Shark in the Water
| "Shark in the Water" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by V V Brown | ||||
| from the album Travelling Like the Light | ||||
| Released | 6 July 2009 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:02 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| V V Brown singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Shark in the Water" on YouTube | ||||
"Shark in the Water" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter V V Brown for her debut studio album Travelling Like the Light. It was released on 6 July 2009 by Island Records as the album's third single. The song is a metaphorical record about anxiety, and was inspired by Brown's experience with infidelity by a past boyfriend who liked to stalk her in his free time.[1] The song is her first single to get high airplay on U.S. music channels and radio (neither "Leave!" nor "Crying Blood" were able to achieve this). The song was also re-recorded in the Simlish language of The Sims and is featured in The Sims 3: Ambitions. The song is her first single to chart in the U.S. on Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number sixty-seven. The song was certified Gold in the US.[2]
Music video
The video is about Brown finding out that her boyfriend is cheating on her, so she follows him around taking pictures of him with the other girl. At the beginning of the video she starts to record the song on a radio. The video switches between Brown walking by the side of a canal, and under a bridge, to seeing her at a pub table looking at the pictures of her cheating boyfriend. It finishes with a view of her boyfriend's house with a picture on his door and the radio that Brown used to record the song on the doorstep.
Critical reception
Popjustice gave the song a positive review, writing "Immediately brilliant - a reinterpretation rather than a continuation of the 'indie doo wop' schtick she's been working on over the last couple of singles and therefore a lot less stylised and a great deal more accessible."[3] Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song 5 out of 5, stating "It begins in bright, breezy fashion, all-girl group backing vocals and guitar-strumming that brings to mind Craig McLachlan's 'Mona', before something a bit magical happens - the arrival of a pure pop chorus as huge and all-consuming as a T.rex that's just come off hunger strike. Crossover radio smash? Here's hoping - but it's hard to see how she could do any more.[4] The song also received a positive review from Female First. In a five-star rating, the song was described as "happy-go-lucky song... but it’s when the powerful, heartfelt chorus kicks in that you really take a breath and think, 'Shit, this song is awesome.' So, it seems the claims that what the press have been saying about this lady finally has some truth in it at last; she really is one of the ladies to watch out for in 2009."[5]
Music OMH writes: "'Shark in the Water' could easily be described as a 'summer anthem', all breezy acoustic strums, insanely catchy melodies and a chorus that explodes seemingly from nowhere. It also features that key ingredient to all great pop songs; a nonsense lyric. 'Baby there's a shark in the water, I caught them barking at the moon' is a wonderfully mixed image, the kind of animal creation a cartoonist would balk at for being too ridiculous."[6]
Track listings and formats
|
|
Charts
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Singles Chart[10] | 13 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[10] | 54 |
| UK Singles Chart[10] | 34 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 67 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs[11] | 11 |
| US Hot Adult Contemporary[11] | 20 |
Release history
| Country | Release date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 6 July 2009[12] |
|
Island |
| United States | 9 February 2010[13] | Capitol |
Use in media
In 2010, a trailer set to "Shark in the Water" was produced by TeenNick to promote the tenth season of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi. The trailer featured scenes of the series' cast members in circus and carnival-themed settings, many of which containing imagery hinting towards major plot developments that would occur during the season. V V Brown would appear in the promo, while the song itself would later be featured in season 10's midseason finale "All Falls Down (Part Two)". Showrunner Stephen Stohn credited the promo with having significantly increased interest and viewership for Degrassi in Canada and the United States (with the hints in the trailer having resulted in discussion and speculation among the program's fanbase), and having popularized "Shark in the Water" in North America as one of V V Brown's biggest hits.[14]
References
- ↑ "Shark In The Water by V.V. Brown". Songfacts. Tone Media. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- ↑ "Searchable Database". RIAA's Gold & Platinum Program. RIAA. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- ↑ "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Top 100". Popjustice Ltd. Popjustice. 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- ↑ Levine, Nick (2009-06-25). "VV Brown: 'Shark In The Water'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- ↑ Harrison, Ruth (2009-05-24). "Single Review: VV Brown - Shark In The Water". Female First. Femalefirst.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- ↑ Cragg, Michael (2009-07-13). "V.V. Brown – Travelling Like The Light". musicOMH. OMH. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- ↑ "Shark In The Water: V V Brown: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- ↑ "Shark In The Water". 7digital. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- ↑ "Shark In The Water: V V Brown: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- 1 2 3 "V.V. Brown - Shark In The Water - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- 1 2 3 "V.V. Brown Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- ↑ Praxis Media. "U.K. - Forthcoming Singles". Radio1.gr. Archived from the original on 2018-04-05. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- ↑ Praxis Media. "U.S.A. - Forthcoming Singles". Radio1.gr. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- ↑ Ajello, Erin. "The oral history of the 'Shark in the Water' promo that saved 'Degrassi' and changed TV forever". Insider. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2021.