Kamikaze (MØ song)

"Kamikaze"
Single by MØ
from the album Forever Neverland (Japanese Edition)
Released15 October 2015 (2015-10-15)
Recorded2015
Genre
Length3:30
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
MØ singles chronology
"Lost"
(2015) 		"Kamikaze"
(2015) 		"Final Song"
(2016)
Music video
"Kamikaze" on YouTube

"Kamikaze" is a song by Danish singer-songwriter MØ produced for her second studio album, Forever Neverland, but was only included on the Japanese release of the album.[1] The song is another collaboration between MØ and Diplo of Major Lazer and was also co-produced by Jr Blender and Boaz van de Beatz.[2] "Kamikaze" was released through Sony Music Entertainment and premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 14 October 2015 at 7:30 PM BST at Annie Mac.[3] It was released worldwide on 15 October.[4] It has also reached the top 40 in Belgium and Denmark.

Background

The antecedent draft of "Kamikaze" was authored by MØ's confidante Mads Kristiansen[5] in April 2015.[citation needed] MØ says she "fell in love" with the song instantly, and immediately set about making it her own. MØ then hooked up with American producer Diplo[6] in New York City, working on versions of the song. In a press release MØ praised the creative energy and affection she contributed with Diplo[citation needed] and also analyzed working with him.

It's about making memorable songs but, more than that, it's about making pop music that wants to push boundaries.... I've been loving all kinds of pop since I first fell in love with the Spice Girls, but pop needs to bring something new to the table, it needs balls. And that's what you get working with Diplo.[3]

The official audio later premiered on 14 October, on MØ's Vevo channel.

In popular culture

The song was sampled in the feature film Nerve and is included in the film's soundtrack. It also is featured in episode 1x17 of the American television series Quantico and in the movie Snatched.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Kamikaze" was filmed in Kyiv, Ukraine.[7] It was also shot and directed by Truman & Cooper and produced by Amalia Rawlings and Corin Taylor. It premiered on MØ's Vevo channel on 27 October. Billboard magazine likened the video of "drag-racing motor bikes and riding around on what appears to be a chariot made of an old sofa and a tractor" to scenes from Mad Max: Fury Road.[8] The music video was included in Pigeons & Planes' "Best Music Videos of the Month".[9] The music video also gained 1 million views in its initial three days.

Reception

"Kamikaze" was premiered by Annie Mac as "The Hottest Record of the Year".[10] The song also came in at #60 on the annual Triple J Hottest 100 for 2015.[11]

Charts

Chart performance for "Kamikaze"
Chart (2015–2016) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 91
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[13] 30
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[13] 19
CIS (TopHit)[14] 161
Denmark (Tracklisten)[15] 16
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 12
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[17] 183

Certifications

Certifications for "Kamikaze"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[18] Platinum 60,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[19] Gold 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[20] Gold 10,000‡

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

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Kamikaze"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Worldwide 15 October 2015 Digital download
[4]
Russia 26 October 2015 Contemporary hit radio Sony Music [21]
United States 1 December 2015 RCA [22]

References

  1. ^ "CDJapan : Forever Neverland MO CD Album". CDJapan (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  2. ^ Feeney, Nolan (27 October 2015). "The New MØ Single "Kamikaze" is a Worthy Sequel to "Lean On"". Time. New York. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  3. ^ a b Carley, Brennan (14 October 2015). "Mø and Diplo Release the Horns on Honking New 'Kamikaze': Premiered by Annie Mac on BBC1". Spin. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Kamikaze - Single by MØ on iTunes". iTunes Store. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  5. ^ "MO X SURFACE". Microsoft OneNote. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  6. ^ "MO hooks up with American producer Diplo in New York City". Microsoft OneNote. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  7. ^ Lester, Daisy (28 October 2015). "MØ lets loose in dystopian-themed video for "Kamikaze"". NME. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  8. ^ McCall, Malorie (27 October 2015). "Watch MO Pay Homage to Restlessness & Partying in "Kamikaze" Video". Billboard. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Best Music Videos of the Month". Pigeons and Planes. 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  10. ^ Middleton, Ryan (27 October 2015). "MO, Diplo "Kamikaze" Music Video: "Lean On" Singer Goes Wild". Music Times. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  11. ^ "1-100 List | Hottest 100 2015 | triple j". Abc.net.au. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  12. ^ Ryan, Gavin (6 February 2016). "ARIA Singles: Zayn 'Pillowtalk' Is No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  13. ^ a b "ultratop.be - MØ - Kamikaze". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  14. ^ MØ — Kamikaze. TopHit. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Danmarks officielle hitlister". Hitlisten.NU. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  16. ^ "Vecolista Heatseeker – Vecka 43, 23 oktober 2015" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  17. ^ Zywietz, Tobias. "CHART: CLUK Update 24.10.2015 (wk43)". Zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  18. ^ "Danish single certifications – MO – Kamikaze". IFPI Danmark.
  19. ^ "Certificados Musicales Amprofon (in Spanish)". Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2017 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  21. ^ "MØ - Kamikaze (listen to the song, watch the music video)". Tophit. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Top 40/M > Future Releases". allaccess.com. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.