Rumors (song)

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"Rumors"
A woman poses with a hand covering her left eye front of a silver-colored background. The words "Lindsay Lohan" are written in white and are flipped to the vertical position, as is the word "Rumors" written in navy blue.
Single by Lindsay Lohan
from the album Speak
Released September 21, 2004
Format CD single, CD maxi single
Recorded 2004; The Poolhouse West
(Encino, Los Angeles, California)
Village Recorder
(West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California)
Genre Dance-pop, electropop, urban pop
Length 3:16 (Album Version)
3:25 (Radio Edit)
Label Casablanca
Writer(s) Cory Rooney, Lindsay Lohan, Taryll Jackson, TJ Jackson
Producer Cory Rooney
Certification Gold(RIAA)
Lindsay Lohan chronology
"Drama Queen (That Girl)"
(2004)		 "Rumors"
(2004)		 "Over"
(2005)

"Rumors" is a song performed by American actress and pop recording artist Lindsay Lohan. It was produced by Cory Rooney, who also co-wrote the song with Lohan, Taryll Jackson, and TJ Jackson, for her debut studio album Speak (2004). It was released as the album's first single on September 21, 2004 through Casablanca Records, a subsidiary to Universal Music Group. Musically, the song runs through a dance oriented beat with teen pop lyrics and a heavy bassline. The lyrics have been interpreted as a verbal attack on the paparazzi, criticizing them for following her and reporting news about her livelihood.

The song was met with generally positive reviews from critics, with the majority of them praising it as "infectious" and a "guilty pleasure", while others noted that it is stylized as a formulaic pop song intended only to attract listeners. "Rumors" has proved to be commercially successful in European countries as well as the United States. The song, despite charting on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 at number six, sold over 500,000 copies in digital downloads, indicated by its gold certification by the RIAA. "Rumors" also attained top-thirty positions in Australia, Austria and Germany.

The accompanying music video was directed by Jake Nava and features Lohan in several scenes dancing in club like surroundings and running from the paparazzi, emphasizing the song's theme. The video was nominated for Best Pop Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards and received mixed to positive reviews, many making notice of the formulaic and calculated theme.

Contents

[edit] Background and composition

The song, originally titled "Just What It Is",[1] was written by Cory Rooney, Lindsay Lohan, Taryll Jackson, and Tito Jackson, credited as TJ Jackson.[2] Rooney also produced the track along with providing keyboards and background vocals.[2] Peter Wade Keusch aided in the production of the song and the recorded the song at the Poolhouse West in Encina in Los Angeles, California.[2] Chris Avedon also recorded the song at the Village Recorder in Los Angeles, California.[2] The mixing for the song was provided by Keusch under the moniker "Electric Pete", which took place at Sony Music Studios in New York, New York.[2] Christopher J. Warner provided the guitar present in the song's composition.[2]

"Rumors" is an dance[3] song that incorporates electropop and teen pop genres in its beats, composition and lyrics. The song features a heavy bassline and influences of R&B.[4] The song is instrumentally complete with synthesizers, strings, keyboards, guitar and an electronic bass.[2][5] IGN noted that Lohan's vocals are that of a "sultry drawl".[5] The song was described by Rolling Stone as "a bass-heavy, angry club anthem."[6] The theme of this song is center around avoiding paparazzi and valuing privacy. "Rumors" is the autobiographical account of a pop star trying to escape the rumors that follow her everywhere she goes, eminent in the lyrics "I'm tired of rumors starting/ I'm sick of being followed/ I'm tired of people lying/ Saying what they want about me/ Why can't they back off me?/ Why can't they let me live? I'm going to do it my way/ Take this for just what it is."[1]

[edit] Reception

Critical Reception

Charles Merwin of Stylus Magazine, upon reviewing the parent album Speak, commented that “Rumors” is not a good choice for a single, labeling it "limply dirty" and as a "dud". He further commented "In fact, for a girl, that has been tagged as America’s next sweetheart by some media outlets, it might be the worst choice of subject matter for the opening statement from a girl that automatically has more to prove to audiences because of her stature as an actress. Unfortunately, “Rumors” is about as good as it gets."[7] Nicholas Fonseca of Entertainment Weekly named "Rumors" a guilty pleasure.[8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic Guide named the song a track pick in the review of its parent album.[9] IGN, in its lengthy review of Speak, commented that "Rumors" is "pervasively infectious, the kind of track that will no doubt keep the dance floors sweaty and steamy for a few months to come" while making notice of "it's calculated assimilation".[5] Jeremy Leuwis of musicremedy named it a "sure-fire club banger"[10] while Erik Missio of CHARTattack was more critical of the song.[11] He stated that it "presented potential for a semi-palatable debut effort" but called it "crap of a spectularly unspectacular level".[11] John Murphy of musicOMH praised "Rumors" as the best track on the album and a "welcome break from the over-produced soft rock that dominates this album."[12] He further commented that the song is "a feisty dance anthem with intelligent lyrics attacking the paparazzi and press in general".[12] Sputnikmusic commented that the song was "catchy", "easy to dance to" and "easier to sing along to."[13] The website also noted that "Rumors" differs in style from the rest of the album, commenting that it is "not a great representation of the album."[13] Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, a website that analyzes and rates media (music, movies, television shows) for parents and children to read, labeled the song as "a repetitive generic pop/dance song that is strikingly similar in form, content and sound to Britney Spears."[14] Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the song at #67 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating, "With all the stories buzzing around [Lohan] now, this song can almost be seen as prophetic. Oh, wait... pa-thetic."[15]

Commercial performance

"Rumors" did not achieve chart success in the United States, peaking at number six on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. Despite this, the song received the gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 2005 for sales of 500,000 digital downloads.[16] The song did attain chart success in Australia and European territories. It debuted at number nineteen on the ARIA charts on the week of December 6, 2004.[17] "Rumors" peaked at number ten six weeks later, on the week of January 17, 2005.[17] In Austria, the song reached number 23 on the week of March 2, 2005 and lasted on the chart for 13 weeks.[17] In Germany, the song debuted and peaked at number 14.[17] It exited the chart after 14 weeks, peaking at number 68.[17] In Switzerland, the song peaked at number 30 in its third week on the chart.[17] "Rumors" had a short chart run in Sweden, lasting only four weeks on the chart and peaked at number 39.[17]

[edit] Music video

Production on the music video began on September 11, 2004 and MTV included the production of the video on its television series, Making the Video. Jake Nava was chosen to direct the video. Nava is known for directing music videos for Britney Spears. In the beginning of the video, Lohan is followed by paparazzi as she is entering her car. It is revealed that this is a Lindsay-look-alike and that the real Lohan is entering another car to go to a club. The car comes to a stop and she then steps into an elevator and sings the first verse of the song while she is filmed by a CCTV camera in the elevator. The next sequence shows her running through a hallway, dressed up, before getting into the club. There, she dances in the crowd, where she takes a picture of one of the paparazzi herself to get back at him. In the next sequence she is walking slowly through the club where she finds the man who seems to be her boyfriend. She takes a seat next to her lover and they begin kissing and touching each other, all the while being constantly filmed by cameras in the club. While Lohan sings the second chorus she is trapped in a cage in the middle of the club and the whole crowd is watching her. After this Lohan is shown dancing in the club with her friends. At the end of the music video Lohan and her friends enter the top of a high-rise and perform a dance routine while helicopters are circling around them. Finally Lohan gets into a helicopter and escapes. In the end she throws her camera away with all the pictures taken of her.

The sexually suggestive video reached number one on MTV's Total Request Live and was nominated for Best Pop Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. There is an unedited version of the song which is about twelve seconds longer than the album version because it features a dance break. The edited version without the dance break was never officially released.

[edit] Track listings and formats

CD single
  1. "Rumors" – 3:16
  2. "Rumors" (Full Phatt Remix) – 3:25
CD maxi single
  1. "Rumors" – 3:16
  2. "Rumors" (Full Phatt Remix) – 3:25
  3. "Rumors" (Full Phatt Club Mix) – 3:49
  4. "Rumors" (Video)
Full Phatt Remixes 12" Vinyl

Side A:

  1. "Rumors" - 3:16
  2. "Rumors" (Full Phatt Club Mix) - 3:49

Side B:

  1. "Rumors" (Full Phatt Remix) - 3:25
  2. "Rumors" (Full Phatt Club Mix Instrumental) - 3:48
  3. "Rumors" (Full Phatt Remix Instrumental) - 3:23
Sharp Boys Remixes 12" Vinyl

Side A:

  1. "Rumors" (The Sharp Boys Club Gossip Vocal Remix) - 7:24
  2. "Rumors" (The Sharp Boys Gossiping Dub) - 7:22

Side B:

  1. "Rumors" (The Sharp Boys Club Gossip Instrumental) - 7:24
  2. "Rumors" (Sharp-A-Pella) - 6:00

[edit] Credits and personnel

Recording
Personnel

Credits are taken from Speak liner notes.[2]

[edit] Charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100[18] 6
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[17] 10
Austrian Singles Chart[17] 23
Dutch Mega Single Top 100[19] 31
European Hot 100 Singles[20] 51
German Singles Chart[17] 14
Swedish Singles Chart[17] 34
Swiss Singles Chart[17] 30

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "For The Record: Quick News On Lindsay Lohan, Kevin Lyttle, Jennifer Lopez, Twista, Backstreet Boys, U2 & More - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Viacom International Inc.. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1490964/20040914/lohan_lindsay.jhtml. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h (2004) Album notes for Speak by Lindsay Lohan [CD]. United States: Casablanca.
  3. ^ Cheung, Vincent. "Speak". Teen Ink. Cambio Network. http://www.teenink.com/reviews/music_reviews/article/6603/Speak/. Retrieved 30 December 2011. 
  4. ^ Cinquemani, Sal. "Lindsay Lohan: Speak". Slant Magazine. Slant Magazine. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/lindsay-lohan-speak/522. Retrieved 30 December 2011. 
  5. ^ a b c "Speak - Music Review at IGN". IGN. IGN Entertainment. http://music.ign.com/articles/571/571768p2.html. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  6. ^ "Lindsay Lohan: Rumors". rollingstone.com. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/lindsaylohan/albums/album/6490352/rid/6507507. Retrieved 27 January 2006. 
  7. ^ Merwin, Charles. "Lindsay Lohan - Speak - Review - Stylus Magazine". Stylus Magazine. stylusmagazine.com. http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/lindsay-lohan/speak.htm. Retrieved 30 December 2011. 
  8. ^ Fonseca, Nicholas. "Speak Review". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,845681,00.html. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  9. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Speak - Lindsay Lohan". AllMusic Guide. Rovi Corporartion. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r719491. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  10. ^ Leuwis, Jeremy. "Lindsay Lohan releases Speak album". musicremedy. MUSICREMEDY. http://musicremedy.com/l/lindsay-lohan/album/speak-1097.html. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  11. ^ a b Missio, Erik. "Lindsay Lohan - Speak". CHARTattack. andPOP Inc.. http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/76966/lindsay-lohan-%E2%80%94-speak. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  12. ^ a b Murphy, John. "Lindsay Lohan - Speak". musicOMH. OMH. http://www.musicomh.com/albums/lindsay-lohan.htm. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  13. ^ a b "Lindsay Lohan - Speak (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Sputnikmusic.com. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/7981/Lindsay-Lohan-Speak/. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  14. ^ "3-D Review: Rumors by Lindsay Lohan". Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. http://www.cpyu.org/Page.aspx?id=77271. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  15. ^ Wilkening, Matthew (September 11, 2010). "100 Worst Songs Ever -- Part Two of Five". AOL Radio. http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/09/11/100-worst-songs-ever-part-two-of-five/. Retrieved December 21, 2010. 
  16. ^ "RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Rumors&artist=Lindsay%20Lohan&format=SINGLE&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=on&before=on&startMonth=1&endMonth=12&startYear=2005&endYear=2005&sort=Artist&perPage=10. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Lindsay Lohan - Rumors - Music Charts". aCharts. achart.us. http://acharts.us/song/2538. Retrieved 31 December 2011. 
  18. ^ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=344&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Bubbling+Under+Hot+100+Singles&ci=3056362&cdi=8245323&cid=12%2F11%2F2004. Retrieved 2009-06-30. [dead link]
  19. ^ "dutchcharts.nl – Lindsay Lohan – Rumors" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Lindsay+Lohan&titel=Rumors&cat=s. Retrieved 2009-06-30. 
  20. ^ "Lindsay Lohan Album & Song Chart History – European Hot 100". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/lindsay-lohan/chart-history/561649?f=349&g=Singles. Retrieved 2009-07-22. 
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