Released April 19, 2005 Genre Synthpop Label Sanctuary Records | Recorded 2004 Length 4:03 | |
Format CD single, digital download | ||
"One Word" is the first and only single from Kelly Osbourne's second album Sleeping in the Nothing (2005). Unlike the pop/punk sound Osbourne sported in the past, "One Word" was a synthpop song that showed Osbourne embracing dance music. The single sounded very reminiscent of the 1980s Visage song "Fade to Grey", which caused some controversy over copyright issues, which was finally settled out of court when Osbourne's writing team agreed to give Visage a share of the royalties.
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Reception
The song received a positive reaction from music fans and even some of Osbourne's harshest critics. On the track, Billboard said "she glides through the space-age number like she's the princess of the new wave dancefloor." Similarly, Malinda Lo said the track "eases you in with a spacey, synthesized intro" and "makes use of computer assistance in the best possible way". Brian Hiatt with Rolling Stone remarked, "Turns out her affectless vocals are better suited to...Eurythmics-biting synth-pop." While the single was not a hit on the US Hot 100, it was extremely successful in the US dance charts and was consistently played at nightclubs across the nation thanks in part to a remix by acclaimed DJ Chris Cox. In the UK, the original track reached number 9.
Music video
The music video to the song, directed by Chris Applebaum, is shot in black and white and is based on several themes and scenes from the 1965 French cult sci-fi movie Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (Alphaville: Strange Adventure of Lemmy Caution, mostly known simply as Alphaville) by Jean-Luc Godard.