"On a Roll"
Promotional single by Ashley O
B-side"Right Where I Belong"
ReleasedJune 14, 2019 (2019-06-14)
GenreDance-pop[1]
Length2:34
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Invisible Men
Music video
"On a Roll" on YouTube

"On a Roll" is a song recorded by American singer Miley Cyrus under the moniker "Ashley O", the character in the Black Mirror episode "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too". It is an adaptation of the 1989 Nine Inch Nails song "Head Like a Hole". The episode was originally released on June 5, 2019, and the song was released as a promotional digital single by RCA Records and The Null Corporation on June 14, 2019. The B-side, "Right Where I Belong", is based on the 2005 Nine Inch Nails song "Right Where It Belongs". Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor approved of the adaptations, and released Black Mirror-themed merchandise to coincide with the episode's release.[2] The song was ranked 28th on the 100 Best Songs of 2019 list by Billboard.[3] The song was not released to radio in the US.[4]

Background and composition

The track interpolates elements of "Head Like a Hole", the 1989 single by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, from their debut studio album Pretty Hate Machine. Therefore, "On a Roll" credits Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor as a songwriter, and was produced by production trio the Invisible Men.[5] Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker gained permission from Reznor to use the song, and later re-wrote the lyrics to be "uber-positive" in order to serve as a juxtaposition with the "dark concepts" of the episode.[6] The song is written in the key of G minor in common time with a tempo of 122 beats per minute.[7] BuzzFeed noted online observations that the song's chorus, "Hey yeah woah-ho", sounds like "Hey I'm a hoe", and described it as an example of a mondegreen.[8]

Critical reception

In a positive review, Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos stated: "The underlying darkness and the disconnect of knowing that a cutesy, capitalistic take on a Nine Inch Nails classic shouldn't work but inexplicably does feels like more danger than [Cyrus]'s been able to extract before."[9] Andrew Unterberger of Billboard assumed that the song would become a bigger hit than Cyrus' previous single "Mother's Daughter" and compared Ashley O to Cyrus early in her career, writing: "It's Miley Cyrus freed from narrative. Sure, it probably helps your enjoyment of 'Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too' to consider how Cyrus' own early career was shaped by handlers who didn't necessarily have her own artistic vision or general best interests in mind, and how she ultimately felt the need to break out from that. But the song? It's just A Bop, one that requires no knowledge of Pretty Hate Machine to appreciate its straightforward catchiness and motivational — if more than a little absurd — lyrics."[10]

Music video

The official music video for "On a Roll" was released on June 13, 2019, on Netflix's official YouTube channel.[11]

Andrew Unterberger of Billboard described the video as "[splitting] the difference between 'Bad Romance'-era Gaga and 'California Gurls'-era Katy Perry in a way that would've certainly made it a YouTube smash."[10]

Live performances

Cyrus performed "On a Roll" and "Head Like a Hole" live on June 30, 2019, during her set at Glastonbury Festival 2019 in Pilton, Somerset.[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Trent Reznor

No.TitleLength
1."On a Roll"2:34
2."Right Where I Belong"2:11
Total length:4:45
On a Roll – Remixes
No.TitleLength
1."On a Roll" (DallasK Remix)3:04
2."On a Roll" (Basic Tape Remix)3:00
3."On a Roll" (KDA Remix)3:10
4."On a Roll" (Junior Vasquez Remix)4:23
5."On a Roll" (Wax Wings Remix)3:50
Total length:17:27

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[13]

Charts

Chart (2019) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 86
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 77
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[16] 49
Hungary (Single Top 40)[17] 26
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[18] 36
Ireland (IRMA)[19] 35
Latvia (LAIPA)[20] 27
Lithuania (AGATA)[21] 21
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[22] 18
Scotland (OCC)[23] 44
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[24] 31
UK Singles (OCC)[25] 65
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[26] 16
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[27] 3
US Rolling Stone Top 100[28] 99

References

  1. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (July 3, 2019). "Is Miley Cyrus' 'Black Mirror' Song 'On a Roll' Going to End Up Her Biggest New Hit?". Billboard.
  2. ^ Monroe, Jazz (June 5, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Sings Nine Inch Nails Songs in 'Black Mirror' Season 5". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  3. ^ Billboard Staff (December 11, 2018). "The 100 Best Songs of 2019: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  4. ^ "Is Miley Cyrus' 'Black Mirror' Song 'On a Roll' Going to End up Her Biggest New Hit?". Billboard. July 3, 2019.
  5. ^ Spanos, Brittany (June 12, 2019). "Song You Need to Know: Miley Cyrus/Ashley O, 'On a Roll'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  6. ^ "'Black Mirror' Got Trent Reznor's Blessing to Remix Nine Inch Nails for Miley Cyrus Episode". June 6, 2019.
  7. ^ "On a Roll (Head Like a Hole) (Music from the Netflix Original Series, Black Mirror)".
  8. ^ Zamora, Christian (June 17, 2019). "No, Ashley O Is NOT Singing About How She's A Hoe". BuzzFeed. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  9. ^ Spanos, Brittany (June 12, 2019). "Song You Need to Know: Miley Cyrus/Ashley O, 'On a Roll'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Unterberger, Andrew (July 3, 2019). "Is Miley Cyrus' 'Black Mirror' Song 'On a Roll' Going to End Up Her Biggest New Hit?". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  11. ^ Strauss, Matthew (June 13, 2019). "Watch the New Video for Miley Cyrus' "Black Mirror" Song "On a Roll"". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  12. ^ Kreps, Daniel (June 30, 2019). "See Miley Cyrus Perform "On a Roll" and "Head Like a Hole" at Glastonbury". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  13. ^ "On A Roll / Ashley O – TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  14. ^ "The ARIA Report" (PDF) (1532). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). July 15, 2019: 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ "Miley Cyrus Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  16. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201927 into search. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  17. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  18. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  19. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Miley Cyrus". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  20. ^ "Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 28. nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  21. ^ "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. July 12, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  22. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  23. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  24. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201928 into search. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  25. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  26. ^ "Miley Cyrus Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  27. ^ "Miley Cyrus Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  28. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. June 27, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
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