"Me and My Imagination" is a song by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
recording artist
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded Ellis-Bextor went solo and ach ...
for her third studio album, ''
Trip the Light Fantastic
To "trip the light fantastic" is to dance nimbly or lightly to music. The origin of the phrase is attributed to John Milton.Kirkpatrick, Betty and Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth McLaren (1999) "light fantastic" ''Clichés: Over 1500 Phrases Explored and ...
'' (2007). It was written by Ellis-Bextor,
Hannah Robinson
Hannah Robinson (born in Derbyshire) is a British songwriter. Her best-known compositions include Rachel Stevens's UK No. 2 hit "Some Girls", Ladyhawke's "My Delirium" and Annie's "Chewing Gum". Robinson began her career as a vocalist and in 2 ...
and co-written and produced by Matt Prime. It is a
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
,
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
song and its lyrics advise an overeager suitor to play harder to get. Some critics noted that it recalls the songs from her first studio album, ''
Read My Lips'' (2001).
The song was released as the album's second
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
in May 2007, reaching number twenty-three 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 ...
. It received acclaim from music critics, who named it a brilliant and irresistible slice of pop. The lyrics were also praised, with many of whom commending the singer for the smart lyrical concept. The song was prominently used in several episodes of the Spanish television series ''Supermodelo'', the Spanish version of ''
America's Next Top Model
''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...
''.
Background and composition
"Me and My Imagination" was written by Sophie Ellis-Bextor,
Hannah Robinson
Hannah Robinson (born in Derbyshire) is a British songwriter. Her best-known compositions include Rachel Stevens's UK No. 2 hit "Some Girls", Ladyhawke's "My Delirium" and Annie's "Chewing Gum". Robinson began her career as a vocalist and in 2 ...
and co-written and produced by Matt Prime.
It is an
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
,
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
and
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
song.
The lyrics advise an overeager suitor to play harder to get.
[ "I don't need to know your every trick, so keep me guessing just a little bit", coos Sophie.][
]
Reception
Critical reception
The song received general acclaim from music critics. K. Ross Hoffman 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 databas ...
called it "an immaculate disco glide,"[ while Nick Levine of ]Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
named it "a sun-dappled disco." Stuart McCaighy of ''DIY
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...
'' magazine wrote a very positive review, stating "It's an immediate and irresistible slice of pop. The song's pace and melody make the most of Sophie's deadpan delivery. This is modern pop with old time appeal - it sticks in the head and refuses to budge." Emily MacKay of Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds of ...
commented: "It's an old-school Sophie handbag house with a soft icy melody and a simple, smart lyrical concept." Caroline Sullivan of ''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 ...
'' commented: "She excels herself on the delicious single Me and My Imagination, her disengaged presence helping (along with a walloping melody and frantic violins) to push the song to ecstatic heights." However, Kitt Empire of ''The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' wrote that the song "tries to recreate the Ibizan bliss of her debut album '' Read My Lips'', but ends up more fake tan than sunkissed glow." Talia Kraine of 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 ...
perceived that the song "recalled days of ''Read My Lips''."
Andrew Bain of ''musicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
'' wrote a favorable review, commenting "On first listen, most of the song is pretty forgettable, but with some persistence it manages, as all good pop songs do, to burrow neatly into the listener's brain and lodge itself there. However, unlike most other pop songs it achieves this goal with a more understated sound, achieving memorability through a chorus so gentle that you barely realise it's there. In other words, Sophie achieves a good pop single with the class that she is known for, never stooping to the unbearably repetitive nature of most pop. It makes for a much more pleasurable listen, even for those whose tastes usually lie outside the genre. As a whole it is a perfectly listenable and amiable song. If you liked Sophie's previous stuff, especially the last single (and not so much Murder on the Dancefloor
"Murder on the Dancefloor" is a song written by Gregg Alexander and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Alexander and Matt Rowe for Ellis-Bextor's first album, '' Read My Lips'' (2001). Released on 3 December 2001, the song peaked at number two on ...
), then this single is for you." ''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 th ...
'' ranked "Me and My Imagination" at number 87 on its list of the 100 Greatest Tracks of 2007.[ David Raposa wrote:
]
"Some things Sophie Ellis-Bextor can't do without: the three-minute song, disco strings, pop glitter, and men that play hard-to-get. This standout track from her third solo album is more of the same from a UK pop factory that produces pop hooks most Americans adore only when in the mouths of teenage babes or Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
. Radio programmers, please note: Pure sugar like this will go a long way toward making the usual Top 40 placebos easier to swallow."[
]
Charts and controversy
The single peaked at number 23 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 ...
and it sold 10,000 copies in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. "Me and My Imagination" later appeared on the Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is an American lifestyle retailer that focuses on casual wear. Its headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. The company operates three other offshoot brands: Abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. As of Februar ...
playlist in America.[Abercrombie & Fitch playlist](_blank)
. abercrombie.com. Retrieved 7 July 2007. On the Russian Top Hit 100, the song debuted at number 96 on the issue dated 21 May 2007. On the issue dated 28 May 2007, the song climbed from 96 to 53. On the issue dated 4 June 2007, the song moved to number 35. The song peaked at number 16 on the chart issue dated 16 July 2007.
The single's digital release caused controversy when iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
failed to add the song until a week after it was supposed to be released, appearing on 14 May 2007 instead of 7 May 2007. Ellis-Bextor believed she would have scored a top 10 hit if the problem had not occurred.[Jonny Evans]
"Sophie Ellis Bextor slams iTunes error"
macworld.co.uk. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2007. She described the error as "a nightmare", and believed it placed her chart position in jeopardy.
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 promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
was directed by Nourizadeh Nima and filmed in west London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Sophie Muller
Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller (born 31 January 1962) is a British music video director who has directed more than 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 ''Diva'' video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's son ...
was Ellis-Bextor's first choice to direct the video, but Muller had to decline the offer when she broke her ankle. The video features Ellis-Bextor in various places, singing to the camera. There are four sequences; the first takes place on an empty street, which then turns into a black studio. The second features Ellis-Bextor dancing in the studio in front of a troupe of dancers, each wearing illuminated costumes of different colours. The third sequence takes place in a park, while the fourth has Ellis-Bextor finding cover from the rain in London.
Track listing
* 2-track single
# "Me and My Imagination" – 3:27
# "Move to the Music" – 3:33
* Maxi single
# "Me and My Imagination" – 3:27
# "Move to the Music" – 3:33
# "Me and My Imagination" (Tony Lamezma Radio Mix) – 3:43
# "Me and My Imagination" ( StoneBridge Radio Mix) – 3:14
# "Me and My Imagination" (video)
* 12" picture disc
# "Me and My Imagination" – 3:28
# "Here's to You" – 2:46
# "Catch You" (Riff & Ray's Mix) – 8:17
# "Me and My Imagination" (StoneBridge Vocal Mix) – 7:20
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Credits and personnel
*Additional production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
by Justin Spier and Mat Jackson
*All instruments by Matt Prime
*Additional bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
: Guy Pratt
Guy Adam Pratt (born 3 January 1962) is a British musician. He is best known for his prolific work as a session bass player, working with artists including Pink Floyd (also David Gilmour and Nick Mason), Roxy Music (also Bryan Ferry), Gary M ...
*Recorded at Stanley House in 2006
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Trip the Light Fantastic'', Interscope Records.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Me and My Imagination
2007 singles
Sophie Ellis-Bextor songs
Songs written by Matt Prime
Songs written by Hannah Robinson
Songs written by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
2007 songs
Fascination Records singles