"Ode to the Bouncer" is a song written, performed and produced by

electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...

group Studio Killers. The energetic three-minute and 26-second

dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...

song, which plays in the key of F-sharp major, tells the story of somebody trying to dance but being prevented by a bouncer from doing so. Break beats, synth loops and vocals are depicted in the song's arrangement. Dyna Mink and Goldie Foxx composed the tune, while the lyrics were made by vocalist Chubby Cherry. The single was first issued on 6 April 2011 as the lead single from Studio Killers' self-titled debut studio album, which was later released in 2013. The music video was released on 7 April. The single was the most successful in the Netherlands, where it was number one on charts such as the

Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica ...

and

Mega Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Dutc ...

and went gold. It also made several chart appearances in Denmark, Finland, and Belgium. The song has been met with positive critical reviews, with praise going towards the song's production and arrangement. It became the anthem of benefit event

Serious Request Serious Request is a family of annual multi-day, multimedia fundraising events for International Red Cross initiatives, typically hosted by radio stations in the week before Christmas. The project was begun in 2004 by Dutch public pop music ra ...

on the Dutch radio station

3FM NPO 3FM is a Dutch rhythmic CHR radio station controlled by public broadcaster NPO. The vast majority of the songs played on-air are rock, alternative, indie and pop, though dance and Mega Top 30 tracks may also air at times. History As Ra ...

in 2011, and appeared on ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'''s "20 Best Songs of the Summer" that same year.

Production and composition

Studio Killers formed after bandmembers Dyna Mink and Goldie Foxx had a tune to be sent to a

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 ...

in the United Kingdom. However, the girl group dropped from their label, and by then the two had nobody to write lyrics for the song or release it. They met up with Chubby Cherry at an international airport, suggesting that she be the track's vocalist and lyricist, thus forming Studio Killers. The tune was used for "Ode to the Bouncer".Meuse, Matt (14 June 2013)
Studio Killers are animated, anonymous and unapologetic

CBC Music CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

. Retrieved 27 October 2013.KKS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Studio Killers
. Kick Kick Snare. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013. Dyna Mink played the keyboards, which were programmed by Goldie Foxx, and Chubby Cherry was vocalist. James F. Reynolds mixed the song and handled additional production,James F Reynolds' Full Discography
jamesfreynolds-mixing.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2013. while Dick Beetham mastered it at 360 Mastering in London. "Ode to the Bouncer" is an energetic

trackLockwood, Andrew
Studio Killers - Studio Killers Album Review

contactmusic.com Contactmusic.com is an online magazine of cultural criticism based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, and ...

. Retrieved 26 October 2013.Kellman, Andy
Studio Killers Biography
'' Allmusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 28 October 2013. with influences of

Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance mu ...

, Vince Clarke,

Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...

and ABBA. The piece is in the key of F Mixolydian, and plays for 3 minutes and 26 seconds at a tempo of 123 beats per minute.ODE TO THE BOUNCER [Studio Killers
''Studio Killers Records''. Beatport">tudio Killers">ODE TO THE BOUNCER [Studio Killers
''Studio Killers Records''. Beatport. Retrieved 15 November 2013. Lyrically, the song depicts a woman trying to get into a nightclub by claiming that it's her birthday, that she has friends inside, and that she's not wearing any underwear or proper shoes for the cold temperature outside, only for the bouncer to continue to refuse her entrance. She then begins insulting the "empowered and aroused" bouncer and the song eventually culminates with her sneaking into the club through the ladies' room window. The production includes "skipping break beats" and "synth loops",Studio Killers - Ode To The Bouncer

. Retrieved 27 October 2013. and Scandipop.co.uk described it as "a cross between PWL or Pete Hammond back in the 80′s, and modern day Scandinavian electro acts like Eva & The Heartmaker or Electric Lady Lab."Studio Killers: ‘Ode To The Bouncer’
scandipop.co.uk. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2013.

Release

A music video for "Ode to the Bouncer" premiered on 7 April 2011.Studio Killer (7 April 2011)
Ode To The Bouncer - Studio Killers
on YouTube. Retrieved 27 October 2013. The animated video depicts Cherry trying to fight a bouncer to get into a club. The song was released as the lead single for the group's Studio Killers (album), self-titled debut album, where it appears as the first track. The single was first issued in Norway and Sweden on 6 April 2011. It was later released on 2 May 2011 in Denmark, before premiering in the United Kingdom, United States and Finland later that year. The song reached number one on record charts in the Netherlands: the Digital Songs,Netherlands Digital Songs: Jan 07, 2012
Billboard Biz. Retrieved 26 October 2013.

, Mega Dance Top 30,

Mega Top 50 __NOTOC__ Mega Top 30 is a Dutch music chart compiled by SoundAware and broadcast every Saturday from 14:00 - 16:00 on NPO 3FM. It originally started on November 30, 1963, as the Tijd voor Teenagers Top 10. Throughout the years, the chart has had se ...

and

Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...

. It also appeared on record charts in Denmark, Finland and Belgium.Finland Digital Songs: Sep 10, 2011
Billboard Biz. Retrieved 26 October 2013. "Ode to the Bouncer" was the anthem of benefit event

on the Dutch radio station

in 2011, and a version of the song played on the station was released as a separate single, with the subtitle "This One's For Mama Version".Studio Killers - Ode To The Bouncer (3FM Serious Request This One's For Mama Version)

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. Retrieved 6 November 2013. Artists who have remixed the song include

Bobby Rock and Pablo Rindt Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People * Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter * Bobby, old slang for a constab ...

, Feng Shui,

Niels van Gogh Niels van Gogh, is a DJ and producer from Augsburg. He is best known for his 1998 single "Pulverturm" which achieved gold in Belgium and South Africa and reached the Top 20 of French and Dutch Billboard charts. Career His style is progressive c ...

and

Daniel Strauss Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew language, Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel (given ...

, M-3ox, Lee Mortimer, Fear of Tigers, and Xilent.Ode to the Bouncer (Xilent Remix) by Studio Killers

. Retrieved 14 November 2013.

Critical reception

Critical reactions to "Ode to the Bouncer" have been approving, with some reviewers finding it humorous, while liking its production and arrangement. In a review of the group's self-titled debut album, a writer from MuuMuse described the song as "hysterically fierce" and "fresh".Studio Killers, An Animated Band, Deliver Surprise Electro-Pop Debut of the Year
MuuMuse. June 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.

Contactmusic.com Contactmusic.com is an online magazine of cultural criticism based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, and ...

's Andrew Lockwood found the song "ridiculously catchy", while Scandipop.co.uk called its chorus stunning "both musically and melodically". Federico Antonioni of the Italian online publication concertionline.com labeled the song as an "excellent example of catchy dance music..."Antonioni, Federico (20 March 2012)
Ode to the bouncer – Studio Killers (testo e video)
(in Italian). concertionline.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013. '' The Irish Times'''s Jim Carroll called "Ode to the Bouncer" a "Smashing pop humdinger from mysterious combo with Danish, Finnish and UK members who prefer to hide (for now) behind cartoon characters," and a PopJustice writer said that it was a great track "that instantly sounds like something you've known forever."Studio Killers – ‘Ode To The Bouncer’
PopJustice. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2013. A staff member from the magazine '' FHM'' wrote that "The track’s great with lyrical gems like “you’re just another prick at the door” and the sound being some sort of mutant mash-up of Madonna and Gorillaz."Studio Killers – Ode To The Bouncer
FHM. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2013. Writing for the official site of ''

The Jace Hall Show Jason "Jace" Hall is an American film, television and video game producer. Career Hall was one of the founders of Monolith Productions and is CEO of record keeping platform Twin Galaxies. His music video "I Play W.O.W" was featured on IGN's ...

'', Jeff Nau said that "At first, the song is cringingly annoying, but the 3rd time it’s in your head like a chunk of infected code."Nau, Jeff (4 July 2011)
Death of A Diva: Animated Avatars Are Killing Your Pop Stars
. jacehallshow.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.

Track listing

;Streaming & Digital Download # "Ode to the Bouncer" – 3:26 # "Ode to the Bouncer (Bobby Rock and Pablo Rindt Remix)" – 6:24 # "Ode to the Bouncer (Feng Shui Remix)" – 6:30 # "Ode to the Bouncer (Niels Van Gogh and Daniel Strauss Remix)" – 6:22 # "Ode to the Bouncer (M-3ox Remix)" – 6:26 # "Ode to the Bouncer (Lee Mortimer Remix)" – 5:03 # "Ode to the Bouncer (Fear of Tigers Remix)" – 4:52

Remixes

;

Manhattan Clique Manhattan Clique is a group composed of producers, remixers and songwriters Philip Larsen and Chris Smith, also known as "MHC". Their successes have been reflected in the ''Music Week'' Club and Pop charts in the UK, plus the Billboard dance chart ...

Mixes * "Ode to the Bouncer (Manhattan Clique Remix)" – 6:37 * "Ode to the Bouncer (Manhattan Clique Instrumental)" – 6:37 * "Ode to the Bouncer (Manhattan Clique Edit)" – 3:38 ;Niels Van Gogh & Daniel Strauss Mixes * "Ode to the Bouncer (Niels Van Gogh & Daniel Strauss Remix)" – 6:22 * "Ode to the Bouncer (Niels Van Gogh & Daniel Strauss Edit)" – 3:51 ;Fear of Tigers Mix * "Ode to the Bouncer (Fear of Tigers Remix)" – 4:52 ;Lee Mortimer Mix * "Ode to the Bouncer (Lee Mortimer Remix)" – 5:03 ;Bobby Rock & Pablo Rindt Mix * "Ode to the Bouncer (Bobby Rock & Pablo Rindt Remix)" – 6:24 ;M-3ox Mix * "Ode to the Bouncer (M-3ox Remix)" – 6:26 ;Feng Shui Mix * "Ode to the Bouncer (Feng Shui Remix)" – 6:30 ;Paradise 45 Mix * "Ode to the Bouncer (Paradise 45 Remix)" – 7:10 ;Xilent Mix * "Ode to the Bouncer (Xilent Remix)" – 4:14

Accolades

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2011 debut singles Synth-pop songs Dutch Top 40 number-one singles Mega Top 50 number-one singles 2011 songs Animated music videos