Released 12 August 2002 Length 3:54 | Recorded 2002 Label Island | |
Format CD single
cassette single Writer(s) Various
Keisha Buchanan
Mutya Buena
Nick Coler
Miranda Cooper
Lisa Cowling
Brian Higgins
Shawn Lee
Tim Powell
Heidi Range
Niara Scarlett
Florian Pflueger
Felix Stecher
Robin Hofmann
Rino Spadavecchia | ||
"Round Round" is a song performed by British girl group Sugababes. It was written by group members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range, as well as Miranda Cooper, Niara Scarlett, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Shawn Lee, and Lisa Cowling and produced by Kevin Bacon and Jonathan Quarmby. It was released as the second single from the group's second studio album Angels with Dirty Faces (2002). The song is based around a sample of "Tango Forte" by German production team Dublex Inc. Due to the inclusion of the sample, several other writers are credited as songwriters.
Contents
Following its release, "Round Round" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's second number-one single domestically. It was eventually certified Silver by the BPI. "Round Round" also managed to reach the top ten in Ireland, Austria, New Zealand and Italy among other countries. It is also an original soundtrack of the movies The Guru, Kangaroo Jack and was featured in the movie American Wedding. Alongside "Sound of the Underground" by Girls Aloud, this song has been credited in reshaping British pop music for the 2000s.
Background
"Round Round" was written by written by Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, Heidi Range, Miranda Cooper, Niara Scarlett, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Shawn Lee, and Lisa Cowling. Due to the inclusion of a sample from "Tango Forte" by German production team Dublex Inc., Florian Pflueger, Felix Stecher, Robin Hofmann, and Rino Spadavecchia are also credited as songwriters. Production on "Round Round" was helmed by Kevin Bacon and Jonathan Quarmby for Manna Productions based on an original track Higgins and Powell had created for Xenomania Records, while Jeremy Wheatley provided additional production and handled the mixing. Guitar recording and programming were overseen by Yoad Nevo for 247 Arists.
Musically, "Round Round" was actually built up of a number of different songs. On the BBC2 series Secrets of the Pop Song, Brian Higgins described the genesis of the song: "We had a drum track which was just stunning and so I sat down with Miranda [Cooper] on the one day we had the Sugababes in the studio and said 'Right, you know, this is a hit, this piece of music is a hit. I haven't got anything on it, we don't have any song attached to it. So what are we gonna do about that? You've got three hours to come up with something'." Subsequently, Cooper went through her catalogue of unused tracks that she had written over the last two or three years and sung the chorus of every single song against Higgins' piece of drumming. Three hours later, she sang the lyrics 'round round baby round round' to Higgings, who said "that's it, that's amazing."
Music video
The music video for "Round Round" was directed by Phil Griffin. It has the group performing on a rotating platform, while being surrounded by a tornado with dust and rubble accumulating in it. There is a rusty caged wall with an audience watching, a pair of sunglasses and a ring get sucked into the tornado from them. When Heidi's verse comes up, everything moves in slow-motion, including the tornado, before speeding up again. The girls slowly walk around three male dancers in the middle, and for the end chorus it appears the tornado has dissipated.
Chart performance
"Round Round" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart and remained at the top spot for a week, giving the Sugababes their second consecutive UK number one single following "Freak like Me". The song was eventually certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). "Round Round" was also a success worldwide, reaching number 2 in Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. The song also reached number 15 in Germany and number 8 in Austria. In Australia, "Round Round" debuted at number 21 and rose to a peak of #13, giving the group their first Australian top twenty hit. It was certified Gold by ARIA, making it the Sugababes' best selling Australian single up until the release of their 2005 single "Push the Button", which reached number 3 and was certified Platinum.
Cover versions
The song was covered by Hong Kong singer Emme Wong in Cantonese in 2003. It was Wong's first single after her record label Universal Music modified her image for a sexier direction. The song quickly became a hit, due to its sexually explicit lyrics and dance moves, as well as the TV-banned video. The song reached the top of several music charts across Southeast China. In the year end, it won a number of awards, including "Best Covered Song", "Best Dance Record", and "Best Stage Performance".
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Angels with Dirty Faces.