In the Dark (Dev song)

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"In the Dark"
The cover art depicts a closeup of Dev with her hair raised up and looking to the side. At the top of the image, the words "Dev - In The Dark" are written in all caps.
Single by Dev
from the album The Night the Sun Came Up
ReleasedApril 25, 2011 (2011-04-25)
RecordedJanuary 2011
StudioThe Indie-Pop Sweat Shop
GenreDance-pop, house
Length3:46
LabelUniversal Motown
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Cataracs
Dev singles chronology
"Top of the World"
(2011) 		"In the Dark"
(2011) 		"She Makes Me Wanna"
(2011)
Music video
"In the Dark" on
YouTube

"In the Dark" is a song performed by American singer Dev. It was written by Dev alongside the Cataracs, who produced it for Dev's debut studio album, The Night the Sun Came Up (2011). The song was released as the album's second single on April 25, 2011, through Universal Motown. "In the Dark" came about when Dev wanted to make a sexy song to show that she is a grown woman. She collaborated with American rapper Flo Rida on an official remix as she believed she would enjoy the remix when hearing it on the radio. "In the Dark" is a dance-pop song with a saxophone hook and influences of Eurodance, Latin and jazz music. The lyrics emphasize sex drives and letting the sensation of touch fully take over from sight.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who highlighted its production and the saxophone line. However, critics were divided regarding the song's lyrical content; some referred it to as sexy, while others dismissed its metaphors. "In the Dark" enjoyed commercial success in the United States, peaking at number 11 on the

Hot Dance Club Songs. The song achieved its highest national peak in Russia and Slovakia, where it reached number one. Elsewhere, the song peaked in the top forty in Canada, Australia, Denmark, Ireland, Scotland and the United Kingdom. The song's music video features shots of black-painted hands that touch Dev while she is standing naked. According to Dev, the inspiration behind the video was to reflect the "dark" themes of the song, by creating a Tim Burton
-inspired feel.

Background

"In the Dark" was written by Dev alongside

mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound in New York City.[1]

The song was released on April 25, 2011, via digital download as the second single from Dev's debut studio album, The Night the Sun Came Up.[6] It was later sent for rhythmic airplay in the United States on May 24, 2011,[7] followed by an add on mainstream radio stations on June 21, 2011.[8] In the United Kingdom, "In the Dark" was released in a digital extended play (EP) alongside three remixes of the track as well as its music video.[9] Rapper Flo Rida is featured on an official remix of the song, and Dev stated that she wanted to make a remix as it would be refreshing and "great for radio".[3] She explained that a rapper would suit the song well and that she would enjoy the remix when hearing it on the radio. She elaborated on choosing Flo Rida, saying: "We went in thinking about who would be cool on the radio [...] Flo Rida fit, and he completely killed it."[3] 50 Cent is featured on another remix of the track,[10] which he recorded at Sonic Vista Studios Ibiza (Spain) in August 2011, while Kanye West appears on an unofficial remix, of which Dev said: "That was just kind of something that floated onto the Internet and the airwaves, which I don't mind at all because it sounds absolutely amazing and it's one of my favorite remixes too."[11]

Composition

"In the Dark" (2011)
A sample of "In the Dark", featuring the saxophone riff accompanied by the "ooh la la" hook, alongside Eurodance and Latin musical influences.[12][13]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"In the Dark" is a

beats per minute. It is written in the key of C minor and Dev's vocals span from the note of A♭4 to the note of B5.[18] It has a basic sequence of Cm–E♭6–A♭5–G5 as its chord progression.[18]

Critical reception

"In the Dark" received generally positive reviews from

About.com rated "In the Dark" four stars out of five and praised Dev's vocals, as well as the song's sexy lyrics and the saxophone hook.[12] Lamb observed that the song is "nearly pure libido", but said that it works well without explicit lyrics. On the other hand, he criticized the song for being "locked in the current time", writing: "'In the Dark' seems very much a song of the dance pop moment. Like the hit 'Like a G6,' it is quite possible in a few months 'In the Dark' may sound a bit dated. It does not seem to capture something timeless."[12] Lamb ended on a positive note; however, writing that the song is a worthy addition to party playlists and praised Dev and the Cataracs for "hav[ing] their fingers on the pulse of current party music".[12] Garyn Ganz of Rolling Stone graded the song three stars out of five and commented: "Dev speak-sings about her sex drive over a Nineties Latin house beat like a top-shelf version of Kesha – seductive, not sleazy."[19]

While reviewing The Night the Sun Came Up,

the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps".[15] Writing for the Dallas Observer, Shahryar Rizvi was negative in his review of the song and criticized the "cheesy" saxophone sound, saying that it "serves well to show just how mediocre this song is".[14] LA Weekly writer Shea Serrano regarded the song as "predictable" and dismissed the metaphors, labeling them "confusing".[20]

Recognition

Music magazine Spin included "In the Dark" at number 15 on its "Favorite Pop Tracks of 2011" list, naming it "radio gold".[21] The Hollywood Reporter's music editor Shirley Halperin put it at number four on her "Top 10 Singles of 2011" list and called it "irresistible".[22] Halperin went on to comment: "Spotlighting the sexiest sax solo this side of Duran Duran's 'Rio' and a sultry, almost Latin-flavored vibe, it may or may not be an ode to masturbation, but it definitely satisfies in all the right places."[22]

In 2021, "In the Dark" entered various international music charts due to going viral on the video-sharing app TikTok.

Chart performance

In the United States, "In the Dark" made its debut at number 92 on the

Pop Songs and Radio Songs.[24] On March 8, 2012, the single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over one million units.[26]

In Canada, "In the Dark" debuted at number 83 on the

UK Singles Chart in the issue dated August 27, 2011. Although failing to match "Bass Down Low"'s peak of number ten, it did give Dev her second top 40 single in the UK.[31] In Ireland, "In the Dark" fared similarly to the UK on the Irish Singles Chart, entering and peaking at number 33.[32]

Music video

In the music video for "In the Dark", Dev is standing naked while being surrounded and touched by black-painted hands and arms

The music video for "In the Dark" was directed by Ethan Lader,

Usher as the opening act for his OMG Tour.[35] Dev took more control over the "In the Dark" video than previous video shoots as she used to let the director "take a little bit of control" when she was inexperienced in the process.[34] In an interview with Idolator, Dev elaborated on the video's concept, stating that she wanted a dark feel similar to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland: "I wanted the video to be sexy as well [...] we'd have an Alice in Wonderland/Tim Burton type of feel."[3]

In the video, Dev is seen in a club scene with intense dancing.

ball python and a tarantula.[36] Cory Lamz of Westword wrote a positive review of the video: "Watching 'In the Dark' is like dancing under a strobe light on ecstasy. In a sea of hands, literally, Dev manages to tease you, seduce you and entice you. She makes you want to touch her, just like every other hand in the video."[37] Contessa Gayles of AOL Music referred the video to as "freaky" and "funky", writing "Forget 'dancing in the dark,' Dev works it in a sea of dismembered, black-painted hands and arms in this freaky, funky new vid."[36] In contrast, Becky Bain of Idolator called it "somewhat unsettling".[38] Bill Lamb of About.com wrote that the video "will likely leave you never looking at hands exactly the same".[12]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Recording
  • Recorded at The Indie-Pop Sweat Shop
Personnel

Credits adapted from The Night the Sun Came Up liner notes.[1]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[26] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Radio add dates and release history

Country Release date Format(s)
Australia[68] April 25, 2011 Digital download
Denmark[6]
United States[7][8][39] April 26, 2011
May 24, 2011 Rhythmic radio
August 9, 2011 Mainstream radio
Germany[69] July 22, 2011 Digital download
Ireland[70] August 12, 2011 Digital EP
United Kingdom[9]
United States[40][41] August 29, 2011 Remix download
December 13, 2011 Remix EP

See also

References

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  4. ^ a b c Del Mar, Pollo (November 14, 2011). "Pop Singer Dev: 'I'd Like to Think the Gay Community Has My Back'". Guidetogay.com. Australia: AKA Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  5. ^ "In the Dark – APRA ID: GW40848034". Archived from the original on August 29, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
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  14. ^ a b Rizvi, Shahryar (September 15, 2011). "The Problem With... Dev's 'In The Dark'". Dallas Observer. Village Voice Media. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  15. ^ a b c d McCall, Tris (October 14, 2011). "Song of the Week: 'In the Dark,' Dev". The Star-Ledger. Advance Publications. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
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