Figure 8 (song)
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"Figure 8" is a song by English singer and songwriter
Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...
from her second studio album, '' Halcyon'' (2012). It was released on 14 December 2012 as the album's second single. The song was written by Goulding and Jonny Lattimer and produced by Monsta, with additional production by
Mike Spencer Michael Spencer is an English record producer and recording engineer. He has worked with various pop acts, including Newton Faulkner, Jamiroquai, John Newman, Ellie Goulding, Alex Clare, and Emeli Sandé, among others. Many of his productions ...
. The accompanying music video was directed by
W.I.Z. Andrew John "W.I.Z." Whiston (born 4 January 1964) is an English director of films and music videos. Career W.I.Z. has directed a number of high-concept videos for major music artists from the United Kingdom and the United States, including Mas ...
and released on 19 November 2012.


Critical reception

"Figure 8" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Michael Roffman of ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' called it "a defensive track that finds ouldingreasoning with her scorched paths", adding that Spencer's work with
Jamiroquai Jamiroquai ( ) are an English acid jazz and funk band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...
or
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
"injects a scenic quality that bludgeons with cinematic density." ''
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 initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
''s Lewis Corner noted the song "continues to explore Ellie's ascent into womanhood, centering around her experience of being left heartbroken by a former love over a buzzing
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
bassline that vibrates with a gentle nod to the album's namesake." Sam Lansky of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...
opined that "Figure 8" "gives the obligatory concession to dubstep, with production by MONSTA serving as effectively, if not more so, than ..
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
himself would have done." Scott Shetler of
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wrote, "Built around piano and electronics, 'Figure 8' has a moody vibe that matches its heartbreaking lyrics", while comparing it to
Alex Clare Alexander George Clare (born 14 September 1985) is a British singer and songwriter based in Jerusalem, Israel. His debut album, ''The Lateness of the Hour (Alex Clare album), The Lateness of the Hour'', was released in the UK on 8 July 2011 on ...
's " Too Close", a song co-produced by Spencer. However, in a review of ''Halcyon'',
BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
's Ben Hewitt expressed, "Far from showing off her talents, the likes of 'Figure 8' and 'Atlantis' become bottomless pits filled with heavy-handed knob-twiddling."


Commercial performance

"Figure 8" debuted at number 121 on the UK Singles Chart dated 8 December 2012, ahead of its single release, entering the top 100 at number 82 the following week. After jumping to number 49, the single peaked at number 33 in its fourth week on the chart. The song fared better in New Zealand, where it peaked at number seven, her highest-charting single in that country at that point, and was later certified platinum by
Recorded Music NZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
. "Figure 8" became Goulding's first song to chart in Finland, reaching number eight.


Music video

The music video for "Figure 8", directed by
W.I.Z. Andrew John "W.I.Z." Whiston (born 4 January 1964) is an English director of films and music videos. Career W.I.Z. has directed a number of high-concept videos for major music artists from the United Kingdom and the United States, including Mas ...
, was filmed in a mansion outside London, and features freerunner
Tim Shieff Timothy Shieff is an English freerunner. He won the ''Barclaycard World Freerun Championship'' in 2009 and participated on the television programme MTV's '' Ultimate Parkour Challenge''. He has also competed on ''American Ninja Warrior'' and ' ...
. The video premiered on 19 November 2012. Switching constantly between black-and-white and coloured shots, the video reflects on breaking up with an ex and then missing them. It consists of intercut scenes of Goulding in the mansion in several different situations, such as lying on a mattress as she clutches a red piece of cloth, lying in bed with her on-screen boyfriend, dressed in a red, flowing gown while covered in a red veil, blindfolded, and breaking dishes. Towards the end of the video, Goulding's lit-up body is shown levitating off the bed, as she lets go of the red cloth.


Track listing


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of '' Halcyon''. *
Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...
– vocals * Rufio Sandilands – arrangement, all instruments * Rocky Morris – arrangement, all instruments * Monsta – production, additional vocal production, recording *
Mike Spencer Michael Spencer is an English record producer and recording engineer. He has worked with various pop acts, including Newton Faulkner, Jamiroquai, John Newman, Ellie Goulding, Alex Clare, and Emeli Sandé, among others. Many of his productions ...
– additional production, mix, additional vocal production, all instruments, recording * Jonny Lattimer – vocal production * Naweed – mastering


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{authority control 2012 singles 2012 songs Ellie Goulding songs Music videos directed by W.I.Z. Polydor Records singles Songs written by Ellie Goulding Songs written by Jonny Lattimer Song recordings produced by Mike Spencer