"U.G.L.Y." is a song by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

recording duo Daphne & Celeste. It was released on June 5, 2000, as the second single from their

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, '' We Didn't Say That!''. The song was written and composed by Michele Chiavarini, Tracy Kilrow, Michael Marz and S. Burkes, while its producer was Chiavarini. "U.G.L.Y." is a teen pop and

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...

song with a cheerleading style, making it similar in this respect to

Toni Basil Antonia Christina Basilotta (born September 22, 1943), better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her song "Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Australia and hit th ...

's song " Mickey". Lyrically, the song is about people who Daphne & Celeste think are ugly. The song received mixed reviews from music critics, with some saying it was a good single, but many panning it and at least one reportedly saying it was "inappropriate and ridiculous". It is still the subject of criticism to this day due to its harsh lyrics. Although it received unfavorable reviews upon its release as a single, the song did very well in

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, where it peaked at number seven (its highest position on any chart anywhere in the world). Elsewhere it wasn't quite so successful, but the single would later be immortalized in the American box office hit film ''

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'' (released August 2000) and its accompanied soundtrack.

Background

After the release of their first single, "Ooh Stick You", the duo decided to release "U.G.L.Y." as the second single from their forthcoming album, '' We Didn't Say That!'' (2000). The song was written and composed by Michele Chiavarini, Tracy Kilrow, Michael Marz and S. Burkes, and was produced by Chiavarini. They took the chorus from a Fishbone song called "Ugly".

Critical reception

Dean Carlson 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 databas ...

reviewed the album, but did not at that point intend to review the track itself. However, he did go on to review "U.G.L.Y." individually, giving it two and a half out of five stars when so doing. Andy Capper 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 ...

'' said: "'UGLY' continues the playground putdown vibes of Daphne & Celeste's first single, 'Ooh Stick You'. It's a cool little tune, bolstered by a complete lack of

irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into ...

or sickly

kitsch Kitsch ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as naïve imitation, overly-eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste. The avant-garde opposed kitsch as melodramatic and superficial affiliation with ...

vibes. Daphne & Celeste are queens in the making."NME Track Reviews - UGLY - NME.COM
/ref>

Reaction and criticism

Reviews of ''We Didn't Say That!'' on DooYoo.co.uk are largely negative, as are remarks in those reviews about this specific song. Andy Capper's review of it from ''

'' is positive, but acknowledges nonetheless that it is "a bit ruder" than their previous single.

Chart performance

The single was a big success in New Zealand, where it peaked at number seven on the

New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...

and was certified

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

.charts.org.nz - Daphne & Celeste - U.G.L.Y.
/ref> However, it did not do as well in any other country. The song debuted at number forty-seven on the

Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

, but only managed to peak at number forty. The song entered the charts at number eighteen 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 ...

, where it only managed to go that far.

Music video

The music video was directed by Phil Griffin and filmed on April 16, 2000.

Track listings

UK CD1 # "U.G.L.Y." (radio edit) # "U.G.L.Y." (Tomboy Mix) # "U.G.L.Y." (T-Total "Make Over" Mix) # "U.G.L.Y." (video) UK CD2 and Canadian CD single # "U.G.L.Y." (radio edit) # "U.G.L.Y." (Uglier Mix) # Exclusive Daphne & Celeste interview UK cassette single # "U.G.L.Y." (radio edit) # "U.G.L.Y." (Uglier Mix)

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ugly 2000 singles Daphne and Celeste songs 2000 songs Universal Records singles