"Motel Flamingo" is a song recorded by Canadian

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer and songwriter

Madeline Merlo Madeline Rae Merlo (born February 9, 1994) is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. She signed to Open Road Recordings in 2013 and released her debut album, ''Free Soul'', three years later. In 2015, Merlo received the "Rising Star" award fro ...

for her forthcoming second studio album. It was written by Nicolle Galyon, Neil Medley, and Emily Weisband. The song was released to digital retailers through

Open Road Recordings Open Road Recordings, a division of RGK Entertainment Group Ltd., is a Canadian record label specializing in country music. it was established by Ron Kitchener in 2003 and distributed through Universal Music Group, Universal Music Canada. The lab ...

on May 19, 2017 and to radio on May 24 as the album's lead single. "Motel Flamingo" reached number eight on the

Canada Country The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

chart, becoming Merlo's highest-charting single to date.

Critical reception

Nanci Dagg of ''Canadian Beats'' wrote that "Motel Flamingo" is a "great song" that encapsulates Merlo's "unique bohemian vibe." ''Top Country'' also complimented the song for reflecting Merlo's personality and called it a "vibrant single perfect for your summer playlist."

Chart performance

"Motel Flamingo" debuted at number 49 on the

chart dated June 24, 2017 and peaked at number 8 on the chart dated September 23, 2017. With this position, the song surpassed "Whatcha Wanna Do About It" (which peaked at number ten) as Merlo's highest-charting single to date. For the week of September 16, "Motel Flamingo" was the highest-ranking single by a female artist on the chart.

Music video

The official music video for "Motel Flamingo" was directed by Jaren Hayman and premiered August 7, 2017. It was filmed at the June Motel in Prince Edward County,

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. Featuring multiple references to the song's lyrics, including a front desk person resembling

CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway-Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green or simply Cee-Lo), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Green came to initial pr ...

to flamingo-shaped inflatable pool toys, the video finds Merlo throwing an "epic summer party."

Charts

Release history

References

{{authority control Songs about hotels and motels 2017 songs 2017 singles Madeline Merlo songs Open Road Recordings singles Songs written by Nicolle Galyon Songs written by Emily Weisband