Gold (Kiiara song) explained

Gold
Cover:Gold (Official Single Cover) by Kiiara.png
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Kiiara
Ep:Low Kii Savage and the studio album Lil Kiiwi
Released:October 26, 2015
Recorded:2015
Genre:
Label:Atlantic
Producer:Felix Snow
Next Title:Feels
Next Year:2016

"Gold" is the debut single by American singer Kiiara, released on October 26, 2015.[1] It was the lead single from her debut extended play (EP) Low Kii Savage (2016)[2] and was also included on her debut studio album, Lil Kiiwi (2020)[3] Commercially, the single was a sleeper hit, becoming her first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13. A remix featuring Lil Wayne was released on November 18, 2016.[4]

Background

Kiiara first wrote "Gold" on a classical guitar in 2014. The song was based on a childhood lesson of not having to answer to anybody: "It just seemed right; it fell out of my mouth when I wrote it." Then, a producer named Felix Snow made an electro-pop twist of the song that was more vibe-oriented and less lyrical than Kiiara's classical acoustic version.[5] Another co-writer the singer worked with, preferring the classical acoustic version over Snow's rendition, recommended doing a mixture of both types of songs. The artist originally planned to name the song "W.E.L.Y.K," acronym for "without ever letting you know," but ultimately decided on "Gold" after finding the initial title too "trendy."

Release

The track was first released on SoundCloud in the summer of 2015, which at the time Kiiara kept her real identity unknown for the music to be focused on;[5] a day later, she garnered a swarm of emails from several major labels and signed with Atlantic.[6] Shortly after, it, as well as "Feels," played on the first week of Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show.[6]

By July 2016, "Gold" had garnered 188 million Spotify plays.[6]

Composition

According to the sheet music published at musicnotes.com, the song is written in F minor, with a moderate tempo of 84–88 beats per minute.[7] It features a prominent glitchy vocal sound effect that appears throughout the chorus. This effect was done by producer Felix Snow who took portions of the pre-chorus and added them to an MPC, giving the song its distinctive trill sound. Musically, "Gold" is an electropop and trap song that contains elements of snap as well as Alt-pop beats. The song's verses are backed by a finger-click beat with double and triple-timed hi-hats in the chorus, along with a bassline and contains synths and vocal effects.

Critical reception

"Gold" received positive reviews. Website Renowned for Sound described the song as an "electrifying mix" between Scandinavian electropop and Atlanta trap.[8] Carl Williott of Idolator stated "The Illinois singer sounds a bit like Ellie Goulding crossed with Lorde, and she was wise to pair up with SZA collaborator Felix Snow, who has given the track a nice balance of snappy percussion and warped atmospherics. The most intriguing part, though, would be the chorus. It's equal parts disorienting and addictive, and the bold choice suggests she knows exactly what she wants to accomplish with this project."[9] Stereogums Tom Breihan claimed that "[Gold] feels like some fascinating new mutation of bedroom-pop music," and said that it "takes cues from icy R&B and from glitched-out, spacey dance music, but it also has the wide-open heart of a classic pop song."[10]

Billboard ranked "Gold" at number 69 on their Billboards 100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" commenting "With Lorde (hopefully) still working on her much-anticipated second LP, Kiiara stepped in with the minimalist snap-pop jam of the year – giving everyone "Royals" flashbacks, right down to the gold teeth. Still, not even Ella Yelich-O'Connor [Lorde] ever boasted a groove or chorus this cold, with the booming simplicity of early Run-DMC and the tech-garbled vocals of prime Art of Noise."[11]

Commercial performance

"Gold" debuted at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 issued for June 11, 2016.[12] The song peaked at number 13 in its 20th week on the chart and charted for 27 weeks in total.[13] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it 3× Platinum, which denotes three million units based on sales and track-equivalent on-demand streams. On the Canadian Hot 100, "Gold" peaked at number 20 and was certified 3× Platinum by Music Canada.

The song reached number five in Australia and was certified 2× Platinum. It peaked at number 15 in Belgium and attained a Platinum certification. "Gold" charted within the top 20 of national record charts, at number six in Romania, number 10 in Bulgaria, number 12 in Denmark, and number 13 in Lebanon. The song was certified Platinum in Brazil, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, as well as Gold in Denmark and Germany.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart positions for "Gold"
Chart (2015–17)Peak
position
Bulgaria (PROPHON)[14] 10
Italy (FIMI)[15] 53
Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20)[16] 13
Romania (Media Forest)[17] 6

Year-end charts

2016 year-end chart positions for "Gold"
Chart (2016)Position
Australia (ARIA)[18] 26
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[19] 49
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20] 53
Denmark (Tracklisten)[21] 85
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 34
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 93
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 91
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 52
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[26] 28

Release history

Release dates and format(s) for "Gold"
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
WorldwideJune 17, 2015StreamingAtlantic[28]
WorldwideOctober 26, 2015Digital download[29] [30] [31]
ItalyApril 15, 2016Mainstream radioAtlantic[32]
United StatesMay 10, 2016[33]

Media usage

"Gold" is on the soundtrack of NBA 2K17. It is also used as a background music in the evening gown segment of Miss Universe 2016.[34]

References

Videos

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kiiara: Gold - Music on Google Play. March 31, 2016. October 26, 2015. Google Play. June 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160604080555/https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Kiiara_Gold?id=Bj5rmxwcg7fub5pjn7fn2sdvmwu. live.
  2. Web site: iTunes Store (US) - Music - Kiiara - low kii savage - EP. March 31, 2016. March 22, 2016. iTunes Store (US). July 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180719173339/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/low-kii-savage-ep/id1094908663. live.
  3. Web site: Kiiara Reveals Cover & Release Date Of Debut LP 'lil kiiwi'. Idolator. Wass. Mike. October 1, 2020. October 2, 2020. April 13, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240413231100/https://www.idolator.com/7914977/kiiara-reveals-cover-release-date-of-debut-lp-lil-kiiwi. live.
  4. Web site: kiiara. SoundCloud. 2016-11-19. 2017-12-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20171211101831/https://soundcloud.com/kiiaraonline. live.
  5. Feeney. Nolan. August 30, 2016. Kiiara struck 'Gold' with an unlikely pop smash. Entertainment Weekly. October 26, 2020. August 7, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200807154208/https://ew.com/article/2016/08/30/kiiara-gold/. live.
  6. Leight. Elias. July 22, 2016. Kiiara's Hit Song 'Gold' Was Inspired by 'The Idea That You Don't Have to Answer to Anyone'. Billboard. October 26, 2020. October 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201024161705/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7446593/kiiara-hit-song-gold-interview. live.
  7. Web site: Kiara . Saulters . Felix . Snow . David . Singer-Vine . Kiiara . 2016-08-24 . Gold . 2024-04-13 . www.musicnotes.com . en . 2021-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210919002416/https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0167814 . live .
  8. Web site: EP Review: Kiiara – low kii savage. Bohlsen. Christopher. April 8, 2016. Renowned for Sound. April 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170331205031/http://renownedforsound.com/index.php/ep-review-kiiara-low-kii-savage/. March 31, 2017. dead.
  9. Web site: Kiiara Strikes 'Gold' With Debut Single: Listen - Idolator. Williott. Carl. March 31, 2016. June 17, 2015. Idolator. April 13, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240413231146/https://www.idolator.com/7597156/kiiara-gold-debut. live.
  10. Web site: Kiiara - 'Gold' - Stereogum. Breihan. Tom. March 31, 2016. June 17, 2015. Stereogum. October 13, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171013065203/https://www.stereogum.com/1809580/kiiara-gold/mp3s/. live.
  11. Web site: Billboard's 100 Best Pop Songs of 2016: Critics' Picks. Billboard. December 12, 2016. December 12, 2016. December 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161213090422/http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/year-in-music-2016/7617635/billboard-top-100-pop-songs-of-2016. live.
  12. The Hot 100 Chart . Billboard . March 7, 2021 . 2016-06-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608131028/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2016-06-11 . live .
  13. Trust . Gary . The Chainsmokers' 'Closer' Leads Hot 100 for Eighth Week, gnash's 'I Hate U I Love U' Hits Top 10 . Billboard . March 7, 2021 . October 10, 2016 . November 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201125120617/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7534375/hot-100-chainsmokers-halsey-closer-weeknd-gnash . live .
  14. Web site: Архив класации. bg. PROPHON. 2019-07-11. 2019-02-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20190213124056/https://www.prophon.org/charts/27-jan-2017. live.
  15. Web site: Top Digital – Classifica settimanale WK 21 (dal 2016-05-20 al 2016-05-26). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. May 27, 2016. 2019-02-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20190203185228/http://www.fimi.it/classifiche#/category:digital/id:2257/page:1. live.
  16. Web site: Lebanese Chart Top 20 History. The Official Lebanese Top 20. July 11, 2016. December 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201081613/http://www.olt20.com/Kiiara#fragment-2. live.
  17. Web site: Romanian International Top 10 Singles Chart. Media Forest. May 15, 2017. May 29, 2017. January 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170104122137/http://mediaforest.ro/WeeklyCharts/HistoryWeeklyCharts.aspx. live.
  18. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles 2016. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 6, 2017. January 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170106103359/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-singles-2016.htm. live.
  19. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2016. Hung Medien. December 29, 2016. December 29, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161229152057/http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2016. live.
  20. Canadian Hot 100 – Year End 2016. Billboard. December 9, 2016. December 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161210164948/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/canadian-hot-100. live.
  21. Web site: Track Top-100, 2016 . Hitlisten.NU . December 31, 2016 . December 30, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161230012931/http://www.hitlisten.nu/top2016.asp?list=Track%20100 . live .
  22. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 2016. Recorded Music NZ. December 25, 2016. December 24, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161224032817/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=4311. live.
  23. Web site: Årslista Singlar – År 2016. Sverigetopplistan. sv. October 11, 2019. June 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200621200447/https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/43?dspy=2016&dspp=1. live.
  24. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2016 – hitparade.ch . Hung Medien . January 2, 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170106174130/http://hitparade.ch/charts/jahreshitparade . January 6, 2017 .
  25. Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2016. Billboard. December 8, 2016. May 7, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180507213135/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/hot-100-songs. live.
  26. Pop Songs: Year-End 2016. Billboard. December 18, 2016. December 22, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161222032645/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/pop-songs. live.
  27. Web site: Airplay 100 – topul anului 2017. Kiss FM. ro. 3 July 2018. 27 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180127090412/https://www.kissfm.ro/emisiuni/54/Airplay-100-Cristi-Nitzu. live.
  28. Web site: Kiiara Won't Stand To Be Treated Anything Less Than 'Gold' - The Fader. Golden. Zara. September 1, 2016. June 17, 2015. The Fader. November 8, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108092818/http://www.thefader.com/2015/06/17/kiiara-felix-snow-gold. live.
  29. Web site: iTunes Store (AU) - Music - Kiiara - Gold - Single. April 1, 2016. October 26, 2015. iTunes Store (AU). April 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160416175522/https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/gold-single/id1051991020. live.
  30. Web site: iTunes Store (NZ) - Music - Kiiara - Gold - Single. April 1, 2016. October 26, 2015. iTunes Store (NZ). April 13, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240413230945/https://music.apple.com/nz/album/gold-single/1051991020. live.
  31. Web site: iTunes Store (UK) - Music - Kiiara - Gold - Single. April 1, 2016. October 26, 2015. iTunes Store (UK). April 25, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160425231357/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/gold-single/id1051991020. live.
  32. Web site: Kiiara - Gold RadioDate. April 15, 2016. April 15, 2016. Radioairplay.fm. April 24, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160424211341/http://radiodate.it/radio-date/kiiara-gold-144415-15-04-2016-radiodate/. live.
  33. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20160402005127/http://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/future-releases. Mainstream Top 40 Future Releases - AllAccess. April 2, 2016. April 1, 2016. May 10, 2016. AllAccess Media Group.
  34. Web site: NBA 2K17 Soundtrack Revealed. Eddie. Makuch. 12 August 2016. 12 March 2017. 20 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171020040415/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nba-2k17-soundtrack-revealed/1100-6442593/. live.

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