Released February 17, 2015 Recorded 2014 Length 2:56 | Format Digital download
CD Genre Alternative
folk
pop Label Pinetop
Hollywood | |
"Hypnotic" is a song recorded by American singer Zella Day for her second extended play, Zella Day (2014), and her second studio album, Kicker (2015). It was released as the latter record's lead single on February 27, 2015 as a digital download through Pinetop and Hollywood Records. The recording was written by Day, Xandy Barry, James Bailey, and Ryan Ogren, with Barry and Wally Gagel's team called Wax Ltd. performing its production. Musically an alternative, folk, and pop song, the recording's lyrics deal with the protagonist begging her lover for mutual respect.
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The song was highly regarded by contemporary music critics as a standout. It was also appreciated for bringing the sadcore genre to light. An accompanying music video for "Hypnotic" was issued ten days after its after physical release, and features the singer bathing in a bath tub with a horse, dancing in a room, and driving a car through the desert.
Background and composition
When Day was 14, she was approached by Pinetop Records' management team to work with Xandy Barry and Wally Gagel's production team called Wax Ltd.. However, she endured a hiatus after the record label expressed doubts of her being too opinionated for her age; after waiting a year, she joined BMG Rights Management and returned to work with the duo to begin production on several tracks. Together, they continued creating new music and would eventually write "Hypnotic" along with songwriters James Bailey and Ryan Ogren. "Hypnotic" was written by Day, Barry, Bailey, and Ogren, while production was solely handled by Wax Ltd. On February 17, 2015, the single was released to the iTunes Store as part of their "Free Singles of the Week" program where songs are eligible to consumers without pay for limited availability.
Musically, "Hypnotic" is a combination of sound from the alternative, folk, and pop genres. To achieve the multi-effects, Day sings in a "siren-like" tone that reflects that of the sadcore genre. In the recording's lyrics, Day begs for a lover to feel the same respect for her as she does for him. She sings in the chorus: "You do it to me so well / Hypnotic taking over me / Make me feel like someone else / You got me talking in my sleep" before admitting "I don't wanna come back down / I don't wanna touch the ground / Pacific Ocean dug so deep / Hypnotic taking over me".
Critical reception
Ethan Germann from Atwood acclaimed Day's choice of releasing "Hypnotic" as a single and complimented the soaring chorus and captivating vocals. Emilee Atkinson, a student columnist for Weber State University's The Signpost singled out the track for bringing a positive light to sadcore music; she claimed: "for listeners who aren't normally fans of this type of music, Zella Day is a good place to start." Jacob Brown from Vogue recognized the song as a "pop gem" and compared its rhythm to that of Christina Aguilera's and the lyrics to Lana Del Rey's works.
Music video
An accompanying music video for the single was released on February 27, 2015 through her official Vevo account. The visual was directed by Gianennio Salucci and produced by Rod Hamilton. Day spoke of the symbolism within the plot:
Yeah, but there’s a lot of symbolism in that video. The horse represents this pure, unjaded, unfazed love. In the video, we are both, me and my love interest, kind of going through phases of having the horse in our possession. In the beginning of the video, he has the horse, and then I do. It’s kind of this fight, it’s just a war between us, and Mickey kind of represents what we’re trying to win. Then you have the black snake that kind of represents tainted love.
Live performances
When touring in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the singer performed "Hypnotic" live inside of Studio C at the KTCZ-FM broadcast hall.