Earthquake (Little Boots song)

"Earthquake"
Single by Little Boots
from the album Hands
B-side"Catch 22"
Released16 November 2009 (2009-11-16)
Genre
Length4:04
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Greg Kurstin
Little Boots singles chronology
"Remedy"
(2009) 		"Earthquake"
(2009) 		"Shake"
(2011)

"Earthquake" is a song by English recording artist Little Boots from her debut studio album, Hands (2009). Written by Boots and Greg Kurstin and produced by Kurstin, the song was released in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2009 as the album's third and final single. It debuted at number eighty-four on the UK Singles Chart, dropping off the chart the following week.

Critical reception

"Earthquake" received very positive reviews from critics. Emily Mackay from the NME referred to the song as a "strikingly affecting, emotionally naked galactic banger."[1] Nick Levine from Digital Spy wrote that the song "begins with a colossal onslaught of synths and doesn't ease off."[2] Fraser McAlpine of the BBC Chart Blog believed that the track is "not as instant or as infectious as 'Remedy', and is instead a bit more inward-looking and even a bit glum in places, but Boots actually pulls off my favourite pop trick of contrasting some quite depressing lyrics with some quite jolly sounds." He also went on to compare it to The Human League.[3] Andrzej Lukowski of Drowned in Sound commented that "the wistful sigh and thrum of its chorus charging with hangdog allure a hook that could so easily have been fine-tuned into nagging infectiousness."[4] The Guardian's Alex Petridis stated that the song "harnesses its fantastic tune to the plasticky, wildly uncool euphoria of late 90s trance."[5]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by David Wilson and had its premiere on 16 October 2009 on Boots's official YouTube channel and on Perez Hilton's website. It shows Boots singing in front of a big city, playing her Casio SK-5 and catching tears falling in slow motion, as well as galaxy lights and light strobes.

Commercial performance

"Earthquake" debuted at number eighty-four on the UK Singles Chart for the week of 22 November 2009, spending one week only on the chart and therefore failing to match the commercial success of her previous singles.[6]

Track listings

These are the track listings and formats of major single releases of "Earthquake".[7]

Charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[6] 84

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United Kingdom 13 November 2009 679 Artists, Atlantic Records Digital EP[8]
16 November 2009 CD single,[9] 7" single,[10] 12" single[11]

References

  1. ^ Mackay, Emily (27 May 2009). "Album review: Little Boots – 'Hands'". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  2. ^ Levine, Nick (8 June 2009). "Little Boots: 'Hands'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  3. ^ McAlpine, Fraser (14 November 2009). "Little Boots – 'Earthquake'". BBC Chart Blog. BBC Online. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  4. ^ Lukowski, Andrzej (10 June 2009). "Little Boots – Hands". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  5. ^ Petridis, Alexis (5 June 2009). "Little Boots, Hands". The Guardian. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  6. ^ a b "The Official Charts Company – Little Boots – Earthquake". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  7. ^ "Earthquake [single] – Bundle". littlebootsmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 October 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  8. ^ "Earthquake – EP by Little Boots". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. 13 November 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  9. ^ "Earthquake: Little Boots". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
  10. ^ "Earthquake [7" VINYL]: Little Boots". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
  11. ^ "Earthquake [12" VINYL]: Little Boots". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2010.