Updown
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Updown
| type = single
| cover = Piri & Tommy - Updown.png
| alt =
| artist = Piri & Tommy Villiers
| album =
| released = 17 February 2023
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Hyperpop
| length = 2:45
| label = Polydor
| writer =
- Piri
- Tommy Villiers
| producer =
- Tommy Villiers
- Piri
| chronology = Piri & Tommy Villiers
| prev_title = Feel It
| prev_year = 2023
| next_title = Nice 2 Me
| next_year = 2023
| misc =
{{External music video|{{YouTube|5Lg_LR2ypXs|"Updown" (official video)}}}}
}}
"Updown" (stylised in lowercase) is a hyperpop song single by Piri & Tommy Villiers. Released on 17 February 2023 on Polydor Records, the song was written about cowgirl sex and was performed during live sets prior to release. Upon release, the song received airplay from BBC Radio 1 and Capital Dance and was reviewed by reviewers from Impact, Dancing Bears, and Clash. A music video was released on 2 March.
Background
In 2020, just before the second United Kingdom COVID-19 lockdown,{{Cite web |last=J |first=Trixie |date=4 April 2023 |title=Piri and Tommy Rose from Viral Rookies to UK Dance's Next Big Ace |url=https://nexus.radio/news/piri-and-tommy-rose-from-viral-rookies-to-uk-dances-next-big-ace |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722235107/https://nexus.radio/news/piri-and-tommy-rose-from-viral-rookies-to-uk-dances-next-big-ace |archive-date=22 July 2023 |access-date=22 July 2023 |website=Nexus Radio |language=en-US}} Piri matched on Tinder with Tommy Villiers.{{cite news |last1=Helm |first1=Jake |title=Piri and Tommy: meet the rising stars of pop |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/piri-and-tommy-meet-the-rising-stars-of-pop-xbsjrwl8t |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221108175213/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/piri-and-tommy-meet-the-rising-stars-of-pop-xbsjrwl8t |archive-date=8 November 2022 |url-status=live |work=The Times}} A couple of weeks later, one of the band's photographers retweeted one of their photo shoots, prompting her to find his Instagram account and ask him out.{{cite web |title=The Daisy Adams Show w/ Piri and Tommy Villiers 27th October 2021 |url=https://www.mixcloud.com/reformradio/the-daisy-adams-show-w-piri-and-tommy-villiers-27th-october-2021/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213093946/https://www.mixcloud.com/reformradio/the-daisy-adams-show-w-piri-and-tommy-villiers-27th-october-2021/ |archive-date=13 February 2023 |accessdate=13 February 2023 |publisher=Reform Radio}}{{Rp|page=38:07}} They released the mixtape Froge.mp3 in October 2022, which they promoted the following month with Froge.tour.{{cite magazine |date=21 September 2022 |title=piri & tommy have announced their debut project, 'froge.mp3' |url=https://readdork.com/news/piri-tommy-announce-debut-project-froge-mp3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304081850/https://readdork.com/news/piri-tommy-announce-debut-project-froge-mp3/ |archive-date=4 March 2023 |magazine=Dork |accessdate=4 March 2023}} A week after that, they split up and did not talk to each other for several months, reuniting as friends in April 2023.{{Cite web |date=20 September 2023 |title=Piri – Going Viral, Sustaining A Career in Music and Making OnlyFans Content |url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/6oM9yoF8JlHxprs9CzRpje |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016093708/https://open.spotify.com/episode/6oM9yoF8JlHxprs9CzRpje |archive-date=16 October 2023 |access-date=11 October 2023 |website=Utopia Talks}}{{Rp|page=44:25}}
Recording and release
The band recorded "Updown" in early 2022.{{cite web |title=Radio 1's Dance Party with Danny Howard |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001htx8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217202831/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001htx8 |archive-date=17 February 2023 |accessdate=17 February 2023 |website=BBC Sounds}} A hyperpop song, Piri wrote the song about having cowgirl sex with Villiers{{Cite journal |title=Pole Dancing to 170BPM: piri is Reimagining the Rave |journal=Gauchoworld |issue=4 |pages=67}} and made part of the song's chorus, "I take it updown updown updown updown", after accidentally copying and pasting her vocals.{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Tinea |date=5 April 2023 |title=Tinea |url=https://planetradio.co.uk/kiss/player/207538267/ |accessdate=5 April 2023 |website=Kiss}}{{dead link|date=May 2024}} Villiers added a drop to the track during preparation for Piri & Tommy live sets.{{Cite web |title=Capital Dance on X: ". @piri_io_ on THAT drop 🐸 @VilliersTommy" |url=https://x.com/capitaldance/status/1626642061402185729 |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=X}} The band released the song on 17 February 2023,{{Cite web |title=piri & Tommy Villiers premiere new single 'updown' • WithGuitars |url=https://www.withguitars.com/piri-tommy-villiers-premiere-new-single-updown/ |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=www.withguitars.com |language=en-gb}} upon which BBC Radio 1 announced it as that day's "Hottest Record"{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 1 - Radio 1's Dance Party with Danny Howard, Ella Toone House Party Playlist |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001htx8 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} and Capital Dance added it to its playlist.{{Cite web |title=Capital Dance on X: "🆕 playlist's looking bangin' with new music from @Borai_Music @buntmusic_ @CamdenCoxMusic @EmpireOfTheSun @Ritontime @Blessed_Madonna @piri_io_ @VilliersTommy @morgancoledj @DenhamAudio plus our JAM HOT 'What You Say' by Young Marco 🫶" |url=https://x.com/capitaldance/status/1626251709839204352 |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=X}} On 2 March 2023,{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Sam |date=2023-03-02 |title=piri & Tommy Villiers have shared a new video for their latest track, 'updown' |url=https://readdork.com/news/piri-tommy-villiers-video-updown/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Dork |language=en-US}} the band released a video directed by Ayla Spaans.{{Cite web |title=piri & Tommy Villiers unveil video for latest single 'updown' • WithGuitars |url=https://www.withguitars.com/piri-tommy-villiers-unveil-video-for-latest-single-updown/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.withguitars.com |language=en-GB}}
Reception
Izzy Morris reviewed the song twice. Reviewing a Froge.tour concert for LeftLion, she complimented Piri's "exploration of her 'hyperpop era'".{{cite web |title=Gig Review: piri & tommy at The Bodega |url=https://www.leftlion.co.uk/read/2022/november/gig-review-piri-and-tommy-at-bodega |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205094203/https://www.leftlion.co.uk/read/2022/november/gig-review-piri-and-tommy-at-bodega |archive-date=5 February 2023 |accessdate=5 February 2023 |website=LeftLion}} However, when she reviewed the single for Impact, she opined that while the track was "perfectly built for a dancefloor", she found Piri's comparison to other women misogynistic and gave the song 2.5 stars out of 5.{{cite web|url=https://impactnottingham.com/2023/02/new-releases-roundup-singles/|title=New Releases Roundup: Singles|date=22 February 2023 |publisher=Impact Nottingham|accessdate=23 February 2023}} Simon Meyer-Horn of Dancing Bears felt that the song's drop was the best bit of the song, though felt that it was "just a little too light to really get us excited" and opined that Piri's "monotonous vocals" contributed little to the track's "very bland" instrumental.{{Cite web |last=Meyer-Horn |first=Simon |date=2023-02-17 |title=Nieuwe single piri & tommy - "updown" |url=https://www.dansendeberen.be/2023/02/17/nieuwe-single-piri-tommy-updown/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Dansende Beren |language=nl-NL}} A more positive review, however, came from Robin Murray of Clash, who described it as "a dose of rave-fuelled female empowerment" and complimented Piri's "biting vocal" and the track's "daring production elements".{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/piri-tommy-share-ecstatic-new-blaster-updown/|title=piri & Tommy Share Ecstatic New Blaster 'updown'|date=20 February 2023 |publisher=Clash Music|accessdate=20 February 2023}}
Personnel
- Piri – vocals{{cite web |title=Updown – Credits |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/276040596/credits |accessdate=11 June 2023 |publisher=Tidal}}
- Tommy Villiers – production, mixing
- Cass Irvine – mastering
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release history for "Updown" ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Version ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"| Various
| 17 February 2023 | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} | Polydor | {{cite web |title=piri Singles and EPs discography |url=https://open.spotify.com/artist/4DpmPt7gfAAq7WEx0E1X8s/discography/single |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204123745/https://open.spotify.com/artist/4DpmPt7gfAAq7WEx0E1X8s/discography/single |archive-date=4 February 2023 |accessdate=4 February 2023 |website=Spotify}} |
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