Kissin U

Background

"Kissin U" was first announced in late February as the lead single from Cosgrove's untitled upcoming album. The single was previewed on Ryan Seacreast's radio show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest on March 12, 2010, with the song being released on 7" vinyl and Cassette tape format on March 22, 2010. During an interview with MTV about the song, Cosgrove stated that

During the same interview, Cosgrove stated the song actually provided her with the inspiration to title her debut album Sparks Fly, saying that "The reason I ended up naming it Sparks Fly [is because] those are the first two words you hear when you pop my album in." The single was released for official radio airplay on May 11, 2010, while Australia saw the release of the single on July 9, 2010. On June 29, 2010 a remix EP containing three remixes of the song was released for digital download. The first track on the extended play, the Jason Nevins remix of the song, was released to several US radio stations in the place of the original version.

Composition

"Kissin U" has been called bubblegum pop by several critics; however, it also features prominent drums and bass. Several critics have noted the use of auto-tune used in Cosgrove's voice throughout the song, as well as other tracks on Sparks Fly. The song's melody runs through a downtempo pop beat. The song has been compared to releases by Avril Lavigne and Miley Cyrus, among others. The lyrics of the song deal with love and relationships, and the feeling that comes when Cosgrove is kissing her boyfriend. During their review of the single, commonsensemedia stated on the song's lyrics, "Young love can be innocent, sweet, and irrepressible. It can also be incredibly annoying when taken to a super-sweet extreme. That's where we're at with this single. Lovebirds not jaded by love's letdowns can celebrate the purely poppy sounds and Cosgrove's limitless enthusiasm here. The rest of us will be left with a headache from constant eye rolling. After one listen you'll forever understand the meaning of 'bubblegum pop.'"

On the other hand, portraitmagazine praised the song's lyrical content as well as the music, saying, "Kissin U was the first single from the album, and it really isn't that bad. It's very bubblegum, but that isn't really all that surprising given Miranda's good girl image and Nickelodeon backing. It's also the only track on the album that she had a hand in writing, so it was a good decision for a single. It allows the record label to see how her fans respond to her music, gauge whether or not they should have more of her own writing on her next album. And it's a good effort for her first released song, though I think it's got some of the weakest vocals on the CD. She'll probably do a lot of cowriting with much more experienced musicians the next time around, which will help her grow as a singer/songwriter if she chooses to continue pursuing music."

Critical reception

J!-ENT reviewed the song, stating the song is "well-produced, well-sung and has that sing/song style similar to Taylor Swift but with a rock edge." They also stated the song proves that Cosgrove has potential as a musical artist. Idolator.com also praised the song, as well as compared it to releases by major label artist Kesha, saying "[Kissin' U] is a zippy if cookie-cutter pop song — not terribly exciting or risky, but with enough listens you’ll find yourself singing along with the chorus. Add some Auto-Tune and maybe throw in a line or two about falling out of the closet without wearing pants, and we could imagine Ke$ha singing it." Popboi.com compared the single to a recent release by Selena Gomez & the Scene, Naturally, stating "The first single, ‘Kissin U’ is actually quite a nice pop track, too! It’s not as perfect a pop gem as Selena Gomez and the Scene’s ‘Naturally’ is, but it’s pretty damn close. The melody is really lovely and catchy and the lyrics are just as cute, if tweeny-bopper in nature."

Musicrevies10 had a less than positive opinion about the songs lyrics and music, stating that "Cosgrove's debut single outside of iCarly and the Nickelodeon machine is Kissin' U, a safe, pop number that's easy on the ears. While Cosgrove is fitting into the pop/rock vibe, if a young pop/rock number is what you want, Disney's Demi Lovato has far more substance.. and range. Kissin' U plays it safe, and should go on to be a moderate hit, but doesn't break any new ground. But at least it works."

The song ranked number eighty-eight on Bill Lamb's List of Top 100 Songs of 2010.

Commercial performance

On its first week of charting, "Kissin U" debuted at number sixty-six on the U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart. It fell off the next week, but later re-entered at number fifty-four, causing it to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number seventy. It dropped out once again the next week, but then re-entered at number ninety-five and rose to its peak of number eighteen, making it her biggest hit and only top twenty hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song also became her first to chart internationally, debuting at number eighty-two on the German Singles Chart. The song quickly dwindled down the chart before jumping to a new peak of number seventy-three, and most recently to its current peak of number sixty-seven. It also debuted at number fifty-seven on the Austrian singles chart, and has risen to a peak of number fifty-four. The single has also become her second single to chart in the UK, where it debuted and peaked at number 198.

On January 14, 2011, it was announced that "Kissin U" had been certified gold by RIAA for sales of over 500,000 units.

Promotion & performances

To promote the album, Cosgrove performed the single "Kissin U" live at the Kids Choice Awards pre-show. Nickelodeon also aired a television special titled 7 Secrets: Miranda Cosgrove, which aired on April 24, 2010. The half-hour show revealed things about Cosgrove, such as how she got her start in the business, to some of her most embarrassing moments. The days following the album's release, Cosgrove did several album signings and appearances, including a stop at a Toys-R-Us in New York City. Cosgrove embarked on a radio promotional tour, and has made appearances at radio concerts in the summer of 2010. On September 6, 2010, she performed "Kissin U", "BAM" (written and produced by Rock Mafia and Darkchild), and "About You Now" (a cover, co-written by Cathy Dennis with Dr. Luke who produced the song and was originally recorded by the Sugababes and released as a single on their fifth studio album Change) on The Today Show.

Cosgrove headlined her own tour, titled "Dancing Crazy Tour" which is named after Cosgrove's new single "Dancing Crazy" co-written by Avril Lavigne, and Shellback and Max Martin, who produced it and was released on Cosgrove's second EP High Maintenance, released on March 15, 2011. The tour began January 24, 2011 and ended February 24, 2011. The tour featured dates in House of Blues locations such as ones located in Houston, TX and Anaheim, CA. She also performed at several theatres on the tour including locations in cities such as Atlanta, GA, Tampa, FL and Orlando, FL.

Music video

The music video was shot in Santa Monica, California and debuted on March 19, 2010. It was directed by Alan Ferguson. The video shows Cosgrove on the beach singing and walking, to meet her love interest who is a sidewalk artist. They go to his house and she sees all the paintings he has painted, as well as trying to teach her how to draw, and later washing his car in front of her house, she splashes him with the hose and he chases her around the car. Later they are seen at a party where it seems they kiss. When she wakes up that morning she looks out the window to see a drawing of a butterfly with images of her and him in the wings on the sidewalk.

Track listing

1. Kissin' U (Single Version) 3:18

1. Kissin U (Album Version) 3:19
2. Kissin U (Mike Rizzo Extended Club Remix) 5:56

1. Kissin' U (Jason Nevins Radio Remix) 3:11
2. Kissin' U (Mike Rizzo Radio Remix) 3:08
3. Kissin' U (Smash Mode Radio Remix) 3:22

1. Kissin' U (Yogi Bear remix) 3:20