Circle the Drain (song)

"Circle the Drain"
Promotional single by Katy Perry from the album Teenage Dream
Released	August 10, 2010
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2009–2010
Genre	Electronic rock, dance-pop
Length	4:32 (Album version)
Label	Capital
Writer	Katy Perry, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Monte Neuble
Producer	Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
Teenage Dream track listing
"Peacock" (5) "Circle the Drain" (6) "The One That Got Away" (7)

"Circle the Drain" is a song by American singer Katy Perry, from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). It was written by Perry, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Monte Neuble. Lyrically, "Circle the Drain" candidly focusses on a former lover's drug-addiction and the strains it put on both of them. Following its release, several media outlets reported it to have been inspired by her former relationship with Travie McCoy. Critics were divided on the track, with some finding Perry to be in a hypocritical position, given the album's other material. Other reviewers found it nice to see a different side to the singer.

Capital Records released the track as a promotional single right before the album's release on August 10. The song achieved modest charting, with its highest peak position being number 30 on the Canadian Hot 100. It charted similarly in New Zealand and managed to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 58. "Circle the Drain" has been performed by Perry on her 2011 world tour, California Dreams Tour. On the tour, she was dressed in a catsuit and the stage was decorated in cartoonish meat. Concert reviewers gave her performances mixed reviews.

Background

Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, co-writer and producer of "Circle the Drain".

Along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Monte Neuble, singer Katy Perry wrote the song entitled "Circle the Drain" for her third studio album, Teenage Dream, released in 2010. All in, 17 music engineers contributed to the track's composition.^[1] Critics suggest the song is about her former relationship with Gym Class Heroes' lead vocalist Travie McCoy.^[2][3][4] When finally asked about his opinion on the track, McCoy admitted to hearing about "Circle the Drain", but has never actually listened to the song. Nonetheless he told the interviewer: "I heard she put out a song that's about me, or about some old habits or whatever. [And] I look at it like this: I'm just stoked that she finally has a song with some substance on her record. Good job."^[2]

Composition

"Circle the Drain" is a rant song where, lyrically, Perry is telling off a self-destructive drug-addicted ex-boyfriend. Its candid lyrics^[5][6] also discuss the strains his addiction put on both of them. In the track's chorus, she sings about how she wants to be his lover, not someone who has to take care of him, such as a mother. She also sings about how he had the world at his feet, but ultimately lost those opportunities.^[5] Styled with dance-pop tones, it is an up-tempo dance beat, that lasts for four minutes and 32 seconds.^[7] The track is composed in the key of E minor and is set in time signature of common time, with a tempo of 132 beats per minute. Perry's vocal range spans over an octave, from B₃ to D₅.^[7]

One reviewer said "Circle the Drain" was a goth-rock song,^[8] while another considered it to have techno influences.^[5] Entertainment Weekly writer Leah Greenblatt stated that Perry's lyrical talent is not her strength, adding: "neither, in fact, is rhyming 'forte' with 'foreplay,' as she does painfully on the druggie-boyfriend takedown 'Circle the Drain'."^[9] Billboard journalist Monica Herrera found the song to have been inspired by Pat Benatar's material, while Perry herself said: "It's kind of like my 'You Oughta Know' Alanis Morissette moment."^[2] Al Fox of BBC News wrote that the song has "menacing undertones" which unveils a different side to Perry, unlike her current "unsolicited residency in many a showbiz column."^[10]

Reception

Perry performing the song on her California Dreams Tour in March 2011

Critical reaction to "Circle the Drain" has been mixed. Keri Mason from Billboard believed that Teenage Dream's toxic relationship tracks, such as "Who Am I Living For?" and "Circle the Drain", made the record "get heavier sonically and lyrically, with a boom-boom-pow electro punch".^[11] Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole found the singer to be virtually less sympathetic than her former lover. This being because her "put-downs are alternately pedantic" and hypocritical even, as she finds offense to his substance use before foreplay, but was singing about blacking out and hooking up on another of the album's tracks – "Last Friday Night".^[12] Chris Richards' of The Washington Post had a similar reaction, finding it impossible to take any of the cautionary advice "Circle the Drain" offered, as Perry had just bragged about being very drunk on the very same record.^[13]

MTV News reporter James Montgomery, said when discussing several tracks on Teenage Dream, one of which included "Circle the Drain," that "they are all really pretty great" and are "destined to be smash hits."^[14] Yahoo! Music journalist Chros Parkin found the song to be the only track on Teenage Dream to offer something deep and dark, citing the lyric "You fall asleep during foreplay because the pills you take are more your forte".^[15] In his Popmatters review of the record, Steve Leftridge stated that tracks such as "Circle the Drain" are not strong, edgy or clever enough "to lend any genuine credibility to Perry as a serious artist with anything to actually say."^[16]

Capital Records released "Circle the Drain" as a promotional single from Teenage Dream two weeks before the album's release on August 10. Since then the song has charted modestly and only remained on music charts for its debut week. The track's highest peak position was on the Canadian Hot 100, where it debuted at number 30; "Circle the Drain" became the biggest jump on that chart for the week ending on August 28.^[17] On the New Zealand Singles Chart, the song performed similarly, peaking at number 36 on August 23.^[18] Additionally, "Circle the Drain" managed to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 58.^[19] As in Canada, its debut peak, number 58, led to it being the second biggest jump of the week ending August 28.^[19]

Live performances

Perry performing the song on her California Dreams Tour

Perry has included the song on the setlist for her 2011 world concert tour entitled California Dreams Tour. For performances of the track, the stage was decorated with cartoonish link sausages and rib-eye steak that dangled from the rafters,^[20] while Perry was dressed in a catsuit.^[21] Along with Perry's performances of "Teenage Dream" and "E.T.", music blog Idolator staff writer Erika Brooks Adickman cited "Circle the Drain" as being a highlight of the tour.^[22] The Patriot Ledger's Jay N. Miller found "Circle the Drain" to be "the most rocking" out of the setlist's line-up at TD Garden.^[23]

In contrast, The Hollywood Reporter quoted Rolling Stone's Meredith Blake in her concert review saying she found it pointless to have those items onstage given the song's theme.^[20] Writing for NME, Emily MacKay did a live review of the singer's tour at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London during March 2011. She said that the spiritless "Circle the Drain", "Hummingbird Heartbeat" and "Who Am I Living For?" were enough to make you feel somewhat little that of a "fractious toddler having a series of expensive toys waved in its mottled face by a fretful aunt to keep it from deciding it wants to cry."^[24]

Track listing

• Digital download^[25]

1. "Circle the Drain" – 4:32

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
Canadian Hot 100[17]	30
New Zealand Singles Chart[18]	36
US Billboard Hot 100[19]	58

See also

• 2010 in music

References

1. ^ McKormick, Niel (August 27, 2010). "Katy Perry: Teenage Dream, CD review". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group Limited). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/7967807/Katy-Perry-Teenage-Dream-CD-review.html. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Herrera, Monica (July 23, 2010). "Katy Perry: The Billboard Cover Story". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 2. http://www.billboard.com/#/features/katy-perry-the-billboard-cover-story-1004105908.story?page=2. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
3. ^ Ram, Archana (August 11, 2010). "Katy Perry debuts dark new single 'Circle the Drain,' aimed at a (possibly famous) pill-popping ex-boyfriend". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner Inc. http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/08/11/katy-perry-circle-the-drain-travie-mccoy/. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
4. ^ Bain, Becky (August 10, 2010). "Katy Perry Blasts Her Ex In New Track “Circle The Drain”". Idolator. http://idolator.com/5590651/katy-perry-blasts-her-ex-in-new-track-circle-the-drain. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Wood, Mikael (2010). "Katy Perry, 'Teenage Dream' (Capitol)". Spin (Spin Media LLC). http://www.spin.com/reviews/katy-perry-teenage-dream-capitol. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
6. ^ Montgomery, James (October 1, 2010). "Travie McCoy Finally Addresses Katy Perry's 'Circle The Drain'". MTV. Viacom. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649141/travie-mccoy-finally-addresses-katy-perrys-circle-drain.jhtml. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
7. ^ ^{a b} "Katy Perry Peacock – Digital Sheet Music". MusicNotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdVPE.asp?ppn=MN0088650#ProductDetails. Retrieved December 23, 2010. 
8. ^ Kot, Greg (August 24, 2010). "Album review: Katy Perry, 'Teenage Dream'". Chicago Tribune (Tribune Company). http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2010/08/album-review-katy-perry-teenage-dream.html. Retrieved August 22, 2011. 
9. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (August 11, 2010). "Teenage Dream (2010)". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner Inc. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20409522,00.html. Retrieved August 22, 2011. 
10. ^ Fox, Al (August 23, 2010). "Katy Perry Teenage Dream Review". BBC News. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zmcg. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
11. ^ Mason, Keri (September 3, 2010). "Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream"". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/new-releases/katy-perry-teenage-dream-1004112891.story#/new-releases/katy-perry-teenage-dream-1004112891.story. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
12. ^ Cole, Matthew (August 22, 2010). "Katy Perry: Teenage Dream". Slant Magazine. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/katy-perry-teenage-dream/2219. Retrieved August 23, 2011. 
13. ^ Richards, Chris (August 24, 2010). "Album review of 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry". Washington Post (The Washington Post Company). http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/23/AR2010082304256.html. Retrieved August 23, 2011. 
14. ^ Montgomery, James (August 18, 2010). "Katy Perry's Teenage Dream: The No-Concept Concept Album". MTV. Viacom. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1645930/katy-perrys-teenage-dream-noconcept-concept-album.jhtml. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
15. ^ Parkin, Chris (September 3, 2010). "Katy Perry - 'Teenage Dream'". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo! Inc. http://new.uk.music.yahoo.com/blogs/albumreviewsuk/987/katy-perryteenage-dream/. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
16. ^ Leftridge, Steve (October 4, 2010). "Katy Perry: Teenage Dream". PopMatters. PopMatters Media, Inc. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/130887-katy-perry-teenage-dream/. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
17. ^ ^{a b} "Hot 100: Week of August 28, 2010 (Biggest Jump)". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/hot-100?chartDate=2010-08-28order=gainer&order=gainer. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
18. ^ ^{a b} "Katy Perry - Circle the Drain (song)". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Katy+Perry&titel=Circle+The+Drain&cat=s. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
19. ^ ^{a b c} "Hot 100: Week of August 28, 2010 (Biggest Jump)". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/hot-100?chartDate=2010-08-28order=gainer&order=gainer. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
20. ^ ^{a b} "Katy Perry's 'California Dreams' Tour: What the Critics Are Saying". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. June 20, 2011. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/katy-perrys-california-dreams-tour-203209. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
21. ^ Masley, Ed (August 4, 2011). "Katy Perry brings candy-coated California Dreams to Phoenix". The Arizona Republic (Gannett Company). http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/music/articles/2011/08/04/20110804katy-perry-brings-her-candy-coated-california-dreams-phoenix.html. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
22. ^ Adickman, Erika Brooks (April 4, 2011). "Katy Perry Rocks Newcastle With Her California Dreams Tour". Idolator. http://idolator.com/5813902/katy-perry-rocks-newcastle-with-her-california-dreams-tour. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
23. ^ Miller, Jay N. (June 20, 2011). "Katy Perry’s California dreams rock TD Garden". The Patriot Ledger (GateHouse Media). http://www.patriotledger.com/entertainment/x536836943/Katy-Perry-s-California-dreams-rock-TD-Garden. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
24. ^ MacKay, Emily (April 4, 2011). "Live Review: Katy Perry". NME. IPC Media. http://www.nme.com/reviews/katy-perry/11946. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
25. ^ "Circle the Drain – Single". Capitol Records. iTunes Store. August 10, 2010. http://itunes.apple.com/be/album/circle-the-drain-single/id385194015. Retrieved August 24, 2011.