Hello (Karmin EP)

Hello
EP by
Karmin
ReleasedMay 4, 2012 (2012-05-04)
RecordedJune–October 2011
Genre
Length
  • 24:36 (Standard Edition)
  • 30:12 (iTunes Edition)
LabelEpic
Producer
Karmin chronology
Karmin Covers, Vol. 1
(2011) 		Hello
(2012) 		Pulses
(2014)
Singles from Hello
  1. "Brokenhearted"
    Released: February 7, 2012
  2. "Hello"
    Released: July 31, 2012

Hello is an extended play (EP) by pop music duo Karmin. It was released on May 4, 2012 through Epic Records and distributed through Sony Music Entertainment.[1]

Concept

Both Heidemann and Noonan worked to maintain original songs and ideas, while working toward mainstream and pop music. They cited L.A. Reid's understanding of their musical background to be helpful in this process.[2]

Album title and artwork

Through Twitter, the duo revealed that their debut studio album would officially be called HELLO. Heidemann explained to BeatWeek: "We thought it was a perfect title, because it’s our introduction album. When you hear the songs in a row, you’re going to hear our story."[3] The artwork depicts the two band members sitting on the base of a billboard with "Hello" written under them.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic43/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[5]
Rolling Stone[6]

The album was panned by some music critics. Writing in The New York Times, Jon Caramanica critiqued Karmin as an act whose fame came from "assaulting the songs of others, performing glib and highly stylized YouTube covers that inadvertently doubled as sketch comedy" and found Heidemann's rapping in her own material "intricate and deeply irritating".[7] Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone dubbed it "one of the most aggressively obnoxious debut albums in recent memory", with "Brokenhearted", for example, being "catchy" but "Heidemann's daffiness and horrendous rapping spoil[ing] the broth every time".[8]

On the other hand, Gerrick D. Kennedy wrote on the Los Angeles Times music blog: "The disc brims with the swagged-out pop/hip-hop that made [Karmin] YouTube darlings, as collaborators Stargate, Benny Blanco, Tricky Stewart and Dr. Luke deliver slick, radio-ready productions."[9]

The album debuted at #18 on the Billboard 200 and #33 on the Canadian Albums Chart.

Singles

Karmin and Epic released "Brokenhearted" as the first single from Hello, which impacted radio February 7, 2012. It subsequently became their first song to enter Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #16. It also reached the #1 spot on Hot Dance Club Play, #12 Pop Digital Songs, and #10 Mainstream Top 40.[10] It was certified as a platinum digital single (1,000,000 unit sales) by the RIAA as announced by Karmin and their management on Twitter and Facebook in early August 2012.

"Hello" impacted radio stations on July 31, 2012 as the EP's second single, which debuted #89 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking their second single to chart in the US. So far, the single is currently peaking at #62 in the US. It is also charting in New Zealand, Australia and in many other countries.

Promotional singles

"I Told You So" was released as the first and only promotional single on May 9, 2012.

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Walking on the Moon"
[11]
  • Jon Jon
  • Claude Kelly
3:33
2."Brokenhearted"
[12]
3:47
3."I Told You So"
  • Heidemann
  • NoonanWebb
  • Jr.
[13]		Jon Jon2:48
4."Too Many Fish"
3:18
5."I'm Just Sayin'"
  • Heidemann
  • Noonan
  • Webb Jr.
[14]		Jon Jon3:35
6."Coming Up Strong"
  • Heidemann
  • Noonan
  • Kenneth Coby
Soundz3:38
7."Hello"
  • Heidemann
  • Noonan
  • Kelly
  • M.S. Eriksen
  • T.E. Hermansen
  • A. Rowe
Stargate3:57
Total length:24:36
iTunes bonus tracks[15]
No.TitleLength
8."Brokenhearted" (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Club Remix)5:36
9."Brokenhearted" (music video)3:52

(*) Denotes co-producer

Sample credits

References

  1. ^ "Upcoming releases". Hits Double Daily. Archived from the original on February 22, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  2. ^ "Karmin Told Us So: Discussing 'HELLO' with Amy, Nick, and Epic Records". Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  3. ^ "Karmin talks SNL, covers, Hello, Brokenhearted – the Beatweek interview". BeatWeek. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  4. ^ "Hello [EP] by Karmin". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Hello - Karmin - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Hello". Rolling Stone. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  7. ^ Caramanica, Jon (May 11, 2012). "Critic's Notebook: Girls Keeping It Real, and Not So". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2016-08-02.
  8. ^ Rosen, Jody (May 8, 2012). "Karmin: Hello". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  9. ^ Kennedy, Gerrick D. (May 9, 2012). "Pop & Hiss: Karmin drops covers, finds success with album 'Hello'". The Los Angeles Times.
  10. ^ "Billboard biz". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  11. ^ "BMI - Repertoire Search". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  12. ^ "BMI - Repertoire Search". Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  13. ^ "BMI - Repertoire Search". Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  14. ^ "BMI - Repertoire Search". Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Hello - Karmin". iTunes. Retrieved June 14, 2013.