"I'm Not Your Toy" is a song by English

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

duo

La Roux La Roux ( ) is an English synthpop act formed in 2008 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid. The act's debut album ''La Roux'' (2009) was a critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award and producing hit singles suc ...

from their eponymous debut studio album (2009). Written and produced by the duo's members,

Elly Jackson La Roux ( ) is an English synthpop act formed in 2008 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid. The act's debut album ''La Roux'' (2009) was a critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award and producing hit singles su ...

and Ben Langmaid, the song was released as the album's fourth and final single on 27 September 2009. It was made available on CD, 12-inch vinyl and

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formats, including two remixes by Jack Beats and DatA. The single debuted at number 91 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 ...

for the week of 20 September 2009, based on digital sales from ''La Roux'', peaking two weeks later at number 27. The song has a distinctly Caribbean vibe, incorporating the

Stylophone The Stylophone is a miniature analog electronic keyboard musical instrument played with a stylus. Invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis, it entered production in 1968, manufactured by Dubreq. Some three million Stylophones were sold, mostly as chi ...

synthesiser (marketed as a children's toy in the 1960s and 1970s) as a main lead and bass sound.

Critical reception

"I'm Not Your Toy" received mixed reviews from music critics. David Balls of ''

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'' gave the song two out of five stars, stating, "Neither as charming as their breakthrough nor as instantly catchy as their recent chart-topper, 'I'm Not Your Toy' is a plodding and disposable effort that lacks any real magic or flare." He further characterised the song's choice for a single as "a missed opportunity" since " eir album offers more depth and variety than the uninitiated might expect." In a more positive review, Luke Turner of ''

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'' wrote that the song's " calypso flick no doubt had

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 publi ...

green-faced during La Roux's recent support slot." ''NME'' later placed the song at number 41 on its list of the 50 Best Tracks of 2009, commenting that "Elly's voice never embodied heartbreak more sharply."

Music video

The music video for "I'm Not Your Toy", directed by AlexandLiane, is set in a futuristic

spa resort A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge and p ...

with

tropical plant Tropical vegetation is any vegetation in tropical latitudes. Plant life that occurs in climates that are warm year-round is in general more biologically diverse that in other latitudes. Some tropical areas may receive abundant rain the whole ye ...

s and fruits surrounding a swimming pool. The video shows Jackson sitting on a throne, watching an

alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...

version of herself performing the song. Slowly her music attracts a large audience of all ages. Originally they listen with skeptical expressions on their faces, but they begin to enjoy the rhythm of the song. Knowing that the onlookers are happy, Jackson relaxes, and enjoys singing the song alongside four female dancers. Jackson looks again into another room, where several people from the previous scene and others put on sunglasses that seem to be playing the music. The people then start dancing while two children watch with further skepticism. The scene then swaps back to the spa location, where all the group are dancing and laughing. La Roux bandmates Mickey, Mikey and Will have a brief cameo amongst the crowd that Jackson attracted.

Track listings

*UK CD single #"I'm Not Your Toy" – 3:19 #"I'm Not Your Toy" (Jack Beats Remix) – 5:37 #"I'm Not Your Toy" (DatA Remix) – 5:16 *UK 12-inch single :A1. "I'm Not Your Toy" – 3:19 :A2. "I'm Not Your Toy" (Jack Beats Remix) – 5:37 :B1. "I'm Not Your Toy" (DatA Remix) – 5:16 *Digital EP #"I'm Not Your Toy" – 3:19 #"I'm Not Your Toy" (Jack Beats Remix) – 5:37 #"I'm Not Your Toy" (DatA Remix) – 5:15 #"I'm Not Your Toy" (

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

Remix) – 5:34

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''

''.

Recording and management

* Recorded at Elfin Studios (

Teddington Teddington is a suburb in south-west London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. In 2021, Teddington was named as the best place to live in London by ''The Sunday Times''. Historically in Middlesex, Teddington is situated on a long m ...

, London) * Mixed at MixStar Studios (

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

) * Published by Big Life Music Ltd.

Personnel

– vocals, production * Ben Langmaid – production * Serban Ghenea – mixing * John Hanes – mix engineering * Tim Roberts – mix engineering assistance

Charts

Release history

References

{{authority control 2009 singles 2009 songs La Roux songs Polydor Records singles