Black Box (song) explained

Black Box
Cover:Stan_Walker_-_Black_Box.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Stan Walker
Album:Introducing... Stan Walker
Recorded:2009
Genre:R&B
Label:Sony
Next Title:Unbroken
Next Year:2010

"Black Box" is the debut single by season seven winner of Australian Idol, Stan Walker. It was released digitally on 22 November 2009, as the lead single from his debut studio album, Introducing... Stan Walker.

Blue covered this song for their 2013 album Roulette.

Critical reception

Jade from MusicFix compared the song to all other Australian Idol winners' singles and wrote that the "black box" metaphor differentiates it from the others. She called the sound a "generic R&B beat" and continued by comparing Walker's voice to fellow Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian, saying that Australian Idol voters "decided one Sebastian just wasn't enough."[1] At the 2010 New Zealand Music Awards, "Black Box" won the award for the 'Highest Selling New Zealand Single'.[2] It was also named the 'Radio Airplay Record of the Year' at the ceremony, after topping the New Zealand Radio Airplay Chart for ten weeks.[3] [4] At the 2010 ARIA Music Awards, "Black Box" was nominated for 'Most Popular Australian Single'.[5]

Chart performance

On the New Zealand Singles Chart, "Black Box" debuted at number five on 30 November 2009.[6] The following week, it peaked at number one, where it remained for ten consecutive weeks.[6] On 14 February 2010, "Black Box" was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), for selling 30,000 copies. In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart on 30 November 2009, selling 17,493 copies in its first week,[7] and becoming the fastest-selling Sony Bandit.fm download ever.[8] Eventually, "Black Box" was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for selling 140,000 copies.

Music video and live performances

The music video for the song was directed by Gemma Lee and filmed in Sydney on 24 November 2009.[9] In an interview with Nova FM, Walker explained, "There might be a little bit of group dancing ... we'll see what happens. At first I was really nervous but I've warmed up now and I'm getting into it. I'm working on my look ... It's pretty cool – it's my first ever film clip. It's basically a house party that explains the lyrics. It talks about a relationship that has gone down but everything is still recorded in the black box. I really like it."[10] The video premiered on YouTube on 29 November 2009.[11]

Walker performed "Black Box" on the New Zealand television show, Close Up, on 6 December 2009, the day before the release of his album, Introducing... Stan Walker.[12] He again performed the song at Barry Curtis Park in Manukau City as part of celebrations of Waitangi Day (6 February) in 2010.[13]

Track listing

  1. "Black Box" – 3:27

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2009)Peak
position
ARIA Singles Chart[14] 2
New Zealand Singles Chart1

Year-end charts

Chart (2009)Position
ARIA Singles Chart[15] 50
Australian Artists Singles Chart[16] 9
New Zealand Singles Chart[17] 19
Chart (2010)Position
ARIA Singles Chart[18] 60
Australian Artists Singles Chart[19] 4

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
Australia[20] 22 November 2009Digital downloadSony Music Australia
New Zealand[21]
Australia[22] 25 November 2009CD single

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jade. Music review: Stan Walker & Michael Buble. November 2009. MusicFix. Ninemsn. https://web.archive.org/web/20110929121131/http://music.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=545823&showcomments=true. 29 September 2011. dead.
  2. News: Gin Wigmore scoops music awards . Stuff.co.nz (Fairfax New Zealand) . 7 October 2010.
  3. Web site: Top 10 radio airplay (#1700) . Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) . 21 December 2009 . 2 December 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120608144512/http://rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp?chartNum=1700&chartKind=H . 8 June 2012.
  4. Web site: Top 10 radio airplay (#1710) . Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) . 1 March 2010 . 2 December 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120608144516/http://rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp?chartNum=1710&chartKind=H . 8 June 2012.
  5. Web site: 2010 ARIA Nominations Announced . Take 40 Australia. MCM Entertainment . 28 September 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101002004145/http://www.take40.com/news/20335/2010-aria-nominations-announced---full-list-here%21 . 2 October 2010.
  6. Web site: Stan Walker – Black Box. RIANZ Charts. Hung Medien. 28 October 2011.
  7. News: Australian Idol winner Stan Walker album released early, Susan Boyle still at Number 1 . . Herald and Weekly Times . 9 December 2009 . 2 December 2010.
  8. Web site: Biggest Sony Music Download Ever – And #1 On iTunes… . Sarah-Louise . James . . 23 November 2009 . 18 October 2010 . 13 March 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110313045352/http://www.mtv.com.au/news/8c2d929d-stan-walker-smashes-records/ . dead .
  9. Web site: Stan Walker talks about his plans after winning Australian Idol. 23 November 2009. News.com.au (News Limited). 13 November 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091125030209/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0%2C23663%2C26387796-7484%2C00.html. 25 November 2009.
  10. Web site: EXCLUSIVE: Behind the scenes of Stan Walker's "Black Box" video shoot!. 25 November 2009. Nova FM. DMG Radio Australia. 25 November 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111005044119/http://www.novafm.com.au/Article_EXCLUSIVE-Behind-the-scenes-of-Stan-Walker-39-s-34-Black-Box-34-video-shoot_95776?site=Nova969l. 5 October 2011.
  11. Stan Walker – Black Box (Official Video). https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/WZBUdQPK86k . 2021-12-20 . live. YouTube. 29 November 2009. 28 October 2011.
  12. Stan Walker performance . . 7 December 2009 . 18 October 2010.
  13. Web site: Just announced: Stan Walker to perform on Waitangi Day . . 28 January 2010 . 18 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100523010827/http://www.manukau.govt.nz/EN/News/NewsArticles/Pages/JustannouncedStanWalkertoperformonWaitangiDay.aspx . 23 May 2010 . dead .
  14. Web site: Stan Walker – Black Box . ARIA Charts. Hung Medien. 17 October 2010.
  15. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2009 . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 7 January 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101112234120/http://aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-singles-2009.htm . 12 November 2010.
  16. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Australian Artist Singles 2009 . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 7 January 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150209053919/http://aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-australian-singles-2009.htm . 9 February 2015.
  17. Web site: Annual Top 50 Singles Chart . Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) . 2009 . 17 October 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100602080215/http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart_annual.asp?chartYear=2009&chartKind=S . 2 June 2010.
  18. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2010 . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 7 January 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101205172929/http://aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-singles-2010.htm . 5 December 2010.
  19. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Australian Artist Singles 2010 . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 7 January 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101205172949/http://aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-australian-singles-2010.htm . 5 December 2010.
  20. Web site: Black Box – Single. iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 2 December 2010.
  21. Web site: Black Box – Single. iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 2 December 2010.
  22. Web site: Stan Walker: New Oz Idol. 22 November 2009. MTV Australia. MTV Networks. 23 November 2009. 14 April 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100414004356/http://www.mtv.com.au/news/0d2ff65c-stan-walker-new-oz-idol. dead.

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