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Cosmic Girl (song)

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"Cosmic Girl"
Single by Jamiroquai
from the album Travelling Without Moving
B-side
  • "Slipin 'N' Slidin"
  • "Didjital Vibrations"
Released25 November 1996 (1996-11-25)
GenreSpace disco
Length
  • 4:03 (album version)
  • 3:45 (radio edit)
LabelSony Soho Square
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Pope
Jamiroquai singles chronology
"Virtual Insanity"
(1996) 		"Cosmic Girl"
(1996) 		"Alright"
(1997)
Audio sample
Music video
Cosmic Girl on YouTube

"Cosmic Girl" is the second single from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving (1996). The song was released in the United Kingdom on 25 November 1996 via Sony Soho Square and in the United States in 1997 via Work Group. It was written by Jay Kay and Derrick McKenzie, and produced by Rick Pope, achieving great chart success, peaking at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also reached No. 3 in Italy, No. 4 in Iceland, and No. 10 in Finland. The accompanying music video was directed by Adrian Moat and filmed in Spain. The B-side to the single is an instrumental, "Slipin' 'N' Slidin'", a song originating from another Jamiroquai track called "Mr Boogie", which was a live-only song. "Slipin 'N' Slidin'", just like "Mr Boogie", also has a vocal version.

Composition

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"Cosmic Girl" is a disco song, based on rhythmic "looped beats" "to give it an off-centre, otherworldly" sound. The syncopated rhythm contains 10 pulses which occur inside a 32-beat pattern, with pulses on beats 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 27, and 30. Coincidentally, the first four beats of this pattern are the same as the George Gershwin song "I Got Rhythm". Jamiroquai's psychedelic lyric evokes a spacey environment, using terms such as "zero gravity", "hyperspace", "galaxy" and "quasar".[1] A disco-era aura is achieved by incorporating early electronic synthesizers along with disco-style string parts also produced by synthesizers.[2]

Performance

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While the single, and especially its chart performance, received mixed reviews from critics, it has become one of the better-known tracks of the band, and a concert staple. Live versions usually last for 7–8 minutes, nearly double the duration of the album version. In 2006, it was reissued as part of the "Classic Club Mixes" series, which also included "Space Cowboy", "Deeper Underground", "Love Foolosophy" and "Alright". In 2019, it was remixed by French DJ Dimitri From Paris.

In the United Kingdom alone, the song has sold 250,580 copies as of March 2017, and is also their second-most-streamed track, with more than 110 million plays on Spotify and a further 75 million views on YouTube.[3][4][5]

Critical reception

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Justin Chadwick from Albumism wrote, "Replete with synth and string-blessed rhythms, the propulsive, disco-tinged "Cosmic Girl" finds Jay Kay serenading an irresistible, otherworldly woman akin to 'some baby Barbarella'."[6] J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun called it "delightfully loopy".[7] Larry Flick from Billboard described the song as "dreamy" and "more radio-friendly".[8] He noted that here, Jamiroquai "craftily combines classic soul nuggets with the disco-soaked house music that has everyone gleefully twirling these days. The album version sparks with live instrumentation that breathes considerable depth into the chorus, while David Morales' remix has a more glossy tone that will sound awesome on a crowded club floor."[9] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian stated that "Cosmic Girl", "which employs buoyant Earth, Wind and Fire-style harmonies, is fine".[10] Everett True from Melody Maker said, "Stale jazz-funk. Acid Jazz devotees wil probably love it."[11]

Daisy & Havoc from Music Week's RM Dance Update praised the track, giving it five out of five. They wrote, "Sends me into hyperspace when I see her pretty face... – and it's not just the lyrics that are harping back to some of disco's more amusing space-age phases on this Jamiroquai single. The band's own mixes are totally groovy – combining some very funky sounds with some top disco strings and swirls and dusted lightly with the aforementioned silly but excellent vocals. With Morales mixes and the single mix still to come, this far north 'Cosmic Girl' is already a massive hit and bound to get bigger and bigger."[12] Ted Kessler from NME named it a "bittersweet" gem, noting the singer's "fairy-lit disco".[13] A reviewer from People Magazine declared it as a "mind-tripping rump-shaker", that "wrap up in all of four minutes and actually leave you wanting more."[14]

Music video

[edit]
Screenshot from the video

The music video for the song was directed by Adrian Moat and was filmed at the Cabo de Gata, Spain. It depicts three famous supercars driving and racing each other through several highways and mountain roads across a desert landscape from clear daylight to dawn. The cars on the video are a black Ferrari F355 GTS, a purple Lamborghini Diablo SE30 and a red Ferrari F40. Jay Kay appears to be driving the purple Lamborghini with Stuart Zender on the co-pilot seat, but the driver of the black Ferrari is not shown in detail. It has four different edits: Versions 1–3, and the so-called 'Jay's cut' version.

In a Top Gear interview, Jay Kay said that, before filming, one car had been totalled during transportation, and the windscreen of the second was smashed after one of the so-called precision drivers knocked the camera off the cliff.

Jay stated, "They made three of those special-edition 30th-anniversary Diablos, and one was a Jota, so it was a 600 brake car that was not really road legal, so there were only two. So I had mine in storage, and the guy goes to stick it on the car transporter, and then I got word that he'd just totalled this car. There it is! [Points to picture on screen.] And we kind of had to have a purple one, because it was the purple—the cosmic—you know, it's just one of those things. So we got the other one, and I said: 'Look, wait until I get there. I'm flying in. Just nobody drive it until I get there, please. We can't afford to smash it.' So I came off the plane, and everybody looked really downtrodden, looking at the floor, and I went, 'Why are you looking so sad?', and they said, 'One of the precision drivers has knocked the camera off the cliff and taken out the front windscreen, so there's no windscreen. Lamborghini can't send one for another day or so.' So for most of the video, it had to be done with no windscreen; that's why you see me squinting, and actually trying to sing the song as well, while driving the mountain road". The F40 was provided by the Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, who drove in the video as well.[citation needed]

To celebrate 25 years since the release of Travelling Without Moving, the music video was remastered in HD for YouTube in 2021.[15]

Track listings

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Charts

[edit]

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 25 November 1996
  • CD
  • cassette
 Sony Soho Square [48]
Japan 4 December 1996 CD Epic [49]
United States 14 January 1997 Rhythmic contemporary radio Work [50]

References

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  1. ^ Toussaint, Godfried T. (2013). The Geometry of Musical Rhythm: What Makes a "Good" Rhythm Good?. CRC Press. pp. 94–96. ISBN 9781466512023.
  2. ^ "Reviews: Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving – Work". CMJ New Music Monthly (43). CMJ Network: 20. March 1997. ISSN 1074-6978.
  3. ^ "Jamiroquai's Official Top 10 biggest hits revealed".
  4. ^ Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl (Official HD Video), retrieved 9 February 2022
  5. ^ Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl (Video), retrieved 9 February 2022
  6. ^ Chadwick, Justin (4 September 2021). "Jamiroquai's 'Travelling Without Moving' Turns 25 – Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  7. ^ Considine, J.D. (16 January 1997). "CD Reviews". The Baltimore Sun.
  8. ^ Flick, Larry (28 September 1996). "Dance Trax: 'The Way It Is' Changes Color Under Chameleon" (PDF). Billboard. p. 30. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  9. ^ Flick, Larry (25 January 1997). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 60. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  10. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (13 September 1996). "Music: This week's pop CD releases". The Guardian.
  11. ^ True, Everett (7 December 1996). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 38. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  12. ^ Daisy & Havoc (5 October 1996). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 9. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  13. ^ Kessler, Ted. "Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Travelling Without Moving". People. 20 January 1997. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  15. ^ Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl (Official HD Video), retrieved 9 February 2022
  16. ^ Cosmic Girl (UK CD1 liner notes). Jamiroquai. Sony Soho Square. 1996. 663829 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Cosmic Girl (UK CD2 liner notes). Jamiroquai. Sony Soho Square. 1996. 663829 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ Cosmic Girl (UK cassette single sleeve). Jamiroquai. Sony Soho Square. 1996. 663829 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ Cosmic Girl (European CD single liner notes). Jamiroquai. Sony Soho Square. 1996. SSQ 663829 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ Cosmic Girl (Australian CD single liner notes). Jamiroquai. Sony Soho Square, Columbia Records. 1996. 663693 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ Cosmic Girl (Australian cassette single sleeve). Jamiroquai. Sony Soho Square, Columbia Records. 1996. 663693 8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ^ Cosmic Girl (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Jamiroquai. Work Group. 1996. 42K 78501.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ^ Cosmic Girl (US 12-inch single). Jamiroquai. Work Group. 1996. 42 78501.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ^ Cosmic Girl (Japanese CD single liner notes). Jamiroquai. Epic Records. 1996. ESCA 6608.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^ "Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  26. ^ "Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  27. ^ "Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  28. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 6. 8 February 1997. p. 23. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  29. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 50. 24 December 1996. p. 12. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  30. ^ "Jamiroquai: Cosmic Girl" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  31. ^ "Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl" (in French). Les classement single.
  32. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 11. 15 March 1997. p. 15. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  33. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 208 Vikuna 13.2. '97 – 19.2. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 14 February 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  34. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Cosmic Girl". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  35. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 51/52. 21 December 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  36. ^ "Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  37. ^ "Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl". Top 40 Singles.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  39. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  40. ^ "Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl". Singles Top 100.
  41. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  42. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Record Mirror. 2 November 1996. p. 6. Retrieved 5 October 2021 – via Music Week.
  43. ^ "Jamiroquai Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  44. ^ "Jamiroquai Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  45. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. 18 January 1997. p. 25.
  46. ^ "The RM Club Chart of the Year 96" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 11 January 1997. p. 8. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  47. ^ "British single certifications – Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  48. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 23 November 1996. p. 29. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  49. ^ "コズミック・ガール | ジャミロクワイ" [Cosmic Girl | Jamiroquai] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  50. ^ "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1179. 10 January 1997. p. 39. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
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