Candyman (Christina Aguilera song)

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"Candyman"
Cover artwork of "Candyman": a picture of Aguilera holding a loudspeaker
Single by Christina Aguilera
from the album Back to Basics
ReleasedFebruary 20, 2007 (2007-02-20)
Recorded2006
Genre
Length3:14
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Linda Perry
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"Tell Me"
(2006) 		"Candyman"
(2007) 		"Slow Down Baby"
(2007)
Music video
"Candyman" on
YouTube

"Candyman" is a song by American singer

jazz song that imitates swing music
whose lyrics are about sex.

"Candyman" received praise for its musical style while some criticized the sexual references. Commercially, the single peaked within the top 10 in Australia, Canada, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Romania, as well as the top 20 in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling one million copies in the country. "Candyman" is also certified Gold in seven additional countries.

A music video for the song was co-directed by Aguilera and

Glee cast
.

Music and lyrics

"Candyman" (2007)
A 20-second sample of "Candyman", which is described as a
pop song that imitates swing
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Candyman" was described as a

Andrews Sisters,"[3] and Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani characterized the song as standard jazz and blues.[4] "Candyman" is composed on the key of E major. The song has a moderate tempo of 172 beats per minute. Aguilera's vocals on the song span two octaves from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of G5.[5] The song opens and concludes with the lyrics, "Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine / Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double-wine", which was credited as a sample used from "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine" from the 1998 album Run To Cadence With U.S. Marines.[6] Lyrically, "Candyman" talks about sex;[7] Jenny Eliscu for Rolling Stone quoted the lyrics "He's a one-stop shop / Makes the panties drop" and deemed it "nasty".[8] Sputnikmusic's Amanda Murray described its lyrics as "dumb and cheekily vulgar".[9]

Jim McMillen played the

bass, and served as the musical director. Nathan Wetherington played the drums.[6] According to Aguilera and Perry, the song was a tribute to the Andrews Sisters' song, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".[10]

Release

"Candyman" was planned to be released as the second single from Back to Basics in late 2006.

urban contemporary radio stations in the United States on February 27, 2007.[13] In Germany, the single was released for digital download on April 6, 2007.[14] One day later, "Candyman" was released as a CD single in France[15] and Germany.[16] On April 10, the song was available as a CD in the United States.[17] A digital EP was released via iTunes Stores in European countries consisting of Belgium,[18] France,[19] Germany,[20] Spain,[21] and Sweden.[22] On the same day, the digital version of "Candyman" was released in France.[23] It was also available as a maxi single there on September 1, 2007.[24] In the United States, a remix EP was released digitally on May 1, 2007.[25]

Critical reception

Billboard called the single "raunchy" and praised Aguilera's vocals, saying that "few popular vocalists could pull off such a laudable feat."[26] Sputnikmusic's Amanda Murray deemed the song as "fun" and reminiscent of the Spice Girls' "The Lady Is a Vamp" from Spiceworld (1997).[9] Sean Daly from Tampa Bay Times complimented Aguilera's vocals and its "X-rated lyrics".[27] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Scott Mervis labelled it "the swingiest single since Brian Setzer jumped, jived and wailed,"[28] while Yahoo! Music critic Dan Gennoe called "Candyman" "a good-time 1940s big band romp",[29] and Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly cited it as one of the few "pop-song highs" in Aguilera's career.[1]

2008 Grammy Awards.[32]

Chart performance

In the United States, "Candyman" debuted at number 99 on the

Nielsen SoundScan has reported that "Candyman" has sold in the United States 1,153,000 copies.[38] In Canada, the single peaked at number nine on the Canadian Hot 100[39] and was certified gold.[40]

In the United Kingdom, "Candyman" peaked at number 17 on the

Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).[55]

Music video

A scene of the music video where three versions of Aguilera are visible
The three versions of Aguilera, as seen in the music video. According to MTV News, it is a tribute to The Andrews Sisters.

The music video for "Candyman" was filmed on January 28, 2007, in an airport hangar in Southern California. It was co-directed by Aguilera and

So You Think You Can Dance, makes a cameo appearance as Aguilera's GI dance partner. Benji's sister Lacey Schwimmer also appears in the video as a jitterbugger. Aguilera asked Rolston to co-direct the video with her after he worked with her for a photo shoot for the cover of Rolling Stone. Shooting the sequences of Aguilera as a singing trio took the longest since they had to be shot for each hair color and camera angle, which was computer-controlled for precision. Choreography was carefully arranged so that none of the versions overlapped and the takes could be spliced together. The clip's color scheme is based on Technicolor films, focusing on primary colors and bright secondary colors.[56]

Sal Cinquemani for Slant Magazine praised it as the best video for a song from Back to Basics.

MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Direction at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around".[60] The video received a Vevo Certified Award on YouTube for over 100 million views.[61]

Live performances and covers

A blonde woman performing on a microphone
Aguilera performing "Candyman" on her Back to Basics Tour in 2006

Aguilera first performed "Candyman" during a concert held in front of 1,500 fans and invited guests in London on July 20, 2006. The 40-minute concert comprised songs from the then-upcoming Back to Basics and other songs, including "

US troops.[68]

It was also performed by

the third season of the American TV series Glee.[69] The version was well received by critics, some of whom deemed it as the best song of the episode.[70][71][72] The Glee version peaked at number 158 on the UK Singles Chart on November 12, 2011.[73]

Track listings and formats

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Back to Basics.[6]

Sampling credits

  • Contains a sample from "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine" from Run To Cadence With U.S. Marines.

Personnel

  • Christina Aguilera – vocals, background vocals, songwriting
  • Jim McMillen – trombone
  • Linda Perry – producing, songwriting, directing, piano, mellotron, bass
  • Chris Tedesco – trumpet, horn contractor
  • Ray Herrmann – saxophone
  • Glen Berger – saxophone
  • Nathan Wetherington – drums
  • Marc Jameson – programming

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for "Candyman"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[54] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[99] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[40] Gold 20,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[51] Gold 7,500^
Italy — 55,000[100]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[55] Gold 7,500*
United Kingdom (BPI)[101] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[102] Platinum 1,153,000[38]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release date and formats for "Candyman"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States February 20, 2007
  • urban contemporary
 RCA [13]
Germany April 6, 2007 Digital download Sony BMG [14]
France April 7, 2007 CD Jive [15]
Germany Sony BMG [16]
Belgium April 10, 2007 Digital download (EP) [18]
France
  • Digital download
  • digital download (EP)
 Jive [19][23]
Germany Digital download (EP) Sony BMG [20]
Spain [21]
Sweden [22]
United States CD RCA [17]
May 1, 2007 Digital download (remixes) [25]
France September 1, 2007 Maxi Jive [24]

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External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Candyman_(Christina_Aguilera_song)&oldid=1180556223"