Released 27 July 2012 Length 3:14 Producer(s) Rymez | Format Digital download Label Warner Music | |
Writer(s) Richard Cowie, Dayo Olatunji | ||
"Heatwave" is a single from British grime artist Wiley, featuring vocals from Ms D - known for singing on the Chipmunk song "Oopsy Daisy". It was released as the lead single from his eighth studio album The Ascent on 27 July 2012 for digital download in the United Kingdom. It was written by Wiley, Dayo Olatunji and produced by Rymez, who is unofficially credited as a featured artist. "Heatwave" received major radio airplay, while managing to enter on BBC Radio 1's A-list. The song debuted at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart on 5 August 2012, selling over 114,000 copies, while becoming Wiley's first ever solo number 1.
Contents
Music video
A music video to accompany the release of "Heatwave" was first released onto YouTube on 29 June 2012 at a total length of three minutes and twenty-one seconds.
Critical reception
Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the song a neutral review stating:
"Long nights are crazy we are on them/ My name's Wiley, play my song then," the wordsmith demands over rousing strings and crowd-pleasing claps, before dropping into a swirl of electronic squiggles perfect for a beach-based booty shake-off. The result is a suitably cool summer jam, but if Wiley really wants to make an impact like his peers, he's going to have to dial the temperature up just a little bit higher yet. .
Chart performance
"Heatwave" was number 1 on the Wednesday and Friday UK midweek chart. As predicted, the song entered the UK Singles Chart on 5 August 2012 at number 1, spending two weeks there (holding off "We'll Be Coming Back" by Calvin Harris and Example). "Heatwave" sold over 114,000 copies in its first week of release and became Wiley's first ever solo number 1 single. In the second week of release, Wiley remained at number 1, selling another 66,000. The song has sold 416,000 copies in the UK as of December 2012, and was the 38th best-selling single of 2012.