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South Side (song)

{{Short description|2000 single by Moby}}

{{About||songs named Southside|Southside (disambiguation)#Music{{!}}Southside#Music}}

{{Infobox song

| name = South Side

| cover = South Side by Moby and Gwen Stefani US CD single arrow.jpg

| caption = US CD two-track edition

| type = single

| artist = Moby featuring Gwen Stefani

| album = Play

| B-side =

  • "Ain't Never Learned"
  • "The Sun Never Stops Setting"

| released = {{start date|2000|10|10}}

| recorded =

| studio = Moby's home studio (Manhattan, New York)

| genre = Dance-rock{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl"|website= Stereogum |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2208710/the-number-ones-gwen-stefanis-hollaback-girl/columns/the-number-ones/|date= December 23, 2022|access-date= December 24, 2022}}

| length =

  • 3:48 (album version)
  • 3:49 (single version)
  • 3:25 (radio edit)

| label = V2

| writer = Moby

| producer = Moby

| chronology = Moby

| prev_title = Porcelain

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title = Find My Baby

| next_year = 2000

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Gwen Stefani

| type = singles

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| title = South Side

| year = 2000

| next_title = Let Me Blow Ya Mind

| next_year = 2001

}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|GXKg0sNTKXE|"South Side"}}}}

}}

"South Side" is a song written and recorded by American electronica musician Moby. It was released to radio on October 10, 2000, as the seventh single from his fifth studio album, Play. Initially recorded with No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani, production problems forced Moby to leave Stefani's vocals off the mix of the song included on Play; Stefani's vocals were then restored for the song's single release. The drums are sampled from "What's Up Front That Counts" by the Counts.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

Although "South Side" was not released as a single in Europe or Australia, it is one of Moby's most commercially successful singles in North America, becoming his first song to appear on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 14. In Canada, the song reached number three on the Canadian Singles Chart.

Background

In April 2005, Moby stated that "South Side" was inspired by his visits to Chicago and his love for its house music scene, but that its lyrics are intended to be unsettling and imply a connection between getting used to loud music as part of clubbing, and desensitization to violence.{{cite news |url=http://www.suntimes.com/output/derogatis/cst-ftr-moby25.html |title=Moby's infectious gems have no regard for genre |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=25 April 2005 |access-date=27 September 2011 |last=DeRogatis |first=Jim |author-link=Jim DeRogatis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050507072347/http://www.suntimes.com/output/derogatis/cst-ftr-moby25.html |archive-date=May 7, 2005 |url-status=dead }} Speaking to Rolling Stone on the tenth anniversary of its release, he described it as "essentially a song about abject amorality", as well as a "happy sing-along pop song about kids that become so inured to violence and become so desensitized that nothing gets through to them. It's about people who have become so over-exposed to stimuli that nothing matters to them anymore."{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/play-10-years-later-mobys-track-by-track-guide-to-1999s-global-smash-20090702 | title='Play' 10 Years Later: Moby's Track by Track Guide to 1999's Global Smash |magazine=Rolling Stone |location=New York |date=July 2, 2009 |access-date=May 10, 2013 |last=Weingarten |first=Christopher R. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203102423/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/play-10-years-later-mobys-track-by-track-guide-to-1999s-global-smash-20090702 |archive-date=February 3, 2013 |url-status=live}}

During the recording sessions for Moby's fifth studio album Play, Gwen Stefani, lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, offered to perform guest vocals for "South Side". Around the time of the song's recording, No Doubt had recently achieved substantial commercial success with their 1995 album Tragic Kingdom, and Moby reflected that he "couldn't figure out why she'd want to go into the studio with me. She was a big rock star and I was a has-been." Moby was impressed by her vocal performance, but he struggled to produce an adequate mix of the song with her vocals, and ultimately left them off the version included on Play.

Release

"South Side" originally appeared as the fifth track on Play. Moby had managed to tap a friend of his to produce a new mix of "South Side". For the song's release as a single, Stefani's vocals were restored to the song, as originally intended. It was first sent to modern rock and adult contemporary radio in October 2000 and was aired by top 40 stations the following month.{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2000/BB-2000-10-07.pdf|title=End Is Near for Arista/Time Bomb Venture; Moby, Gwen Stefani Duet Due from V2|last=Newman|first=Melinda|magazine=Billboard|volume=112|issue=41|page=12|date=October 7, 2000|access-date=October 9, 2020}}

Chart performance

The song was not released as a single in Europe or Australia, but it was a chart hit in North America. In the United States, the song debuted at number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated December 2, 2000.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2000-12-02|title=The Hot 100 The week of December 2, 2000|publisher=Billboard|access-date=June 21, 2018}} The song broke the top 40 on January 6, 2001, climbing to number 37.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2001-01-06|title=The Hot 100 The week of January 6, 2001|publisher=Billboard|access-date=June 21, 2018}} On the week of May 26, the song reached its peak position of number 14, then exited the chart from number 46 seven weeks later, on the chart dated July 14.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2001-07-07|title=The Hot 100 The week of July 7, 2001|publisher=Billboard|access-date=June 21, 2018}} Altogether, it stayed on the Hot 100 for 32 weeks and appeared at number 33 on Billboard{{'}}s year-end chart for 2001. It was Moby's only appearance on the Hot 100 until 2018, when he appeared as a featured artist on ASAP Rocky's song "ASAP Forever". "South Side" also made appearances on several other Billboard charts, including the Modern Rock Tracks chart—where it reached number three—and the Adult Top 40 chart—where it peaked at number eight.

In Canada, "South Side" was more successful, becoming Moby's second single to chart on the country's prominent national chart, after "Porcelain" on the recently ceased RPM Top Singles chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/list.aspx?OCRText=Moby&ChartEn=Top+Singles&|title=Results: RPM Weekly - "Moby","Top Singles"|work=RPM|date=17 July 2013 |publisher=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=June 22, 2018}} It debuted and peaked at number three on the Canadian Singles Chart on December 9, 2000, then moved down to number four the following week.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-canada-digital-song-sales/2000-12-16|title=Canadian Digital Song Sales The week of December 16, 2000|publisher=Billboard|access-date=June 21, 2018}} It remained in the top 10 for a further 11 weeks, exiting the top 20 on March 31.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-canada-digital-song-sales/2001-03-31|title=Canadian Digital Song Sales The week of March 31, 2001|publisher=Billboard|access-date=June 21, 2018}} It re-entered the chart on the weeks dated April 7–April 14 and April 28,{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-canada-digital-song-sales/2001-04-07|title=Canadian Digital Song Sales The week of April 7, 2001|publisher=Billboard|access-date=June 21, 2018}} and it spent 19 weeks on Canada's chart in total.

Music video

The music video was directed by Joseph Kahn and parodies hip hop and dance music videos. Scenes include Moby in garish fur coats and sunglasses, Moby and Stefani dancing in front of large neon signs of their names, and Moby "traveling" in a convertible with women and bottles of champagne, but the vehicle is not even actually being driven outside of the studio. The video also parodies artful videos with scenes of Moby and Stefani in a bare room, wearing drab clothing and holding a potted sunflower, visually parodying the New York "brick and plant" type of set commonly overused in videos and film.

Other elements observed in the video include Moby expressing discomfort for the fake gold insert used over his teeth. Eventually, he grudgingly adjusts it and walks off the set. Stefani is shown in one scene in front of the neon sign with her name wielding three-inch fingernails. Later, she interrupts the filming (to Moby's feigned disgust) to answer and talk on her cell phone.

Instead of a band, in the background of the video, six "musicians" at translucent computer workstations are shown. The workstation users are visually boring and a poor substitute for the presence of an actual band. The workers act as if they are playing and adjusting the electronica music samples in real-time on their keyboards during the performance, with no apparent enthusiasm whatsoever for the actual music being created. At the end of the video it shows a pot of mayonnaise and burning clothes falling from a rack.

The music video won the 2001 MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video. Coincidentally, Stefani was also a featured singer in the winner for Best Female Video, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" by Eve.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2001/|title=MTV Video Music Awards {{!}} 2001 – Winners|publisher=MTV|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518113232/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2001/|archive-date=May 18, 2016|access-date=October 21, 2020}}

Track listings

  • CD single {{small|(63881-27665-2)}}{{cite AV media notes|title=South Side|others=Moby|year=2000|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=V2 Records|id=63881-27665-2}}
  1. "South Side" {{small|(edit featuring Gwen Stefani)}} – 3:25
  2. "South Side" {{small|(original album version)}} – 3:48
  • Maxi-CD single {{small|(63881-27674-2)}}{{cite AV media notes|title=South Side|others=Moby|year=2000|type=US maxi-CD single liner notes|publisher=V2 Records|id=63881-27674-2}}
  1. "South Side" {{small|(single version featuring Gwen Stefani)}} – 3:49
  2. "South Side" {{small|(Hybrid Dishing Pump remix featuring Gwen Stefani)}} – 8:27
  3. "South Side" {{small|(album version)}} – 3:48
  4. "South Side" {{small|(Peter Heller Park Lane vocal)}} – 8:48
  5. "Ain't Never Learned" – 3:47
  6. "South Side" {{small|(Hybrid Dishing Pump instrumental)}} – 7:54
  7. "The Sun Never Stops Setting" – 4:19
  • 12-inch single {{small|(63881-27676-1)}}{{cite AV media notes|title=South Side|others=Moby|year=2000|type=US 12-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=V2 Records|id=63881-27676-1}}
  1. "South Side" {{small|(Hybrid Dishing Pump remix featuring Gwen Stefani)}} – 8:27
  2. "South Side" {{small|(single version featuring Gwen Stefani)}} – 3:49
  3. "South Side" {{small|(Peter Heller Park Lane vocal)}} – 8:48

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2000–2001)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

scope="row"|Canada (Nielsen SoundScan){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/moby/chart-history/cns/|title=Moby Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 9, 2020}}

|3

{{single chart|Billboardhot100|14|artist=Moby|access-date=December 29, 2015|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|8|artist=Moby|access-date=December 29, 2015|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|3|artist=Moby|access-date=December 29, 2015|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|16|artist=Moby|access-date=December 29, 2015|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboarddancesales|4|artist=Moby|access-date=June 29, 2021|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|15|artist=Moby|access-date=December 29, 2015|rowheader=true}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2001)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|Canada (Nielsen SoundScan){{cite web|url=http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2001_singles.html|title=Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2001|publisher=Jam!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030126204339/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2001_singles.html|archive-date=January 26, 2003|access-date=March 26, 2022}}

|35

scope="row"|Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS){{cite web |url=http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_2001.html |title=BDS CHART : Top 100 of 2001 |publisher=Jam! |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020701174353/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_2001.html |archive-date=July 1, 2002 |access-date=March 26, 2022}}

|47

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA18 |title=The Year in Music 2001: Hot 100 |magazine=Billboard |location=New York |volume=113 |issue=52 |date=December 29, 2001 |access-date=February 25, 2018 |page=YE-40}}

|33

scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA39-IA21 |title=The Year in Music 2001: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks |magazine=Billboard |location=New York |volume=113 |issue=52 |date=December 29, 2001 |access-date=February 25, 2018 |page=YE-82}}

|19

scope="row"|US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine |title=Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2001 |magazine=Airplay Monitor |volume=9 |issue=51 |page=60 |date=December 21, 2001}}

|42

scope="row"|US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA27 |title=The Year in Music 2001: Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales |magazine=Billboard |location=New York |volume=113 |issue=52 |date=December 29, 2001 |access-date=February 25, 2018 |page=YE-49}}

|16

scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA39-IA11 |title=The Year in Music 2001: Hot Modern Rock Tracks |magazine=Billboard |location=New York |volume=113 |issue=52 |date=December 29, 2001 |access-date=February 25, 2018 |page=YE-72}}

|10

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"|United States

|October 10, 2000

|Alternative radio

|rowspan="2"|V2

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2000/RR-2000-10-06.pdf|title=Alternative: Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1371|page=124|date=October 6, 2000|access-date=May 4, 2021}}

October 23, 2000

|Hot adult contemporary radio

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2000/RR-2000-10-20.pdf|title=Hot AC: Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1373|page=93|date=October 20, 2000|access-date=May 4, 2021}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Discogs master|master=29517|name=South Side|type=single}}

{{Moby}}

{{Gwen Stefani songs}}

{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1999 songs

Category:2000 singles

Category:Gwen Stefani songs

Category:Male–female vocal duets

Category:Moby songs

Category:MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video

Category:Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn

Category:Mute Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Moby

Category:Songs written by Moby

Category:V2 Records singles