"Absolutely (Story of a Girl)"
A cover featuring the text "Nine Days, Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" and a blurry photograph of a band performing
Single by Nine Days
from the album The Madding Crowd
ReleasedMarch 21, 2000 (2000-03-21)
StudioTree Sound (Atlanta, Georgia)
GenrePower pop
Length3:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • John Hampson
  • Brian Desveaux
Producer(s)Nick DiDia
Nine Days singles chronology
"Absolutely (Story of a Girl)"
(2000)		 "If I Am"
(2000)

"Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" is a song by American rock band Nine Days for the group's fourth studio album, The Madding Crowd (2000). The song was released as the lead single from The Madding Crowd in March 2000 through 550 Music and Epic Records. The song is an upbeat power pop song written by vocalist and guitarist John Hampson for his wife, who was his girlfriend at the time it was composed. Brian Desveaux, the group's other guitarist, also receives songwriting credit. The song was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, at Tree Sound Studios with producer Nick DiDia.

The song reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it also peaked within the top 10 in Canada and New Zealand. The song's music video was directed by Liz Friedlander and received airplay on MTV and VH1. The band's follow-up single, "If I Am", became a minor Hot 100 hit, peaking at number 68. "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" was later featured, both in audio and in dialogue, in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. Multiple alternate versions of the song were written by Hampson for the movie.[1][2]

Background

Nine Days was formed in Long Island, New York, in 1994 by vocalist/guitarists John Hampson and Brian Desveaux. For much of the decade, the band built a following by self-releasing their first three albums—Something to Listen To (1995), Monday Songs (1996), and Three (1998)—while performing frequently. The band struggled to get signed by a major label; talent scouts were reluctant as they did not hear a "hit" in their sound. "It can get very discouraging when you're giving everything you've got and you're not quite getting there. But we always felt we were inching our way along so we just kept at it," said Hampson in a 2000 interview.[3] They put together an album to shop around to labels composed of their best songs, to little interest. Frustrated, they continued to write songs until Hampson penned "Absolutely". They recorded a three-song demo and were signed to 550 Music (then known as Sony 550 Music) in February 1999.[4][5]

"Absolutely" ended up being the band's only hit single, marking their status as a one-hit wonder. "If it all ends next week, at least I'll be able to get my truck fixed up or get a new one. But if nothing, at least we accomplished this," Hampson said at the time of the song's success.[3]

Writing and composition

The song was written in August 1998 by the band's vocalist/guitarist, John Hampson, in an attempt to write in an edgier style.[5] Though he "exaggerated things and used tons of figurative language to express something," Hampson confirmed in a 2003 interview with music magazine Impose that it was written for his wife, Teresa Savino, who was his girlfriend at the time it was composed.[6][7] Its genesis stemmed from an argument the two had prior to a concert the band was playing on Long Island.[8] After their fight, he "saw her talking to someone across the room, and she started laughing. I realized that as much as she aggravates me, I absolutely love her when she smiles."[9] It was also inspired by Hampson's uncertainty about getting married: "I just wasn't ready. I was basically stalling her and making her cry. I was good at that."[10]

Hampson picked up a guitar and worked out the song's chorus and chords in 15 minutes.[3] He later completed the bulk of the song in one night, which was unusual for him. "I don't know where it came from, but everything was about a true feeling."[9] The song first appeared as a demo on Bootleg '98, a promotional CD by radio station WLIR, who were early supporters of the band.[3] After the band's record deal, it was re-recorded for its appearance on The Madding Crowd by producer Nick DiDia at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.[11]

The song's music video was shot by director Liz Friedlander[12] in Los Angeles, California. It was the band's first music video, and received airplay on MTV and VH1.[5]

Critical reception

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic deemed "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" "catchy" and reminiscent of Barenaked Ladies.[13] People praised the song's "chunky hooks and irresistible, sing-along, stop-and-start chorus".[14] Bridget Fitzgerald of HuffPost found the song "effortlessly catchy" and "adorable".[15] Sputnikmusic's Lincoln Green called "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" "pretty sappy and uninteresting, but at the same time, it’s catchy and there’s a little charm behind all of the cheese. It’s a harmless power pop anthem that at worst is clichéd and fun to jam out to at best." Green also said that the song encapsulated the music of the early 2000s.[16]

Commercial performance

"Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" was the band's biggest single, and it charted worldwide on multiple music charts. In the United States, it debuted at number 25 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in the issue dated April 15, 2000;[17] in the following weeks, the song rose to peak at number 10 on that chart on May 27, 2000.[18] It reached number six on the magazine's all-genre Hot 100 chart on July 22, 2000.[19] It was a number-one hit on the Mainstream Top 40 chart on August 12,[20] which ranked the most popular songs being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations. On August 26, it reached its peak on the Adult Top 40 Tracks chart at number two, which measured more adult-oriented alternative rock and mainstream pop.[21] It was the 35th-best-performing single in the U.S. in 2000, according to Billboard.[22] The single peaked the highest in Canada, reaching number three on the all-genre Top Singles chart;[23] it also hit number 14 on the Rock/Alternative rankings.[24]

Internationally, it was also the group's biggest hit. It fared best in New Zealand, where it reached number seven;[25] it ranked as the 39th best-selling single of 2000 in that country.[26] In neighboring Australia, the song was also a hit, reaching number 31.[27] It performed near the bottom of singles charts in other territories. In Scotland, it reached number 67;[28] in the Netherlands, number 75. In the United Kingdom, the single only made an appearance for one week at number 83 on the UK Singles Chart dated October 10, 2000.[29] The song was featured on the album Lizzie McGuire: Total Party! from the hit Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire.[30] In 2015, Billboard ranked it the tenth most popular song of the summer from 2000.[31] By June 2004, the song had accumulated over 400,000 spins on radio in the U.S., and it received a BDS Certified Spin Award.[32]

The song was covered by the band Four Year Strong for their cover album Explains It All (2009).[33]

Formats and track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes for The Madding Crowd.[11]

Locations

  • Recorded at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Mixed at Image Recording in Los Angeles, California
  • Mastering at A&M Mastering Studios in Hollywood, California

Personnel

Charts

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States March 21, 2000 Alternative radio [44]
April 3, 2000 [45][46]
April 28, 2000 Contemporary hit radio [47]
United Kingdom September 25, 2000
  • CD
  • cassette
 Epic [48]

References

  1. ↑ Briscuso, Lex (April 8, 2022). "A 2000s One-Hit Wonder Became A Vital Part Of Everything Everywhere All At Once". Slash Film. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ Puchko, Kristy (April 6, 2022). "How a one-hit wonder became absolutely crucial to 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'". Mashable. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Woodlief, Mark (July 5, 2000). "Nine Days 'Absolutely' Surprised By Success". MTV News. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  4. ↑ Celauro, Chris. "Nine Days Interview with Brian Desveaux of Nine Days: How They Escaped a Musical Deathtrap". ModernRock.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2001. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Woliver, Robbie (May 14, 2000). "Dues Paid, Rock Band Is Climbing Charts". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  6. ↑ Wheeler, Dave (February 7, 2012). "Throwback Tuesday- Nine Days with Absolutely". Lite 98.7. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Here's the heartwarming story behind Nine Days' hit 'Story of a Girl'". Today (U.S. TV program). NBC. September 16, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  8. ↑ Basham, David (June 12, 2000). "Nine Days Tells Story Behind The "Story Of A Girl"". MTV News. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Pesselnick, Jill (April 29, 2000). "The Modern Age". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 18. p. 91. ISSN 0006-2510.
  10. ↑ Interview with John Hampson, Impose, 2003
  11. 1 2 The Madding Crowd (liner notes). Nine Days. US: Epic/550 Music. 2000. BK 63634.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Basham, David (December 4, 2000). "Semisonic, Video Director Have 'Chemistry'". MTV News. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  13. ↑ Ruhlmann, William (May 16, 2000). "The Madding Crowd - Nine Days | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: The Madding Crowd". People. August 28, 2000. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  15. ↑ Fitzgerald, Bridget (May 31, 2016). "Nine Days Sends Snapshots for Sweet 16". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  16. ↑ Green, Lincoln (March 14, 2015). "Nine Days The Madding Crowd". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 16. April 15, 2000. p. 99. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 22. May 27, 2000. p. 159. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  19. 1 2 "Nine Days Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  20. 1 2 "Nine Days – Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Nine Days – Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  22. 1 2 "The Year in Music 2000: Hot 100 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-46. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7180." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  24. 1 2 "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9937." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  25. 1 2 "Nine Days – Absolutely (Story of a Girl)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  26. 1 2 "Top Selling Singles of 2000". Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Nine Days – Absolutely (Story of a Girl)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  28. 1 2 "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  29. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  30. ↑ "Now That's What I Call Music! 5 – Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Summer Songs 1958-2015: The Top 10 Tunes of Each Summer". Billboard. May 8, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  32. ↑ "BDSCertified Spin Awards". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 20. April 15, 2000. p. 87. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Explains It All – Four Year Strong". AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Absolutely (Story of a Girl) – Nine Days". AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7194." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (31.9–6.10 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). October 6, 2000. p. 10. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Nine Days" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Nine Days – Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Nine Days – Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  40. ↑ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-99. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 54.
  42. ↑ "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 38.
  43. ↑ "The Best of 2000: Most Played Triple-A Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 44.
  44. ↑ "Alternative: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1342. March 17, 2000. p. 104.
  45. ↑ "Hot AC: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1344. March 31, 2000. p. 78.
  46. ↑ "Gavin AC/Hot AC: Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2298. March 31, 2000. p. 32.
  47. ↑ "Gavin Top 40/Rhythm Crossover: Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2300. April 14, 2000. p. 7.
  48. ↑ "New Releases – For Week Starting September 25, 2000: Singles". Music Week. September 23, 2000. p. 27.
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