"Real Things" is the debut single of English singer-songwriter Javine. The single, which features a sample of M.O.P.'s " Ante Up" and a lyrical interoperation of "

It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. It is now accepted as a jazz standard, and jazz historian Gunther Schuller characterized it as "now legendary" and "a prophe ...

" by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

and

Irving Mills Irving Harold Mills (born Isadore Minsky; January 16, 1894 – April 21, 1985) was an American music publisher, musician, lyricist, and jazz artist promoter. He sometimes used the pseudonyms Goody Goodwin and Joe Primrose. Personal Mills was ...

, reached the top five 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 is the biggest hit of her career to date. The song has also featured on the '' SingStar'' games, being the 19th single featured on '' SingStar Party''.

Background and meaning

After auditioning on the television show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' for a spot in

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...

Girls Aloud Girls Aloud were an pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The group comprised singers Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The group achieved a str ...

, Javine missed out on a spot (finishing sixth, with five members only wanted) despite her popularity with the public and being 'too good for the band', as said by the judges. The voting claimed to be rigged by the public, as she was the show's favourite artist. Days after the show ended and the episode had aired, several record labels knocked on her door for a contract. She eventually signed to

Innocent Records Innocent Records was a pop record label created to cater to for EMI's Virgin Records more pop oriented acts. Following the success of the Spice Girls, Virgin Records decided to delve into the pop market. In doing so they poached Hugh Goldsmi ...

, home of fellow girl group

Atomic Kitten Atomic Kitten is an English girl group formed in Liverpool in 1998, whose current members are Liz McClarnon, Jenny Frost and Natasha Hamilton. The group was founded by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) members Andy McCluskey and Stuart K ...

. Javine did show disappointment in the fact she did not make the cut, however said "the decision was a blessing and a curse." When asked why, she explained she could move into a more R&B-oriented career instead of the pop career the show was looking for. "Real Things" became the first piece of material to do so, and was commercially successful followed up by other tracks on her album ''Surrender''. "Real Things" was written by Tor Hermansen, Hallgeir Rustan, Mikkel Eriksen, Jamal Gerard Grinnage, Eric Murry, Darryl Pittman and Javine herself. Production was handled by

StarGate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...

. The song is about materialism, with the main message being someone could have everything he or she wants or needs; however, if they are out of love or are not willing to give all their love, there is no sign of interest.

Release and reception

"Real Things" was released in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2003, charting at number four on the

at the end of the first sales week. It became the 96th-best-selling single of the year. After becoming commercially successful in the United Kingdom, the song became heavily noticed. It eventually became the opening act for

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...

's concert in the UK, and also served as the 19th track on the famous '' SingStar'' platform's ''

Party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

'' version. The cover art, however, is the album artwork, and not the official single artwork.

Music video

The music video for "Real Things" was filmed in early 2003, but never had a commercial release. In November 2004, it appeared on the

PS2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...

karaoke game " SingStar Party". Eight years after it was filmed, it was finally uploaded onto

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

in late 2011. The video begins with brief shots of Javine leaving her house. She then walks down the street as people begin to notice her and point out. Several men also glance and are interested in her, however Javine does not show the same feelings back. Instead she hangs out with her friends and in the last chorus meets up with the one, covering his eyes as he closes his shop. They walk away, holding hands. During the video, she is seen dancing in a black

catsuit A catsuit is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex (after 1959), latex, or velour, but may use less elasti ...

, dancing (with two back-ups) behind a wall which has been spray-painted 'Javine'. A then unknown

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

makes an appearance as a man driving a yellow sports car whom Javine rejects.

Track listings

UK and Australian CD single # "Real Things" – 3:21 # "Real Things" (Ignorants edit) – 3:57 # "Real Things" (

D'Influence D'Influence (also D-Influence and D*Influence) is a British production team and acid jazz band. Formerly of The Echo Label, they founded their own label, Freakstreet Records. Original members include Kwame Kwaten, Sarah-Ann Webb, Ed Baden-Powell ...

Summer Groove mix) – 3:59 # "Real Things" (D'Influence Lazy Days mix) – 4:09 # "Real Things" (video) – 3:21 UK cassette single and European CD single # "Real Things" – 3:21 # "Real Things" (Ignorants edit) – 3:57 UK 12-inch single :A1. "Real Things" (Ignorants extended mix) – 6:01 :A2. "Real Things" – 3:21 :B1. "Real Things" (D'Influence Summer Groove mix) – 3:59 :B2. "Real Things" (D'Influence Lazy Days mix) – 4:09

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2003 debut singles 2003 songs Innocent Records singles Javine songs Song recordings produced by Stargate (record producers) Songs with feminist themes Songs written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen Songs written by Tor Erik Hermansen Virgin Records singles