Smack My Bitch Up
"Smack My Bitch Up" | ||||
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Single by the Prodigy | ||||
from the album The Fat of the Land | ||||
Released | 17 November 1997 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | XL | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Liam Howlett | |||
The Prodigy singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
Smack My Bitch Up (DVD edit) on Vimeo |
"Smack My Bitch Up" is a song by English rave group The Prodigy. It was released in November 1997 as the third and final single from their third album, The Fat of the Land (1997). In 2013, Mixmag readers voted it the third greatest dance track of all time.[4]
The song caused considerable controversy because of its suggestive title and explicit music video, which depicted scenes of drunken and drug-fuelled sexual assault and violence. The refrain, which consists only of the line "Change my pitch up/Smack my bitch up", was sampled from the song "Give the Drummer Some" by the Ultramagnetic MCs. The song also contains a brief medley of Shahin Badar vocalising alap. In 2010, it was voted as the most controversial song of all time in a survey conducted by PRS for Music.[5]
Prior to the release of the single, Liam Howlett was presented with three remixes of the title song, one by Jonny L, one by DJ Hype and one by Slacker. Howlett chose the DJ Hype remix to be released on the single. The Jonny L remix was released through a free CD that came along with an issue of Muzik magazine, while the Slacker remix was never officially released, although it surfaced on a rare and limited set of white labels.
Composition
The lyrics "Change my pitch up / Smack my bitch up" are repeated through the whole song. The vocals are
Critical reception
British magazine Music Week gave "Smack My Bitch Up" five out of five, picking it as Single of the Week.[7]
Chart performance
In the
Music video
Director
Liam Howlett noted:
There's a realness to that video. Most people have had nights out like that, off their head on coke and drink … It's not to everyone's taste, but not everything we do is. No radio station was gonna play the song, so we thought we'd make a video that no one would play either.[15]
Controversy
Lyrical controversy
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2019) |
The song's lyrics, often held as misogynistic, were defended by the band, saying that the lyrics were being misinterpreted and the song actually meant "...doing anything intensely..."[16]
"Smack My Bitch Up" was
ITV Chart Show refused to display the name of the song when the video was played during one of their episodes. Usually aired at 11.30 a.m., the show displayed the on-screen graphic as simply "The Prodigy"; the title of the song would usually appear underneath. This also meant they avoided playing a part of the song that used the offending lyric when playing the customary music video clip.
"Smack My Bitch Up" received daytime airplay on London indie station
In 2016, a DJ for the Chicago Cubs played "Smack My Bitch Up" as pitcher Aroldis Chapman left the mound. Chapman had served a 29-game suspension under Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. The Cubs apologised for the music choice and announced that they had fired the DJ.[19]
Video
Track listing
XL Recordings
|
Maverick Records
* The digipak was released in cooperation with |
Charts
Chart (1997–2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[25] | 41 |
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[26] | 7 |
Canada (Billboard)[27] | 12 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[28] | 20 |
Finland ( Suomen virallinen lista)[29]
|
1 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[30] | 51 |
Hungary ( Mahasz)[31]
|
5 |
Ireland (IRMA)[32] | 6 |
Italy (Musica e dischi)[33] | 15 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[34] | 19 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[35] | 22 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[36] | 8 |
Norway (VG-lista)[37] | 8 |
Scotland (OCC)[38] | 9 |
Spain (AFYVE)[39] | 1 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[40] | 13 |
8 | |
UK Dance (OCC)[42] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot 100[43] | 89 |
US Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[44] | 23 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[45] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[46] | Gold | 5,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 3 November 1997 | Modern rock radio | [48][49] | |
United Kingdom | 17 November 1997 |
|
XL | [50] |
Japan | 27 November 1997 | CD |
|
[51] |
In other media
In 2012, a parody video, by the now defunct YouTube channel TheCube95, went viral.[52] The video featured a cat exhibiting similar reckless behavior to that of the woman in the original music video.
In 2020, the game
References
- ^ "The Prodigy, "Smack My Bitch Up" SPIN". Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ "Q&A: The Prodigy Look Back on the Most Aggressive Career in Electronic History". 27 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ "This Is Techno, Vol. 3 – Various Artists – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "What is the Greatest Dance Track of All Time?". Mixmag. 15 February 2013. Archived from the original on 8 March 2015.
- ^ "Smack My Bitch Up voted most controversial pop song". Mirror.co.uk. 24 November 2010. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-8126-9779-7.
- ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 8 November 1997. p. 14. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "australian-charts.com - The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up".
- ^ US and Canadian Charts - Allmusic.com
- ^ "The Prodigy Return to Billboard's Charts After Keith Flint's Death" from Billboard (13 March 2019)
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8223-4162-8.
- ^ "The "Smack My Bitch Up" Video Was Inspired by a Crazy Night Out in Copenhagen". www.vice.com. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "MUSIC / Why The Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up' Video Is the Ultimate Expression of Feminism! / Miniature Malekpour I Drunk Monkeys | Literature, Film, Television". Drunk Monkeys | Literature, Film, Television. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ a b Robinson, Joe (7 December 2012). "The Prodigy, 'Smack My Bitch Up' – Banned Music Videos". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ Elliott, Paul (February 1998). "Their year: The Prodigy". Q. No. 137. p. 95.
- ^ "Major Lazer Remix The Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up"". The FADER. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ "Sub Focus - BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix 2009-04-25". 1001 Tracklists. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "XFM Charts 1997–2006". 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Cubs fire employee after Smack My Bitch Up played at Aroldis Chapman". The Guardian. Associated Press. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Prodigy Video To Air On MTV As Controversy Continues". MTV News. 4 December 1997. Archived from the original on 22 August 2001. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ a b MTV News Staff (22 December 1997). "MTV Explains Decision To Pull Prodigy". MTV News. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ "'Bitch' banned from MTV". Yahoo Music. 23 December 1997. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ "Metropolis -- Weekly Online City Guide -- Free forever!!". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
- ^ "MTV's Most Controversial Videos". MTV. Archived from the original on 14 August 2003.
- ^ "The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- Ultratip. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "The Prodigy Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 49. 6 December 1997. p. 12. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "The Prodigy: Smack My Bitch Up" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 50. 13 December 1997. p. 19. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Smack My Bitch Up". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 7 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Prodigy".
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up". VG-lista. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "The Prodigy Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "The Prodigy Chart History (Dance Electronic Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up". Music Canada. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
- ^ "British single certifications – Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Be on the Lookout". Gavin Report. No. 2179. 31 October 1997. p. 45.
- ^ "Upcoming New Releases". Hits. Vol. 12, no. 566. 24 October 1997. p. 40.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 15 November 1997. p. 29. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "スマック・マイ・ビッチ・アップ | プロディジー" [Smack My Bitch Up | Prodigy] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "'Smack My Bitch Up' Cat Gets Into Trouble In Darkly Funny Prodigy Parody (NSFW VIDEO)". huffpost.com. 4 December 2012.
- ^ Phillips, Tom (16 November 2020). "There's a brilliant Keith Flint tribute in Assassin's Creed Valhalla". Eurogamer. Retrieved 4 March 2021.