Underneath (song)
Encyclopedia
"Underneath" is a song recorded for Alanis Morissette
's seventh studio album, Flavors of Entanglement
, which was produced by Guy Sigsworth
. It is the album's first single. The song was digitally released on April 15, 2008 after originally being scheduled for March 25. According to Morissette, "'Underneath' is about how you can only change the world after you change yourself."
for "Underneath" was premiered on September 15, 2007 in Los Angeles
, as part of the Elevate Film Festival. The video was directed by Matt Docter and Ric Frazier
and produced by the Docter Twins.
The purpose of the festival was to create documentaries, music video
s, narratives and shorts regarding subjects to raise the level of human consciousness on the earth. Morissette submitted the song, and then (as with the other fourteen videos) had the music video written, directed, shot and edited in two days. It was released on the internet in January 2008.
An official music video, directed by Sanji
, was released on in May 2008. The video is two parallel stories in which a protagonist (both represented by Morissette) tries to change the world. The first vignette follows Alanis as she attempts to hand out fliers promoting positivity and openness. She is rejected by passers by at each turn. Frustrated, she notices a missed call on her cell phone from an apparent ex-love interest. She angrily texts him, "I said don't call me." Inside her heart, another Alanis (dressed in red), replays scenes of being frustrated with the love interest, keeping her distance in bed and literally pushing him away when he reaches for her.
During the chorus of the song, the real Alanis seems to realize that the grudges she harbors and the attitudes she holds prevent her from making the world a better place. In essence, she realizes that change "starts in [her] living room," and that "what we're doing in [our heart] shows up as bigger symptoms out [in the world]." In accordance with the meaning of the video as a short film, she finds that before she can save the world, she must save herself. She returns home to her apartment, where the walls are covered with hundreds and hundreds of fliers and reminders of the big-picture events she has hypocritically supported without supporting herself. As she tears them off the walls, her heart-bound alias is shown tearing posters off of the heart's walls, but instead of motivational slogans and promises to better the planet, the posters in the heart read, "I'm fat," "I'm lonely," "I avoid taking responsibility," and more. Symbolically, Morissette tears away the personal insecurities that she has hidden under the guise of major world issues.
At the close of the video, the only poster remaining on the wall of her apartment reads, "Save the Earth." As she opens the door and embraces her newly-reunited boyfriend, the heart parallel embraces him, too, and the poster reads "Save the Heart."
magazine named "Underneath" "the best song we've heard all day", and About.com
said the video is "well worth watching and is a great reminder of the talents of Alanis", and that the song's lyrics are "classic Alanis". Blender
magazine gave the video two star
s, writing, "[the song] features a bunch of weak, tentative and already dated beat
s—Madonna
tried this same strategy (and pulled it off with significant aplomb) exactly 10 years ago. So while her voice sounds even a bit harsher when set against the track's popping, mechanical drums, the video just confuses [...] Not a lot of "comeback of the year" potential here." "Underneath" has been certificated Diamond
by ABPD for sold 500,000 digital downloads
on Brazil
. Morissette is the only female artist of all time to have a diamond
certificated song in that country.
3-track CD-single
UK/Ireland iTunes Digital Single
US Promotional Remix CD
US Digital Promotional Remixes
As of December 2008, "Underneath" had already sold 76,000 downloads in the US alone, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
's seventh studio album, Flavors of Entanglement
Flavors of Entanglement
Flavors of Entanglement is the seventh studio album, fifth international release and last Maverick Records release by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. The album, which was originally set for an April release, was released May 30, 2008 in Germany, Benelux and Ireland, released...
, which was produced by Guy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth is a U.K. based composer, producer and songwriter. In his career to date he has worked with many famous artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian and Alanis Morissette...
. It is the album's first single. The song was digitally released on April 15, 2008 after originally being scheduled for March 25. According to Morissette, "'Underneath' is about how you can only change the world after you change yourself."
Music video
A music videoMusic 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...
for "Underneath" was premiered on September 15, 2007 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, as part of the Elevate Film Festival. The video was directed by Matt Docter and Ric Frazier
Ric Frazier
Ric Frazier is an American photographer and an advertising director specializing in underwater photography.-Biography:Frazier was born in Freeport, Texas, and grew up in nearby Lake Jackson, Texas. He graduated in 1996 from Brooks Institute of Photography with a BA in Industrial Scientific...
and produced by the Docter Twins.
The purpose of the festival was to create documentaries, 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...
s, narratives and shorts regarding subjects to raise the level of human consciousness on the earth. Morissette submitted the song, and then (as with the other fourteen videos) had the music video written, directed, shot and edited in two days. It was released on the internet in January 2008.
An official music video, directed by Sanji
Sanji (director)
Sanji Senaka is a music video and advertising director.Sanji started his career in 1993, but it took 6 years until he made his name known. He was represented by Believe Media until 2004 and FM Rocks until the end of 2006. He is now represented by Yell Productions...
, was released on in May 2008. The video is two parallel stories in which a protagonist (both represented by Morissette) tries to change the world. The first vignette follows Alanis as she attempts to hand out fliers promoting positivity and openness. She is rejected by passers by at each turn. Frustrated, she notices a missed call on her cell phone from an apparent ex-love interest. She angrily texts him, "I said don't call me." Inside her heart, another Alanis (dressed in red), replays scenes of being frustrated with the love interest, keeping her distance in bed and literally pushing him away when he reaches for her.
During the chorus of the song, the real Alanis seems to realize that the grudges she harbors and the attitudes she holds prevent her from making the world a better place. In essence, she realizes that change "starts in [her] living room," and that "what we're doing in [our heart] shows up as bigger symptoms out [in the world]." In accordance with the meaning of the video as a short film, she finds that before she can save the world, she must save herself. She returns home to her apartment, where the walls are covered with hundreds and hundreds of fliers and reminders of the big-picture events she has hypocritically supported without supporting herself. As she tears them off the walls, her heart-bound alias is shown tearing posters off of the heart's walls, but instead of motivational slogans and promises to better the planet, the posters in the heart read, "I'm fat," "I'm lonely," "I avoid taking responsibility," and more. Symbolically, Morissette tears away the personal insecurities that she has hidden under the guise of major world issues.
At the close of the video, the only poster remaining on the wall of her apartment reads, "Save the Earth." As she opens the door and embraces her newly-reunited boyfriend, the heart parallel embraces him, too, and the poster reads "Save the Heart."
Critical reception
In January 2008, New YorkNew York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine named "Underneath" "the best song we've heard all day", and About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said the video is "well worth watching and is a great reminder of the talents of Alanis", and that the song's lyrics are "classic Alanis". Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine gave the video two star
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
s, writing, "[the song] features a bunch of weak, tentative and already dated beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
s—Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
tried this same strategy (and pulled it off with significant aplomb) exactly 10 years ago. So while her voice sounds even a bit harsher when set against the track's popping, mechanical drums, the video just confuses [...] Not a lot of "comeback of the year" potential here." "Underneath" has been certificated Diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
by ABPD for sold 500,000 digital downloads
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...
on Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Morissette is the only female artist of all time to have a diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
certificated song in that country.
Track listings
2-track CD-single- "Underneath" (album version) - 4:07
- "20/20" - 4:17
3-track CD-single
- "Underneath" (album version) - 4:07
- "20/20" - 4:17
- "Underneath" (Josh HarrisJosh Harris (artist)Josh Harris is an American dance musician best known for his remixes of various pop musicians and other dance artists.Harris the son of Joel and Marcia Harris, was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in an area called the Central West End near Forest Park . He began to take lessons in classical...
remix) - 7:19
UK/Ireland iTunes Digital Single
- "Underneath" (album version) - 4:07
- "Underneath" (Josh Harris remix) - 7:19
US Promotional Remix CD
- Josh Harris Remix - 7:18
- Josh Harris Radio Edit - 3:39
- Morgan Page Vox Mix - 7:45
- Morgan Page Mixshow Edit - 5:20
- RedTop Main Mix - 6:33
- RedTop Mix Show Edit - 4:49
US Digital Promotional Remixes
- Josh Harris Club Mix
- Morgan Page Vox Mix
- RedTop Main Mix
- Lost Daze Extended Mix
- John DahlbäckJohn DahlbäckJohn Dahlbäck, born October 13th 1985, is a Swedish house music producer and DJ currently based in London, UK.Dahlbäck is also the owner and founder of Pickadoll Records, with releases by, apart from his own work, artists like Sébastien Léger and Dada Life. He has recorded minimal techno under the...
Remix - Dave Armstrong & Redroche Remix
- The Whatever/Whatever Remix
- Zoned Out Remix
As of December 2008, "Underneath" had already sold 76,000 downloads in the US alone, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria Singles Top 75 | 10 |
| Belgium Ultratop 50 | 16 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
15 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 85 |
| Germany Singles Top 100 | 32 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Japan Hot 100 | 30 |
| Swiss Singles Top 100 | 16 |
| UK Singles Chart | 99 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks | 27 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 45 |
| U.S. Hot Video Clip Tracks | 25 |
| U.S. Triple A Chart | 17 |
| Argentina Top 100 | 7 |
Certifications
| Region (provider) | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Brazil (ABPD Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... ) |
Diamond |