"Gold"
Single by Kiiara
from the EP Low Kii Savage and the studio album Lil Kiiwi
ReleasedOctober 26, 2015
Recorded2015
Genre
Length3:45
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Felix Snow
Kiiara singles chronology
"Gold"
(2015) 		"Feels"
(2016)
Music video
"Gold" on YouTube

"Gold" is the debut single by American singer Kiiara, released as the lead single from her debut extended play (EP) Low Kii Savage (2016)[1] and was also included on her debut studio album, Lil Kiiwi (2020)[2] on October 26, 2015.[3] Commercially, the single was a sleeper hit, becoming her first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13. A remix featuring Lil Wayne was released on November 18, 2016.[4]

Background

Kiiara first wrote "Gold" on a classical guitar in 2014.[5] The song was based on a childhood lesson of not having to answer to anybody: "It just seemed right; it fell out of my mouth when I wrote it."[6] Then, a producer named Felix Snow made an electro-pop twist of the song that was more vibe-oriented and less lyrical than Kiiara's classical acoustic version.[7][8] Another co-writer the singer worked with, preferring the classical acoustic version over Snow's rendition, recommended doing a mixture of both types of songs.[9] The artist originally planned to name the song "W.E.L.Y.K," acronym for "without ever letting you know," but ultimately decided on "Gold" after finding the initial title too "trendy."[10]

Release

The track was first released on SoundCloud in the summer of 2015, which at the time Kiiara kept her real identity unknown for the music to be focused on;[8] a day later, she garnered a swarm of emails from several major labels and signed with Atlantic.[11] Shortly after, it, as well as "Feels," played on the first week of Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show.[11]

By July 2016, "Gold" had garnered 188 million Spotify plays.[11]

Composition

According to the sheet music published at musicnotes.com, the song is written in F minor, with a moderate tempo of 84–88 beats per minute.[12] It features a glitchy vocal sound in the opening of the track and appears throughout in the chorus. The vocal chops came from Kiiara's lines from the pre-chorus. Musically, "Gold" is an electropop and trap song that contains elements of snap as well as Alt-pop beats. The song's verses are backed by a finger-click beat with double and triple-timed hi-hats in the chorus, along with a bassline and contains synths and vocal effects.

Critical reception

"Gold" received positive reviews. Website Renowned for Sound described the song as an "electrifying mix" between Scandinavian electropop and Atlanta trap.[13] Carl Williott of Idolator stated "The Illinois singer sounds a bit like Ellie Goulding crossed with Lorde, and she was wise to pair up with SZA collaborator Felix Snow, who has given the track a nice balance of snappy percussion and warped atmospherics. The most intriguing part, though, would be the chorus. It's equal parts disorienting and addictive, and the bold choice suggests she knows exactly what she wants to accomplish with this project."[14] Stereogum's Tom Breihan claimed that "[Gold] feels like some fascinating new mutation of bedroom-pop music," and said that it "takes cues from icy R&B and from glitched-out, spacey dance music, but it also has the wide-open heart of a classic pop song."[15]

Billboard ranked "Gold" at number 69 on their Billboard's 100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" commenting "With Lorde (hopefully) still working on her much-anticipated second LP, Kiiara stepped in with the minimalist snap-pop jam of the year – giving everyone "Royals" flashbacks, right down to the gold teeth. Still, not even Ella Yelich-O'Connor [Lorde] ever boasted a groove or chorus this cold, with the booming simplicity of early Run-DMC and the tech-garbled vocals of prime Art of Noise."[16]

Commercial performance

"Gold" debuted at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 issued for June 11, 2016.[17] The song peaked at number 13 in its 20th week on the chart and charted for 27 weeks in total.[18][19] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it 3× Platinum, which denotes three million units based on sales and track-equivalent on-demand streams.[20] On the Canadian Hot 100, "Gold" peaked at number 20 and was certified 3× Platinum by Music Canada.[21][22]

The song reached number five in Australia and was certified 2× Platinum.[23][24] It peaked at number 15 in Belgium and attained a Platinum certification.[25][26] "Gold" charted within the top 20 of national record charts, at number six in Romania,[27] number 10 in Bulgaria,[28] number 12 in Denmark,[29] and number 13 in Lebanon.[30] The song was certified Platinum in Brazil,[31] Italy,[32] New Zealand,[33] and the United Kingdom,[34] as well as Gold in Denmark[35] and Germany.[36]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Gold"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[24] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Belgium (BEA)[26] Platinum 20,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[31] Platinum 60,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[22] 4× Platinum 320,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[35] Platinum 60,000^
Germany (BVMI)[36] Gold 200,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[32] Platinum 50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[33] Platinum 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[67] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[20] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and format(s) for "Gold"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Worldwide June 17, 2015 Streaming Atlantic [68]
Worldwide October 26, 2015 Digital download
[3][69][70][71]
Italy April 15, 2016 Mainstream radio Atlantic [72]
United States May 10, 2016
  • Atlantic
  • Warner
 [73]

Media usage

"Gold" is on the soundtrack of NBA 2K17. It is also used as a background music in the evening gown segment of Miss Universe 2016.[74]

References

Citations

  1. ^ "iTunes Store (US) - Music - Kiiara - low kii savage - EP". iTunes Store (US). March 22, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  2. ^ Wass, Mike (October 1, 2020). "Kiiara Reveals Cover & Release Date Of Debut LP 'lil kiiwi'". Idolator. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Kiiara: Gold - Music on Google Play". Google Play. October 26, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  4. ^ "kiiara". SoundCloud.
  5. ^ Benjamin 2016, 0:27–0:31.
  6. ^ Benjamin 2016, 0:31–0:39.
  7. ^ Benjamin 2016, 0:39–0:51.
  8. ^ a b Feeney, Nolan (August 30, 2016). "Kiiara struck 'Gold' with an unlikely pop smash". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  9. ^ Benjamin 2016, 0:51–0:58.
  10. ^ Benjamin 2016, 1:18–1:36.
  11. ^ a b c Leight, Elias (July 22, 2016). "Kiiara's Hit Song 'Gold' Was Inspired by 'The Idea That You Don't Have to Answer to Anyone'". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  12. ^ Kiiara "Gold" Sheet Music in F Minor musicnotes.com
  13. ^ Bohlsen, Christopher (April 8, 2016). "EP Review: Kiiara – low kii savage". Renowned for Sound. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  14. ^ Williott, Carl (June 17, 2015). "Kiiara Strikes 'Gold' With Debut Single: Listen - Idolator". Idolator. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  15. ^ Breihan, Tom (June 17, 2015). "Kiiara - 'Gold' - Stereogum". Stereogum. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  16. ^ "Billboard's 100 Best Pop Songs of 2016: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  17. ^ "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  18. ^ Trust, Gary (October 10, 2016). "The Chainsmokers' 'Closer' Leads Hot 100 for Eighth Week, gnash's 'I Hate U I Love U' Hits Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Kiiara Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  20. ^ a b "American single certifications – Kiiara – Gold". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  21. ^ a b "Kiiara Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  22. ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – Kiiara – Gold". Music Canada. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  23. ^ a b "Kiiara – Gold". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
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  27. ^ a b "Romanian International Top 10 Singles Chart". Media Forest. May 15, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  28. ^ a b "Архив класации" (in Bulgarian). PROPHON.
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  30. ^ a b "Lebanese Chart Top 20 History". The Official Lebanese Top 20. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  31. ^ a b "Brazilian single certifications – Kiiara – Gold" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  32. ^ a b "Italian single certifications – Kiiara – Gold" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  33. ^ a b "New Zealand single certifications – Kiiara – Gold". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  34. ^ a b "British single certifications – Kiiara – Gold". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  35. ^ a b "Danish single certifications – Kiiara – Gold". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  36. ^ a b "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Kiiara; 'Gold')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
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  38. ^ "Kiiara – Gold" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
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  44. ^ "Chart Track: Week 31, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  45. ^ "Top Digital – Classifica settimanale WK 21 (dal 2016-05-20 al 2016-05-26)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  46. ^ "Kiiara – Gold" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  47. ^ "Kiiara – Gold". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  48. ^ "Kiiara – Gold". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  49. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  50. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201619 into search. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  51. ^ "Kiiara – Gold". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  52. ^ "Kiiara – Gold". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  53. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  54. ^ "Kiiara Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  55. ^ "Kiiara Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  56. ^ "Kiiara Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  57. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles 2016". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  58. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2016". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  59. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  60. ^ "Track Top-100, 2016". Hitlisten.NU. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  61. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 2016". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  62. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 2016" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  63. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2016 – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  64. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  65. ^ "Pop Songs: Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  66. ^ "Airplay 100 – topul anului 2017" (in Romanian). Kiss FM. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  67. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  68. ^ Golden, Zara (June 17, 2015). "Kiiara Won't Stand To Be Treated Anything Less Than 'Gold' - The Fader". The Fader. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  69. ^ "iTunes Store (AU) - Music - Kiiara - Gold - Single". iTunes Store (AU). October 26, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  70. ^ "iTunes Store (NZ) - Music - Kiiara - Gold - Single". iTunes Store (NZ). October 26, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  71. ^ "iTunes Store (UK) - Music - Kiiara - Gold - Single". iTunes Store (UK). October 26, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  72. ^ "Kiiara - Gold RadioDate". Radioairplay.fm. April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  73. ^ "Mainstream Top 40 Future Releases - AllAccess". AllAccess Media Group. May 10, 2016. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  74. ^ Makuch, Eddie (12 August 2016). "NBA 2K17 Soundtrack Revealed".

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