"Foundations" is a song co-written by British singer-songwriter
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash (born 6 July 1987) is an English singer-songwriter and actress.
Nash launched her music career in 2005. Her 2007 single " Foundations" became a hit and brought her to public attention in the UK. Her debut album, '' Made of Bricks ...
for her debut album, ''
Made of Bricks'' (2007). It was released as the album's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
in June 2007, her first single since signing with
Fiction Records
Fiction Records is a British record label founded by Chris Parry in 1978, owned by Universal Music Group and based in the United Kingdom. It is best known for being the home of The Cure for over 20 years. It was originally a part of Polydor, ...
after the success of her debut single "
Caroline's a Victim".
Music and structure
The song is written in C major and uses the three main chords of the key C, F, and G as the riff, which is used as a simple eight bar ostinato. It follows the A-B-A-B-A-B-C-B pattern.
During the writing process, producer
Paul Epworth
Paul Richard Epworth (born 25 July 1974) is an English record producer, songwriter, musician, and remixer. He has worked with artists including Adele, Florence and the Machine, Rihanna, and Maxïmo Park, among many others. He is a member o ...
suggested to Nash to write "something like 'Cheree' by
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
", which has a similar chord progression.
Music video
The music video was directed by Kinga Burza and makes use of video, still shots and
stop motion
Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...
animation. Colourful everyday items such as toothbrushes, shoes, socks and toys (one of which appears to be a Yellow
Power Ranger
''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise ''Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS Enter ...
) are prominent.
It follows the song closely, and is made up of several main scenes; Nash playing a card game, turning in bed, eating lemons ("you've said I must eat so many lemons, because I am so bitter"), sitting on a staircase, arm wrestling, decorating a cake and sitting in her lounge, but is not happy living with her boyfriend. The video ends as she packs her suitcase and walks out of the house.
Critical reception
The song has received almost universally positive reviews from British critics. In August 2007,
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
gave the song a mixed review, citing its strong comparisons to
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...
, but praised the "indelible chorus". In September 2007,
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
gave a positive review of the song, citing Nash's "gift for communicating confusing romance with a keen eye for detail and scene-stealing turns of phrase".
The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' also cited Nash's lyrical gift in "Foundations" in their review. In January 2008, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' gave the song a positive review stating, "The rushed verses of "Foundations" – in which Nash dissects a couple's argument – convey sadness and snarkiness at once, and those verses sound pretty inviting, too." That same month,
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
gave the song an overwhelmingly positive review, hailing the song as her best and continuing with "The song is bright, peppy and mercilessly perceptive". In February 2008,
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
hailed the track as "energetic and borderline sadistic". In December 2008, ''Slant'' ranked the song at 17 on their list of the top 25 US released singles of 2008.
Chart performance
The song spent five weeks at No. 2 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, being held off by
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
's "
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally use ...
" and
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
and
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia and spent most of her youth working with producer Anthony Dent as a songwriter and background vocalist for ...
's "
The Way I Are
"The Way I Are" is a song by American producer Timbaland, released as the second single from his second studio album ''Shock Value'' (2007). The song features vocals by singer Keri Hilson, and is included on international editions on her debut a ...
" for three weeks and two weeks, respectively. In the week ending 4 August 2007, "The Way I Are" beat "Foundations" to the top spot by just 16 copies, with the latter selling 33,562 copies. The song has sold 435,000 copies in the UK, as stated by the
Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
.
Promotion
On 22 July 2007, Nash performed "Foundations" at 2007's
T4 on the Beach
T4 on the Beach was an annual British one-day music event which was held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised on Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005. The d ...
in
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare, also known simply as Weston, is a seaside town in North Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Mead Vale, Milton, Oldmixon ...
. The single was a commercial success, ending 2007 as the year's 17th biggest-selling single in the UK.
BBC Music
BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network.
Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
"Top 40 Singles of the Year 2007 "
Retrieved 30 December 2007. On 15 January 2008, she performed the song on ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing from January 3, 2005, to December 19, ...
''.
Track listings
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foundations (Song)
2007 singles
2007 songs
Fiction Records singles
Geffen Records singles
Kate Nash songs
Songs written by Kate Nash
Songs written by Paul Epworth