Hollywood (Marina and the Diamonds song)
Encyclopedia
"Hollywood" is the second single
from Marina and the Diamonds' debut studio album, The Family Jewels
. It was released on 1 February 2010, followed by the album's release three weeks later on 22 February 2010.
website, Diamandis said:
Diamandis told The Sun
: "That track is a sarcastic and cynical take on everything that's commercial about America. I love the country and people dearly and can't wait to tour there but I hate the way it brainwashes you. I am seduced by its pop culture but I don't want my brain to be infected."
Chart Blog called the track an "properly amazing pop song" and stated that "the level of insight displayed about America, culturally and politically, is on a par with the Razorlight
song about America
(the name of which temporarily escapes me). Marina, for all that she's spotted that Hollywood is something of an upsettingly fake place, with scope for quite exciting things to happen, seems to get as much enjoyment out of just singing the word as she does from puncturing its ego."
and released onto YouTube
on 30 November 2009. It was filmed in "a house which is basically like a palace" in west London
. The music video shows an American patriotic party with multiple American flags used as decorations and clothing. There are a number of characters and objects that symbolise the stereotype
of American culture featured in the music video such as cheerleaders, jocks, American football players
, a pageant queen, paparazzi
, a cowgirl, baseball players, look-alike
s of Elvis Presley
James Dean
, Marilyn Monroe
and President Barack Obama
, hot dogs, popcorn
and an Academy Award.
UK iTunes EP
UK 7" single
UK limited edition signed 7" single (limited to 300 copies)
at number 45 making it Marina and the Diamonds' first single to receive chart placement. The following week, the single reached a new peak of number 21. The single debuted on the UK Singles Chart
at number 12 selling 25,746 copies. Over the course of two weeks it fell to number 22 but climbed to number 13 on its fourth week in the chart. It spent a total of six weeks in the UK top 40 chart. "Hollywood" has hit number 18 on the Danish airplay chart so far as of week 18
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Marina and the Diamonds' debut studio album, The Family Jewels
The Family Jewels (album)
The Family Jewels received mostly positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
. It was released on 1 February 2010, followed by the album's release three weeks later on 22 February 2010.
Background
When asked why "Hollywood" was chosen as a single in an interview with the BBC NewsBBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
website, Diamandis said:
I'm saying: "This is who I was. Hollywood infected my brain and I really valued the wrong things in life, but I changed dramatically."
This obsession with celebrity culture is really unhealthy. I don't want to live my life like that, and I don't want to be a typical pop star.
Diamandis told The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
: "That track is a sarcastic and cynical take on everything that's commercial about America. I love the country and people dearly and can't wait to tour there but I hate the way it brainwashes you. I am seduced by its pop culture but I don't want my brain to be infected."
Critical reception
Fraser McAlpine of the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Chart Blog called the track an "properly amazing pop song" and stated that "the level of insight displayed about America, culturally and politically, is on a par with the Razorlight
Razorlight
Razorlight are a UK based indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America" and its parent self-titled album, their second...
song about America
America (Razorlight song)
America is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight, and is the fourth track to their self-titled second album, Razorlight. It was written by the band's drummer Andy Burrows and was also released as the second single from that album in October 2006. It became the band's first #1 single in the...
(the name of which temporarily escapes me). Marina, for all that she's spotted that Hollywood is something of an upsettingly fake place, with scope for quite exciting things to happen, seems to get as much enjoyment out of just singing the word as she does from puncturing its ego."
Music video
The music video for "Hollywood" was directed by Kinga BurzaKinga Burza
Kinga Burza is a Polish-Australian music video director.-Biography:Kinga Burza was born in Poland and raised in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia before moving to London in 2005 and signing with respected film production company Partizan of Michel Gondry fame in 2006.She completed a BA at the...
and released onto 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....
on 30 November 2009. It was filmed in "a house which is basically like a palace" in west 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 music video shows an American patriotic party with multiple American flags used as decorations and clothing. There are a number of characters and objects that symbolise the stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
of American culture featured in the music video such as cheerleaders, jocks, American football players
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, a pageant queen, paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
, a cowgirl, baseball players, look-alike
Look-alike
A look-alike is a person who closely resembles another person. In popular Western culture, a look-alike is a person who bears a close physical resemblance to a celebrity, politician or member of royalty. Many look-alikes earn a living by making guest appearances at public events or performing on...
s of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
, Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
and President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, hot dogs, popcorn
Popcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
and an Academy Award.
Track listings
UK CD single- "Hollywood" (Single Version) – 3:23
- "Hollywood" (GonzalesGonzales (musician)Gonzales, , is a Grammy-nominated Canadian musician currently residing in Paris, France. Though best known for his first MC and electro albums, he is also a pianist, producer, and songwriter....
Remix) – 3:43
UK iTunes EP
- "Hollywood" (Single Version) – 3:23
- "Hollywood" (Gonzales Remix) – 3:43
- "Hollywood" (Fenech-Soler Remix) – 5:43
- "Hollywood" (Monarchy 'Gliese Remix') – 7:24
- "Hollywood" (Acoustic) – 3:38
UK 7" single
- A. "Hollywood" (Single Version) – 3:23
- B. "Bad Kidz" – 3:49
UK limited edition signed 7" single (limited to 300 copies)
- A. "Hollywood" (Single Version) – 3:23
- B. "Hollywood" (Gonzales Remix) – 3:43
Charts
"Hollywood" 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 45 making it Marina and the Diamonds' first single to receive chart placement. The following week, the single reached a new peak of number 21. The single debuted 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 ...
at number 12 selling 25,746 copies. Over the course of two weeks it fell to number 22 but climbed to number 13 on its fourth week in the chart. It spent a total of six weeks in the UK top 40 chart. "Hollywood" has hit number 18 on the Danish airplay chart so far as of week 18
Weekly charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Czech Airplay (Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální is the name of the Czech national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis.Besides the main Top 100 record chart, also two component charts are effective. While the Rádio CZ 50 Oficiální features songs released exclusively by Czech and/or Slovak... ) |
27 |
| German Airplay (Media Control AG Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
11 |
| Slovak Airplay (Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna is the name of the Slovakian national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis since the cancellation of the Slovakian national section on December 31, 2009.... ) |
68 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 135 |