Kick Ass (We Are Young)

{{short description|2010 single by Mika vs. RedOne}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2012}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Kick Ass (We Are Young)

| cover = MikavsRedOneKickAss.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Mika vs. RedOne

| album = Kick-Ass: Music from the Motion Picture

| released = 2 May 2010

| recorded = 2010

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Electropop

| length = 3:12

| label = {{hlist|Casablanca|Polydor}}

| writer = {{hlist|Mika|Jodi Marr}}

| producer = RedOne

| chronology = Mika

| prev_title = Blame It on the Girls

| prev_year = 2010

| next_title = Elle me dit

| next_year = 2011

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = RedOne

| type = single

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| title = Kick Ass (We Are Young)

| year = 2010

| next_title = A-Ricky-Kee

| next_year = 2014

}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|Qm9d5wAXW5c|"Kick Ass (We Are Young)"|link=no}}}}

}}

"Kick Ass (We Are Young)" is a song by English singer Mika and Moroccan-Swedish record producer RedOne released as a single from the soundtrack to the film Kick-Ass.[http://www.mikasounds.com/news/view/783/Mikas_new_KICK-ASS_single MikaSounds / Latest News / Mika's new 'KICK-ASS' single] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726172557/http://mikasounds.com/news/view/783/Mikas_new_KICK-ASS_single/ |date=26 July 2012 }} MikaSounds.com - 1 March 2010 - Retrieved 6 April 2010 It was released on 2 May 2010.

Background

At the European premiere of Kick-Ass in London, Mika said: {{cquote|I have never written a song for a movie, I've had songs in movies which is always weird, you know? When you see faces you've grown up with kind of walking down the street to one of your songs. Feels like they've stolen it! But this one, [the producers of Kick-Ass] called me in, they made me watch the movie and then gave me three days to write the song. So, I was slightly terrified...It's written completely for the film. I loved the film. It panders to all my weird obsessions and perversions. It's demented! It's wrong in every way, that's why it's so right.|200|50|Mika[http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/03/23/exclusive-interview-with-mika-working-on-the-kick-ass-soundtrack/ Exclusive Interview with Mika – Working on the Kick-Ass Soundtrack : HeyUGuys – UK Movie Blog] heyuguys.co.uk - 23 March 2010 - Retrieved 6 April 2010.}}

Reception

Robert Copsey from Digital Spy gave the song four stars out of five saying the song's verses "have all the usual Mika ingredients – a handful of quirky lyrics, a dash of piano and a sprinkling of his trademark wail – and it's only when the chorus kicks in that we hear the RedOne effect." He also praised the collaboration saying it "actually works remarkably well, creating a pop stomper that's empowering, oh-so-contemporary and packed with personality".Copsey, Robert [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/singlesreviews/a210264/mika-kick-ass.html Music - Singles Review - Mika: 'Kick-Ass' - Digital Spy] Digital Spy 23 March 2010 - Retrieved 6 April 2010 Contemporary music website Popjustice also gave the song a positive review, after what was seemingly going to be a negative one, they ended it with "Guess what – 'Kick-Ass' is also AMAZING".{{cite web|url=http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4534&Itemid=9|title=Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music • Popjustice}} However, the song has also been met with some criticism, with people pointing out that the chorus is very similar, lyrically, to that of "Young" by Hollywood Undead.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}

Music video

The video for the single shows Mika as a helpless individual left in an alleyway after being mugged.{{YouTube|Qm9d5wAXW5c|MIKA - Kick Ass}} He begins to sing and as he does, the words of empowerment in the lyrics and his finding of an issue of the "Kick-Ass" comic inspire him to run for the rooftops and wail the chorus to the sky, now dressed in a slightly more superhero version of his "original persona" outfit. As is the norm with most soundtrack singles, the video features intercut scenes from the film. It was shot at Black Island Studios, London.

Track listing

  • Digital download{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/kick-ass-ep/id363783794|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207051023/http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/kick-ass-ep/id363783794|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 December 2010|title=Kick Ass (International Version) - Single by MIKA & RedOne|website=iTunes|date=January 2010}}
  1. "Kick Ass (We Are Young)" – 3:14
  2. "I See You" – 4:16
  3. "Blame It on the Girls" (live from the iTunes Festival 2009) – 3:27
  4. "Kick Ass (We Are Young)" (music video)
  • CD single{{Cite web |url=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mika-Vs-Redone-Kick-Ass-3-Track-CD-Promo-Cutmore-Mixes-/140452852235?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item20b3a4720b |title=Mika Vs Redone Kick Ass 3 Track CD Promo Cutmore Mixes | eBay |access-date=9 January 2012 |archive-date=4 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304061836/http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mika-Vs-Redone-Kick-Ass-3-Track-CD-Promo-Cutmore-Mixes-/140452852235?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item20b3a4720b |url-status=dead }}
  1. "Kick Ass (We Are Young)" (Cutmore Vocal Mix) – 5:58
  2. "Kick Ass (We Are Young)" (Cutmore Dub) – 6:01
  3. "Kick Ass (We Are Young)" (Cutmore Radio Edit) – 3:24

Chart performance

The song received very little airplay in the UK, resulting in a low peak position, but in Ireland, where it received a substantial amount of airplay, it charted at number seven. In Italy, it peaked at number five and it was certified platinum by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana, for digital sales exceeding 30,000 units.{{Cite certification | region=Italy|type=single | accessdate = 2 April 2013}}

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=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (2010)

!Peak
position

{{singlechart|Austria|54|artist=Mika vs. Redone|song=Kick Ass|accessdate=2010-10-03}}
{{singlechart|Flanders|8|artist=Mika vs. Redone|song=Kick Ass|accessdate=2010-10-03}}
{{singlechart|Wallonia|5|artist=Mika vs. Redone|song=Kick Ass|accessdate=2010-10-03}}
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100 Oficiální){{cite web|url=http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparadask/index.php?a=titul&hitparada=18&titul=146083&sec=789a569ed081a9f0793f6435565e64e9|title=RADIO TOP100 Oficiální Czech Republic - Mika - Kick Ass|publisher=International Federation of the Phonographic Industry|accessdate=2010-05-19}}

| style="text-align:center;"|21

{{singlechart|Germany|54|artist=Mika vs. RedOne|song=Kick Ass (We Are Young)|songid=692448}}
{{singlechart|Ireland|7|artist=Mika vs. Redone|song=Kick Ass|year=2010|week=18|accessdate=2010-10-03}}
{{singlechart|Italy|5|artist=Mika vs. Redone|song=Kick Ass|accessdate=2010-10-03}}
{{singlechart|Switzerland|56|artist=Mika vs. Redone|song=Kick Ass|accessdate=2010-10-03}}
{{singlechart|UK|84|artist=Mika|song=Kick Ass|date=20100515|accessdate=2010-10-03}}
{{singlechart|Billboarddanceclubplay|13|artist=Mika vs Redone|Song=Kick Ass|artistid=710017}}

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=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (2010)

!Position

Belgium (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2010|title=Jaaroverzichten 2010|publisher=Ultratop|accessdate=17 August 2020}}

| style="text-align:center;"|55

Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2010|title=Rapports Annuels 2010|publisher=Ultratop|accessdate=17 August 2020}}

| style="text-align:center;"|39

Italy (FIMI){{cite web|url=http://www.fimi.it/dett_ddmercato.php?id%3D73 |title=FIMI - Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana - Ricerche e dati di mercato |accessdate=2011-01-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121160735/http://www.fimi.it/dett_ddmercato.php?id=73 |archivedate=21 January 2011 }}

| style="text-align:center;"|35

{{col-end}}

References