Bittersweet (Fantasia song)
| "Bittersweet" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Bittersweet" is a song performed by American singer Fantasia from her third studio album, Back to Me. The song was released on May 11, 2010[1] as the lead single from the album.[2]
Fantasia's work on "Bittersweet" won her the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 2011 Grammy Awards, the last song to win this category. "Bittersweet" was also nominated for Best R&B Song. The song also won the 2011 NAACP Image Award for Best Song.
Composition and critical reception
"Bittersweet" is a down-tempo R&B song which also derives from soul music.[3] According to Margaret Wappler of The Los Angeles Times, its introduction is composed of "anguished" piano notes and "gut-socking" moans. The song lyrically sees its protagonist reminiscing on a past love.[3]
Margaret Wappler of The Los Angeles Times said Fantasia's best moment on Back to Me was "Bittersweet", stating that it was "smartly chosen as the album’s first single."[4] Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly recommended the song as a download from the album, calling it a "old-school slow jam."[5] On songs such as "Bittersweet", Mariel Concepcion of Billboard said "her distinct voice is most enjoyable when singing heartfelt ballads."[3] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine was less enthusiastic of the song, commenting that it "barely has a melodic line" and that it "just lets Fantasia do what she can with its bathetic series of clichés."[6]
Promotion
To promote the track, Fantasia has appeared on shows such as American Idol, Lopez Tonight and Good Morning America.[7]
Music video
The music video for Bittersweet has been shot and premiered Friday June 25 on Vevo.[8][9] The video was directed by Lenny Bass[10] and features professional football player Devin Thomas as Fantasia's love interest.[11]
Track listing
- Digital download[12]
- "Bittersweet" – 4:02
Charts
"Bittersweet" has peaked at number 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 74 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It has sold 90,000 copies in the U.S.[13]
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Japan Hot 100[14] | 66 | — |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] | 74 | — |
| U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[16] | 7 | 22[17] |
References
- ^ "Bittersweet". Amazon.com. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- ^ "iTunes – Music – Bittersweet – Single by Fantasia". Itunes.apple.com. 2010-05-10. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
- ^ a b c Concepcion, Mariel (2010-08-13). "Fantasia, "Back to Me"". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
- ^ Wappler, Margaret (2010-08-23). "Album review: Fantasia's 'Back to Me'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (2010-08-11). "Back to Me (2010)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
- ^ "Fantasia: Back To Me". Slant Magazine. 2010-08-23. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
- ^ "Fantasia Performs 'Bittersweet' On Idol". thatgrapejuice. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
- ^ "joeandhisblog.com". joeandhisblog.com. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
- ^ "On Set of Fantasia's 'Bittersweet' Video". Rap-Up. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20100621011319/http://www.fantasiaofficial.com/archives/35. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Video: Fantasia – 'Bittersweet'". Rap-Up. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Bittersweet – Single". iTunes. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ Mansfield, Brian (2010-12-08). "Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson show double-barreled sales power". USA Today.
- ^ "Bittersweet". Billboard.com. 2010-09-04. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
- ^ http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/search/chart_search_results.jsp?rpp=100&sw=&cd=&f=&t=&per=Fantasia+&df=R&prod=&g=s&l=&dl=
- ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/fantasia/chart-history/r%26b/hip-hop-songs
- ^ "Idols on the Billboard 2010 Year End Charts". MJ's Big Blog. December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2010.