Length 3:24 | Label Island | |
Released December 16, 2010
April 12, 2011 Format CD single, digital download Writer(s) Kerli Kõiv
Jean Baptiste
Mike McHenry
Ryan Buendia Producer(s) Free School
Jean Baptiste | ||
"Army of Love" is a single released by Estonian recording artist Kerli, from her shelved second studio album Utopia. The song was written by Kerli, Jean Baptiste, Mick McHenry and Ryan Buendia and was produced by Free School Music and Jean Baptiste. It was released on December 16, 2010 via free download on Kerli's official website. It was released for purchase as a single on April 12, 2011. A 9-track remix EP was released on May 3, 2011, and part 2 was released on June 21, 2011.
Contents
- Background
- Composition
- Critical reception
- Chart performance
- Music video
- Development
- Synopsis
- Reception
- References
The song charted on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Songs chart for a total of 11 weeks, and peaked at number 1 for the week of May 7, 2011. "Army of Love" was number 12 on the 2011 Billboard Year-End Dance/Club Songs chart.
Background
Kerli announced on November 4, 2010 that the first promotional single from her sophomore album would be titled "Army of Love" and that the video had nearly finished production.
Composition
"Army of Love" was written by Kerli, Jean Baptiste, Michael McHenry and Ryan Buendia. It was produced by Free School Music and Baptiste. "Army of Love" features a very distinct rhythmic electronic beat primarily consisting of an electronic keyboard, synths and a short drum beat. The song samples melody from 3 AM Eternal by the KLF.
Critical reception
About.com Dance Music / Electronica's DJ Ron Slomowicz selected the track as "Song of the Day", stating "Whether blatantly selling out or making a true artistic shift in musical direction, 'Army of Love' is catchy and may just make Kerli more accessible across the board. "
PopEater. com gave the song a positive review, commending the "infectious electronic beat" and noting that her "etherial vocals are the icing on the cake. "
Chart performance
The song debuted at number 51 on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart and after eleven weeks, peaked at number 1. It also peaked at number 3 on the "Raadio Uuno Top 40" and number 10 on the Estonian Top 40.
Music video
The music video officially premiered on December 22 on YouTube through Kerli's Vevo channel.
Development
The video was filmed over several days in Estonia. It was directed by Kaimar Kukk.
Synopsis
The video begins with a title that says: "Kerli", then "Army of Love". The first scene of the video is Kerli sitting in what appears to be a child's bedroom. She is in a rocking chair, playing with a Rubik's Cube. Then it shows Kerli in an abandoned warehouse where she picks up a phone and announces "Moonchildren, prepare to take over the universe". The scene cuts to Kerli outside the building singing the first chorus and verse into a megaphone. During this, people (presumably Moonchildren) come out of various places and follow her to the street for the next scene. They follow her into a forest, where she finds a unicorn as a fairy (Kerli) sits swinging on a swing. The next scene features Kerli on a truck singing for the large crowd that surrounds it. The video is concluded by the Moonchildren marching after her as she rides the unicorn. The screen fades to black and another title is shown: "To Be Continued..." In the beginning of the video, up until the point when she says "Moonchildren, prepare to take over the universe", you can hear words like "integrity", "love", and "unity" being whispered into the background. Throughout the first part of the video, words such as "integrity", "love", "unity", "we're coming", and "K713" blink on and off screen.
Reception
As of January 2015, the music video has 4,607,958 views on YouTube. Review site Idolator said that the song's music video is the "hottest rave to hit Middle Earth, " referencing the works of J. R. R. Tolkien due to Kerli's elfin appearance in the video and the forest setting.