"Poison"
Single by Rita Ora
Released18 May 2015 (2015-05-18)
Recorded2014–2015
Genre
Length3:22
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Sir Nolan
Rita Ora singles chronology
"New York Raining"
(2015)		 "Poison"
(2015)		 "Body on Me"
(2015)
Music video
"Poison" on YouTube

"Poison" is a song by British singer Rita Ora. The song was released on 18 May 2015 and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, making it her eighth top-ten song in the UK.

Composition

"Poison" is an EDM and pop number,[1][2][3] and a modern take on a pop power ballad.[4][3][5] It has a moderately fast tempo of 124 beats per minute.[6] "Poison" contains elements of electronic music, combined with a "chewy" pop hook.[7] In an interview for Vice, Ora said that she was baffled by the track being described as EDM-leaning. She felt that it was more passionate and not electronic-sounding at all, and stated "it's more of a rocky, edgy pop record made by a pop star."[8] Aside from the track's crashing production, "Poison" is primarily melodic with soaring, stripped-down vocal performance which spans from the note of G3 to E♭5.[6][9][10]

Set in the key of B-flat major, "Poison" follows a basic chord progression of B♭-B♭/D-E♭add9, and is drum-heavy in its instrumentation throughout.[8][6] The song opens with a tender piano progression.[11][8] Sharp percussion and dark string instrumentation begins playing as the chorus builds in intensity.[11][12] Drums later feature most prominently during the middle eight.[13]

Although upbeat, "Poison" is emotive in tone.[2][14][15] Its lyrical content details pain experienced from a dysfunctional relationship with a backstabbing, toxic love interest.[16][13][14][17][18] Ora said the track was not about any specific individual, but about "bad luck" with love in general and how love is envisaged in a period when it's poisonous.[19][20] Ora said of the song's meaning:

"'Poison is about having something to complain about, and in my world that thing I'm complaining about is love and being 24. You forget what real life is sometimes and it's not about pretending to have an upper hand on someone, it's about knowing the truth and keeping it moving."[21]

Critical reception

"Poison" has received critical acclaim. Jennifer Ruby of the London Evening Standard hailed it as Ora's "pop comeback".[19] Writing in the Liverpool Echo, Jade Wright deemed the track "colossal and extremely addictive", and said that Ora "returned in style".[22] Vibe called it a "dangerous" single, commending Ora's "refreshingly stripped down performance".[10] Tom Richardson of the Gay Times highlighted its "fresh mature sound".[23] The Irish Times named it their track of the week, with Ailbhe Malone writing, "This falls into one of our favourite musical subgenres – the emotional banger".[13] Mark Savage of BBC News deemed it "a fiery foot-stomper".[16] Rap-Up noted the song's "radio-friendly hook".[2] Anne T Donahue of The Guardian opined, "Sorrowful enough to soundtrack summer nights in contemplating old flames, but fast enough to fuel nights out dancing in hope of meeting new ones, this jam could be the bridge Ora needs to secure her mainstream spot in America".[24]

Writing in Time, Nolan Feeney said the track was "synthtastic" and "gives the singer reasons to keep trying", concluding, "This doesn't feel like the mega-smash single that will completely reverse her luck, but its you-ooo-ooh-ooh hook shows she can be a worthy vessel of solid material".[25] Conversely, Dana Rose Falcone of Entertainment Weekly said the single "falls in line" with Ora's "poppy hits", "I Will Never Let You Down" and "How We Do (Party)" (2012).[14] While Lewis Corner and Amy Davidson of Digital Spy commented that it lacked the "instant pull" of "I Will Never Let You Down", but had "solid chart potential nonetheless".[7] Andrew Hampp of Billboard gave "Poison" three out of five stars, and said that it did not "match the playful aesthetic" of "I Will Never Let You Down", but its "belted, from-the-gut chorus may prove to be stickier".[3] Stereogum's Chris DeVille said "Poison" was the "Best Rita Ora song ever", but "a second-rate redux" of Tove Lo's "Timebomb" (2015).[26]

Commercial performance

According to Music Week, "Poison" was number one in "initial sales flashes" of the UK Singles Chart dated for 9 July 2015, but "lost its potency as the week progressed" and was overtaken by Lost Frequencies' "Are You with Me" and Tinie Tempah's "Not Letting Go".[27][28] It subsequently debuted at number three with first-week sales of 55,855 units, marking Ora's eighth top 10 hit in the United Kingdom.[27] The song dropped to number seven the following week with sales of 21,530 units.[29] It registered a sales increase in its third week, selling 34,798 units.[30] On 3 February 2023, it was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of over 600,000 units.[31]

"Poison" entered the Irish Singles Chart issued for 2 July 2015 at number 21, and climbed to a peak of number 18 the following week, becoming Ora's sixth top 20 hit in Ireland.[32][33][34] In Australia, "Poison" debuted at number 74 on the ARIA Singles Chart dated 27 June 2015, and went on to reach a peak of number 30, marking Ora's sixth top 40 hit in the country.[35][36] The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified "Poison" gold for selling 35,000 copies.[37]

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Poison" was first released on Vevo on 3 June 2015 at a total length of four minutes and fifty-three seconds. An additional video was released for the official remix of the song, featuring Krept and Konan, for Hunger TV.

Live performances

Ora first performed "Poison" as part of her sets for Radio 1's Big Weekend 2015 on 24 May 2015, and the Summertime Ball on 7 June 2015.[38][39] She then reprised "Poison" on The Graham Norton Show which aired on 26 June 2015; wearing a black bra, ripped jeans, and a large, fringed black leather jacket.[40] Idolator's Christina Lee wrote that in a live setting, Ora's "powerful vocals [in the song] are more pronounced, to where she sounds like she's taking the subject matter to heart".[5] Writing in the Daily Express, Becca Longmire said Ora "flashed a lot of flesh" with her "revealing" outfit which she felt "arguably overshadowed the music".[40] Ora performed "Poison" at G-A-Y on the day of Pride London on 28 June 2015; where she draped herself in a rainbow flag during the rendition as a nod to Pride London.[41] The same day, she performed the Zdot Remix of the song with Krept and Konan as part of her set for the Wireless Festival.[42] Ora further promoted "Poison" with a performance on The John Bishop Show which aired on 4 July 2015.[43]

Track listings

  • Digital download[44]
  1. "Poison" – 3:22
  • Digital download – Acoustic[45]
  1. "Poison" (Acoustic) – 3:40
  • Digital download – The Remixes[46]
  1. "Poison" (featuring Krept and Konan) [Zdot Remix] – 3:51
  2. "Poison" (Perplexus Remix) – 4:07
  3. "Poison" (David Zowie Remix) – 5:24
  4. "Poison" (Myles James Vocal Remix) – 6:45

Charts

Chart performance for "Poison"
Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[36] 30
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[47] 45
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[48] 42
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[49] 41
Euro Digital Songs (Billboard)[50] 5
Ireland (IRMA)[34] 18
Mexico Inglés Airplay (Billboard)[51] 13
Scotland (OCC)[52] 2
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[53] 51
South Africa (EMA)[54] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[28] 3
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)[55] 85

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Platinum 600,000‡

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

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
France 18 May 2015 Digital download
[44]
Italy [56]
Spain [57]
Italy 12 June 2015 Contemporary hit radio [58]
United States 16 June 2015 Digital download [59]
France 28 June 2015 Digital download – The Remixes [46]
Germany [60]
Italy [61]
Spain [62]
United Kingdom Digital download [63]
Digital download – The Remixes [64]
United States [65]
France 30 June 2015 Digital download – Acoustic [45]
Germany [66]
Italy [67]
Spain [68]
United Kingdom [69]
United States [70]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "We Can't Get Rita Ora's New Track 'Poison' Out Of Our Heads". MTV UK. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "New Music: Rita Ora – 'Poison'". Rap-Up. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Staff, Billboard (22 May 2015). "Best and Worst Singles of the Week -- From Rita Ora to Steven Tyler". Billboard. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Fraser, Holly (24 June 2015). "The Interview: Rita Ora". Hunger TV. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 Lee, Christina (27 June 2015). "Rita Ora Performs 'Poison' On 'The Graham Norton Show': Watch". Idolator. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 "Rita Ora 'Poison' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  7. 1 2 Corner, Lewis; Davidson, Amy (19 May 2015). "Playlist: 10 tracks you need to hear - Rita Ora, Maroon 5, Muse, Conrad". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Barlow, Eve (18 May 2015). "Rita Ora: 'This Is a New Chapter of My Life, I'm Ready to Move On'". Vice. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Gracie, Bianca (18 May 2015). "Rita Ora Releases Her 'Poison' Lyric Video: Watch". Idolator. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Rita Ora Debuts New Single 'Poison'". Vibe. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  11. 1 2 Harper, Simon (29 August 2014). "Complete Control: The Renaissance Of Rita Ora". Clash. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  12. ↑ Wass, Mike (12 May 2015). "Rita Ora's New Single Is Possibly Called 'Poison': Listen To A Snippet Of The New Track". Idolator. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 Malone, Ailbhe (16 June 2015). "Pop Corner: Rita Ora releases an emotional banger". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 Falcone, Dana Rose (18 May 2015). "Rita Ora's latest single is 'Poison'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  15. ↑ Adu-Yeboah, Florence (7 August 2015). "Rita Ora Dedicates New Song 'Poison' to a Famous Ex-Boyfriend". International Business Times. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  16. 1 2 Savage, Mark (2 July 2015). "'I threw up twice': Rita Ora on her Oscars ordeal, the X Factor and new music". BBC News. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  17. ↑ Vena, Jocelyn (18 May 2015). "Hear Rita Ora's New Single 'Poison'". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  18. ↑ Martin, Annie (3 June 2015). "Rita Ora breaks free in 'Poison' music video". United Press International. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  19. 1 2 Ruby, Jennifer (3 June 2015). "Rita Ora makes pop comeback as she stars as model in emotional new video for single Poison". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  20. ↑ Goodfellow, Mollie (7 August 2015). "Rita Ora uses new single Poison to hit out at an ex-boyfriend". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  21. ↑ Davidson, Amy (10 June 2015). "Rita Ora's 'Poison' now has an official remix courtesy of Krept & Konan". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  22. ↑ Wright, Jade (6 July 2015). "X Factor judge Rita Ora joins Radio City Summer Live". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  23. ↑ Richardson, Tom. "Rita Ora announces upcoming release of new single Poison". Gay Times. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  24. ↑ Donahue, Anne T (26 June 2015). "This week's new tracks: Jack Antonoff is making the indie pop of your dreams". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  25. ↑ Feeney, Nolan (14 May 2015). "Hear Rita Ora's New Song 'Poison'". Time. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  26. ↑ DeVille, Chris (21 May 2015). "The Week In Pop: Tori Kelly Is Evidence That Sometimes The Machine Gets It Right". Stereogum. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  27. 1 2 Jones, Alan (6 July 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Lionel Richie jumps to No.1 after Glastonbury appearance". Music Week. Retrieved 22 August 2015.(subscription required)
  28. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  29. ↑ Jones, Alan (10 July 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Ed Sheeran tops albums, David Zowie nabs No.1 single". Music Week. Retrieved 22 August 2015. (subscription required)
  30. ↑ Jones, Alan (17 July 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Little Mix score No.1 single, Years & Years debut LP lands on top". Music Week. Retrieved 22 August 2015. (subscription required)
  31. 1 2 "British single certifications – Rita Ora – Poison". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  32. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track". GfK Chart-Track. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  33. ↑ "Discography Rita Ora". irishcharts.com. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  34. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Poison". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  35. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (30 May 2015). "ARIA Singles: Taylor Swift Bad Blood Is No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  36. 1 2 "Rita Ora – Poison". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  37. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  38. ↑ "Did Rita Ora Take A Swipe At Calvin Harris At Radio 1's Big Weekend?!". MTV UK. 25 May 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  39. ↑ "The Capital FM Summertime Ball reviewed: all of the news, gossip and more". Irish Examiner. 7 June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  40. 1 2 Longmire, Becca (26 June 2015). "Rita Ora wears just a bra and ripped jeans on Graham Norton Show". Daily Express. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  41. ↑ Coyle, Hayley (28 June 2015). "Rita Ora flashes the flesh in sheer black leotard at G-A-Y performance". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  42. ↑ Kilikita, Jacqueline (29 June 2015). "Wireless Festival 10th Anniversary roundup: Rita Ora, Drake & Katy B!". Reveal. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  43. ↑ "Episode 6". The John Bishop Show. Season 1. Episode 6. 4 July 2015. BBC One.
  44. 1 2 "Poison: Rita Ora" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  45. 1 2 "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  46. 1 2 "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  47. ↑ "Rita Ora – Poison" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  48. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201533 into search. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  49. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201531 into search. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  50. ↑ "Rita Ora – Chart history (Euro Digital Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  51. ↑ "Mexico Ingles Airplay: Jul 25, 2015". Billboard. Retrieved 22 August 2015. (subscription required)
  52. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  53. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201530 into search. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  54. ↑ "EMA Top 10 Airplay: Week Ending 2015-08-11". Entertainment Monitoring Africa. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  55. ↑ "Ukraine Airplay Chart for 2015-06-15." TopHit. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  56. ↑ "Poison: Rita Ora" (in Italian). Amazon.it. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  57. ↑ "Poison: Rita Ora" (in Spanish). Amazon.es. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  58. ↑ "Poison - Rita Ora" (in Italian). radioairpaly.fm. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  59. ↑ "Poison: Rita Ora". Amazon. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  60. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  61. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora" (in Italian). Amazon.it. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  62. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora" (in Spanish). Amazon.es. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  63. ↑ "Poison: Rita Ora". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  64. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  65. ↑ "Poison (The Remixes): Rita Ora". Amazon. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  66. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  67. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora" (in Italian). Amazon.it. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  68. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic)" (in Spanish). Amazon.es. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  69. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  70. ↑ "Poison (Acoustic): Rita Ora". Amazon. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
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