Underneath It All

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"Underneath It All"
Single by No Doubt featuring Lady Saw
from the album Rock Steady
ReleasedJuly 22, 2002 (2002-07-22)
Recorded2001
GenreReggae fusion
Length
  • 5:02 (album version)
  • 4:10 (radio edit)
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
No Doubt singles chronology
"Hella Good"
(2002)
"Underneath It All"
(2002)
"Running"
(2003)

"Underneath It All" is a song by American

music critics
.

"Underneath It All" was released as the album's third

46th Grammy Awards. The song was featured in the 2004 film 50 First Dates
.

Background and writing

The song was originally written by

toast.[4] After listening to the song, Lady Saw wrote and recorded her part on the spot.[5]

Music and structure

The song is a

beats per minute. Stefani avoids the heavy vocal vibrato that she often uses.[6] Her vocal range spans under an octave and a half during the song, from F#3 to B4.[7]

The song opens with a music sampled from Bob Clarke's Sunday radio show on IRIE FM, and a recording of Gavin Rossdale stating "You don't have to forget, just remember this Sunday, alright?"

off-beats and switch to a IV-iii progression. Each verse is followed by the chorus, which uses a I-IV-V-IV progression. After the bridge, Lady Saw performs her toast.[7] Stefani then sings the chorus twice, and Clarke closes the song after Stefani repeats the line "Mm mm mm underneath it all" four times.[7][8]

An alternative version of "Underneath It All" gained traction on pop radio stations, sans Lady Saw's contribution. This rendition sported a more pop-centric structure, refining musical arrangements and vocals for broader appeal. By omitting Lady Saw's part, the song offered a smoother, streamlined experience. Its popularity sparked discussions among listeners and critics, showcasing the song's versatility and enduring appeal within contemporary music. Eventually, this alternate version was replaced with a shorter rendition mirroring the album version, aligning more closely with the artist's original vision.[9][10]

Critical reception

"Underneath It All" received mixed reviews from contemporary

The Singles 1992-2003, OMH Media described the song as "an embarrassingly self-conscious reggae pastiche, unimproved by a guest rap from Jamaican dancehall queen Lady Saw."[16]

On their end-of-year list, The Village Voice named the song as one of the Singles of the Year for 2002.[citation needed]

Chart performance

"Underneath It All" peaked at number three on the

Rhythmic Top 40 charts, and number 23 on the Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay.[19] The single fared poorer on the Canadian Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 35.[17]

"Underneath It All" debuted at number 18 on the

UK Singles chart but was unable to reach a higher position. It was unsuccessful across Europe, only reaching the top 40 in Austria and Sweden.[17] On the ARIA Charts, the single peaked at number 28 and remained on the chart for seven weeks.[20] In New Zealand, the single peaked at number eight for two consecutive weeks and stayed on the chart for over four months.[21]

Music video

The accompanying

bicycling
during Lady Saw's toast. The video closes with a scene of Stefani jumping on a bed in white undergarments and without makeup.

Muller wanted to add more sexual themes to the look of the video to contrast with the innocence of the song's lyrics. The original idea for the video was to show Stefani with heavy makeup "really over done like a stripper" and have her remove her clothing throughout the video. Muller found that this complicated the video too much, so each sequence shows Stefani with progressively less makeup instead. Muller decided to use a color scheme with bright colors such as orange, lime green and pink, and the contrast was increased using Symphony in post-production. The bicycling scene was to originally show footage that the band shot while recording in Jamaica since Stefani wanted to include a Jamaican theme. Instead, the scene was created by filming the individual band members on a twelve-foot turntable in front of a bluescreen. Tracks were used to shoot two members riding next to each other and Logan used computer-generated imagery to show the entire band bicycling in Jamaica.[22]

The video was successful on video channels. It debuted on

Best Pop Video and Best Cinematography at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" and Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" respectively.[25]

Track listing and formats

CD maxi-single

  1. "Underneath It All" featuring Lady Saw (album version) – 5:03
  2. "Underneath It All" (Radio 1Live acoustic version) – 3:44
  3. "Just a Girl" (Radio 1Live acoustic version) – 3:30
  4. "Underneath It All" (video) – 5:03

2-track CD single

  1. "Underneath It All" featuring Lady Saw (album version) – 5:03
  2. "Underneath It All" (Radio 1Live acoustic version) – 3:44

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Underneath It All"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[50] Platinum 1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Underneath It All"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States July 22, 2002 (2002-07-22) Contemporary hit radio Interscope [51]
Australia September 2, 2002 (2002-09-02) CD [52]
United States September 23, 2002 (2002-09-23)
Hot adult contemporary radio
[53]
United Kingdom September 30, 2002 (2002-09-30)
  • CD
  • cassette
[54]

References

  1. The Singles 1992-2003. Interscope Records
    . November 25, 2003.
  2. ^ Strauss, Neil. "No Doubt's Anniversary Party". Rolling Stone. January 31, 2002. Retrieved July 14, 2007.
  3. ^ Edwards, Gavin. "No Doubt Make Party Music". Rolling Stone. October 16, 2001. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  4. ^ Butler, Adika. "Lady Saw". Where Itz At. 2004. Retrieved August 10, 2007. Archived May 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Deeper with No Doubt". VH1. January 24, 2002.
  6. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa. "'Just a Girl,' Or Wishing To Be More?". The New York Times. October 26, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
  7. ^
    Hal Leonard Corporation
    . 2001.
  8. ^ a b Rock Steady (liner notes). This same sample closes the song, but proceeds to become slowed down after a few seconds in. Interscope Records. December 11, 2001.
  9. ^ "No Doubt - Mixtape".
  10. ^ "No Doubt - Underneath It All (Pop Mix)".
  11. ^ Scheffield, Rob. "Rock Steady : No Doubt : Review". Rolling Stone, issue 887. January 2, 2002. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  12. LAUNCHcast
    . February 14, 2002. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  13. ^ Empire, Kitty. "No Doubt : Underneath It All" Archived February 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. NME. September 19, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
  14. ^ Delaney, Colleen. "No Doubt – Rock Steady – Review" Archived October 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Stylus Magazine. September 1, 2003. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  15. ^ Miller, Eden. "No Doubt: Rock Steady". PopMatters. December 10, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  16. ^ McDonnell, Sara. "No Doubt – The Singles 1992–2003" Archived October 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. OMH Media. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
  17. ^ a b c d "No Doubt Underneath It All". Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
  18. ^ "No Doubt > Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
  19. ^ "Rock Steady > Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
  20. ^ "No Doubt feat. Lady Saw – Underneath It All". Australian-Charts.com. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  21. ^ "No Doubt feat. Lady Saw – Underneath It All". Charts.org.nz. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  22. ^ a b "Interview with Music Video Directors Sophie Muller & Logan". MVWire. Retrieved August 22, 2007. Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ a b "The TRL Archive – Debuts" Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. ATRL. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  24. ^ "The TRL Archive – Recap – October 2002" Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. ATRL. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  25. ^ "2003 MTV Video Music Awards". Rock on the Net. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  26. ^ "No Doubt – Underneath It All". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  27. ^ "No Doubt – Underneath It All" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  28. Ultratip
    .
  29. ^ "Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. October 4, 2003. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  30. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 43. October 19, 2002. p. 9. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  31. Les classement single
    .
  32. ^ "No Doubt – Underneath It All" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  33. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography No Doubt". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  34. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 14, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  35. ^ "No Doubt – Underneath It All" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  36. ^ "No Doubt – Underneath It All". Top 40 Singles.
  37. Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original
    on February 17, 2005. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  39. ^ "No Doubt – Underneath It All". Singles Top 100.
  40. ^ "No Doubt – Underneath It All". Swiss Singles Chart.
  41. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  42. ^ "No Doubt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  43. ^ "No Doubt Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  44. ^ "No Doubt Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  45. ^ "No Doubt Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  46. ^ "No Doubt Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  47. ^ "Longbored Surfer – 2002". longboredsurfer.com. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  48. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2003". Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  49. ^ "2003 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. YE-80. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  50. ^ "American single certifications – No Doubt – Underneath It All". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  51. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1462. July 19, 2002. p. 26. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  52. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 2nd September 2002" (PDF). ARIA. September 2, 2002. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2002. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  53. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1471. September 20, 2002. p. 33. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  54. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 30 September 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 28, 2002. p. 31. Retrieved August 28, 2021.

External links