"Wake Me Up" is a song recorded by British
girl group 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 ...
from their second studio album, ''
What Will the Neighbours Say?
''What Will the Neighbours Say?'' is the second studio album by English-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were en ...
'' (2004). It was released by
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
on 21 February 2005, as the fourth and final single from the album. The song had been initially considered as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
, however, it was deemed to sound too harsh and the record company did not want to take the risk. The track was written by
Miranda Cooper
Miranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper (born 1975) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and television presenter. Miranda Cooper has worked in the music industry since 1996 when she gained her first recording contract. She wor ...
,
Brian Higgins
Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and N ...
,
Tim Powell, Shawn Lee, Lisa Cowling, Paul Woods and Yusra Maru'e. "Wake Me Up" is a
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
song composed of a "
garage rock guitar riff".
It received mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. While some described it as predictable, others wrote that it appeared to be an attempt to recapture the sound of some of their previous release.
Alex Kapranos
Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley (born 20 March 1972) is a Scottish musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and author. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist of Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand. He has also been a part of the ...
, the lead singer of indie rock band
Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
Fr ...
, said "Wake Me Up" inspired the band to work with producer
Brian Higgins
Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and N ...
.
"Wake Me Up" debuted and peaked at number 4 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 became the band's first single to miss the top three. The song also peaked inside the top ten in Ireland, but missed the top ten in Europe. 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 ...
was directed by Harvey & Carolyn, and portrays the band as
rocker chicks as they ride
motorcycles
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
along a desert road. "Wake Me Up" has been performed on all of
the group's concert tours, and also in a few live television appearances, including twice at the ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British 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. For most o ...
'', where
Harley Davidson Harley may refer to:
People
* Harley (given name)
* Harley (surname)
Places
* Harley, Ontario, a township in Canada
* Harley, Brant County, Ontario, Canada
* Harley, Shropshire, England
* Harley, South Yorkshire, England
* Harley Street, in L ...
lent motorbikes for the members to use for the first performance, and at ''
Today with Des and Mel
''Today with Des and Mel'' was a British television chat show hosted by Des O'Connor ('' Des O'Connor Tonight'') and Melanie Sykes. The show featured celebrity guests, phone-in competitions and chat between the hosts. It was produced by Car ...
''. In 2005, "Wake Me Up" won the award for the
Popjustice £20 Music Prize
The Popjustice £20 Music Prize, also known as the Popjustice Twenty Quid Prize, is an annual prize awarded by music website Popjustice to recognise the best British pop single of the previous year. The prize was conceived by Popjustice founder ...
, an annual prize awarded by a panel of judges organised by music website
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', '' Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael Cr ...
to the singer(s) of the best British pop single of the past year.
Background and release
Following a brief hiatus,
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
enlisted
Brian Higgins
Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and N ...
and
Xenomania
Xenomania is an English songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed by Higgins with his Creative Director Miranda Cooper and Business Director Sarah Stennett of First Access Entertainment, Xenoman ...
to produce Girls Aloud's second album in its entirety, following the success of their debut album.
Higgins explained that Polydor were not going to continue with the group's contract unless he produced songs for the album.
He continued, saying that his initial reaction was that he thought he would only be required to produce a couple of songs, however Polydor insisted that he produce the album in its entirety and that they thought only he understood what they wanted.
The album was recorded from April to September 2004, with the lead single being released in June 2004.
For the lead single from ''
What Will the Neighbours Say?
''What Will the Neighbours Say?'' is the second studio album by English-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were en ...
'', Polydor presented the band four singles choices, including "
The Show", "Wake Me Up", "
Graffiti My Soul
"Graffiti My Soul" is a song by British-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their second studio album '' What Will the Neighbours Say?'' (2004). Written and produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, the track was ...
", and "
Androgynous Girls". Although "Wake Me Up" was the preferred choice, and also
Sarah Harding
Sarah Nicole Harding (; 17 November 1981 – 5 September 2021) was an English singer, model and actress. Her professional career began in 2002 when she successfully auditioned for the ITV reality series '' Popstars: The Rivals'', during which ...
's favorite from the album,
it was deemed to sound too harsh and the record company did not want to take the risk.
They also added "Androgynous Girls" as a b-side to the album's second single three months later.
"The pressure to come up with singles was, as always, immense. But
..we were able to have a lot of fun working on ideas that were maybe a little too odd to be on the radio," Higgins said.
They decided to release "The Show", which was debuted on 28 June 2004, less than six months after the release of "
Jump
Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory.
Jump or Jumping also may refer to:
Places
* Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...
".
"Wake Me Up" was eventually released as the fourth and final single from the album on 21 February 2005.
The first verse was recorded on the last day of sessions for ''
What Will the Neighbours Say?
''What Will the Neighbours Say?'' is the second studio album by English-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were en ...
''.
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Scott (née Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, fashion designer, model, variety performer, television presenter, actress and dancer. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series '' Po ...
's "dressed up and put on my make up" line was considered a "pivotal" point in the recording process.
"Wake Me Up" was released on two
CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
formats, as well as an additional 7" picture disc. The first disc included a remix of Girls Aloud's previous single, a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of
The Pretenders
Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete ...
' "
I'll Stand by You
"I'll Stand by You" is a song recorded by English-American rock band the Pretenders from their sixth studio album, '' Last of the Independents'' (1994). The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy ...
".
The second CD format included the Tony Lamezma's Love Affair remix of "Wake Me Up", as well as an exclusive b-side:
the previously unreleased
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
, entitled "History", which was co-written by the band. The 7" picture disc includes the Gravitas Club Mix of "Wake Me Up" and another new b-side:
another ballad, "Loving Is Easy", which was also co-written by Girls Aloud. It only appeared on vinyl until its inclusion on the special edition rarities disc of Girls Aloud's first greatest hits album, ''
The Sound of Girls Aloud
''The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits'' is the first greatest hits album of British girl group Girls Aloud. It was first released in the United Kingdom through a limited edition on 23 October 2006, while the standard version was release ...
'', along with a demo version of "Wake Me Up", which features an alternate first verse.
Composition and critical reception
Described as having a
garage rock inspired guitar riff,
"Wake Me Up" is a fast-paced
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
song that "marries a garage rock guitar sound to strange, almost
Aphex Twin-like sound effects."
It was reported that Girls Aloud were going to re-record the song because "ducers are wary of playing the song on children's TV in its unaltered form." Alexis Petridis 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 ...
'' said that the song sounds like what would happen if "you married an alarmingly fast techno thud to an implausibly dumb three-chord garage rock riff."
A
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 ...
critic, however, deemed the track, along with "Deadlines & Diets" and "I Say a Prayer for You", a "fairly predictable mix of well-produced tunes covering the various pop styles and themes." Reviewing Girls Aloud's first greatest hits album, Paul Scott of
Stylus Magazine said that "Wake Me Up", "
Long Hot Summer" (2005) and "
Something Kinda Ooooh
"Something Kinda Ooooh" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their first greatest hits collection '' The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits'' (2006). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his ...
" (2006), "all feel, to varying degrees, like attempts to recapture
heseductive bludgeoning" of "The Show". In 2005, "Wake Me Up" won the award for the
Popjustice £20 Music Prize
The Popjustice £20 Music Prize, also known as the Popjustice Twenty Quid Prize, is an annual prize awarded by music website Popjustice to recognise the best British pop single of the previous year. The prize was conceived by Popjustice founder ...
, an annual prize awarded by a panel of judges organised by music website
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', '' Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael Cr ...
to the singer(s) of the best British pop single of the past year.
Music video
The music video for "Wake Me Up" was directed by Harvey & Carolyn. It opens with Harding pulling down her bike helmet, followed by the helmeted faces of all five band members being shown with a title screen. The girls' helmets fly off their heads as they get on their motorcycles. At the front, the girls' names are on them. In subsequent scenes, the band members are shown racing on motorcycles along a desert road. Following the topic of the song, the members are seen applying fake tattoos, painting their nails, and blow-drying their hair, all still while riding on their motorcycles. At one point, the girls dismount from their bikes to dance, but eventually they return to the motorcycles and ride off into the distance.
Live performances
Girls Aloud performed "Wake Me Up" on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British 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. For most o ...
'' on 28 January 2005.
Harley Davidson Harley may refer to:
People
* Harley (given name)
* Harley (surname)
Places
* Harley, Ontario, a township in Canada
* Harley, Brant County, Ontario, Canada
* Harley, Shropshire, England
* Harley, South Yorkshire, England
* Harley Street, in L ...
lent motorbikes for the members to use for the performance.
The band performed the track on the programme again on 4 March 2005. It was also performed on ''
Today with Des and Mel
''Today with Des and Mel'' was a British television chat show hosted by Des O'Connor ('' Des O'Connor Tonight'') and Melanie Sykes. The show featured celebrity guests, phone-in competitions and chat between the hosts. It was produced by Car ...
'', and at
V Festival 2008. Girls Aloud have included "Wake Me Up" in all of their tours. For their debut tour, 2005's
What Will the Neighbours Say...? Tour, the group performed the song in
schoolgirl uniforms. For 2006's
Chemistry Tour
Chemistry: The Tour was the second concert tour by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It supported their third studio album, ''Chemistry (Girls Aloud album), Chemistry''. Following the success of 2005's What Will the Neighbours Say...? T ...
, it was performed as part of a medley alongside ''
Chemistry'' album track "Wild Horses". It was also performed during 2007's
The Greatest Hits Tour. On 2008's
Tangled Up Tour, "Wake Me Up" was performed in a medley with "
Walk This Way
"Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the album '' Toys in the Attic'' (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the ''Billboa ...
", and on 2009's
Out of Control Tour, the song was included in a greatest hits medley which closed the concerts. In 2013, the song was performed during the
Ten: The Hits Tour.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Wake Me Up".
* CD single – CD 1
[
# "Wake Me Up" – 3:27
# "]I'll Stand by You
"I'll Stand by You" is a song recorded by English-American rock band the Pretenders from their sixth studio album, '' Last of the Independents'' (1994). The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy ...
" (Gravitas Vocal Dub Mix Edit) – 6:26
* CD single – CD 2[
# "Wake Me Up" – 3:27
# "Wake Me Up" (Tony Lamezma's Love Affair) – 7:01
# "History" (Girls Aloud, Cooper, Higgins, Cowling, Jon Shave, Tim "Rolf" Larcombe, Lee) – 4:37
# "Wake Me Up" (video) – 3:27
# "Wake Me Up" (karaoke video) – 3:27
# "Wake Me Up" (game)
* 7" vinyl][
# "Wake Me Up" – 3:27
# "Loving Is Easy" (Girls Aloud, Cooper, Higgins, Cowling, Lee) – 3:01
# "Wake Me Up" (Gravitas Club Mix) – 5:29
* ''The Singles Boxset'']
# "Wake Me Up" – 3:27
# "I'll Stand by You" (Gravitas Vocal Dub Mix Edit) – 6:26
# "Wake Me Up" (Tony Lamezma's Love Affair) – 7:01
# "History" – 4:37
# "Loving Is Easy" – 3:01
# "Wake Me Up" (Gravitas Club Mix) – 5:29
# "Wake Me Up" (alternative version) – 3:27
# "Wake Me Up" (video) – 3:27
# "Wake Me Up" (karaoke video) – 3:27
# "Wake Me Up" (game)
Personnel
*Nadine Coyle
Nadine Elizabeth Louise Coyle (born 15 June 1985) is an Irish singer, actress and model. In 2002, Coyle was selected as a member of the girl group Girls Aloud, with whom she has been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK top te ...
– co-lead vocals
*Cheryl Tweedy
Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. Born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, she rose to fame in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstar ...
– co-lead vocals
*Sarah Harding
Sarah Nicole Harding (; 17 November 1981 – 5 September 2021) was an English singer, model and actress. Her professional career began in 2002 when she successfully auditioned for the ITV reality series '' Popstars: The Rivals'', during which ...
– co-lead vocals
*Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts (born 5 October 1985) is a British pop singer. She rose to prominence in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstars: The Rivals''. The group's success helped them win the ...
– co-lead vocals
*Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Scott (née Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, fashion designer, model, variety performer, television presenter, actress and dancer. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series '' Po ...
– co-lead vocals
Chart performance
On the week ending on 27 February 2005, "Wake Me Up" debuted at number four 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 ...
with first-week sales of 16,351 copies, becoming Girls Aloud's eighth top five single but their first single to miss the top three. It fell to number ten the following week. "Wake Me Up" is Girls Aloud 18th best-selling single in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, the single debuted and peaked at number six, falling to number 11 the following week. "Wake Me Up" failed to debut at the top ten in Europe, peaking at number 13 on the European Hot 100 Singles.[
]
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
{{Authority control
2004 songs
2005 singles
Girls Aloud songs
Polydor Records singles
Song recordings produced by Xenomania
Songs written by Brian Higgins (producer)
Songs written by Miranda Cooper
Songs written by Tim Powell (producer)
Songs written by Lisa Cowling
Songs written by Shawn Lee (musician)