"Radioactive"
Single by Rita Ora
from the album Ora
Released27 August 2012 (2012-08-27)
Genre
Length4:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Greg Kurstin
  • Sia Furler
Rita Ora singles chronology
"Shine Ya Light"
(2012)		 "Radioactive"
(2012)		 "Lay Down Your Weapons"
(2013)
Music video
"Radioactive" on YouTube

"Radioactive" is a song by English singer Rita Ora from her debut studio album, Ora (2012). The song was written and produced by Greg Kurstin and Sia Furler. It was released as the fourth single from the album for digital download and streaming by Columbia and Roc Nation in the United States on 27 August 2012. A rhythmic upbeat neo-disco, pop and urban song, it received mixed to positive responses from music critics, who mostly applauded the music, sound and Ora's vocal delivery. The song reached the top 30 in Australia, the Flemish region of Belgium, Ireland, Scotland and the United Kingdom. It received a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the UK and a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in Australia. A futuristic and science fiction-inspired music video for "Radioactive" premiered on 10 December 2012, depicting her as a robotic femme fatale in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The video was well received by critics, with praise concentrated on Ora's appearance and fashion.

Background and composition

"Radioactive" was written and produced by American producer Greg Kurstin and Australian singer Sia Furler.[1] Columbia and Roc Nation distributed it as the fourth single of Ora's debut studio album Ora for digital download and streaming in the United States on 27 August 2012.[2][3] Several remixes, which were done by Baggi Begovic, Lucien Foort, the Flexican, Waze & Odyssey and Zed Bias, accompanied the single's release as part of an extended play (EP) in Ireland and the United Kingdom on 8 February 2013.[4] Musically, "Radioactive" is a rhythmic upbeat neo-disco, pop and urban song with a house production,[5][6][7] starting with a 30-second opener and finishing with an electro sound.[8][9]

Reception

Upon release, "Radioactive" received mixed to positive responses from music critics. Entertainment Focus' Carys Jones praised Ora's vocal delivery and the song's music, writing that "[it] sounds like Rita Ora, Jennifer Lopez, [Rihanna] and Nicki Minaj have all put their magic ingredients of creating a hit together into one big pot and served up a great big helping of urban-pop magic."[8] Sam Lansky from Idolator viewed the song as the "standout" from Ora and highlighted its "pounding" production and "soaring" chorus.[9] Amy Everett for Red similarly branded the song as a "standout" from the album and described it as a "dance anthem" with a "strong catchy" chorus.[10] Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of Spin labeled the song as a "great [...] house bow" saying that "[it] winches nicely with Ora's [...] vocals."[11] Robert Copsey from Digital Spy complimented the song's "euphoric" synths and "thumping" electro bass and explained that "Ora tak[es] on the role of [a] club diva."[12] Alex Macpherson for Fact commented that Ora "attempt[ed] to cop the second-hand swag of every big name she can think of, [including] Lady Gaga's machinic hedonism on ['the song']."[13] Lucy Jones of NME further commented, "Oh Wizadora, Kia-Ora, Understudy Rihanna, etc. 'We Found Love' this is not."[14]

As Ora's sixth charting single in the UK, "Radioactive" debuted at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart issue dated 26 January 2013 and reached its peak at number 18 two weeks later.[15][16] In 2022, it received a silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 200,000 units in the UK.[17] The song also reached number 12 on the Scottish Singles Chart and number 30 on the Irish Singles Chart.[18][19] In Australia, it peaked at number 23 on the ARIA Singles Chart and also received a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling more than 35,000 units.[20][21] Elsewhere, the song reached number 20 in the Flemish region of Belgium and number 27 on the Billboard Global Dance Songs ranking.[22][23]

Music video

An accompanying music video was uploaded to Ora's official YouTube channel on 10 December 2012.[24] Behind-the-scenes footage from various stages of filming the video was published on the aforementioned platform on 19 December.[25] The four-minute and 22-second futuristic and science fiction-inspired video was directed by American director James Larese of Syndrome.[26][27] It depicts the singer as a robotic femme fatale in a post-apocalyptic landscape and a world of spaceships.[7][26][27] In a blue and purple alternating scene, Ora is first shown dancing in front of nuclear-projected clouds and forming a triangle with her hands.[24] The title of the song and several animated circles above and next to her subsequently start to appear, which in turn were described as forming a high-tech compass. Next, the video cuts into a red-lit scene, in which the singer spins in a floating chair against a backdrop of industrial waste accompanied by two guards next to her, who wear gasmaks and hold torn flags.[24][28] The proceeding scene portrays Ora in a high-tech surrounding with animated figures being created throughout. Towards the end, it shows the singer riding through a tunnel on a Tron-labeled motorbike. These scenes are interspersed with shots of Ora's face attached to a cybernetic and robotic headpiece rotating in an orange and red-lit setting.[24][28][29]

Both Vicki Valery from Vibe and Shepherd from Spin commended Ora's attire worn in the video and created by American designer Asher Levine.[30][11] On a similar note, Max Cajé for Finíssimo lauded her fashion as "daring" and "very futuristic", writing that she appeared "with a very different look from the R&B style we are used to".[31] While complimenting Ora's styling, Lansky of Idolator stated that the settings and effects used in the video were "intended to look futuristic" but felt that "they just look[ed] campy".[9]

Track listing

  • Digital download and streaming[2]
  1. "Radioactive" – 4:11
  • Digital download and streaming – Extended play (EP)[4]
  1. "Radioactive" – 4:11
  2. "Radioactive" (Zed Bias Remix) – 6:16
  3. "Radioactive" (Waze & Odyssey Remix) – 6:44
  4. "Radioactive" (The Flexican Remix) – 5:08
  5. "Radioactive" (Baggi Begovic Remix) – 5:46
  6. "Radioactive" (Lucien Foort Remix) – 6:22

Charts

Chart performance for "Radioactive"
Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[20] 23
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[22] 20
CIS (TopHit)[32] 170
Global Dance Songs (Billboard)[23] 27
Ireland (IRMA)[19] 30
Scotland (OCC)[18] 12
UK Singles (OCC)[16] 18

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Radioactive"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[21] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Silver 200,000‡

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

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Radioactive"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 27 August 2012
  • Digital download
  • streaming
  • Columbia
  • Roc Nation
Ireland 8 February 2013
United Kingdom

References

  1. ↑ "Radioactive – Song by Rita Ora". Spotify. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022. Note: Click on the three dots on the right of the track to display the credits.
  2. 1 2 3 "Radioactive – Single by Rita Ora". Apple Music (United States). 27 August 2013. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Copsey, Robert (12 December 2012). "Rita Ora: 'Radioactive' – Music Video". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Citations regarding the release of "Radioactive" by Rita Ora in various selected countries:
  5. ↑ "Rita Ora : Radioactive, son nouveau clip futuriste". Pure Trend (in French). 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. ↑ O'Brien, Jon (17 September 2012). "Rita Ora 'Ora' album review". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Rita Ora Gets Futuristic In 'Radioactive' Music Video". Capital. 10 December 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  8. 1 2 Jones, Carys (8 February 2013). "Rita Ora – Radioactive Single Review". Entertainment Focus. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Lansky, Sam (10 December 2012). "Rita Ora's 'Radioactive' Video: The Pop Star Gets Galactic". Idolator. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  10. ↑ Everett, Amy (29 August 2022). "Rita Ora – Ora Review". Red. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  11. 1 2 Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (12 December 2012). "Rita Ora Dons Asher Levine In 'Radioactive' Video". Spin. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  12. ↑ Copsey, Robert (18 January 2013). "Rita Ora: 'Radioactive' – Single Review". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  13. ↑ Macpherson, Alex (5 September 2012). "Ora". Fact. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  14. ↑ Jones, Lucy (6 February 2013). "Rita Ora – 'Radioactive'". NME. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  15. ↑ "Rita Ora | full Official Chart History". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  17. 1 2 "British single certifications – Rita Ora – Radioactive". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  19. 1 2 "Chart Track: Week 5, 2013". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  20. 1 2 "Rita Ora – Radioactive". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  21. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Rita Ora – Radioactive" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  23. 1 2 "Chart History: Rita Ora – Global Dance Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Rita Ora – Radioactive | Official Music Video". Rita Ora. 10 December 2012. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022 – via YouTube.
  25. ↑ "Rita Ora – Radioactive | Behind The Scenes". Rita Ora. 19 December 2012. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022 – via YouTube.
  26. 1 2 Weiss, Sam (10 December 2012). "Video: Rita Ora 'Radioactive'". Complex. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  27. 1 2 "Video: Rita Ora – 'Radioactive'". Rap-Up. 12 October 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  28. 1 2 Girard, Keith (10 December 2012). "Rita Ora Shoots Into Space for New 'Radioactive' Video". The New York Independent. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  29. ↑ "Rita Ora – 'Radioactive' (Official Video)". Capital. 10 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  30. ↑ Valery, Vicki (26 January 2013). "Rita Ora Rocks an Asher Levine Bodysuit in 'Radioactive' [Video]". Vibe. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  31. ↑ Cajé, Max (10 December 2012). "Rita Ora está futurista e Illuminati em seu novo clipe". Finíssimo (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  32. ↑ Rita Ora — Radioactive. TopHit. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
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