Shark in the Water
Encyclopedia
"Shark in the Water" is the third single off the debut album Travelling Like The Light
by singer–songwriter VV Brown
. Written by VV Brown
it was released on 6 July 2009 off Island Records
. The song is a metaphorical record about anxiety, and was inspired by Brown's experience with infidelity by a past boyfriend who liked to stalk her in his free time. The song is her first single to get high airplay on U.S. music channels and radio (neither "Leave!
" or "Crying Blood" were able to achieve this). The song was also re-recorded in the Simlish language of The Sims
and is featured in The Sims 3: Ambitions
. The song is her first single to chart in the U.S. on Billboard Hot 100
peaking at number sixty-seven. In 2009 the song was featured in the Ugly Betty
episode, The Bahamas Triangle
. In the summer of 2010, a Degrassi
promo aired in both Canada and the United States, for season 10, and was featured in the mid-season finale, All Falls Down (Part Two). The song was certified Gold in the US.
finding out that her boyfriend is cheating on her, so she follows him around taking pictures of him with the other girl. At the beginning of the video she starts to record the song on a radio. The video switches between Brown walking by the side of a canal, and under a bridge, to seeing her at a pub table looking at the pictures of her cheating boyfriend. It finishes with a view of her boyfriend's house with a picture on his door and the radio that Brown used to record the song on the doorstep.
A second version of the music video was shot to promote the U.S. release of the album which features Brown performing at a carnival. The video also features the cast of the hit Canadian series Degrassi
. The cast of Degrassi portray various carnival-goers and performers each in a different scenario that represents a storyline from the show's 10th season. VV Brown witnesses these scenes from backstage before she's shown going on stage and performing for a crowd.
gave the song a positive review, writing "Immediately brilliant - a reinterpretation rather than a continuation of the 'indie doo wop' schtick she's been working on over the last couple of singles and therefore a lot less stylised and a great deal more accessible." Nick Levine of Digital Spy
gave the song 5 out of 5, stating "It begins in bright, breezy fashion, all girl group backing vocals and guitar-strumming that brings to mind Craig McLachlan's 'Mona', before something a bit magical happens - the arrival of a pure pop chorus as huge and all-consuming as a T.rex that's just come off hunger strike. Crossover radio smash? Here's hoping - but it's hard to see how she could do any more. The song also received a positive review from Female First. In a star-star rating, the song was described as "happy-go-lucky song... but it’s when the powerful, heartfelt chorus kicks in that you really take a breath and think, 'Shit, this song is awesome.' So, it seems the claims that what the press have been saying about this lady finally has some truth in it at last; she really is one of the ladies to watch out for in 2009.
Music OMH writes "'Shark in the Water' could easily be described as a 'summer anthem', all breezy acoustic strum
s, insanely catchy melodies and a chorus that explodes seemingly from nowhere. It also features that key ingredient to all great pop songs; a nonsense lyric. "Baby there's a shark in the water, I caught them barking at the moon" is a wonderfully mixed image, the kind of animal creation a cartoonist would balk at for being too ridiculous.
1. Shark In The Water - 3:04
Amazon Mp3 tracklisting
1. Shark In The Water - 3:06
2. Shark In The Water (Wendel Kos Sunlight Remix) - 7:18
3. Shark In The Water (Wendel Kos Dub Remix) - 6:44
4. Shark In The Water (Louis La Roche Remix Edit) - 2:49
5. Shark In The Water (Louis La Roche Dub Remix) - 3:19
iTunes EP
1. Shark In The Water - 3:06
2. Shark In The Water (Blame Remix) - 6:01
3. Shark In The Water (Wendel Kos Sunlight Remix) - 7:18
4. Shark In The Water (Wendel Kos Dub Remix) - 6:44
5. Shark In The Water (Louis La Roche Remix Edit) - 2:49
6. Shark In The Water (Louis La Roche Dub Remix) - 3:19
Travelling Like the Light
Travelling Like the Light is the debut album of English musician V V Brown, released 13 July 2009 on Island Records. Initially released in the United Kingdom, the album was digitally released in the United States on 2 February 2010 and was physically released on 20 April 2010. Brown was inspired by...
by singer–songwriter VV Brown
VV Brown
Vanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...
. Written by VV Brown
VV Brown
Vanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...
it was released on 6 July 2009 off Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. The song is a metaphorical record about anxiety, and was inspired by Brown's experience with infidelity by a past boyfriend who liked to stalk her in his free time. The song is her first single to get high airplay on U.S. music channels and radio (neither "Leave!
Leave!
"Leave!" is the second single by singer VV Brown from her first album Travelling Like The Light. It was released on March 2, 2009, and was accompanied by a music video...
" or "Crying Blood" were able to achieve this). The song was also re-recorded in the Simlish language of The Sims
The Sims
The Sims is a strategic life-simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Its development was led by game designer Will Wright, also known for developing SimCity...
and is featured in The Sims 3: Ambitions
The Sims 3: Ambitions
The Sims 3: Ambitions is the second expansion pack for the strategic life simulation computer game The Sims 3. It was released in June 2010. The Sims 3: Ambitions introduces new career opportunities and control mechanisms into gameplay. Manipulation of Sims' career progressions, actions and...
. The song is her first single to chart in the U.S. on Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
peaking at number sixty-seven. In 2009 the song was featured in the Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
episode, The Bahamas Triangle
The Bahamas Triangle
Not to be confused with Bermuda Triangle."The Bahamas Triangle" is an episode from the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, which aired on December 4, 2009...
. In the summer of 2010, a Degrassi
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
promo aired in both Canada and the United States, for season 10, and was featured in the mid-season finale, All Falls Down (Part Two). The song was certified Gold in the US.
Music video
The video is about VV BrownVV Brown
Vanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...
finding out that her boyfriend is cheating on her, so she follows him around taking pictures of him with the other girl. At the beginning of the video she starts to record the song on a radio. The video switches between Brown walking by the side of a canal, and under a bridge, to seeing her at a pub table looking at the pictures of her cheating boyfriend. It finishes with a view of her boyfriend's house with a picture on his door and the radio that Brown used to record the song on the doorstep.
A second version of the music video was shot to promote the U.S. release of the album which features Brown performing at a carnival. The video also features the cast of the hit Canadian series Degrassi
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
. The cast of Degrassi portray various carnival-goers and performers each in a different scenario that represents a storyline from the show's 10th season. VV Brown witnesses these scenes from backstage before she's shown going on stage and performing for a crowd.
Critical reception
PopjusticePopjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
gave the song a positive review, writing "Immediately brilliant - a reinterpretation rather than a continuation of the 'indie doo wop' schtick she's been working on over the last couple of singles and therefore a lot less stylised and a great deal more accessible." Nick Levine 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....
gave the song 5 out of 5, stating "It begins in bright, breezy fashion, all girl group backing vocals and guitar-strumming that brings to mind Craig McLachlan's 'Mona', before something a bit magical happens - the arrival of a pure pop chorus as huge and all-consuming as a T.rex that's just come off hunger strike. Crossover radio smash? Here's hoping - but it's hard to see how she could do any more. The song also received a positive review from Female First. In a star-star rating, the song was described as "happy-go-lucky song... but it’s when the powerful, heartfelt chorus kicks in that you really take a breath and think, 'Shit, this song is awesome.' So, it seems the claims that what the press have been saying about this lady finally has some truth in it at last; she really is one of the ladies to watch out for in 2009.
Music OMH writes "'Shark in the Water' could easily be described as a 'summer anthem', all breezy acoustic strum
Strum
In music, a strum or stroke is an action where a single surface touches several strings of a string instrument, such as a guitar, in order to set them all into motion and thereby play a chord...
s, insanely catchy melodies and a chorus that explodes seemingly from nowhere. It also features that key ingredient to all great pop songs; a nonsense lyric. "Baby there's a shark in the water, I caught them barking at the moon" is a wonderfully mixed image, the kind of animal creation a cartoonist would balk at for being too ridiculous.
Track listings and formats
CD Single + Digital Download1. Shark In The Water - 3:04
Amazon Mp3 tracklisting
1. Shark In The Water - 3:06
2. Shark In The Water (Wendel Kos Sunlight Remix) - 7:18
3. Shark In The Water (Wendel Kos Dub Remix) - 6:44
4. Shark In The Water (Louis La Roche Remix Edit) - 2:49
5. Shark In The Water (Louis La Roche Dub Remix) - 3:19
iTunes EP
1. Shark In The Water - 3:06
2. Shark In The Water (Blame Remix) - 6:01
3. Shark In The Water (Wendel Kos Sunlight Remix) - 7:18
4. Shark In The Water (Wendel Kos Dub Remix) - 6:44
5. Shark In The Water (Louis La Roche Remix Edit) - 2:49
6. Shark In The Water (Louis La Roche Dub Remix) - 3:19
Charts
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French 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... |
13 |
| Swiss Single Charts Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
54 |
| 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 ... |
34 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
67 |
| U.S. 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... Hot Dance Club Songs |
11 |
| U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary | 20 |
| U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Songs | 2 |
Release history
| Country | Release Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | July 6, 2009 | CD single, digital download | Island Records |
| United States | February 9, 2010 | CD single, digital download | Capitol Records |