Sweet but Psycho
| Sweet but Psycho | |
|---|---|
| Ava Max | |
| publication | 17th August 2018 |
| length | 3:07 |
| Genre (s) | pop |
| Author (s) | Amanda Koci, Andreas Andersen Haukeland , Henry Walter , Madison Love, William Lobban-Bean |
| Label | Atlantic Records |
Sweet but Psycho ( Eng .: "Sweet, but a psychopath") is a song by the American singer Ava Max . The pop song was released on August 17, 2018 via Atlantic Records , after which it was able to achieve high placements in several charts on the music streaming service Spotify . By the end of 2018, the song moved to the top of the official single charts in eleven countries. Two days before the release, a remix and an acoustic version of the song were made available for download and streaming.
background
In addition to Ava Max, Andreas Haukeland, William Ernest Bean, Madison Emiko Love and Henry Russel Walter alias Cirkut were involved as songwriters in the creation of the song . The latter also produced the song. The London-based “ Kobalt Music Group ” acted as a sub-publisher , while the song was published on “ Atlantic Records ” and its major label “ Warner Music ”.
On August 15, 2018, a remix version by Paul Morrell and the acoustic version made the start and were offered on multiple download and streaming platforms until the single was officially released on August 17, 2018.
In an interview with the US-American online magazine "Idolator", she explained that the track was not a pre-release from an EP or a studio album, but that she was still busy with the work on an album.
Artwork
On the single cover of the piece, Ava Max can be seen in the middle of a red, padded cell, lying on a treatment couch. She wears a white coat, a cap and two different shoes. In her hand she is holding a knife, the tip of which is stuck in a cake. There is a mirror on the far wall with the song's title written on it in pink lipstick. Your logo can be seen in the lower right corner.
Musical and content
The song is based on 4/4 time and the tempo is 133 bpm . A distorted scream introduces the song, followed by Ava Max's voice singing the first part of the chorus. Apart from some piano notes, no beat can be heard in the background. The first stanza can then be heard, accompanied by a popkick. After the first verse, a pre-chorus starts, which is also followed by the full length chorus for the first time. The pattern is retained and the track ends with no outro.
In terms of music function analysis, the song is in D flat major and only moves within 4 chords: subdominant (4th level / IV / G flat major ), tonic (1st level / I / D flat major), dominant (5th level / V / A flat major ) and parallel tonic (6th degree / vi / B flat minor ). The chorus therefore begins with the subdominant ("Oh, she's sweet but a"), then goes into the tonic ("psycho, a little bit"), followed by the dominant ("psycho, at night she's screaming"), which finally ends in the tonic parallel ("I'm-ma-ma out ma mind"). This chord progression is retained for the entire song beyond the chorus. The song is thus a typical representative of the I – V – vi – IV progression .
In the text, a young woman is described in the third person who appears sweet and hot on the outside, but is psychologically unstable. It should be able to rob you of your mind and seduce you without much persuasive power. In the "Idolator" interview, she told about the background of the text that she would embody herself in the song and that the girl about to stand by her different sides:
“I also think about myself that I occupy many different sides. […] Basically it is about a girl who is not afraid of showing all of her sides and dualities, as well as about a man who loves all of these sides of her. She is a girl who has been misunderstood in the relationship and she is basically told that she is psycho and crazy, but in truth she is a girl who is merely expressing her thoughts. And that's exactly how I am in real life. "
- Refrain, original excerpt
|
- Refrain, translation
|
reception
criticism
Sweet but Psycho received mostly positive reviews. After the streaming numbers soared, numerous articles appeared not only about the song, but also about the person Ava Max and her role as a newcomer. Her appearance and, to a small extent, her music was compared with the style of Lady Gaga at the beginning of her career. Sweet but Psycho was mostly described as a modern pop song with a catchy tune and radio suitability.
“Musically, the chart hit is reminiscent of past pop hits by P! Nk and Lady Gaga, but by no means sounds old-fashioned due to the use of contemporary sounds. The recipe for the composition is simple - the chorus sounds right at the beginning and is quickly memorable with a repeating pattern, claps and a few memorable lines of text. The same chords run through the verse and bridge, which doesn't hurt the radio listener. Ava Max gives the overall rather edgeless music production that certain something, because she knows how to intone with her voice. "
“She doesn't reinvent the wheel, but she cleverly puts everything together that makes a cinematic pop anthem: a strong voice, catchy lyrics, addicting melodies and a superwoman attitude. Newly one would also say: it's a bop (in German: a pretty great song) "
controversy
Other voices sparked intense discussions about the lyrics and the message of the song. The text of the song was described as "misogynist" and the way the term "psycho" is dealt with was criticized. Clodagh Ní Maonaigh of the British "Mental Movement Magazine" called on readers to sign a petition to boycott the song from the media. She starts out with her own personal disorder in her comment on the subject.
“[...] It flows directly into a misogynist narrative with a“ crazy friend ”and stigmatizes those who suffer from psychosis, psychopathy or other mental illnesses. […] “Psycho” is a funky term that obliterates the experiences of people who actually live with psychosis and further stigmatizes the condition. [...] "
One supporter of her position described Sweet but Psycho as a song that "throws the mental health narrative back by 20 years". "Being 'psychiatric'" would be "not a cute personality trait", it would be "a mental disorder, and people with psychopathic tendencies" need "help not to have their difficulties trivialized in a catchy pop song."
Commercial win
Sweet but Psycho became a commercial success. After the song was initially able to convince much more through streaming numbers, it entered the single charts in the first countries in September 2018. In Sweden, the song advanced to number one in early October 2018. Top positions in other Scandinavian countries followed by the beginning of November 2018, as well as chart entries in various other European countries. In the end, the single moved up to number one in seventeen countries, including Germany, Austria and Scotland. In Flanders, Sweet But Psycho was number 90 in the annual charts. In Denmark it reached number 33, in the Netherlands number 60, in Sweden number 18 and in Switzerland number 79 in the 2018 hit parade. In February 2019, the track moved to the top in the US Billboard Dance Club Songs.
Chart placements
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Chart placements | ||
 Germany (GfK)
|
1 (50 weeks) | 50 |
 Austria (Ö3)
|
1 (42 weeks) | 42 |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
|
1 (... Where.) | ... |
 United Kingdom (OCC)
|
1 (53 weeks) | 53 |
 United States (Billboard)
|
10 (35 weeks) | 35 |
Awards for music sales
| Country / Region | Award | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales) |
||
 Australia (ARIA)
|
 5 × platinum
|
350,000 |
 Belgium (BEA)
|
2 × platinum
|
80,000 |
 Brazil (PMB)
|
 diamond
|
160,000 |
 Denmark (IFPI)
|
2 × platinum
|
180,000 |
|
Germany (BVMI)
|
 3 × gold
|
600,000 |
 France (SNEP)
|
diamond
|
333,333 |
 Italy (FIMI)
|
3 × platinum
|
150,000 |
 Canada (MC)
|
5 × platinum
|
400,000 |
 New Zealand (RMNZ)
|
platinum
|
30,000 |
 Netherlands (NVPI)
|
2 × platinum
|
80,000 |
 Norway (IFPI)
|
platinum
|
10,000 |
|
Austria (IFPI)
|
2 × platinum
|
60,000 |
 Poland (ZPAV)
|
diamond
|
100,000 |
|
Switzerland (IFPI)
|
4 × platinum
|
80,000 |
 Spain (Promusicae)
|
platinum
|
40,000 |
|
United States (RIAA)
|
3 × platinum
|
3,000,000 |
|
United Kingdom (BPI)
|
2 × platinum
|
1,200,000 |
| All in all |
1 × gold 36 × platinum 1 × diamond |
6,853,333 |
Main article: Ava Max / Discography # Awards for music sales
Music video
At the same time as the single, an official lyric video was also released, showing the lyrics of the song in front of graphic images based on the lyrics of the song. American filmmaker Ryan Hutchins acted as the director.
On August 27, 2018, Ava Max released the official music video of the song on her official YouTube channel. The Bengali director Shomi Patwary directed it. It is 3 minutes and 27 seconds long and shows the singer in the lead role. She watches her crush (played by Prasad Romijn) kiss his partner, whereupon she invites him to dinner. His face can already be seen on a dart board and, like shots in which she can be seen with run-up make-up, already indicates a possible psychological instability. He agrees and appears to her. She numbs him with a drink and ties him up. She tortures him partly conscious until he is finally burned by her. The music video drew a lot of attention, which was instrumental in its success. After a year, the music video had over 400 million clicks.
On November 1, 2018, Ava Max uploaded another music video called Official Performance Video , which was produced for the acoustic version of the song. It shows Ava Max on the piano .
Live performances
Ava Max appeared with the song on several TV and radio shows. There were live performances on Virgin Radio Romania , Dzień Dobry TVN and iHeartRadio's Dunkin 'Donuts Iced Coffee Lounge. After commercial success hit the US in early 2019, she was featured on The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Today Show in late January 2019 . She also published various live performances on YouTube. These include a choreography of the track with the dance group The Williams Fam Dance, known from various social media platforms, as well as a vertically filmed acapella version for the YouTube channel The Eye .
publication
single
The official single release took place on August 17th, 2018. Only the original version of the song can be found on this.
- digital single
- Sweet but Psycho - 3:07
Acoustic version
Two days before the original version was released, on August 15, 2018, an acoustic version of the song was released as a single track. In this version, in addition to Ava Max's voice, only a piano and a clap can be heard. The single cover is identical to that of the official single, but it has been colored in grayscale. A separate music video - also in black and white - was shot for this version and was released on November 1, 2018.
- Acoustic
- Sweet but Psycho - Acoustic - 2:59
Remix EP
An official remix EP was released on, which contains a Lovetrap- style remix by Leon Lour, a big-room remix by Morgan Page and a future house interpretation by Paul Morrell. Just like on the cover of the single track release of the Paul Morrell Remix, the red color was exchanged for a blue-gray. Morgan Page described Sweet but Psycho in an interview with Billboard as a “catchy pop track” that “got stuck in my head for days.” He “wanted to give [the song] some club appeal and some progressive flair with one little 80s flair. ”As a result of the success that developed over the winter of 2018/2019, a number of other official remixes were released, which were added to the digital remix EP.
- Remixes
- Sweet but Psycho (Kat Krazy Remix) - 3:09
- Sweet but Psycho (Elijah Hill Remix) - 3:58
- Sweet but Psycho (Leon Lour Remix) - 4:10
- Sweet but Psycho (Morgan Page Remix) - 3:46
- Sweet but Psycho (Paul Morrell Remix) - 3:24
- Sweet but Psycho (Ricky Retro Remix) - 3:05
- Sweet but Psycho (Majestic Remix) - 5:32
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Ava Max On “Sweet But Psycho” & Making Pop Fun Again: Interview on “Idolator”
- ↑ Sweet but Psycho Lyrics by Ava Max on "songtexte.com"
- ↑ Manuel Probst: The big breakthrough of a newcomer: The megahit "Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho" on " Dance Charts "
- ↑ Yannik: The next big star in the pop sky: Ava Max - "Sweet but Psycho" on "Schumyswelt"
- ↑ a b Clodagh Ní Maonaigh: Sweet But Psycho is a Problematic Song and Here's why. on "Mental Movement Magazine"
- ↑ Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho Single. GfK Entertainment , accessed December 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho. Hung Medien , accessed December 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho. Hung Medien , accessed December 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Sweet but Psycho. The Official UK Charts Company, accessed December 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Top 100 songs. Billboard, accessed May 28, 2019 .
- ↑ Ava Max: Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho [Official Music Video] on " YouTube "
- ↑ Ava Max: Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho (Acoustic) [Official Performance Video] on "YouTube"
- ↑ The Eye: Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho | THE EYE on "YouTube"
- ↑ Kat Bein: Morgan Page Gives Ava Max's 'Sweet But Psycho' a Slightly Retro Remix: Exclusive on " Billboard "