Give Me Your Everything

Background

In May 2014, it was announced that Stan would tour in Japan during her Unlocked Tour (2014) for the first time in two years. During the tour, a new track called "Give Me Your Everything" was unveiled at the end of Stan's concert at Shibuya Womb in Tokyo on 18 July 2015, with her also confessing that it was scheduled to be released on 27 August 2014 as the fourth single from Unlocked. When asked about the track by her Japanese label Victor Entertainment, Stan felt that she had made a song with an oriental mood, weaving together an African and Asian feel with a Balkan sound". Particularly, during website Barks's review of her performance in Tokyo, they called the silver leotard she wore "bold", while also describing "Give Me Your Everything" as a song having a "violently dark melody".

Recording and composition

The song was written by Stan herself, Șerban Cazan, LeAnna James, and Naz Tokio; the production was made by Cazan. It was composed during FonoCamp 2013, the first international songwriting camp in Romania which was organized by both Fonogram and HaHaHa Studios and held in Azuga. Fellow Romanian and international singers were also present at the two-weeks event, such as Delia Matache, Mohombi, Smiley and Deepcentral. The track was mixed for HaHaHa Production and recorded at Fonogram Studios and HaHaHa Studios. In an interview in Barcelona, Spain, Stan described the song as "more oriental, with a lot of spiritual meaning". She continued to explain that "Give Me Your Everything" was written as a present for her Arabic and Asian fans due to the song's vibe. According to Pop Shock, the track is a Caucasian-flavoured mid-tempo ballad. Lyrically, Stan tells her unidentified boyfriend not to be so hard on her, and if he really loves her, he needs to give her his everything. The chorus of "Give Me Your Everything" consists solely of the phrase "Don't you be so hard on me / If you love me, come and give me your everything".

Reception

Pop Shock praised the song, saying that they didn't expect Stan to choose such a genre for a track. Pop Shock went on saying that the track "reinvents the cutesy, innuendo-loving Europop star into an exotic vixen of global proportions". Everything Express noticed similarities to Rihanna's works, confessing that "the single reminds us that our Romanian pop-poppet can actually sing." Adictivoz compared "Give Me Your Everything" to Shakira. Pure Charts labelled the song as "tribal" and "urban", pointing out the sexual lyrics "I'm doing limbo / Your body is my temple." Digital Journal praised the song, confessing that Stan "displays a different style to her artistry." The song's Middle Eastern melodic flair "enhances [the song] sonically". They went on saying that Stan's vocals are "hypnotic" and "crystalline." Digital Journal noted that Stan "is not afraid to take risks and try new things." Direct Lyrics compared "Give Me Your Everything" to the material featured on Rihanna's A Girl like Me (2006).

Release and synopsis

An accompanying music video for "Give Me Your Everything" premiered on 27 August 2014 on Stan's YouTube channel, where it has amassed over 2 million views as of December 2015. It was directed by Vlad Fenesan with production studio Griffon & Swans. The clip is featured on Stan's Japanese DVD release The Collection. The video opens with a lost Stan that seeks refuge in a dark forest full of fog and smoke, sporting a black cloak and holding a violet flame in her hand that guides her. Afterwards, she encounters a mysterious black-clothed person whose face cannot be seen. After performing a choreography with her fellow backup dancers, she steps into a white realm full of light. Subsequently, the mysterious person appears again and Stan chases him whereby she enters a pitch-black room. Following this, she performs a dance act in front of more mirrors. Afterwards, Stan is shown wearing a white robe and walking through a jungle-like setting. After encountering the mysterious person again, the video ends with her removing his mask to see his true identity. Scenes interspersed through the main video show Stan dancing with her black-clothed background dancers.

Analysis and controversy

Urban.ro praised the music video for being "exceptional", while also naming it "her most bizarre video ever". They also pointed out the use of masonic symbols by displaying a screenshot of the video where Stan is wearing a white cloak and pointing out inscriptions on the back of the screen. The symbols inscribed are the pyramid and Ra. "These are the most obvious moments of video; the rest is suggested." Urban.ro compared the man, which Stan is chasing, to a demon, due to his black clothing. They went on to compare one scene of the video to Beyoncé's clip for her song, "Grown Woman" (2013). Pro TV felt that the clip for "Give Me Your Everything" is very different from her previous works. They felt that the video showed a more daring side of Stan, compared to her previous videos featuring "summerly-dressed dancers", due to the incorporation of religious and cultural references. Direct Lyrics has cited that: "Just like the song, the 'Give Me Your Everything' visual also has dark vibe." They went on into saying that the clip "will definitely keep your on your seat till the end."

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Unlocked.

Track listing

1. "Give Me Your Everything" – 3:25