"Littlest Things" is a song by English singer
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 ...
from her debut studio album, ''
Alright, Still
''Alright, Still'' is the debut studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 13 July 2006 by Regal Recordings. After being rejected by several record labels, Allen signed to London Records, who eventually lost interest in her, leading ...
'' (2006). Written by Allen and
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...
, the song was released as the third single of the album on 11 December 2006 by
Regal Recordings
Regal Recordings is a British record label functioning as an imprint of Parlophone, Parlophone Records.
Background
Regal Records was a British record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings ...
. It incorporates a piano sample from
Pierre Bachelet and
Hervé Roy's music from the softcore pornography film ''
Emmanuelle
Emmanuelle is the lead character in a series of French erotic films based on the main character in the novel '' Emmanuelle'' (1959), created by Emmanuelle Arsan.
Character history
Emmanuelle appeared as the pen name of Marayat Rollet-Andri ...
'', for which they were credited as co-writers, as the lyrics tackle the singer dealing with the departure of her boyfriend, while reminiscing about their time together. The song was created in a New York studio, after Allen had met Ronson, who was impressed by her previous work and offered her different samples.
Contemporary critics gave the song mostly positive reviews, with some stating that it contained Allen's sweetest lyrical moments. The single peaked at number twenty-one 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 her first single not to reach the top twenty in the United Kingdom. The accompanying
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 promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
portrayed a view over the mundane moments of a dying relationship, with Allen watching herself and her ex-boyfriend together. It was directed by Nima Nourizadeh and was mainly shot in black and white. The song was performed live during her 2007 concert tour and also during her
2009 concert tour.
Background
After obtaining commercial success with first two singles, "
Smile
A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile.
Among humans, a smile expresses ...
" and "
LDN", Allen decided to promote the album by releasing "Littlest Things". The song was composed in New York, where Allen travelled after she had met producer
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...
when at lunch with her then boyfriend, Seb. There, she told him she was a singer and gave him a copy of her demo CD. He was impressed by her song "Smile" and asked her to work together.
Regarding the process of composing the song, Ronson stated:
We spent a day together and worked on a couple of things, and went to record shops where I played samples to her. Then I wrote the piano and guitar bit to "Littlest Things", and she sat down and scribbled for about an hour and finished the lyrics.
We went into the booth to record the song. She originally wanted to do a Mike Skinner thing, rapping the verse and singing the chorus. But I asked her to sing it all, and she just made up the whole melody on the spot, and sang this amazing solo. At that moment I realised that this girl has a really special gift.
In regards to composing the song and its lyrical meaning, Allen noted that,
Mark's got a very good ear. He's very relaxed in the studio and very thoughtful. There's not really any pressure working there, because he's got his own studio so he doesn't have time constraints.
The song was called "Littlest Things" and was about having broken up with my boyfriend, because Seb and I had split up for a few months. We've since got back together. It must have been quite awkward for Mark because Seb was his friend, but being fresh out of a relationship I wanted to write about what was on my mind.
Mark came up with the music first, then I came up with the words and we fitted it all together into a melody. That's the way I normally make songs – I write everything in the studio – and it obviously means that producers are very important to me. It's a complete joint effort.
2007 , The Taiwanese singer
Tarcy Su
Tarcy Su (; born 27 October 1970) is a Taiwanese singer and actress who was most popular in the 1990s during her recording career with Rock Records.
She has released three albums since 2002. In 2021, she was nominated for Best Female Mandarin ...
covered in Mandarin version as ''Bye Bye Baby'' a song from her 15th Mandarin studio album ''Tarcy. Left-Hander.Revolving Door'', the second and last album under her label
Universal Music Taiwan
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
before moving to her new music label
B'in Music.
Music structure and lyrics
Musically, the song is written in the
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
of common time and set in the key of
A minor, having a
metronome
A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...
of 82
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ...
.
It has a basic sequence of Am—D7—G—Em—Am—F#7—B as its
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
, while the piano and guitar are used for the background music.
"Littlest Things"
samples elements from "Emmanuelle in the Mirror" and the "Theme from Emmanuelle (Instrumental)", which are written by
Pierre Bachelet and
Hervé Roy for the 1974 French softcore pornographic film ''
Emmanuelle
Emmanuelle is the lead character in a series of French erotic films based on the main character in the novel '' Emmanuelle'' (1959), created by Emmanuelle Arsan.
Character history
Emmanuelle appeared as the pen name of Marayat Rollet-Andri ...
''.
It does not, though, sample "
Karma Police
"Karma Police" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 25 August 1997, as the second single from their third studio album, ''OK Computer'' (1997). It reached number one in Iceland and number eight on the UK Singles Ch ...
" by
Radiohead, contrary to popular misinterpretations.
The lyrics describe a post-relationship overview and the way one reminiscences about it.
Alex Petridis from ''
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 ...
'' describes them as dealing with "misery and sex in equal measure", while reporting that Ronson asked Allen to sing in her
London accent.
Critical reception
"Littlest Things" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Heather Phares from
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 ...
complimented the song, saying the ballad softens Allen's rough image and celebrates "the mundane moments of a dying relationship", whereas ''
Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...
'' reporter Jon Dolan considers it a "forlorn single", where the singer writes about the terror of being in a relationship "with white-knuckled worry over a snip of florid piano from a ’70s soft-core porn flick". While analysing ''Alright, Still'', ''
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 ...
'' reviewer, Sophie Heawood, described the lyrics as the "perfect description of missing someone: 'We'd spend the whole weekend lying in our own dirt / I was just so happy in your boxers and your T-shirt'." Mark Pytlik from ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' gave a positive review, saying that "'Littlest Things' is a supple piano-tickler that provides one of Allen's sweetest lyrical moments while simultaneously leaving
Ms. Dynamite
Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley (born 26 April 1981), better known as Ms. Dynamite, is a British singer and rapper. She is the recipient of the Mercury Music Prize, two Brit Awards and three MOBO Awards.
Early years
She was born Niomi Arleen Mc ...
in the dust on the
R&B balladeering front". He believed that the song is made out of Allen's "comfort zone" of songs such as "
Smile
A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile.
Among humans, a smile expresses ...
", the result being of "high order, if not a bit more erratic".
IGN reviewer Todd Gilchrist named the song as the album's "most affecting tune", while thought it "compiles a sad and beautiful checklist of the intimate moments she no longer shares with her dearly departed boyfriend".
Commercial reception
The single debuted at number fifty-three in the singer's home country and later rose to twenty-one, which became its peak.
It was Allen's lowest position 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 ...
at that time, being the only song to miss the top twenty, until "
Who'd Have Known
"Who'd Have Known" is the fifth and final international single (fourth and final in the United Kingdom) by British recording artist Lily Allen from her second studio album, '' It's Not Me, It's You''. Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, while i ...
" peaked at thirty-nine in 2009. Though it did not enter the main chart in the Flanders region of Belgium, the single obtained position thirteen on
Ultratip
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
, a continuation of the chart.
Music video
The
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 promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was directed by Nima Nourizadeh and released on 11 December 2006.
It opens with an aerial shot of a piano which begins to play by itself, and then moves to reveal a film set. Allen stands on a lamppost, wearing a raincoat, with lights, a camera and directors surrounding her. The image zooms into the camera from the studio and turns the video
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
, with the story coming to life, as the singer begins the first verse. From the lamppost she is able to see her former self walking down the street with her boyfriend.
While they enter a building, a light comes out in one of the windows, revealing their silhouettes kissing. The caption changes, with the two of them dancing, while a man plays the piano in the background; as he dips her and holds this position, she continues to sing. The camera zooms out to see a heart shaped window surrounding the two that opens and changes to a picture on Allen's wall. She is alone in a room, staring at a mirror. Her hair is let down and she is wearing a white nightgown.
The piano is seen again playing itself, as the image shifts to the window, where Allen is again portrayed leaning against the lamppost in the street, as in the beginning of the video. She again looks at the silhouettes in the window of the building, as it collapses on her, once again changing the scene. This time, the singer is looking through another window, and then turns around to a mirror which captures a door. The former Allen with the raincoat walks through with her boyfriend, as their shadows are seen kissing. The image changes to Allen from the film set, zooming out from the camera's viewing piece, making the video in colour again.
Track listings
*UK CD single
#"Littlest Things" – 3:04
#"U Killed It" – 4:27
*UK DVD single
#"Littlest Things" (Video) – 3:04
#"Littlest Things" (Audio) – 3:04
#"Everybody's Changing" – 3:48
#"Littlest Things" (Instrumental) – 3:04
*Digital download
#"Littlest Things" – 3:04
#"U Killed It" – 4:27
#"Littlest Things" (Instrumental) – 3:04
#"Littlest Things" (Acoustic Live At Bush Hall) – 3:45
*7" vinyl
#"Littlest Things" – 3:04
#"Everybody's Changing" – 3:48
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''
Alright, Still
''Alright, Still'' is the debut studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 13 July 2006 by Regal Recordings. After being rejected by several record labels, Allen signed to London Records, who eventually lost interest in her, leading ...
''.
*
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 ...
– vocals
*
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...
– production, recording, beats, harp, synth strings, percussion
* Vaughan Merrick – mixing
* Rob Smith – recording
* Kieran Panesar – recording assistance
* Tim Burrell – mastering
* Tim Debney – mastering
Charts
References
External links
"Littlest Things" lyricsat LilyAllenMusic.com
{{authority control
2006 songs
2006 singles
Contemporary R&B ballads
Lily Allen songs
Song recordings produced by Mark Ronson
Songs written by Lily Allen
Songs written by Mark Ronson
2000s ballads