Love Today (song)

"Love Today"
Single by Mika
from the album Life in Cartoon Motion
Released23 April 2007 (2007-04-23)
Genre
Length
  • 3:57 (album version)
  • 3:22 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)Mika
Producer(s)Greg Wells
Mika singles chronology
"Grace Kelly"
(2007) 		"Love Today"
(2007) 		"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)"
(2007)
Music video
"MIKA - Love Today (Official Music Video)" on YouTube
Music video
"MIKA - Love Today (Int'l Version)" on YouTube

"Love Today" is the second single released by London-based singer Mika, taken from his debut studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion (2007). The song was produced by Greg Wells at Rocket Carousel studios and engineered by Drew Pearson. It was released in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2007 as a digital download, with the official physical release appearing on 23 April 2007, and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart. The single was released in Australia on 23 July 2007, reaching number three on the ARIA Singles Chart, and was used for Austereo radio station network advertising. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording at the 50th Grammy Awards but lost to Justin Timberlake's "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows".

Background and composition

[edit]

Love Today was written by Mika and produced by Greg Wells. He described the story behind the song in an interview with the Sun Newspaper, on 2 February 2007:

"I was really happy when I wrote this and when I'm in that kind of mood I always hope everyone else feels the same way. Everybody is looking for the same thing - to love someone and be loved back. Or just to get laid. It all depends on how you look for it. 'Love Today' captures that, the euphoric feeling you get when those things go right."[1]

Mika revealed to The Times, on 20 November 2009 that the song came fully formed "after the first time I had sleepy with somebody and actually loved it."[1]

Critical reception

[edit]

The song received mixed reviews from music critics. Heather Phares from AllMusic wrote that on the song "Mika straddles the line between adorable and annoying."[2] John Murphy from musicOMH agreed, writing that his voice is "infuriating" on the track.[3] In the same vein, Graham Griffith from About.com wrote that the song "finds itself hijacked by Mika's otherwise appealing falsetto, which morphs into an unflattering shriek and transforms the song into something altogether intolerable."[4] Writing for Digital Spy, Nick Levine called the song's chorus a "lost disco classic" and noted that Mika performs the track with similar enthusiasm displayed by the Scissor Sisters.[5]

Christian John Mikane from PopMatters wrote that the song is "sincere."[6] Mikane further added that "The pop-disco arrangement of 'Love Today' dresses Mika in legwarmers and leotards; it's the kind of song you'd expect the TV cast of Fame to perform mid-episode. Frankly, it's refreshing to hear an unproven artist take risks with material that, historically, is subject to derision."[6] Lizzie Ennever from BBC Music wrote a positive review, saying that the song is "another winner - truly funky disco-pop that has you shoulder-shimmying non-stop, and even though you hate yourself for enjoying it, you simply can't stop yourself having a great time whilst you listen."[7] Craig McLean from The Observer called it "turbo-funk falsetto fun genetically modified to lay waste to hen nights and Freshers' Balls from Dundee to Dungeness."[8]

Track listings

[edit]

UK CD single[9]

  1. "Love Today"
  2. "The Only Lonely One" (demo)
  3. "Billy Brown" (acoustic)
  4. "Love Today" (Switch remix)

UK 7-inch single[10]

A. "Love Today" (album version)
B. "Stuck in the Middle" (acoustic version)

UK 12-inch single[11]

  1. "Love Today" (Switch remix)
  2. "Love Today" (Rob Mello No Ears vocal)
  3. "Love Today" (Rob Mello No Ears dub)

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[43] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[44] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Silver 200,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 23 April 2007 CD
[46]
Australia 23 July 2007 [47]
[edit]

"Love Today" was used by Motorola for online and mobile-phone spots in its RED campaign in early 2007. The song could also be heard in an ad for Motorola RED that featured comic Chris Kattan dancing that was shown before movie trailers in theaters at this time.[48]

The song was also used as the background music during the National Costume and Opening Presentation of Miss Universe 2008 held in Nha Trang, Vietnam. A portion of this song was used as a background song in a TV commercial for Indonesian isotonic drink Mizone in 2010. It also featured as background music in the first episode of The Shrink Next Door (miniseries) when they are at Dr. Ike's party at the Hamptons house.

"Love Today" has also been featured in a number of films including Get Him to the Greek, Sammy's Adventures: The Secret Passage and Monte Carlo.

"Love Today" was featured on commercials of the Chilean department stores chain Corona on 2011 for its new logo.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Love Today by Mika Songfacts". Songfacts. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  2. ^ Phares, Heather. "Life in Cartoon Motion - Mika | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  3. ^ Murphy, John (5 February 2007). "Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion | album reviews | musicOMH". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  4. ^ "MIKA - Life in Cartoon Motion". About.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  5. ^ Levine, Nick (20 March 2007). "Mika: 'Love Today'". Digital Spy.
  6. ^ a b Wikane, Christian John (26 March 2007). "Mika: Life in Cartoon Motion < PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  7. ^ Ennever, Lizzie (2 February 2007). "BBC - Music - Review of Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion". BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  8. ^ McLean, Craig (21 January 2007). "Mika, Life in Cartoon Motion | Music | The Observer". The Guardian The Observer. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  9. ^ Love Today (UK CD single liner notes). Mika. Island Records, Casablanca Records. 2007. 1732069.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Love Today (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Mika. Island Records, Casablanca Records. 2007. 173 158 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Love Today (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Mika. Island Records, Casablanca Records. 2007. 173 158 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ "Mika – Love Today". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  13. ^ "Mika – Love Today" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  14. ^ "Mika – Love Today" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  15. ^ "Mika Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Mika Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  17. ^ Mika — Love Today. TopHit. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  18. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 37. týden 2007 in the date selector.
  19. ^ "The ARIA Report: European Top 20 Charts – Week Commencing 10th September 2007" (PDF). ARIA. 10 September 2007. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Mika: Love Today" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  21. ^ "Mika – Love Today" (in French). Les classement single.
  22. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Today". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  23. ^ "Mika – Love Today". Top Digital Download.
  24. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 38, 2008" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  25. ^ "Mika – Love Today" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  26. ^ "Mika – Love Today". Top 40 Singles.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200737 into search.
  29. ^ "Mika – Love Today". Singles Top 100.
  30. ^ "Mika – Love Today". Swiss Singles Chart.
  31. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  32. ^ "Mika Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  33. ^ "Mika Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  34. ^ "Pop 100". Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 15. 14 April 2007. p. 46.
  35. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2007". ARIA. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  36. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2007" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  37. ^ "Rapports annuels 2007" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  38. ^ "Лучшие песни и музыка за 2007 год" (in Russian). Tophit. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  39. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  40. ^ "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 2007" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  41. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  42. ^ "The Year in Music & Touring 2007: Hot Dance Club Play Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 51. 22 December 2007. p. 119.
  43. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  44. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  45. ^ "British single certifications – Mika – Love Today". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  46. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 21 April 2007. p. 33.
  47. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 23rd July 2007" (PDF). ARIA. 23 July 2007. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  48. ^ "Mika". BMI.com. 5 February 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
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