"Ti Amo" is a song recorded by Australian singer

Gina G Gina G (born Gina Mary Gardiner, 3 August 1970) is an Australian singer who represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996, with the song " Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart. The ...

, released in May 1997 as the fourth single from her debut album, ''

Fresh! ''Fresh!'' is the debut album by Australian dance-pop singer-songwriter Gina G, released in 1997. The album includes the single " Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit", which was the United Kingdom's entry in the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest. Followi ...

'' (1997). Written by her with Mark Taylor and

Paul Barry Paul James Barry (born 24 February 1952) is an English-born, Australian-based journalist, newsreader and television presenter, who has won many awards for his investigative reporting. He previously worked for the BBC on numerous programs, bef ...

, it is a

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

-flavoured story of a holiday romance. It was a number-one hit in Romania and a top 10 hit in Finland, Scotland and Israel. In the UK, it peaked at number 11 and was the first single by her to not reach the UK top 10. Gina G performed the song in the British music chart television programme ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

''.

Composition

The song moved away from Gina G.'s previous, fast-paced

Eurodance Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...

songs and has a sultry, sensual mid-tempo that allows the singer to fully immerse herself into character and tell the tale of a torrid summer romance. It arrived well ahead of the

Latin-pop Latin pop (in Spanish and in Portuguese: Pop latino) is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. Originating in Spanish-speaking musicians, Latin p ...

phenomenon that swept the charts in the late ‘90s and features influences like a

Flamenco guitar A flamenco guitar is a guitar similar to a classical guitar but with thinner tops and less internal bracing. It usually has nylon strings, like the classical guitar, but it generally possesses a livelier, more gritty sound compared to the clas ...

. The song runs 2 minutes and 53 seconds long with a F# Minor key and 100bpm.

Critical reception

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 ...

'' wrote, ""Ti Amo" has already scored as a huge hit in Europe and has been getting active play there since last summer—playing at every

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 ...

, on every car stereo, and in every home. It's been blasting many away by its exquisite

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 ...

beat and Gina G.'s sweetly tuneful voice. The nostalgic lyrics magnetically urge many listeners to long for one more "lazy summer day in the sun." The wonderfully rhythmic drums, melancholic guitars, and background

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 ...

(emphasized by the use of both Italian and English) make "Ti Amo" a pleasure to listen to. It's a single with the potential to blow away the U.S. market." Can't Stop the Pop said it is "essentially the love-child" of

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

’s "

La Isla Bonita "La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...

" and Ace of Base’s "

All That She Wants "All That She Wants" is a song by Swedish group Ace of Base. It was released in Scandinavia in 1992 as the second single from their first studio album, ''Happy Nation'' (1992), and in the following year, it was released as the first single from ...

", adding that it "was the boldest attempt yet to show that Gina G could do more than giddy

." A reviewer from ''

L.A. Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...

'' noted "the

fied guitars and castanets

hich are Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District (Ijrud County), Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 72 ...

creating a storm-cloud-tinged Mediterranean-island-at-midnight undercurrent". Larry Printz from ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...

'' viewed it as "

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

-esque". ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' rated "Ti Amo" four out of five, adding that here, "flamenco guitar meets

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

lite with Gina's seductive vocals on top." Mark Beaumont from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' opined that it "wants to be 'La Isla Bonita' so much its maracas practically explode." Also Pop Rescue commented that "it feels almost like it tries to nod back" to the song by Madonna, complimenting it as a "nice summery" track. John Everson from ''

SouthtownStar The ''Daily Southtown'' (formerly ''SouthtownStar'') is a newspaper of the Chicago, Illinois, United States metropolitan area that covers the south suburbs and the South Side neighborhoods of the city – a wide region known as the Chicago S ...

'' described it as "a chugging amalgamation of synth rhythms and Spanish guitars,

here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Technologies, Here Television * Here TV (form ...

she sings of lusty memories". Chris Dickinson from ''

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-De ...

'' wrote that "Ti Amo" "sounds like Madonna in Latino-disco mode".

Chart performance

"Ti Amo" was a notable hit on several charts, peaking at number-one in Romania. In the United Kingdom, it was Gina's first release to miss the top 10, entering at number 11 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 ...

, on June 1, 1997. The single spent five weeks in the UK top 75. In Finland and Scotland, it was a top 10 hit, peaking at number seven and nine. And in Lithuania, it reached the top 20. On the

Eurochart Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

, the song reached its highest position as number 47. Outside Europe, "Ti Amo" was a big hit in Israel, peaking at number eight. It did also chart in Australia, where it reached only number 113. Unlike " Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" and " Gimme Some Love", the song didn't chart in the US.

Music video

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 produced to promote the single, directed by Swedish-based director

Matt Broadley Matt Broadley is a Swedish director. He has made music videos for several songs that went #1 on the charts, like "All That She Wants" and "Mr. Vain". Career Broadley has directed many TV commercials and music videos. His clients include: * Al ...

. In the video, Gina G. plays the trophy wife of a mafia boss. She is locked up in her room, unhappy with her life and sitting in front of the mirror. She manages to run away and rides on a white horse to her secret lover. Her man are following her, but loses sight of her. We see Gina G. meeting her hot latino lover. They dance tango by a burning fire and are embracing each other. An old man have seen her ride by his house, but when the mafia boss and his men asks if he has seen her, the old man is pretending he has not seen her. At the end of the vide Gina G. leaves her lover and returns home. She sneaks into her room before her husband finds her lying on her bed.

Track listings

* 12", Germany (0630-19845-0) #"Ti Amo" (Metro's "Summer Of Love" Mix) — 5:51 #"Ti Amo" (Basstown Flamenco Euro Mix) — 3:31 #"Ti Amo" (The Handbaggers Mix) — 7:22 #"Ti Amo" (Andy & The Lampboy Mastermix) — 6:41 #"Ti Amo" (Bluehead Special Mix) — 6:41 * CD single CD1, Europe (WEA107CD1) #"Ti Amo" (Metro Radio Version) — 2:52 #"Ti Amo" (Metro Extended Mix) — 4:21 #"Ti Amo" ( Bayside Boys Club Mix) — 5:34 #"Ti Amo" (Metro's 'Summer Of Love' Club Mix) — 5:51 #"Ti Amo" (Basstown Vocal Club Mix) — 5:18 #"Ti Amo" (Basstown Euro Flamenco Mix) — 3:31 #"Ti Amo" (Handbaggers Mix) — 7:22 * CD single CD2, Europe (WEA107CD2) #"Ti Amo" (Trouser Enthusiasts' Schoolboy Crush Mix) — 10:05 #"Ti Amo" (Phat 'N' Phunky Club Mix) — 9:04 #"Ti Amo" (Red Hand Gang Dub) — 7:20 #"Ti Amo" (Andy And The Lamboy Mastermix) — 6:41 #"Ti Amo" (Bluehead Special Mix) — 6:40 * CD maxi, UK (WEA0107CD1) #"Ti Amo" (Metro Radio Version) — 2:52 #"Ti Amo" (Metro Extended Mix) — 4:21 #"Ti Amo" (Bayside Boys Club Mix) — 5:34 #"Ti Amo" (Metro's 'Summer Of Love' Club Mix) — 5:51 #"Ti Amo" (Basstown Vocal Club Mix) — 5:18 #"Ti Amo" (Basstown Euro Flamenco Mix) — 3:31 #"Ti Amo" (Handbaggers Mix) — 7:22 * CD maxi, UK (WEA107CD2) #"Ti Amo" (Trouser Enthusiasts' Schoolboy Crush Mix) — 10:05 #"Ti Amo" (Phat 'N' Phunky Club Mix) — 9:04 #"Ti Amo" (Red Hand Gang Dub) — 7:20 #"Ti Amo" (Andy And The Lamboy Mastermix) — 6:41 #"Ti Amo" (Bluehead Special Mix) — 6:40 Other versions: *"Ti Amo" (Andy & The Lamboy Dub Mix) (6:09) - from the UK promotional 12" *"Ti Amo" (Andy & The Lamboy Strip Dub Mix) (6:09) - from the UK promotional 12"

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1997 songs 1997 singles Gina G songs Warner Records singles Number-one singles in Romania Songs written by Paul Barry (songwriter) Songs written by Mark Taylor (record producer) Music videos directed by Matt Broadley