and compellingly angry. Turns out that feeling deeply is shocking enough." Nicole Frehsee wrote for 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...
that ""Thinking of You," which compares an unrequited lover to "an Indian summer in the middle of winter," is generic Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
schlock."
Chart performance
"Thinking of You" debuted at number 79 on the U.S. BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100. It later rose to number 29 and stayed there for three consecutive weeks. It became Perry's first and only single to peak outside the top ten. The song debuted at number 58 on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
and later peaked at number 34 on the charts, becoming Perry's first single there to miss the top ten, but it still managed to be certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
.
In Europe, the song received moderate success. The song debuted at number 63 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 ...
. After seven weeks on the chart, the song peaked at number 27. The song peaked at 38 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...
. In France, the song was highly successful, as it debuted at number 11 on the singles chart, and stayed in the charts for 32 weeks, Perry's longest charting single there. The song peaked at number 29 on the Swedish Singles Chart and number 14 on the Italian Singles Chart. In Australia, the song debuted at number 34 on the Australian Singles Chart, where it peaked. The single stayed in the charts for six weeks. The song didn't chart in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, becoming Perry's only single to not chart there, but it did chart on New Zealand's Official Radio Hot 100 at number 51.
As of September 2011, the song has sold 953,000 downloads in the United States.
Promotional version
The first 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...
was released in 2007 and surfaced on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in May 2008. The video includes multiple rooms, including a white room with Perry that suggests violence (e.g., red wine), a dark room with an unhappy Perry in an unsatisfactory relationship, and a cloudy location. The video uses a cross-cutting technique that compares the two relationships: one with Perry reminiscing and another showing regret. The video ends with the revelation that Perry literally stabbed a man in the back in the white room. Perry stated in an interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
that the aim of the video was never to get a commercial release
Release (music)
In the music industry, a release is usually a term referring to the creative output from an artist available for sale or distribution; a broad term covering the many different formats music can be released in, and different forms of pieces .The word can also refer to the event at which an album or...
, but that it is just a simple video "made by a friend".
Commercial version
Perry revealed on her blog that she had already started filming a second and official music video in the first week of December 2008, directed by MelinaMelina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas is an American music video director.-Life and career:Matsoukas is of Greek, Jewish, Jamaican and Cuban descent. Both her name and surname are Greek: Μελίνα Ματσούκα. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University...
. The video premiered exclusively on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on December 23, 2008. The music video is presented as a flashback montage with a young woman whose lover is killed in France during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Perry is clearly unhappy with her new love and longs for her deceased lover. It features actor Matt Dallas
Matt Dallas
Matthew Joseph "Matt" Dallas is an American actor, best known for playing the titular character on the ABC Family series, Kyle XY.-Personal life:Dallas was born in Phoenix, Arizona and attended Arizona School for the Arts...
as Perry's soldier love and model Anderson Davis as Perry's second love in the video. The music video for song has received more than 11 million views on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
as of November 2011.
The video received largely positive reviews from the critics.
Tracklisting
- UK CD Single
(Capitol/Virgin 2689922 EMI/EAN 5099926899220)
- "Thinking of You" (Edit) - 4:00
- "Thinking of You" - 4:09
- "Thinking of You" (Live Acoustic) - 4:51
- "Thinking of You" (Instrumental) - 4:13
- Europe
(Capitol/Virgin 6945262 EMI/EAN 5099969452628)
- "Thinking of You" - 4:09
- "Thinking of You" (Live Acoustic) - 4:51
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Airplay (RIANZ) | 51 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Brazil Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
Platinum |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Platinum |
| Italy Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
Gold |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
52 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | January 12, 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... |
| Australia | January 19, 2009 | |
| Europe | February 20, 2009 | CD single, 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... |
| United Kingdom | March 9, 2009 | |
| Australia | March 14, 2009 | CD single |
| Brazil | May 26, 2009 | Airplay |