"L.A. Love (La La)" is a song recorded by American singer Fergie. It was co-written by Fergie and the song's producer DJ Mustard, with additional writing credits from Shomari Wilson, Royce Thomas, and Theron Thomas. The remix version of the song, which features California rapper and DJ Mustard colleague YG, was included as the lead single on her second studio album Double Dutchess (2017). "L.A. Love (La La)" was used as background music in commercials for the 2015 Chrysler 200 and was also used as the theme song for the reality television series Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons and Togetherness and video game NBA 2K16.[1][2]
Background
In January 2014, Fergie began work on a second studio album.[3][4] The first single from the album, "L.A. Love (La La)", was produced by DJ Mustard and released on September 30, 2014 by Interscope Records.[5][6][7] The song was available for digital download and released to contemporary hit radio on September 30, 2014.[8] Prior to the song's official release, an unfinished looped version leaked online.[9] The official remix was released on October 21, 2014 featuring Compton rapper YG, which ultimately became the version used in the music video for the song and later on the album.[10][11]
"L.A. Love (La La)" received mixed reviews from music critics. Lauren Stampler for Time Magazine wrote that "It's a pop song that lists off as many random city names it can in approximately three minutes' time. A beloved but often unheralded genre, it's long overdue for some recognition."[12] Bradley Stern of MuuMuse wrote that "Fergie Ferg keeps things squarely in hip-pop territory just as she did nearly a decade ago (but with fresher beats), spitting above a murky '2 On'-ish #SomethingMoreUrban beat while delivering a series of shout-outs to every city, state and country 'round the globe that you (may or may not) already know."[13]Direct Lyrics review said that "Fergie thinks she's still living in the early 2000s and I love it. 'L.A Love (La La)' is certainly taking me back to those years when pop music felt more fun, fresh and unaffected."[14] Lewis Cornor from Digital Spy gave the song four out of five stars saying that "'L.A. Love' is just as catchy and addictive as anything on The Dutchess".[15]Maximum Pop! wrote that, after an eight-year break, "Fergie has instantaneously captured our attention with a regenerated DJ Mustard beat that will get stuck in your head for weeks."[16]
Alexa Camp of Slant Magazine wrote that "Fergie swaps London for, despite the song's title, 'every city, every state, every country, you know,' and at one point even crams three terrible accents—British, Jamaican, and French—into one bar. While the DJ Mustard-produced track is a definite earworm, hopefully the singer, ever the crossover-pop diplomat, has some more multi-format tricks up her sleeve."[17] Robbie Daw for Idolator wrote that "the DJ Mustard-produced track finds the 39-year-old Black Eyed Peasdiva surprisingly stuck in creative rut, spouting out a slew of hip-hop-lite cliches that, to be honest, we would have expected her to have left behind sometime around The E.N.D."[18] While calling it "irritating" and "infectious", Carolyn Menyes for Music Times says, "though the song itself isn't a massive standout, featuring repetitive lyrics and a melody that could have been jacked from any Iggy Azalea single, it's hard not to walk away from the track without humming the melody."[19]
Lindsey Weber of Vulture gave a negative review, writing that "the long-awaited Fergie comeback is upon us ... and it sounds a lot like 'Rack City'. 'L.A. Love (La La)' just happens to be the Animaniacs' 'Nations of the World' for our new pop generation — but it only features cool places like Puerto Rico, Vegas, Rio, Tokyo, São Paulo, Miami, and Jamaica. It's a party-hopper's geography lesson, okay?" [20] Jacques Peterson for Pop Dust panned the song, writing that "there isn't a whole lot more to 'L.A. Love (La La)' than a mindless geography lesson over the top of one of those hot DJ Mustard beats that we've already heard ten times before, which is a damn shame when you remember that Fergie is one of the biggest female artists of the 2000s."[21]
The centerpiece of the video is a double-deckerDay of the Dead-style party bus inspired by art cars at Burning Man. The bus design had to change from its initial concept, which was conceived by Fergie as she recorded the song. "It was made of clouds originally, and it has spinners, but the spinners were eyes", Fergie explained, adding, "It's kind of psychedelic, which possibly has to do with all the psychedelia I'm seeing in these kids cartoons that I'm watching [...] This trip around the world that this bus takes, it's also a trip in your mind."[22]
"L.A. Love (La La)" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 97 for the week dated October 25, 2014. In its second week, the song jumped to number 81. In its third week, the song jumped to number 63, where it remained for an additional two weeks. It then jumped to number 41. A week later, it jumped into the top 40 at number 36, later peaking at number 27. The song debuted at number 39 on the Pop Songs chart and also debuted at number 40 on the Rhythmic chart.[23] As of November 30, 2014, it has peaked at number 16 on Rhythmic Songs, number eight on Hot Rap Songs, number 24 on Digital Songs, and number 20 on Pop Songs radio chart.[24]
Cultural Impact
During the height of the 2014 Ebola Outbreak, satirical artist Rucka Rucka Ali released a parody of L.A. Love called Ebola (La La), becoming his biggest release to date. Critics criticized Ali for "piggybacking" on Fergie's hit, and described the parody as "outrageous and downright offensive", while artist Lola Gould claimed the song "aims to provoke thought, challenging the stereotypes and prejudices that were prevalent during the Ebola crisis".[25] In 2020, Ali released another parody of L.A. Love called Corona (Na Na), commentating on the COVID-19 Pandemic.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201501 into search. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201449 into search. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201449 into search. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
