Bubbly

Background and composition

"Bubbly" was written by Colbie Caillat and Jason Reeves. It is an alternative pop song, folk song, and acoustic song. "Bubbly" is written in the key of A and primarily features a gentle guitar instrumentation which uses a capo of seventh fret. The guitar uses open D tuning (low to high): D–A–D–F♯–A–D.

Caillat commented on the lyrical composition of the song in an interview with Wilson Country News on February 20, 2008, following her live performance on The View, "I didn't write "Bubbly" for any [special] guy. I wrote it about the feelings you get when you have a crush on somebody, and when they give you butterflies in your stomach and they just make you smile."

Critical response

Susan Visakowitz of Billboard wrote that Caillat's "warm vocals along with a gentle acoustic arrangement effortlessly conjure the idyllic California she calls home".

Chart performance

On the issue dated October 6, 2007, "Bubbly" rose from number 16 to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually peaking at number five for seven weeks. It also topped the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks and Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks charts for 19 and 14 weeks, respectively. The song was placed at number two on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks year-end chart of 2008, behind Sara Bareilles' "Love Song". The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on December 13, 2007, with sales of more than 2.6 million downloads in the US. It peaked at number two for three weeks on the Canadian Hot 100. In Australia—where "Bubbly" was used in a promotional video for the Seven Network soap opera Home and Away—it reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart for the week of April 7, 2008. Elsewhere, the single reached number one in the Czech Republic and charted within the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, and Sweden. It did not fare as well in the British Isles, peaking at number 58 in the United Kingdom and number 48 in Ireland.

On VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s, "Bubbly" ranked number 71 on the list.

Synopsis

Filmed in Colbie Caillat's hometown of Malibu and in Santa Barbara in southern California, the music video features intercut scenes of Caillat playing the guitar while dreamily singing the lyrics of the song and spending time with her lover in their home and out in nature. It is a sunny day, and some shots feature Caillat basking in sun-baked golden fields as she sings. Later in the video, Caillat drives in an old Jeep and then is pictured singing as she walks slowly along the coast of California and looks out over a cliff into the Pacific Ocean. Caillat performs clad in a simple tank top and jeans which are slightly ripped at the knees; she also is seen wearing a necklace made of sea shells.

Reception

Uploaded to Caillat's YouTube and Vevo account on December 13, 2009, the video for "Bubbly" has received a generally positive reaction from fans and has garnered over 48 million views.

Track listings

1. "Bubbly" – 3:17
2. "Circles" – 3:53

1. "Bubbly" – 2:53
2. "Magic" (Piano Version) – 3:18

1. "Bubbly" – 3:17
2. "Circles" – 3:53
3. "Magic" (Piano Version) – 3:18
4. "Bubbly" (Video) – 3:25

Personnel