Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)
Encyclopedia
"Under Pressure" is the debut single by Irish
pop
duo Jedward
. The song is a mashup
of "Under Pressure
", originally recorded in 1981 by Queen
and David Bowie
, and "Ice Ice Baby
", recorded by Vanilla Ice
in 1989. Vanilla Ice also provides vocals for the track. The song was released as a digital download in the UK
on January 31, 2010, followed by a physical release on February 15, 2010. The song was also simultaneously released in Ireland
. This is the duo's only single to be released on the Sony Music label. The physical release of the single included a double-sided poster and full lyrics. The single peaked at #1 on the Irish Singles Chart
, followed by an entry at #2 in the UK Singles Chart
.
of The X Factor
. The first official performance of the song occurred on 20 January 2010, where Vanilla Ice joined the duo at the National Television Awards
in London
. The song had its first radio airplay on 24 January with performances on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
, The Chris Moyles Show
, GMTV
, This Morning
, The Saturday Night Show
and RTE1
following. Jedward were also scheduled to perform on the 5:19 show, however, pulled out due to contractual issues.
praised the twins. He stated: "I think they're great — I didn't know much about them until a couple of weeks ago. I checked them out on YouTube
and I went 'no way', and after I got over the laugh, they invited me to come out." Louis Walsh
said about the release: "Jedward really captured the public's imagination while on The X Factor. Love them or hate them, you can't deny that they were the talking point of the series. As "Under Pressure" was the track that really catapulted the boys to fame, it seemed only fitting to release the song as their first single." Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy
reviewed the song negatively, giving it an average 2/5, saying "Quite where Jedward go next remains to be seen — can they squeeze out an entire album of corny pop-rap covers?"
and the dance moves were choreographed
by American choreographer
Brian Friedman
, who worked with the twins when they were on The X Factor. The video is directed by well-known American director Dale "Rage" Resteghini
and produced by Luti Fagbenle
with his production company "Lut! Media". Oliver Kester was first assistance director and Joseph Labisi the director of photography. Laura Johnstone was the art director and Portobello Post
's John Holloway (editor/colorist) and Amarjeet (VFX). The video was commissioned by Dan Millar. The video features Jedward performing in front of a gigantic screen, displaying name Jedward and title UNDER PRESSURE as well as various words from the song lyrics. Jedward later also join a large dance routine with pyrotechnics
. Vanilla Ice
joins the twins in a later scene, performing in front of a graffiti design prepared by Thomas Dolan. At the end of the video, Vanilla Ice sprays the word ICE on the camera screen in red
spray paint
, then covers the entire picture in paint as the song fades out.
at number 1, following strong digital downloads. The following week, on 12 February, the single fell to number 2, following the release of the Helping Haiti "Everybody Hurts
" single. However, on 19 February, the single climbed 1 place to resume its current peak of number 1. On 7 February, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 2, just missing out on the top spot with 24 copies less than "Fireflies" by Owl City
. The following week, the single dropped 10 places to number 12. However, on 21 February, following the CD Single
release, the single climbed 1 place to number 11.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
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...
duo Jedward
Jedward
John Paul Henry Daniel Richard Grimes and Edward Peter Anthony Kevin Patrick Grimes are an Irish hip pop duo. They are identical twins and perform under the name Jedward...
. The song is a mashup
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of "Under Pressure
Under Pressure
"Under Pressure" is a 1981 song recorded by Queen and David Bowie. It marked Bowie's first released collaboration with another recording artist as a performer, and is featured on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also number 31 on VH1's 100 Greatest...
", originally recorded in 1981 by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and "Ice Ice Baby
Ice Ice Baby
"Ice Ice Baby" is a hip hop song written by American rapper Vanilla Ice and DJ Earthquake. The song samples the bassline of "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit...
", recorded by Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
in 1989. Vanilla Ice also provides vocals for the track. The song was released as a digital download in the UK
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...
on January 31, 2010, followed by a physical release on February 15, 2010. The song was also simultaneously released in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. This is the duo's only single to be released on the Sony Music label. The physical release of the single included a double-sided poster and full lyrics. The single peaked at #1 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...
, followed by an entry at #2 in 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 ...
.
Tracklisting
- "Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)" - Radio Edit
- "Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)" - Karaoke Version
Promotion
Jedward first performed the song on the sixth live show of the sixth seriesThe X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. The first official performance of the song occurred on 20 January 2010, where Vanilla Ice joined the duo at the National Television Awards
National Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The song had its first radio airplay on 24 January with performances on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
, The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show is the current BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in the UK, and has been since Chris Moyles became the station's breakfast show presenter on 5 January 2004. From 2004 to 2007, the show was broadcast 6:55–10:00 am each weekday, but since 15 October 2007 it has started from...
, GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
, The Saturday Night Show
The Saturday Night Show
The Saturday Night Show is an Irish chat show hosted by Brendan O'Connor that has been broadcast on RTÉ One since 2010. The show features guest interviews, audience participation and live music...
and RTE1
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
following. Jedward were also scheduled to perform on the 5:19 show, however, pulled out due to contractual issues.
Reaction
Vanilla IceVanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
praised the twins. He stated: "I think they're great — I didn't know much about them until a couple of weeks ago. I checked them out 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....
and I went 'no way', and after I got over the laugh, they invited me to come out." Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
said about the release: "Jedward really captured the public's imagination while on The X Factor. Love them or hate them, you can't deny that they were the talking point of the series. As "Under Pressure" was the track that really catapulted the boys to fame, it seemed only fitting to release the song as their first single." Alex Fletcher 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....
reviewed the song negatively, giving it an average 2/5, saying "Quite where Jedward go next remains to be seen — can they squeeze out an entire album of corny pop-rap covers?"
Music video
The music video was released in its entirety on 2 February 2010. It was shot in the Mill Lane Studios in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the dance moves were choreographed
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
by American choreographer
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
Brian Friedman
Brian Friedman
Brian L. Friedman, is an American dancer and choreographer, and has created the choreography for many popular music artists - such as Britney Spears, Beyoncé Knowles and Mariah Carey - as well as for music videos, concert tours and television and film productions.-Early life:Friedman was born in...
, who worked with the twins when they were on The X Factor. The video is directed by well-known American director Dale "Rage" Resteghini
Dale Resteghini
Dale Anthony Resteghini better known as Rage is a renowned music video director. He is also a film director and music producer...
and produced by Luti Fagbenle
Luti Fagbenle
Luti Fagbenle is a BAFTA nominated film producer and entrepreneur. He is best known for producing music videos for high profile recording artists such as Snoop Dogg, Flo Rida, Nicole Scherzinger, Akon, Pitbull, N-Dubz, Alexandra Burke, Mr Hudson, Wretch 32, Gary Barlow, Labrinth, Dizzee Rascal,...
with his production company "Lut! Media". Oliver Kester was first assistance director and Joseph Labisi the director of photography. Laura Johnstone was the art director and Portobello Post
Portobello Post
Portobello Post is a video & film post production house on Portobello Road in London. The post house specialises in all areas of post production including grading, offline and online editing....
's John Holloway (editor/colorist) and Amarjeet (VFX). The video was commissioned by Dan Millar. The video features Jedward performing in front of a gigantic screen, displaying name Jedward and title UNDER PRESSURE as well as various words from the song lyrics. Jedward later also join a large dance routine with pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
. Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
joins the twins in a later scene, performing in front of a graffiti design prepared by Thomas Dolan. At the end of the video, Vanilla Ice sprays the word ICE on the camera screen in red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
spray paint
Aerosol paint
Aerosol paint is a type of paint that comes in a sealed pressurized container and is released in a fine spray mist when depressing a valve button. A form of spray painting, aerosol paint leaves a smooth, evenly coated surface, unlike many rolled or brushed paints. Standard sized cans are portable,...
, then covers the entire picture in paint as the song fades out.
Chart performance
On 5 February 2010, "Under Pressure" entered the Irish Singles ChartIrish 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...
at number 1, following strong digital downloads. The following week, on 12 February, the single fell to number 2, following the release of the Helping Haiti "Everybody Hurts
Everybody Hurts
"Everybody Hurts" is a song by R.E.M., originally released on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a single in 1993. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the French Singles Chart.-History:Much of the song was written by...
" single. However, on 19 February, the single climbed 1 place to resume its current peak of number 1. On 7 February, the song entered 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 ...
at number 2, just missing out on the top spot with 24 copies less than "Fireflies" by Owl City
Owl City
Owl City is an American electronica musical project by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young formed in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. Young created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement...
. The following week, the single dropped 10 places to number 12. However, on 21 February, following 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...
release, the single climbed 1 place to number 11.
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
1 |
| Russian Airplay chart | 55 |
| 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 ... |
2 |