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"Elephant" is a song by British singer
Alexandra Burke Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is a British singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the British television series ''The X Factor'' in 2008, and has been signed to Epic Records, RCA Records and Sy ...
from her second studio album '' Heartbreak on Hold'' (2012). It features Colombian-American DJ
Erick Morillo Erick Morillo (March 26, 1971 – September 1, 2020) was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, D ...
, who co-wrote the song with Burke, Britt Burton, Josh Wilkinson, Harry Romero, and Jose Nuñez. The song was produced by Morillo, Romero and Nuñez under their stage name Sympho Nympho, and
Mike Spencer Michael Spencer is an English record producer and recording engineer, who has worked with pop acts ranging from Newton Faulkner to Emeli Sandé. Many of his productions have achieved platinum certification, and have won MOBO and Brit Awards, a ...
. It was released in the United Kingdom on 11 March 2012 as the album's lead single. The song was released as Burke's debut single in the United States on 13 March 2012. "Elephant" was met with mixed reviews from critics, some of whom criticised the song's production and the use of
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-T ...
. It debuted at number seven in Ireland and at number three in the UK, becoming Burke's sixth top 10 hit in both countries.


Background

After Burke finished her concert tour called the
All Night Long Tour The All Night Long Tour is the debut concert tour by British pop/ R&B singer Alexandra Burke. It is Burke's first concert tour which is to promote her debut studio album '' Overcome''. The tour is set to kick off in Wales on 14 January 2011 and ...
(2011), in support of her debut studio album '' Overcome'' (2009), the singer revealed that she would be "getting down and dirty" and that her future music would be a lot more "fiercer and sexier". In January 2012, Burke revealed that "Elephant" was supposed to be played in nightclubs from December 2011, but it did not happen. The singer said that she wanted the remix to be played in nightclubs and bars by
DJs A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
first and then to release it to the public, however, the delay in club plays led to the release date being pushed back two weeks from the end of February 2012 to 11 March 2012. Burke revealed that it was a mutual decision between herself and
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...
as she wanted everything to be "perfect." "Elephant" was co-written by Burke with Britt Burton,Emily Farrell, Josh Wilkinson,
Erick Morillo Erick Morillo (March 26, 1971 – September 1, 2020) was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, D ...
, José Nunez and
Harry Romero Harry Romero, better known as Harry "Choo Choo" Romero, is an American DJ and record producer. Biography Harry Romero is linked with the label Subliminal with Erick Morillo and Jose Nuñez, with whom he also produced and remixed several track ...
; Sympho Nympho and
Mike Spencer Michael Spencer is an English record producer and recording engineer, who has worked with pop acts ranging from Newton Faulkner to Emeli Sandé. Many of his productions have achieved platinum certification, and have won MOBO and Brit Awards, a ...
produced the track. Although he is not credited in the album booklet, Burke confirmed that Morillo also produced the song. Burke's vocals were arranged, produced and recorded by Matt Schwartz. It was mixed by Spencer at The Larks Tongue, which is located in
Buckinghamshire, England Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east ...
, while it was mastered by Dave Tuner at 360 Mastering. Programming was done by Mike Spencer, James David and Liz Horsman.


Development

When asked about how the collaboration with DJ and producer
Erick Morillo Erick Morillo (March 26, 1971 – September 1, 2020) was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, D ...
came to be, Burke revealed that he had heard the remix of "Elephant" and stated that he "wanted to get on board." After Burke returned from a writing camp in the United States, her record label and management contacted Morillo and asked him if he would like to be involved with the song, to which he said yes within 24 hours. Burke revealed that she could not believe that he accepted their request and she described the process as "cool." As a result of Morillo becoming involved with the project, the song went through a series of delays because of the opportunity to released the lead single as a collaboration. Burke revealed that she explored other options for the lead single as a result of the delays, but she knew that she wanted "Elephant" to be released first since July 2011.


Composition and lyrics

Burke revealed that both musically and lyrically, "Elephant" is "very different" to the rest of the songs on ''Heartbreak on Hold''. It is a 90s and club music-inspired song. In an interview with Digital Spy, the singer explained the meaning of the lyrics, saying "everyone has been through something in relationships; whether it be with a loved one, a partner or family members where something needs to be discussed - and I've been through that situation. I thought why not, let's do a song about it – but with a twist!" In an interview with
ITV's ITV is a British free-to-air public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television network. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the ol ...
'' Daybreak'', Burke revealed that she had been unaware of the phrase "
elephant in the room The expression “the elephant in the room” (or "the elephant in the living room") is a metaphorical idiom in English for an important or enormous topic, question, or controversial issue that is obvious or that everyone knows about but no one m ...
" before hearing it at a writing camp in the United States. She described the saying as "very, very American", in spite of it being a very well known phrase in the UK, and confidently stated that she was “the first person to bring it over here”.


Critical reception

Lewis Corner of
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, ...
gave the song three out of five stars writing, "Like all good starters, the intro is a perfectly-sized portion of thumping beats and slick synths that leads into an even tastier main course. "You wanna talk, you wanna talk about it?/ There's an elephant in the room," Alex admits before a '90s handbag
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...
chorus courtesy of
Erick Morillo Erick Morillo (March 26, 1971 – September 1, 2020) was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, D ...
ensues. However, the overall flavour is marred by an over-seasoning of
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-T ...
; and the final breakdown? Well, it's about as satisfying as a dessert that doesn't get served." Clemmie Moodie of the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ci ...
'' called the song a "bang-on hit." In his review for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...
'', Michael Cragg criticized the use of Auto-Tune and wrote, "While the verses rattle along over stop-start synths, the heavily distorted pre-chorus crashes like an anvil, not only breaking up momentum but also bringing to mind a group of "revellers" stopping to burst into laughter." Mark Molloy of ''
Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban ...
'' called the song's production "stuck in a 90s time warp" writing, "Worse than the predictable thumping beats, slick synths and Burke's auto-tuned vocals is the laughable chorus drop which has minimal impact. When the final breakdown hits, you'll be smiling that the whole ordeal is coming to an end."


Chart performance

"Elephant" debuted at number seven in Ireland on 16 March 2012, becoming Burke's sixth top 10 hit in the country. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number three 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 ...
. It is her sixth top 10 hit in the UK. The following week the song fell to number twelve, selling 21,618 copies. The song debuted at number two in Scotland, becoming her seventh consecutive top 10 single in that territory. In June 2012, "Elephant" reached Number 9 in Bolivia and Number 71 in Slovenia.


Music video

The music video was premiered on
Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
on 6 February 2012. Directed by Amit and Naroop, the video features Burke partying in a deserted warehouse, as well as performing a choreographed dance routine. The visual ends with the performer's boyfriend crashing the party to talk about the proverbial elephant in the room, which is the main focus of the song. Burke's sister, Sheniece and director, Jay Revell, who plays Burke's boyfriend, make cameo appearances in the video. The directors admitted that they "really wanted to create something different," during the shoot, adding, "I felt it was a little unexpected and people ansee Alexandra Burke and think this is a new side of her." Burke has also said that "The concept of the video is really me showing my ex-boyfriend what he’s missing, and now he sees this new girl transformed because she’s broken up with him."


Live performances and promotion

Burke first performed the track at London's Shepherds Bush Empire at a 'Tickled Pink' charity gig. Burke also performed the single on Let's Dance For Sport Relief on 25 February, '' Daybreak'' on 9 March, ''This Morning'' on 14 March, KoKo Pop on 17 March, T4 on 11 March 2012 and Sport Relief does Glee Club on 15 March 2013.


Track listing

*Digital download # "Elephant" – 3:50 # "Elephant" (Sympho Nympho Remix) – 5:31 # "Elephant" (Breathless Version) – 4:05 *CD single
# "Elephant" – 3:50 # "Elephant" (Sympho Nympho Remix) – 5:31 *Wideboys Remixes single # "Elephant" (
Wideboys The Wideboys are an English electronic music duo known for club remixes and for their own song "Sambuca", featuring Dennis G on vocals, which reached number 15 in the UK in October 2001. Another top 40 single, "Daddy-O" featuring Shaznay Lewis, ...
Extended Remix) - 6:07 # "Elephant" (Wideboys Dub Remix) - 6:07 # "Elephant" (Wideboys Radio Edit) - 4:02 *Digital EP # "Elephant" – 3:50 # "Elephant" (Sympho Nympho Remix) – 5:31 # "Elephant" (Breathless Version) – 4:05 # "Elephant" (Wideboys Extended Remix) - 6:07 # "Elephant" (Wideboys Dub Remix) - 6:07 # "Elephant" (Wideboys Radio Edit) - 4:02


Credits and personnel

;Recording *Mastered at 360 Mastering. *Mixed at The Larks Tongue, Buckinghamshire, England. ;Personnel *Songwriting – Alexandra Burke, Britt Burton, Josh Wilkinson, Erick Morillo, José Nunez, Harry Romero *Production – Sympho Nympho, Mike Spencer, Erick Morillo *Vocal arrangement – Matt Schwartz *Vocal recording – Matt Schwartz *Vocal production – Matt Schwartz *Mixing – Mike Spencer *Programming – Mike Spencer, James David, Liz Horsman *Mastering – Dave Tuner Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Heartbreak on Hold'', Sony, Syco, RCA.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Release history


References

{{authority control 2012 singles Alexandra Burke songs Songs written by Erick Morillo 2011 songs Songs written by Josh Wilkinson Syco Music singles Songs written by Britt Burton it:Elephant#Musica