Hot n Cold
"Hot n Cold" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. The song was written by Perry, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin and produced by Luke and Benny Blanco for her second studio album, One of the Boys (2008). It was released as the album's second single on September 9, 2008. The lyrics address an unstable romantic relationship caused by a partner's mood swings.
"Hot n Cold"
September 9, 2008
December 2007
- Dr. Luke's Studios, Legacy Recording (New York City)
- Conway Recording (Hollywood, California, US)
3:40
- Katy Perry
- Lukasz Gottwald
- Max Martin
The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Perry's second consecutive top-five single, following "I Kissed a Girl". It also became Perry's second top-five single in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, and topped the charts in Finland, Germany, Canada, Norway, and Denmark, among others. "Hot n Cold" has sold over 5.8 million pure sales in the US, making it one of Perry's highest-selling singles in the nation.
To promote "Hot n Cold", Perry marked the song's live debut with a performance on NBC's Today. She also performed the song at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, which she hosted. The song's music video, which was directed by Alan Ferguson, was released on October 1, 2008, and features Perry as a bride who is about to marry her fiancé, who experiences a daydream in which she pursues him after he flees from the wedding. "Hot n Cold" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. Perry has also performed the song on all of her tours: Hello Katy Tour, California Dreams Tour, Prismatic World Tour, and Witness: The Tour.
Background and composition
"Hot n Cold" was written by Perry, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco. It was recorded in December 2007 in three studios: Dr. Luke's Studios in New York City, Conway Recording Studio in Hollywood, California, and Legacy Recording Studios in New York City. It was mixed in MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach.[1] The collaboration between Perry and Dr. Luke was set up by record executives at Capitol Records, who felt that One of the Boys was lacking an "undeniable smash or two", and the two co-wrote "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold" as a result.[2] Perry revealed that the song was originally considered for release as the album's first single, before "I Kissed a Girl" was chosen.[3]
"Hot n Cold" is a pop and dance-pop song which utilizes guitars and synthesizers.[4][5][6] It has a length of three minutes and forty seconds (3:40),[7] and runs at a moderately fast tempo of 132 beats per minute in the key of G major.[8] The lyrics of the song address a lover of Perry whose mood swings are affecting the couple's relationship. The song opens with Perry confronting her former partner over his frequent changes of mind, singing "You change your mind like a girl changes clothes / Yeah you PMS / Like a bitch, I would know". In the chorus, she uses antonyms to describe her partner's mood changes, with the chorus of the song including the lines, "You're hot then you're cold / You're yes then you're no / You're in then you're out / You're up then you're down".[9]
Critical reception
Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy gave the song three out of five stars, saying "this track doesn't live up to the hype surrounding its singer, but the choppy guitars and whooshing synths have a certain charm."[4] In his review for musicOMH, Darren Harvey called "Hot n Cold" a "Tiffany-style '80s pop number".[5] ChartAttack noted the "frenetic dance-pop" of the track.[6] In a less positive review, Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine criticized the song, saying "Perry confuses political incorrectness with being subversive on tracks like 'Hot n Cold', in which she, in the process of skewering guys who change their minds 'like girls change clothes', just winds up sounding mildly sexist."[10] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times compared the song to "U + Ur Hand" by Pink, which was also produced by Dr. Luke, saying that it does not share the latter's "passion".[11] Lizzie Ennever of BBC felt the track was not "the most single-worthy song".[12] The Guardian wrote that the song "didn't seem to capture the public's imagination" the way her previous single "I Kissed a Girl" did.[13] The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards,[14] but lost to Beyoncé's "Halo".[15]
Usage in media
The song made its digital debut in the expansion pack of the popular video game, The Sims 2: Apartment Life, released in 2008. Perry lent her voice to record a special version of the track in "Simlish", the fictional language of The Sims universe. This unique rendition of the song can be heard on the in-game radio station, adding a touch of mainstream music to the Sims' everyday virtual life.
Perry filmed a performance of a version of the song with puppet character Elmo from Sesame Street, which was intended to teach children about antonyms. The clip was originally scheduled to run on the 41st-season premiere of the educational children's program on September 27, 2010, however, the performance, which was uploaded to YouTube earlier, garnered controversy over the amount of cleavage Perry had on display in the video. Before the scheduled airing, Sesame Workshop announced that after controversy over the clip, "We have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of Sesame Street, which is aimed at preschoolers. Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on YouTube."[39] Perry mocked the controversy shortly afterward in a skit during her appearance on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest, wearing an Elmo-themed shirt which showed large amounts of cleavage.[40]
The song is used as the theme music for MasterChef Australia and its associated TV ads.[41]
The song was also in featured in commercials of the 2023 Disney and Pixar film Elemental.
"Hot n Cold" was used as the Lip Sync for Your Life song on the fifth episode of the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under in 2023, between contestants Ashley Madison and Bumpa Love.[42]