Katy On a Mission
Encyclopedia
"Katy on a Mission" is a song performed by British recording artist Katy B
. It was released by Rinse
accompanied by a b-side entitled "Louder" as her debut single and lead single
from her forthcoming debut album, On a Mission
on 22 August 2010. The song was co-written by Benga, Katy B and Geeneus, and produced by Benga. Musically, the song is constructed around beats, synths and a bassline found most prominent in the dubstep
music genre. It achieved charting success in the United Kingdom where it topped the UK Dance Chart
and UK Indie Chart
while peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart
. The single was accompanied by a music video
which was directed by Johny Mourgue.
, garage
and house
record producer
s since the age of fifteen before debuting "Katy on a Mission" to her mainstream audience. The song, originally "just another dubstep track Katy was going to vocal," was written
by Katy B and produced by British record producer, Benga. In an interview with Kieran Yates of The Guardian
, Katy mentioned that as a producer Benga is above and beyond. She further acknowledged that without his beat, "Katy on a Mission" would have not been as successful. It was inspired by how Katy feels when she goes raving with her friends. Speaking to Greg Cochrane from the BBC
, she explained:
Fraser McAlpine of the BBC said that lyrically, the song has taken club bangers into their next phase by rather than being a club song about a club, it is instead a club song about how some things only make sense in a club situation. He further interpreted, "[The song] is about having a few relationship issues - with a DJ, no less - and how the music is the only thing that makes this sorry situation bearable.". Technically, the bassline has an unusual 11 beats in 12 (three bars of four). This 11-beat underlies the main tune, and in live performances is performed by trumpet rather than synthesizer. Vocally, the track has a R&B
style to it. Katy B began developing this style at the age of thirteen in addition to being influenced by rave music
and the music of Destiny's Child
and Ne-Yo
. "Katy On a Mission" was playlisted on BBC Radio 1
for nearly two months and has birthed acclaim that Katy B has become the 'female face of dubstep'. In response to the tag, Katy said: "It doesn't bother me if people wanna call it a dubstep song or call me a dubstep singer but I have done other stuff." Singing on dubstep was described by Katy as a different experience, "It can be a bit darker, and that's cool." Katy stated that what she loved about the song was the large amount of energy its instrumental had, deeming it as a main factor to the single's commercial success.
called the track fairly sublime; "Over buzzing synths, a lovely blacmangey bassline and beats that manage to be chunky and nimble at the same time - like an overweight contortionist". Levine further said that the loads of ear-snagging "ooh-ooh-oooh-ooh-wooh" hooks acts as the icing of an already scrumptious cake. He went on to say while Katy B tries love, "With a tune as good as this, you don't need to think twice." Paul Lester of The Guardian deemed the track as shiny grime with Mercury Prize
winning potential. Lester further complimented the song, saying: "Bass-heavy but definitely more of a song than a series of low-frequency bursts and blasts, it's the perfect balance of urban edge and smoov[sic] R&B/soul." While Louise Brailey of NME
called the song a proper dance anthem, saying: "Her neo-soulful vocals lend a layer of slinky gloss over knotty dubstep swing and rubberised arpeggios, creating a centre-piece of rave that leads the wave of big-room dubstep breaking commercial spheres as we speak." Shawn Reynaldo of XLR8R
felt that Benga toned down his trademark chainsaw wobble to a reasonable level, allow Katy B's soulful vocals to shine. The Fader
's Julianne Escobedo Sheperd felt that the "angelic R&B warbles" and "shin-kicking synths" of the track are a similar cross over to Rusko
and Amber Coffman's "Hold On" (2010).
issued on 4 September 2010. It was the second highest new entry of the week, behind Taio Cruz
' "Dynamite" which debuted at number one. The single then dropped three places to number eight. It has since spent four consecutive weeks at number eight and six consecutive weeks in the top ten. The song also topped the UK Dance Chart
for two weeks, and the UK Indie Chart
for three weeks. as of December 31 it had sold over 277,000 in the UK.
Within the UK, "Katy on a Mission" debuted and peaked at number ten on the Scottish regional chart on 4 September 2010. It was the third highest new entry for that week, behind Taio Cruz' "Dynamite" and Brandon Flowers
' "Crossfire
". The single also peaked at number twenty-one on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. It debuted at number twenty-nine on Flemish Belgium's Ultratip chart issued on 2 October 2010.
.
Katy B
Kathleen "Katie" Brien, better known as Katy B, is an English singer-songwriter and a graduate of the BRIT School. She is a dubstep, R&B, funky, house and UK garage singer and has also performed under the name Baby Katy. She was born in Peckham, South London...
. It was released by Rinse
Rinse FM
Rinse FM is a London-based community radio station, licensed for "young people living and/or working within the central,east and south London areas.". The station plays grime, dubstep, UK garage, funky, drum and bass and other genres....
accompanied by a b-side entitled "Louder" as her debut single and lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from her forthcoming debut album, On a Mission
On a Mission (Katy B album)
On a Mission is the debut studio album by British dubstep singer Katy B. The album was released on April 1, 2011, by Rinse and Columbia Records and in the USA on the 13 September. Katy worked with producers and writers DJ Zinc, Benga, and Rinse FM founder Geeneus. Katy had been recording songs for...
on 22 August 2010. The song was co-written by Benga, Katy B and Geeneus, and produced by Benga. Musically, the song is constructed around beats, synths and a bassline found most prominent in the dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
music genre. It achieved charting success in the United Kingdom where it topped the UK Dance Chart
UK Dance Chart
The UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital...
and UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
while peaking at number five 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 ...
. The single was accompanied by a music video
Music 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...
which was directed by Johny Mourgue.
Background
Katy B had been working with British underground grimeGrime (music)
Grime is a style of music that emerged from Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily as a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop...
, garage
UK garage
UK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
and house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s since the age of fifteen before debuting "Katy on a Mission" to her mainstream audience. The song, originally "just another dubstep track Katy was going to vocal," was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Katy B and produced by British record producer, Benga. In an interview with Kieran Yates of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Katy mentioned that as a producer Benga is above and beyond. She further acknowledged that without his beat, "Katy on a Mission" would have not been as successful. It was inspired by how Katy feels when she goes raving with her friends. Speaking to Greg Cochrane from the BBC
BBC
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...
, she explained:
LyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
wise, usually dubstepDubstepDubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
makes me want to write about happy, love and dancing with my girls.
This track didn't have that feel so I wanted to write about how it feels when you go into a club and there's so much energy in a room - basically putting that into words.
Fraser McAlpine of the BBC said that lyrically, the song has taken club bangers into their next phase by rather than being a club song about a club, it is instead a club song about how some things only make sense in a club situation. He further interpreted, "[The song] is about having a few relationship issues - with a DJ, no less - and how the music is the only thing that makes this sorry situation bearable.". Technically, the bassline has an unusual 11 beats in 12 (three bars of four). This 11-beat underlies the main tune, and in live performances is performed by trumpet rather than synthesizer. Vocally, the track has a R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
style to it. Katy B began developing this style at the age of thirteen in addition to being influenced by rave music
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
and the music of Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
and Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
. "Katy On a Mission" was playlisted on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
for nearly two months and has birthed acclaim that Katy B has become the 'female face of dubstep'. In response to the tag, Katy said: "It doesn't bother me if people wanna call it a dubstep song or call me a dubstep singer but I have done other stuff." Singing on dubstep was described by Katy as a different experience, "It can be a bit darker, and that's cool." Katy stated that what she loved about the song was the large amount of energy its instrumental had, deeming it as a main factor to the single's commercial success.
Critical reception
"Katy on a Mission" received positive reviews from contemporary critics. Fraser McAlpine from the BBC felt that lyrically the song has a subtle but incredibly welcome refinement to it. He complimented the central refrain of the song saying, it "lingers in the mind like a family of mice lingers in quality wainscotting." McAlpine further highlighted the "stunning waterfall of decayed voices after the chorus" and its "beautiful production trick[s], applied to a lovely mournful melody, with smashing results." Nick Levine from Digital SpyDigital 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....
called the track fairly sublime; "Over buzzing synths, a lovely blacmangey bassline and beats that manage to be chunky and nimble at the same time - like an overweight contortionist". Levine further said that the loads of ear-snagging "ooh-ooh-oooh-ooh-wooh" hooks acts as the icing of an already scrumptious cake. He went on to say while Katy B tries love, "With a tune as good as this, you don't need to think twice." Paul Lester of The Guardian deemed the track as shiny grime with Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
winning potential. Lester further complimented the song, saying: "Bass-heavy but definitely more of a song than a series of low-frequency bursts and blasts, it's the perfect balance of urban edge and smoov[sic] R&B/soul." While Louise Brailey of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called the song a proper dance anthem, saying: "Her neo-soulful vocals lend a layer of slinky gloss over knotty dubstep swing and rubberised arpeggios, creating a centre-piece of rave that leads the wave of big-room dubstep breaking commercial spheres as we speak." Shawn Reynaldo of XLR8R
XLR8R
XLR8R is a magazine and website thatcovers music, culture, style, and technology. It was founded as anewsprint ‘zine in 1993 by publisher Andrew Smith in Seattle; themagazine currently has offices in San Francisco and New York...
felt that Benga toned down his trademark chainsaw wobble to a reasonable level, allow Katy B's soulful vocals to shine. The Fader
The Fader
The FADER, or FADER, is an United States-based music/culture/fashion magazine that covers hip-hop, reggae, independent rock, pop and dance music from around the world.-Overview:...
's Julianne Escobedo Sheperd felt that the "angelic R&B warbles" and "shin-kicking synths" of the track are a similar cross over to Rusko
Rusko (musician)
Christopher Mercer, more commonly known as Rusko, is an English dubstep record producer and DJ who was born on 26 January 1985 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:Rusko graduated from Leeds College of Music with a degree in Music Performance...
and Amber Coffman's "Hold On" (2010).
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, "Katy on a Mission" debuted and peaked at number five on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
issued on 4 September 2010. It was the second highest new entry of the week, behind Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
' "Dynamite" which debuted at number one. The single then dropped three places to number eight. It has since spent four consecutive weeks at number eight and six consecutive weeks in the top ten. The song also topped the UK Dance Chart
UK Dance Chart
The UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital...
for two weeks, and the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
for three weeks. as of December 31 it had sold over 277,000 in the UK.
Within the UK, "Katy on a Mission" debuted and peaked at number ten on the Scottish regional chart on 4 September 2010. It was the third highest new entry for that week, behind Taio Cruz' "Dynamite" and Brandon Flowers
Brandon Flowers
Brandon Richard Flowers is an American musician, best known as the frontman of the Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. He has also released a solo album titled Flamingo.-Early life:...
' "Crossfire
Crossfire (Brandon Flowers song)
"Crossfire" is the debut solo single from singer-songwriter and frontman of The Killers, Brandon Flowers. Written by Flowers himself, and produced by Brendan O'Brien, it is the first single from his debut solo album, Flamingo.-Release and promotion:...
". The single also peaked at number twenty-one on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. It debuted at number twenty-nine on Flemish Belgium's Ultratip chart issued on 2 October 2010.
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Katy on a Mission" was released by Rinse Records on 8 July 2010. The video features Katy and Benga in London nightclub FabricFabric (club)
Fabric is a nightclub in London, United Kingdom. It was voted number 1 in DJ Magazine's "Top 100 Clubs in the World" poll in 2007 and number 2 in 2008, 2009 and 2010...
.
Track listings
- Digital download
(386311562, Released: 22 August 2010)
- "Katy on a Mission" (Katie Brien, Beni Adejumo, Geeneus) – 4:11
- "Louder" (Katie Brien, Benjamin Pettit)– 4:36
- Digital EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(387162709, Released: 30 August 2010)
- "Katy on a Mission" – 4:11
- "Katy on a Mission" (Roska Remix) – 5:08
- "Louder" – 4:36
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles | 21 |
Chart precession and succession
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 22 August 2010 | 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... |
386311562 |
| United Kingdom | |||
| Ireland | 30 August 2010 | Digital EP Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... |
387162709 |
| United Kingdom |