"Overdose" is a song recorded by American singer

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, ''Goodies ...

for her self-titled fifth studio album (2013). It was written by

Josh Abraham Josh Abraham is an American record producer, songwriter, and music executive. He has worked with artists including P!nk, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Shakira, Weezer, Linkin Park, Velvet Revolver, Carly Rae Jepsen, Adam Lambert, Alk ...

, Oliver Goldstein, Ali Tamposi, Olivia Waithe and Ciara, while its production was handled by the former two. Ciara and

Kuk Harrell Thaddis Laphonia "Kuk" Harrell ( ) is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He was a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash. In 2011, K ...

were responsible for the song's vocal production. Notable for its shift from her more

contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music Music genre, genre, originating from African Americans, African-American musicians in the 1980s that combines rhythm and blues with elements of Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, funk, Hip-hop, ...

sound towards a predominantly

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

-orientated vocal style for the singer, "Overdose" served as a product of Ciara's experimentation and was recognized as the purest pop track on ''Ciara''. An

uptempo A variety of musical terms is encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings ...

dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music 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 ra ...

electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...

and

nu-disco Nu-disco is a 21st-century dance music genre associated with a renewed interest in the late 1970s disco, synthesizer-heavy 1980s European dance music styles, and early 1990s electronic dance music. The genre was popular in the early 2000s, and exp ...

song, its "club-friendly" production comprises rupturing

synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...

and gritty, automatic beats. Its lyrical content act as an ode to codependency and are based on the subject of unhealthy infatuation. "Overdose" initially leaked as an extended snippet on July 17, 2012, and then in full in June 2013. The song was originally recognized as a "fan favorite", before garnering favorable reviews from music critics, some of which went on to publish campaigns for the track be released as a single. Its accompanying artwork features Ciara's then-fiancé

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

and resulted in widespread media attention for its provocative imagery. Though the song impacted

urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contemporary r ...

and

rhythmic contemporary radio Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hits. ...

in the United States—on September 18 and October 15, 2013, respectively—it failed to receive a full-scale single release, when its digital release was later cancelled and its accompanying

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

and promotional performances failed to materialize. As a result, "Overdose" failed to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and garner success commercially.

Background

"Overdose" was written by

, Oliver Goldstein, Ali Tamposi, Olivia Waithe and Ciara, while its production was handled by the former two. Ciara and

were responsible for the song's vocal production, and Ciara's vocals were recorded by Ryan Williams at Pulse Recording,

Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3,878,704 residents within the city ...

Background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

on the track were provided by Ciara and House Aiello, and the song was engineered by Chris "TEK" Ryan. "Overdose" was mixed by

Jaycen Joshua Jaycen Joshua is an American audio engineer based in California. He won three Grammy Awards: the first for mixing ''Growing Pains'' for Mary J. Blige in 2007, followed by '' El mal querer'' for Rosalía in 2018, and ''Hyperspace'' for Beck in ...

, with the assistance of Trehy Harris, at Larrabee Sound Studios in North Hollywood, CA. The song was then mastered by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace in

New York City, NY New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

. In an interview with '' GQ'', Ciara discussed the development of "Overdose": "The song's got a throwback '80s vibe with a modern twist; I think that's unexpected. It's more a product of my experimentation—it has a vintage-y feel, but I feel like everyone can love it. And what's better than to dance to the feeling of love? The song's about embodying that energy."

Release

"Overdose" initially leaked online on July 17, 2012, as an extended snippet, and was later rumored to serve as the second single from her fifth studio album, titled ''One Woman Army'' at the time. On April 30, 2013, Ciara hinted at a single release for the track in an interview with MuuMuse. In June 2013, a month prior to the release of ''Ciara'',

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

accidentally released the album on Ciara's online store, before removing it a few minutes later. Due to the song's initial popularity as a snippet, it became the only non-single from the album to leak in full online during the accidental release. Epic, however, managed to cover up the majority of the full version's leak, during the build-up to the release of ''Ciara''. Ciara later announced in an interview with ''

Hollywood Life Hollywood Life is an American digital media brand launched in 2009 by magazine editor Bonnie Fuller. The site covers celebrity, fashion, beauty, women issues, and entertainment news. It also airs award shows and other pop culture events. History ...

'' that "Overdose" would be released as a joint third single from ''Ciara'' with "Where You Go". She stated that it would serve as the album's third single in international markets, while "Where You Go" would be released in the United States. However, on September 18, 2013, "Overdose" was announced as the third single from ''Ciara'', in turn canceling initial plans for the release of "Where You Go". Ciara stated on

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

that her fanbase played a considerable role in the song being chosen as a single. It was noted that thousands of her fanbase had rallied the single release for several months. With regard to the single release of "Overdose",

Popjustice Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', ''Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael C ...

's Brad O'Mance commented, "Having faffed about for a bit, Ciara has finally come to her senses". MuuMuse's Bradley Stern published an article entitled, "Ciara Finally Makes 'Overdose' A Single, Restores Faith In Humanity," and later wrote, "Let us now form a prayer circle, call a doctor, get super turnt up and prepare to request 'Overdose' on the hotline". The single's cover artwork was premiered on the same day, resulting in widespread media attention for its provocative imagery. It garnered comparisons to

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

's 1993 ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' cover. The artwork features Ciara, with one hand grabbing the crotch of her then-fiancé

, and the other down his underwear. ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'' deemed the cover "racy". O'Mance acknowledged its explicit imagery, describing it as "a lady lightly fingering a man's pubic hair with one hand, and his cock and balls with another". HipHollywood's Eric Berry wrote that some might find the artwork "questionable", later asking, "Artistic or sleazy?" 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 ...

called the artwork "typically provocative," adding, "Par for the course for the sultriest chick in the game". Other critics predicted that with the imagery, the single's accompanying music video would serve as an extension of the singer's video for "Body Party". It was announced that "Overdose" would impact radio and receive a digital release in the United States on October 14, 2013. However, Epic solicited the song to

urban contemporary radio Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contemporary rad ...

in the United States, the same day as its announcement as a single (September 18, 2013). It then impacted

in the United States on October 15, 2013. "Overdose" was scheduled for a release in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2013. Popjustice wrote, "if the video is anything like the artwork 'Overdose' could be the greatest UK Christmas Number One for about eight million years." However, the single's release in the country and an accompanying music video failed to materialize. According to Idolator, "Overdose" failed to receive a "proper single release".

Composition

Notable for its shift from her more classical R&B sound towards a predominantly pop-orientated vocal style for the singer, "Overdose" was recognized as the "purest pop track" on ''Ciara''. It is an

, and

song. The track incorporates "club-friendly" production, made up of pounding EDM

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

and rupturing

, with elements of

, and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

. Comprising a club

groove Groove or Grooves may refer to: Music * Groove (music) * Groove (drumming) * The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s * The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station * Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station ...

, and gritty, automatic

beat Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...

, its sound garnered comparisons to the works of American singer

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

, with whom its producers collaborated with on ''

Femme Fatale A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...

'' (2011). The production in "Overdose" was noted by Katherine St. Asaph of

MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...

to recall that of a "slightly less busy

Dr. Luke Łukasz Sebastian Gottwald (born September 26, 1973), known professionally as Dr. Luke, Tyson Trax, and Made in China, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He began his professional music career as the Saturday Night Live ...

". The track's chanting post-chorus, "Don't let, don't let, don't let go" was noted to be reminiscent of the pre-choruses in

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

's "

Bad Romance "Bad Romance" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), ''The Fame Monster'' (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). Following an unauthorized demo leak, Gaga premiered the ...

" and

Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the American Idol (season 6), sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. He ...

' "

Battlefield A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...

" (2009), and Spears' "

Till the World Ends "Till the World Ends" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale'' (2011). It was written by Kesha, Dr. Luke, Alexander Kronlund, and Max Martin, while the production was handled by Luke, Martin ...

" (2011). Its lyrical content act as an ode to codependency and are based on the subject of unhealthy infatuation. Some critics opined that "Overdose" served as description of Ciara's relationship with Future. It incorporates the theme of a

drug overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.

as a

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...

for love in a romantic relationship, with Ciara's love interest being depicted as a drug she is addicted to. Cheyenne Davis of SoulCulture viewed the lyrics as a "plea for help".

Critical reception

"Overdose" was originally recognized as a "fan favorite", before garnering favorable reviews from music critics, some of which went on to publish campaigns for the track be released as a single. Erika Ramirez of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' deemed "Overdose" the best the song on ''Ciara'', and wrote that the track "appeals to fans of all genres, oozing funk and featuring an addictive hook". ''GQ'' journalist Stelios Phili called the track "club-ready". Idolator's Lansky named it as one of the album's best songs, quipping, "Prepare your body for yet another party". Opining that the song "actually ada fighting chance on mainstream radio", he said, "If there is any justice in the charts, it'll be a radio smash". Similarly to Ramirez and Lansky, ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' also named the song as one of four highlights on ''Ciara''. St. Asaph of MTV News opined that along with "Livin' It Up", "Overdose" had the most

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...

potential on the record. Jordan Sargent of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' called "Overdose" the album's "most striking" track and a "tasteful experiment". Writing for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', Jon Caramanica deemed the song "killer nu-disco". Andy Kellman of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

felt that "Overdose" was "functional if not as memorable" as other tracks on the album.

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

's Tim Finney opined that despite the track's "straightforward, 2013 carbon dated club-pop" sound, it was "perky electro-pop delivered with such frothy, wide-eyed innocence that it's hard to even notice the subject". Finney went on to write that its delivery and "uncomplicated exhilaration" raised it from "throwaway to highlight status" on ''Ciara''. Finney's view was shared by

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...

's Michael Madden who said while the song was "musically unadventurous," its hooks were "packed tightly together, producing an especially memorable end" to the album. Madden went on to highlight "Overdose" as one of the record's three "essential" tracks. A writer for DJ Booth opined that "Overdose" was "intoxicating", "unforgettable" and "unrivaled", and called its production "irresistible". In a negative review, ''

Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...

'' felt that the "unnecessary dance-pop sheen" of the song "fell flat" and criticized its "unfortunate" use of metaphors. While Nick Henderson of

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...

dismissed "Overdose" as an "uncharacteristic sidestep" and felt its sound was "uninspired" and its melodies "familiar".

Credits and personnel

;Recording * Recorded at Pulse Recording, Los Angeles, CA. * Mixed at Larrabee Sound Studios, North Hollywood, CA. * Mastered at The Mastering Palace, New York City, NY. ;Personnel * Songwriting – Josh Abraham, Oliver Goldstein, Ali Tamposi, Olivia Waithe, Ciara * Production – Josh Abraham, Oligee * Engineer – Chris "TEK" O'Ryan * Vocal recording – Ryan Williams * Vocal recording – House Aiello, Ciara * Vocal production – Kuk Harrell, Ciara * Mixing – Jaycen Joshua * Mixing assistant – Trehy Harris * Mastering – Dave Kutch Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Ciara'', Epic Records.

Charts

Release history

References

{{Ciara 2013 singles 2013 songs Ciara songs Epic Records singles Songs written by Ali Tamposi Songs written by Ciara Songs written by Josh Abraham Songs written by Livvi Franc Songs written by Oliver Goldstein Song recordings produced by Josh Abraham Dance-pop songs Electropop songs Nu-disco songs