Poison (Rita Ora song)

"Poison"
Single by Rita Ora
Released 18 May 2015 (2015-05-18)
Format Digital download
Recorded 2014–15
Genre EDM
Length 3:22
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Sir Nolan
Rita Ora singles chronology
"New York Raining"
(2015)		 "Poison"
(2015)		 "Body on Me"
(2015)

"Poison" is a song by British singer Rita Ora. The song was released on 18 May 2015, serving as the first single from her upcoming second studio album. The single peaked at number three in the UK.

Background

"It's a cry for help. If I hear myself saying that out loud then it helps me figure it out. I'm a 24-year-old girl, this is a new chapter of my life, and now I can move on."[1]

—Rita Ora talking about "Poison" to Vice

Following the release of Ora's previous single "I Will Never Let You Down" in March 2014, its follow-up experienced several delays and was speculated by the media to be called "Testosterone"—a title Ora mentioned in an interview in November 2014.[2] During this time, Ora had began on the recording and development of "Poison".[3] She felt that it was important for her to come back with the right song and "come back with a bang".[4] Ora wanted the track to be written with her own experiences in mind and to be "really honest".[5] In an interview for Hunger TV, Ora explained, "I just thought that I've put enough songs out that are party tunes – that I'm so happy that people like, of course – but I wanted to put something out that was like, 'you know what, this is what's getting on my nerves right now".[6]

"Poison" was written by English singer Kate Nash, its producer Sir Nolan, and Ora's close friend Julia Michaels.[1][7] Ora had not previously met Nash prior to the song's writing, and later opined that the track had an English sound (reminiscent of Nash's music).[1] A number of the lyrics in "Poison" were re-written; Ora initially wrote the song's opening line, "I could have you for breakfast and codeine for lunch".[1] She later decided to scrap the lyrics because she wanted the song's value to resonate more than the controversies surrounding her as a person. According to Ora, the lyrics were not re-written because of its reference to recreational drugs (codeine)—a topic she said she was not afraid to speak of. She wanted "Poison" to have its own meaning and found its line, "I pick my poison and it's you / You're going straight to my head and I'm going straight to the edge", to be self-explanatory.[1]

Other lyrics that were re-written included, "I wake in my bed / open up my eyes and / For a nanosecond / I don't remember… You / I open up my windows / I'm so sick of breathing / Every day I'm trying / But I don't remember…who I was before you came along",[3] and, "Like a serpent / From the Garden of Eden / Feel the love that I'm breathing / You are like poison / Running through my blood".[3] Ora recorded "Poison" as the last song for her upcoming second studio album.[8] She said that she knew the album was finished when "Poison" was recorded.[9]

Composition
"Poison"
A 19-second sample of the chorus in "Poison" which builds in intensity with Ora belting out its lyrics over crashing production.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Poison" is an EDM number,[10][11][12] and a modern take on a pop power ballad.[6][12][13] It has a moderately fast tempo of 124 beats per minute.[7] "Poison" contains elements of electronic music, combined with a "chewy" pop hook.[14] In an interview for Vice, Ora said that she was baffled by the track being described as EDM-leaning. She felt that it was more passionate and not electronic-sounding at all, and stated "it's more of a rocky, edgy pop record made by a pop star, which is what I am."[1] Aside from the track's crashing production, "Poison" is primarily melodic with Ora soliciting a soaring, stripped-down vocal performance which spans from the note of G3 to E♭5.[15][7][16]

Set in the key of B-flat major, "Poison" follows a basic chord progression of B♭-B♭/D-E♭add9, and is drum-heavy in its instrumentation throughout.[1][7] The song opens with a tender piano progression on which Ora breathlessly emotes, "I could have my beer for breakfast / My sanity for lunch / Trying to get over how bad I want you so much".[1][3] Sharp percussion and dark string instrumentation begins playing as the chorus builds in intensity.[3] Ora then belts out the song's hook, "I pick my poison and it's you / Nothing could kill me like you do / You're going straight to my head / And I'm heading straight to the edge / I pick my poison and it's you / I pick my poison and it's you ", over prominent synthesizers.[1][2][12] Drums later feature most prominently during the middle eight in which Ora sings about her world falling apart.[17]

Although upbeat, "Poison" is angry and emotive in tone.[18][11][19] Its lyrical content details pain experienced from a dysfunctional relationship with a backstabbing, toxic love interest.[9][18][17] The lyrics also recall all the ways in which Ora had fallen in love with him, and while she tries to forget him, she clarifies in the chorus that she cannot let him go.[20] It was suggested to be directed at Ora's ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris.[5][10][19][21] However, Ora said the track was not about any specific individual, but her "bad luck" with love in general and how she envisaged love and a period in her life when it was poisonous.[5][22] "It's inspired by my experiences and my relationships with anyone that you know of and who you don't know of".[9] Ora later said, "It's about all the exes I've had in my life, all rolled into one".[8] The opening lyrics were also noted by Ora to be honest and of her own experience because of her love for beer or a Bloody Mary during a hangover in the morning.[23] In a video diary she posted on YouTube, Ora detailed the song's meaning:

"'Poison's about having something to complain about and in my world that thing I'm complaining about is love and being 24. You forget what real life is sometimes and it's not about pretending to have an upper hand on someone, it's about knowing the truth and keeping it moving."[24]

Release

"Poison" was released as the lead single from Ora's upcoming second studio album.[1] She first previewed a demo of the song exclusively for Clash in August 2014.[3] A 30-second snippet of "Poison", and its accompanying cover art leaked online on 12 May 2015.[2] The artwork is a pop art-inspired drawing of Ora wearing a black beret and using a cigarette holder to take a drag.[25][18] MOBO's Adenike Gboyega called the cover art "stylish".[26] According to Jocelyn Vena of Billboard and Eric Diep of BET, Ora channels a French femme fatale in the cover art.[27][28] Vena wrote that the artwork "will definitely have fans saying 'Ooh La La'", adding, "The vibe of the art definitely recalls the women artist Patrick Nagel created."[27] Ora later commented that the leak annoyed her because it prevented her from presenting the song the way she wanted to, but concluded, "At the end of the day though, people have been digging it, so it's kinda good they're leaking it".[1]

"Poison" was premiered by British radio network Capital on 18 May 2015.[25] An accompanying lyric video was shared the same day.[15] The official remix of "Poison" was remixed by Zdot and featured British duo Krept and Konan; it premiered on 10 June 2015.[24]

Critical reception

"Poison" has received critical acclaim. Jennifer Ruby of the London Evening Standard hailed it as Ora's "pop comeback".[5] Writing in the Liverpool Echo, Jade Wright deemed the track "colossal and extremely addictive", and said that Ora "returned in style".[29] Vibe called it a "dangerous" single, commending Ora's "refreshingly stripped down performance".[16] Tom Richardson of the Gay Times highlighted its "fresh mature sound".[30] The Irish Times named it their track of the week, with Ailbhe Malone writing, "This falls into one of our favourite musical subgenres – the emotional banger".[17] Mark Savage of BBC News deemed it "a fiery foot-stomper".[9] Rap-Up praised the track's "radio-friendly" hook.[31] Anne T Donahue of The Guardian opined, "Sorrowful enough to soundtrack summer nights in contemplating old flames, but fast enough to fuel nights out dancing in hope of meeting new ones, this jam could be the bridge Ora needs to secure her mainstream spot in America".[32]

Writing in Time, Nolan Feeney said the track was "synthtastic" and "gives the singer reasons to keep trying", concluding, "This doesn't feel like the mega-smash single that will completely reverse her luck, but its you-ooo-ooh-ooh hook shows she can be a worthy vessel of solid material".[33] Conversely, Dana Rose Falcone of Entertainment Weekly said the single "falls in line" with Ora's "poppy hits", "I Will Never Let You Down" and "How We Do (Party)" (2012).[18] While Lewis Corner and Amy Davidson of Digital Spy commented that it lacked the "instant pull" of "I Will Never Let You Down", but had "solid chart potential nonetheless".[14] Andrew Hampp of Billboard gave "Poison" three out of five stars, and said that it did not "match the playful aesthetic" of "I Will Never Let You Down", but its "belted, from-the-gut chorus may prove to be stickier".[12] Stereogum's Chris DeVille said "Poison" was the "Best Rita Ora song ever", but "a second-rate redux" of Tove Lo's "Timebomb" (2015).[34]

Commercial performance

According to Music Week, "Poison" was number one in "initial sales flashes" of the UK Singles Chart dated for 9 July 2015, but "lost its potency as the week progressed" and was overtaken by Lost Frequencies' "Are You with Me" and Tinie Tempah's "Not Letting Go".[35][36] It subsequently debuted at number three with first-week sales of 55,855 units, marking Ora's eighth top 10 hit in the United Kingdom.[35] The song dropped to number seven the following week with sales of 21,530 units.[37] It registered a sales increase in its third week, selling 34,798 units, but fell to number 13 nonetheless.[38] On 14 August 2015, it was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of over 200,000 units.[39]

"Poison" entered the Irish Singles Chart issued for 2 July 2015 at number 21, and climbed to a peak of number 18 the following week, becoming Ora's sixth top 20 hit in Ireland.[40][41][42] In Australia, "Poison" debuted at number 74 on the ARIA Singles Chart dated 27 June 2015, and went on to reach a peak of number 30, marking Ora's sixth top 40 hit in the country.[43][44] The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified "Poison" gold for selling 35,000 copies.[45]

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Poison" was first released on Vevo on 3 June 2015 at a total length of four minutes and fifty-four seconds. An additional video was released for the official remix of the song, featuring Krept and Konan, for Hunger TV.

Live performances

Ora first performed "Poison" as part of her sets for Radio 1's Big Weekend 2015 on 24 May 2015, and the Summertime Ball on 7 June 2015.[46][47] She then reprised "Poison" on The Graham Norton Show which aired on 26 June 2015; wearing a black bra, ripped jeans, and a large, fringed black leather jacket.[48] Idolator's Christina Lee wrote that in a live setting, Ora's "powerful vocals [in the song] are more pronounced, to where she sounds like she's taking the subject matter to heart".[13] Writing in the Daily Express, Becca Longmire said Ora "flashed a lot of flesh" with her "revealing" outfit which she felt "arguably overshadowed the music".[48] Ora performed "Poison" at G-A-Y on the day of Pride London on 28 June 2015; where she draped herself in a rainbow flag during the rendition as a nod to Pride London.[49] The same day, she performed the Zdot Remix of the song with Krept and Konan as part of her set for the Wireless Festival.[50] Ora further promoted "Poison" with a performance on The John Bishop Show which aired on 4 July 2015.[51]

Track listings

  1. "Poison" – 3:22
  1. "Poison" (Acoustic) – 3:40
  1. "Poison" (featuring Krept and Konan) [Zdot Remix] – 3:51
  2. "Poison" (Perplexus Remix) – 4:07
  3. "Poison" (David Zowie Remix) – 5:24
  4. "Poison" (Myles James Vocal Remix) – 6:45

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[44] 30
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[55] 45
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[56] 42
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[57] 41
Euro Digital Songs (Billboard)[58] 5
Ireland (IRMA)[42] 18
Mexico Inglés Airplay (Billboard)[59] 13
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[60] 2
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[61] 51
South Africa (EMA)[62] 10
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[36] 3

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[45] Gold 35,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Silver 200,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
France 18 May 2015 Digital download
[52]
Italy [63]
Spain [64]
Italy 12 June 2015 Contemporary hit radio [65]
United States 16 June 2015 Digital download [66]
France 28 June 2015 Digital download – The Remixes [54]
Germany [67]
Italy [68]
Spain [69]
United Kingdom Digital download [70]
Digital download – The Remixes [71]
United States [72]
France 30 June 2015 Digital download – Acoustic [53]
Germany [73]
Italy [74]
Spain [75]
United Kingdom [76]
United States [77]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Barlow, Eve (18 May 2015). "Rita Ora: 'This Is a New Chapter of My Life, I'm Ready to Move On'". Vice. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Wass, Mike (12 May 2015). "Rita Ora's New Single Is Possibly Called 'Poison': Listen To A Snippet Of The New Track". Idolator. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Harper, Simon (29 August 2014). "Complete Control: The Renaissance Of Rita Ora". Clash. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Copsey, Rob (18 May 2015). "Listen to Rita Ora's new single Poison". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Ruby, Jennifer (3 June 2015). "Rita Ora makes pop comeback as she stars as model in emotional new video for single Poison". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  6. 1 2 Fraser, Holly (24 June 2015). "The Interview: Rita Ora". Hunger TV. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Rita Ora 'Poison' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Rita Ora: I don't talk to my exes". People. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Savage, Mark (2 July 2015). "'I threw up twice': Rita Ora on her Oscars ordeal, the X Factor and new music". BBC News. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  10. 1 2 "We Can't Get Rita Ora's New Track 'Poison' Out Of Our Heads". MTV UK. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  11. 1 2 "New Music: Rita Ora – 'Poison'". Rap-Up. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Staff, Billboard (22 May 2015). "Best and Worst Singles of the Week -- From Rita Ora to Steven Tyler". Billboard. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  13. 1 2 Lee, Christina (27 June 2015). "Rita Ora Performs 'Poison' On 'The Graham Norton Show': Watch". Idolator. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  14. 1 2 Corner, Lewis; Davidson, Amy (19 May 2015). "Playlist: 10 tracks you need to hear - Rita Ora, Maroon 5, Muse, Conrad". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  15. 1 2 Gracie, Bianca (18 May 2015). "Rita Ora Releases Her 'Poison' Lyric Video: Watch". Idolator. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Rita Ora Debuts New Single 'Poison'". Vibe. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 Malone, Ailbhe (16 June 2015). "Pop Corner: Rita Ora releases an emotional banger". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Falcone, Dana Rose (18 May 2015). "Rita Ora's latest single is 'Poison'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  19. 1 2 Adu-Yeboah, Florence (7 August 2015). "Rita Ora Dedicates New Song 'Poison' to a Famous Ex-Boyfriend". International Business Times. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  20. ↑ Vena, Jocelyn (18 May 2015). "Hear Rita Ora's New Single 'Poison'". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  21. ↑ Martin, Annie (3 June 2015). "Rita Ora breaks free in 'Poison' music video". United Press International. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  22. ↑ Goodfellow, Mollie (7 August 2015). "Rita Ora uses new single Poison to hit out at an ex-boyfriend". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  23. ↑ Cabooter, James (24 May 2015). "Rita Ora gets ex-rated with new single 'Poison' about her past". Daily Star (United Kingdom). Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  24. 1 2 Davidson, Amy (10 June 2015). "Rita Ora's 'Poison' now has an official remix courtesy of Krept & Konan". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  25. 1 2 "Listen: Rita Ora's New Song 'Poison' Gets First Capital Play – You're Already #Obsessed!". United Kingdom: Capital. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  26. ↑ Gboyega, Adenike (18 May 2015). "Listen to Rita Ora's new single 'Poison'". MOBO. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  27. 1 2 Vena, Jocelyn (13 May 2015). "Rita Ora Channels French Femme Fatale for 'Poison' Artwork". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  28. ↑ Diep, Eric (13 May 2015). "Rita Ora Channels a Femme Fatale in Her New Single Artwork". BET. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  29. ↑ Wright, Jade (6 July 2015). "X Factor judge Rita Ora joins Radio City Summer Live". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  30. ↑ Richardson, Tom. "Rita Ora announces upcoming release of new single Poison". Gay Times. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  31. ↑
  32. ↑ Donahue, Anne T (26 June 2015). "This week's new tracks: Jack Antonoff is making the indie pop of your dreams". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  33. ↑ Feeney, Nolan (14 May 2015). "Hear Rita Ora's New Song 'Poison'". Time. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  34. ↑ DeVille, Chris (21 May 2015). "The Week In Pop: Tori Kelly Is Evidence That Sometimes The Machine Gets It Right". Stereogum. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  35. 1 2 Jones, Alan (6 July 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Lionel Richie jumps to No.1 after Glastonbury appearance". Music Week. Retrieved 22 August 2015.(subscription required)
  36. 1 2 "Archive Chart: 2015-07-09" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  37. ↑ Jones, Alan (10 July 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Ed Sheeran tops albums, David Zowie nabs No.1 single". Music Week. Retrieved 22 August 2015. (subscription required)
  38. ↑ Jones, Alan (17 July 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Little Mix score No.1 single, Years & Years debut LP lands on top". Music Week. Retrieved 22 August 2015. (subscription required)
  39. 1 2 "British single certifications – Rita Ora – Poison". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 August 2015. Enter Poison in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  40. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  41. ↑ "Discography Rita Ora". irishcharts.com. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  42. 1 2 "Chart Track: Week 28, 2015". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  43. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (30 May 2015). "ARIA Singles: Taylor Swift Bad Blood Is No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  44. 1 2 "Australian-charts.com – Rita Ora – Poison". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  45. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  46. ↑ "Did Rita Ora Take A Swipe At Calvin Harris At Radio 1's Big Weekend?!". MTV UK. 25 May 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  47. ↑ "The Capital FM Summertime Ball reviewed: all of the news, gossip and more". Irish Examiner. 7 June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  48. 1 2 Longmire, Becca (26 June 2015). "Rita Ora wears just a bra and ripped jeans on Graham Norton Show". Daily Express. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  49. ↑ Coyle, Hayley (28 June 2015). "Rita Ora flashes the flesh in sheer black leotard at G-A-Y performance". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  50. ↑ Kilikita, Jacqueline (29 June 2015). "Wireless Festival 10th Anniversary roundup: Rita Ora, Drake & Katy B!". Reveal. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  51. ↑ "Episode 6". The John Bishop Show. Season 1. 4 July 2015. BBC One.
  52. 1 2 "Poison: Rita Ora" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  53. 1 2 "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  54. 1 2 "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  55. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Rita Ora – Poison" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  56. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201533 into search. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  57. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201531 into search. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  58. ↑ "Euro Digital Songs: Jul 18 2015". Billboard. Retrieved 22 August 2015. (subscription required)
  59. ↑ "Mexico Ingles Airplay: Jul 25, 2015". Billboard. Retrieved 22 August 2015. (subscription required)
  60. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2015-07-09". Scottish Singles Top 40. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  61. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201530 into search. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  62. ↑ "EMA Top 10 Airplay: Week Ending 2015-08-11". Entertainment Monitoring Africa. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  63. ↑ "Poison: Rita Ora" (in Italian). Amazon.it. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  64. ↑ "Poison: Rita Ora" (in Spanish). Amazon.es. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  65. ↑ "Poison - Rita Ora" (in Italian). radioairpaly.fm. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  66. ↑ "Poison: Rita Ora". Amazon.com. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  67. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  68. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora" (in Italian). Amazon.it. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  69. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora" (in Spanish). Amazon.es. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  70. ↑ "Poison: Rita Ora". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  71. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  72. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora". Amazon.com. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  73. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  74. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora" (in Italian). Amazon.it. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  75. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic)" (in Spanish). Amazon.es. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  76. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  77. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora". Amazon.com. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
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