Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her de ...
. Serving as Moore's debut single, it was released as the lead single from her first studio album, '' So Real'' (1999), on August 17, 1999, by Epic Records and
550 Music
550 Music (originally known as Sony 550 Music) was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building, ...
. The song was written and composed by
Denise Rich
Denise Rich (born Eisenberg; January 26, 1944) is an American-born Austrian singer-songwriter, socialite, philanthropist and political fundraising, fundraiser.Dave Katz, Denny Kleiman, and produced by
Jive Jones
Jive Jones, JIVEjones, or simply JIVE (born August 30, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, model, and actor born and raised in Miami, Florida. Career 1990s—2000s: Production
Kleinman initially drew atte ...
, Tony Battaglia, and Shaun Fisher.
Though the song was moderately successful on the US charts, peaking at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in October 1999, the success of the single led to an earlier release date for ''So Real'' Retrieved September 15, 2021. and has been certified
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her de ...
, who as a kid participated in local singing troupes and had sung the National Anthem at various events in Orlando, was said to be discovered by producers Shaun Fisher and Tony Battaglia when they listened to a track she sang on a children's music CD. Moore worked with Fisher and Battaglia on recording a demo, which eventually found its way to record labels and sparked a bidding war for Moore between Sony Records and
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...
. After signing with Epic Records, Moore began work on her debut album with Battaglia and Fisher as primary producers and writers. "Candy" and '' So Real'' were released when Moore was fifteen years old. In the summer of 1999, Moore toured with boy band NSYNC to promote the single.
Composition
"Candy" is a bubblegum pop song that lasts for 3 minutes and 54 seconds, written in the key of
G major
G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor.
The G major scale is:
Notable composi ...
. The song begins with a "twinkling melody that dds to the song'sdreamy innocence". ''Can't Stop the Pop'' wrote the song "encapsulated the bubblegum era like no other", and although it shares elements with
Swedish pop
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
, its "lyrical content and delivery were skewed towards a younger teen audience." The website added,
Of course, the pièce de résistance of the whole song is the iconic spoken middle-eight. It’s the moment that Mandy Moore stamps her identity over the track...You know who you are, your love is as sweet as candy, I’ll be forever yours, love always, Mandy'''. This is what the bubblegum pop era was all about; music that was completely unfazed and unpretentious about itself, no matter how utterly absurd it could be.
Critical reception
Though the song was a commercial success, "Candy" received mixed reviews from critics who compared the single to that of other teen pop singers like Britney Spears,
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
, and Jessica Simpson. In a lukewarm review, William Ruhlmann of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
wrote,
Moore is
550 Music
550 Music (originally known as Sony 550 Music) was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building, ...
's entry in the female teen singer sweepstakes of 1999. Moore lacks the undercurrent of sensuality Britney Spears brings to such material, but then she seems to be aiming at a younger demographic. Whether or not she makes it is more dependent on her looks, her ability to dance, and her label's promotional abilities than on the record itself, which is about par for this sort of thing.
Chart performance
"Candy" charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, entering at number 88 and peaking outside the top 40 at number 41 on the week of October 29, 1999. The single received more success abroad, peaking at number six in the UK and number two in Australia. As of November 2012, "Candy" has sold 753,000 physical copies and 198,000 paid digital downloads according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Music video
The music video to promote the single and album was directed by Chris Robinson. Filmed in July 1999, the video begins with shots of a typical neighborhood, with the camera eventually zooming in to Mandy Moore's bedroom. After Moore's friends (played by the members of the female pop group P.Y.T.) call Moore from outside her bedroom window, her friends get in a green
Volkswagen New Beetle
The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car, introduced by Volkswagen in 1997, drawing heavy inspiration from the exterior design of the original Beetle. Unlike the original Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front, driving the fron ...
(with the VW logos removed) and Moore drives her friends to their destination. A boy skateboarding with friends in the neighborhood notices Moore as her car passes him by. Moore and her friends arrive at a diner called Cadillac Jack's. After being seated, the same boy from earlier shows up in the diner with his friends. He and Moore steal glances at each other from across the diner. The video intercuts between Moore dancing outside the diner with her friends and her crush driving his
Vespa
Vespa () is an Italian luxury brand of scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy to ...
-style scooter through the neighborhood, accompanied by Moore. The end of the music video shows Moore and her dancers in an empty pool, surrounded by the skateboarders doing laps.
Live performances
Moore performed the Wade Robson Remix version during Summer Music Mania 2000.
Legacy
Though Moore has expressed distaste for the teen pop beginnings of her early music career, she has since embraced "Candy" and performs the song as part of her set list at her shows. "Candy" was covered by
Tiffany Giardina
Tiffany Kathryn Giardina (born November 4, 1993), known by her stage name Stalking Gia, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur.
She has been a recording artist since 2005, and performing under the stage name Stalking ...
for her 2009 album '' No Average Angel''. The song was featured in the 2000 movie '' Center Stage,'' as well as on the first episode of 2019 comedy series ''
PEN15
''PEN15'' is an American cringe comedy television series, created by Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and Sam Zvibleman, that premiered on February 8, 2019, on Hulu. The series stars Erskine and Konkle, who also serve as executive producers alongsi ...
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition in the late 2010s with her lead roles on the Disney television programs '' Bizaardvark'' and '' High School Musical: The Musi ...
contained visual references to Y2K-era pop culture like the "Candy" video, including the lime green VW bug and a nod to Moore's hairstyle. Candy was featured in one of the scenes in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
movie '' Senior Year'' (2022), starring Australian actress
Rebel Wilson
Rebel Melanie Elizabeth Wilson (born Melanie Elizabeth Bownds; 2 March 1980) is an Australian actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. After graduating from the Australian Theatre for Young People in 2003, Wilson began appearing as Tou ...
.
Track listings
The US snippets consist of album tracks " So Real", "What You Want", "Lock Me in Your Heart", and "Quit Breaking My Heart". The Australian version also includes a snippet of "Candy" between the first two tracks.
US CD and cassette single
# "Candy" (album version) – 3:54
# "Candy" (instrumental) – 3:53
# Snippets – 5:50
UK CD1
# "Candy" – 3:56
# "Candy" (
Hex Hector
Hex Hector (born Héctor Ortiz on April 15, 1965) is an American music producer and remixer. He won a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Remixer. He was born in Manhattan, New York, of a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban
Cuban may refer to:
* Something ...
radio edit) – 3:45
# "Not Too Young" – 3:52
# "Candy" (video version) – 2:58
UK CD2
# "Candy" – 3:56
# "Candy" (
Rhythm Masters
Rhythm Masters are an English house music duo composed of deejays Robert Chetcuti and Steve Mac, a.k.a. Steve McGuinness.
Biography
They began mixing together around 1993 after meeting in Malta, doing remixes for, among others, Todd Terry, M ...
club mix) – 7:35
# "Candy" (Richie Santana club mix) – 6:34
UK cassette single
# "Candy" – 3:56
# "Not Too Young" – 3:52
European CD single
# "Candy" (album version) – 3:56
# "Candy" (Hex Hector radio edit) – 3:45
European maxi-CD single
# "Candy" (album version) – 3:56
# "Candy" (Hex Hector 12-inch mix) – 9:52
# "Candy" (Richie Santana club mix) – 6:34
Australian CD single
# "Candy" – 4:06
# "Candy" (George Calle radio remix) – 3:42
# "Candy" (Hex Hector radio mix) – 3:45
# "Candy" (Santana radio) – 4:20
# Album snippets – 18:57
# Multimedia
Credits and personnel
Credits for "Candy" are adapted from the '' So Real'' liner notes.
*
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her de ...
– vocals
* Billy Lawrence
* Jive Jones – backing vocals, production
* Dakari – additional vocals
* Rob Bailey – guitars
* Tony Battaglia – guitars, mixing
* Dave Katz – keyboards and drum programming
* Shaun Fisher – keyboards and drum programming, bass
* The Wasabees – co-production
* Charlie Pennachio – co-production
* Ethan Mates – recording
* Mike Tucker – recording
* Tommie Hicks Jr. – recording
* Joe Smith – mixing