"It's Up to You" is a song by Norwegian
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
girl band the Tuesdays
The Tuesdays were a Norwegian rock group formed in 1990 in Larvik, Norway. Originally called No Limits, they were somewhat similar in sound to The Bangles. They released an album in 1994 in Norway and Japan, entitled ''When You're A Tuesday Girl' ...
, released in 1998 as the first single from their second album, ''The Tuesdays'' (1998). Produced by
Ole Evenrud Ole Evenrud (born November 17, 1962) is a Norwegian pop artist and teenpop producer. He had his big time in the 1980s under the name Ole i'dole. After the 1980s he has operated as a musical producer.
He was Head of A&R at Polygram Norway from 1993 ...
, it was well received by music critics and became a hit in Norway, peaking at number 11 on
VG-lista
VG-lista is a Norwegian record chart. It is presented weekly in the newspaper '' VG''. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continents around the world. The data are collected by Nie ...
and number three on the radio chart ''
Ti i skuddet''. It also charted in the Netherlands. Outside Europe, the single hit success in Canada and the US, peaking at number 15 on the ''
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
'' Top Singles chart and number 55 on the ''
Billboard
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''
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
. It also reached number 23 on the ''Billboard''
Mainstream Top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
, and was played on heavy rotation on two of the most important Top 40 radio-stations in the US;
WPLJ New York and
KIIS-FM Los Angeles. A
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
was filmed in L.A., directed by David Hogan.
Critical reception
J.D. Considine
J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977.
Background
J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...
from ''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'' noted "a few
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
que flourishes" on the ending of the song. Ann Kristin Frøystad from Norwegian newspaper ''
Bergensavisen
''Bergensavisen'' (lit. "the Bergen newspaper"), usually shortened to ''BA'', is the second largest newspaper in Bergen, Norway. The paper is published in tabloid format. The newspaper's webpage ba.no is Bergen's largest local newspaper webpage ...
'' felt that it has "some charm that the Americans might fall for".
Larry Flick
Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...
from ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' commented, "Remember the good of days when the
Bangles and
Go-Go
Go-go is a music subgenre, subgenre of funk music with an emphasis on specific rhythmic patterns, and live audience Call and response (music), call and response.
Go-go was originated by African-American musicians in the Washington, D.C. area du ...
's ruled? Well, the Tuesdays apparently do, and they're aiming to fill the girl rock band void. "It's Up To You" is a sunny, pop-soaked strummer on which lead singer Laila Samuels even sounds a bit like ex-Bangle
Susanna Hoffs." He added, "With breezy harmonies and fluffy keyboards as a foundation, the
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
is downright irresistible, permanently sticking to the brain upon impact. Rock radio may find the band's execution a tad too lightweight for airplay, though the track is right in the pocket of guitar-conscious top 40 formats. A promising peek into the act's eponymous debut album."
Another editor,
Chuck Taylor, described the track as a "jangly, skippy Bangles-esque ode to optimism over an unfulfilled love affair, sporting the sunny chorus, "So if you ever change your mind/I'll be waiting first in line/You can hang your toothbrush next to mine/It's up to you"." Beth Johnson from ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said, "Those long nights in Norway must have given this new babe band lots of time to listen to radio — they've borrowed from practically every pop group of the last 30 years, including early Beatles on the quintet's single "It's Up to You"." Pål Andreassen from ''
Moss Avis
''Moss Avis'' is a local newspaper in Moss, Norway. Having a rivalry with ''Moss Dagblad'', it is published six days a week. The chief editor is Pål Enghaug.
It was established in 1876, and became affiliated with the Liberal Party. It later shif ...
'' called it "hyper-catchy". ''
Scripps Howard News Service
The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...
'' said the single "promises to launch the gals out of Scandinavia with an iridescent sound, hooping harmonies (including a layer of "la-la-la's") and the clincher line "You can hang your tootbrush next to mine"."
Composition
"It's Up to You" is a moody song with a tempo of 124 BPM. It can also be used half-time at 62 BPM or double-time at 248 BPM. The album track runs 4 minutes and 27 seconds long with a G key and a major mode. It has high energy and is somewhat danceable with a time signature of 4 beats per bar.
Track listing
* CD single, Europe (1998)
# "It's Up to You" (Single-Version) — 3:59
# "It's Up to You" (Album-Version) — 4:27
* CD single, US (1998)
# "It's Up to You" — 3:59
# Snippets (from their self-titled album):
- "I'll Be Here"
- "Changin' the Moods"
- "When You're a Tuesday Girl"
* CD maxi, Europe (1998)
# "It's Up to You" (Single-Version) — 3:59
# "It's Up to You" (Album-Version) — 4:27
# "It's Up to You" (The Hitsville Mix) — 4:27
# "Broken Heart" — 3:51
Charts
References
{{Authority control
1998 singles
1998 songs
Polydor Records singles
Arista Records singles
Pop rock songs
English-language Norwegian songs