"4ever" is a song written and produced by
and
Lukasz Gottwald
Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (born September 26, 1973), known professionally as Dr. Luke, Tyson Trax, and Made in China, is an American record producer and songwriter. His professional music career began in the late-night television sketch comedy ...
for
the Veronicas
The Veronicas is an Australian pop duo from Brisbane. The group was formed in 2004 by identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso.
In 2005, the Veronicas released their debut studio album, titled '' The Secret Life of...'', which peak ...
' debut studio album ''
The Secret Life Of...'' (2005). It was released as the album's first single in Australia on 15 August 2005, as a
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 ...
. The song reached number two on the
ARIA Charts
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 ...
and number seven in New Zealand. In the United States, the single was promoted early in 2006 by
Archie Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York.[MP3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...]
version of the song for free. It was also featured on the first episode of the third season of the
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
series ''
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County''. The song was released as a promo for the 2008
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...
film ''
Picture This!''. Similarly, it was also used in the film ''
She's the Man
''She's the Man'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy teen sports film directed by Andy Fickman and starring Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, and David Cross. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Twelfth Night,'' the f ...
''.
"4ever" was released as the Veronicas' second UK single in late summer 2009. The track was included on the UK version of the album ''
Hook Me Up'' which was released shortly afterwards. The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 197 on 28 September 2009, and moved up one hundred and eighty places to a new peak of 17 the following week. It was re-released in the US as the third single from ''Hook Me Up''. The band re-recorded the vocals for the re-release of the single in the US and the release of the single in the UK. The new vocals are also used in the 2009 music video for the song.
Writing and development
"4ever" was written and produced by
Lukasz Gottwald
Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (born September 26, 1973), known professionally as Dr. Luke, Tyson Trax, and Made in China, is an American record producer and songwriter. His professional music career began in the late-night television sketch comedy ...
and
. In an interview with ''
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, ...
'', Lisa described the idea behind the song:
I think it's just a really fun song. It's got a great guitar riff and the message behind it isn't anything too heavy. It's about living life for the moment, forgetting about your worries and just getting up and dancing. Plus it's a bit bratty, which we like![Digital Spy interview]
The Veronicas
''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, ...
''. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
The original version of the song was recorded in 2005. In 2009, they re-recorded the song to release in the UK and Ireland as their second single. In the press release Jess described the new sound of the 2009 version:
Since recording "4ever", the band has progressed, so we wanted to update the song ..We recorded more guitars and new vocals to bring the song up to how it sounds when we perform it live.[4ever UK video interview]
Veronicas Single "4ever" Impacting Radio Now
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
Critical reception
The song has received generally positive reviews. Craig Mathieson from ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' stated that the sisters "have the pop single of the year in '4ever', a juiced-up slice of stimuli that is constructed so cannily you can't help but love its deviousness."
[The Age review for 4ever]
The Secret Life of The Veronicas
''The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
''. Retrieved 1 November 2009. Shannon Sanders from
Iowa State Daily
The ''Iowa State Daily'' is an independent student newspaper serving Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, that is published in print and online. It was founded in 1890, and is largely funded by advertising revenues. The Iowa State University ...
said the song was "ever-so-clever"
[Iowa State Daily review for 4ever]
CD REVIEW: The Veronicas
''Iowa State Daily
The ''Iowa State Daily'' is an independent student newspaper serving Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, that is published in print and online. It was founded in 1890, and is largely funded by advertising revenues. The Iowa State University ...
''. Retrieved 1 November 2009. while Alex Macpherson from ''
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 ...
'' called it a "thrilling a piece of power pop... Propelled by a crunchy guitar riff and a twitchy us-against-the-world desperation..."
[''The Guardian'' review for 4ever]
Alex Macpherson's new releases review
''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 ...
''. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
Dan Raper of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' said "the song has a strong girl come-on and a chorus that sounds like '
It's My Life' by
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...
".
[Pop Matters review for 4ever]
The Veronicas: The Secret Life of the Veronicas Review
''PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
''. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
Nick Levine from ''
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, ...
'' called the song "an absolute smash. To put it more precisely, it's a pop-rock stomper with a killer guitar riff, lyrics about seizing the moment and a massive chorus that actually warrants the description 'anthemic' ".
[Digital Spy review for 4ever]
The Veronicas: '4ever'
''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, ...
''. Retrieved 1 November 2009. Selby Times
The ''Selby Times'' is a local weekly newspaper covering Selby and the surrounding district in North Yorkshire, England. It is a paid-for title published weekly on Thursdays, and is the sister paper to the Goole Times, with which it shares co ...
compared it to their hit "
Untouched", saying it "complements its dynamic rock style with the same attitude and sassiness that made summer hit 'Untouched' so popular."
[Selby Times review for 4ever]
The Veronicas: 4 Ever + Hook Me Up
''Selby Times''. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
Chart performance
"4ever" was first released in Australia on 15 August 2005, and made its debut on the
ARIA Top 50 Singles chart at number five on 28 August.
[4ever Australian chart debut]
ARIA Top 50 singles chart 28 August 2005
''australian-charts.com''. Retrieved 7 December 2009. It remained in the top ten for eleven consecutive weeks where it peaked at number two on its tenth week on the chart.
[4ever Australian charts]
The Veronicas - 4ever (song)
''australian-charts.com''. Retrieved 7 December 2009. The song was certified platinum status by the ''
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
'' with shipments of over 75,000 copies.
[4ever Australian certifications]
ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2005 Singles
''Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
''. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
In New Zealand, the single made its debut 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 ...
at number seven where it peaked.
[4ever New Zealand Charts]
The Veronicas - 4ever (song)
''charts.org.nz''. Retrieved 7 December 2009. The single spent seven non-consecutive weeks in the top ten and twenty-three weeks on the chart.
In the United States, the single made its debut on the
Hot Dance Club Play
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
charts peaking at number 20 on 17 December 2005.
[4ever US Charts. The Veronicas Album & Song Chart History'']Billboard.com
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
''. Retrieved 7 December 2009. It also peaked at number 88 on the
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles s ...
chart.
[ "4ever - Chart history" ]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 ...
. Retrieved 9 July 2007. In 2006, the song peaked at number twelve on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart where it peaked, failing to break into the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.
The single had moderate success throughout Europe, reaching the top 40 in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
["4ever - worldwide chart peaks"](_blank)
''acharts.us''. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
In 2009, the single was re-released in the UK and Ireland as the follow-up single for "Untouched" on their second album ''
Hook Me Up''. It debuted on the UK charts at number 17 on 10 October 2009.
[4ever UK Charts]
Chart For Week Up To 10/10/2009
Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
. Retrieved 7 December 2009. The single was on the charts for four weeks gradually dropping to number 49.
[4ever UK Charts]
4ever
Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
. Retrieved 7 December 2009. In Ireland the single debuted and peaked at number 20,
[4ever Irish Charts]
Ireland Singles Top 50 Issue Date: Thursday 1 October 2009
''acharts.us''. Retrieved 7 December 2009. also staying on the charts for only four weeks.
[4ever Irish Charts]
Ireland Singles Top 50 Issue Date: Thursday 22 October 2009
''acharts.us''. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
Music videos
Three different
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 ...
s were produced for "4ever". When the single was released in 2005, two music videos were shot: one for Australian distribution, and one for distribution to the United States. Later, in 2009, a third music video was shot for distribution to the United Kingdom.
The Australian version won the award for best video of the year at the
MTV Australia Video Music Awards 2006
The second annual AVMA's aired live in the Acer Arena in Sydney on 12 April 2006 on the Foxtel, Austar and Optus platforms and was hosted by Ashlee Simpson.
The 2006 show left out the VH1 Music First Award (which was awarded to Cher at the 2005 ...
.
Australian version (2005)
The Australian version of the video was shot in
Sun Valley, Los Angeles
Sun Valley is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley region. The neighborhood is known for its overall youthful population and moderate racial diversity. There are three recreation centers in Sun Valley, one of which ...
in 2005.
[
] The music video is set at night and shot around a public pool and a footpath.
US version (2005)
The US version of the "4ever" music video depicts the Veronicas in various rooms of a hotel and driving in their car on the streets. Despite being the US version, it also happened to air in Australia replacing the Australian version from late September to early October 2005.
UK version (2009)
On 1 July 2009, Jess announced on her Twitter page that they would be re-filming the music video in Los Angeles on 2 July 2009.
[
] The video was directed by photographer Kenneth Cappello whom they had met at a photo shoot for the
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
series "Styl'd".
In an interview they commented about shooting the video with Cappello as,
We were very excited to do the video with Kenneth ..We wanted to get across the energy of the song with exciting visuals and grittier stylized effects.
On 11 August 2009, the new music video was released. The video involves the girls performing with a band at a wild house party while wrecking the house.
The video also uses an updated version of the song with new vocals and new instruments.
Live performances
The song has been performed on many television shows including ''
Sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects.
Terminology
Al ...
'',
[Sunrise live performance. . Retrieved 3 November 2009.] ''
Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now''
* Current era, present
* The current calendar date
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
'',
[Today live performance. . Retrieved 3 November 2009.] ''Live at the Chapel'',
[Live at the Chapel performance]
Live at the Chapel: The Veronicas
''The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
''. Retrieved 3 November 2009. ''
TRL TRL or trl may refer to:
Arts
* Temporary Residence Limited, a record label
* ''Total Request Live'', a former MTV show
* TRL Awards (''Total Request Live''), an Italian music award
Libraries
* Tampines Regional Library, a regional library in Ta ...
'' in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
[TRL Italy live performance. . Retrieved 3 November 2009.] and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
[TRL Australia live performance. . Retrieved 3 November 2009.] ''
CD:USA''
[CD:USA live performance. . Retrieved 3 November 2009.] and a live performance at the
2005 NRL Grand Final.
[Rugby League Grand Final live performance]
Pete Murray to headline NRL grand final
''The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
''. Retrieved 3 November 2009. They have also performed live recordings of the song including ''
Sessions@AOL
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
'', which resulted in the release of the "
Sessions@AOL
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
"
EP;
[Sessions@AOL EP]
AOL Sessions Live by The Veronicas
''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 ...
''. Retrieved 3 November 2009. ''
MTV.com Live'', which they also released an ep for and included a new track called "Stay";
[Mtv.com Live EP]
The Veronicas: Mtv.com Live EP
''celebcards.com''. Retrieved 3 November 2009. and in 2009, they performed a session for
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's ''
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...
''.
[BBC Radio 1 live recording]
BBC - Radio 1 - Live Lounge - The Veronicas
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
CD single
# "4ever" – 3:30
# "How Long" – 3:52
# "Did Ya Think" – 2:45
Digital download EP (20 December 2005)
# "4ever" (Claude Le Gache extended edit) – 4:54
# "4ever" (Morel's Pink Noise edit) – 4:57
# "4ever" (E Smoove club edit) – 4:57
# "4ever" (Lex PCH club edit) – 4:53
# "4ever" (Mac Quayle Break edit) – 4:55
2009 digital download EP
# "4ever" – 3:29
# "4ever" (Jason Nevins remix) – 7:27
# "4ever" (
'', during both the film itself and its advertisements, and is included in the official soundtrack. It is featured in the video game ''
''. The song is available as downloadable content for the ''
'' series and was featured on the Australian version of ''SingStar Rocks!''.