| "Smile" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Smile" is Lily Allen's first mainstream single release, and was penned by Lily Allen, I. Babalola and D.Lewis, whilst sampling reggae tracks by the late Jackie Mittoo and Coxsone Dodd. It was the 1037th UK Number 1 Single.
Summary
Allen announced through her MySpace blog that her first official single would be "Smile", taken from her debut album entitled, Alright, Still. The track was sent to radio a few weeks later, and was added to radio playlists immediately. The music video premiered in early June on all mainstream music channels in the UK. Allen also appeared on the cover of The Observer Music Monthly as well as performing on UK TV shows, such as Top Of The Pops.
Smile was released to iTunes UK on 26 June 2006, ahead of the physical CD release on 3 July. It spent most of its first week at number 1 on the iTunes chart before entering at number 13 in the Official UK Top 40. The physical single is backed by two B-sides, including Cheryl Tweedy, a track which has generated publicity, as Allen states she wishes she looked like the Girls Aloud member in the lyrics. The single rose to number 1 in the Official UK Top 40 on 9 July, selling 39,501 copies in that week. It has so far amassed 2 weeks at #1 selling a further 35,228 copies to reach that feat, with heavy challenges of new singles by McFly, Rihanna, James Morrison and Gnarls Barkley for her 3rd week at the top.
Smile is currently the 34th best selling single of 2006, having sold a little over 84,000 copies, sitting a place ahead of Embrace's Nature's Law and a place behind Madonna's 2005 #1 single Hung Up.
The song contains the line "With a Little Help From My Friends", like the Beatles song.
Track listings
- CD1
- "Smile" (Radio Edit) (L. Allen, I. Babalola, D. Lewis) — 3:13
- "Smile" (Aaron LaCrate's Gutter Mix) — 2:59
- CD2
- "Smile" (Radio Edit) — 3:13
- "Cheryl Tweedy" — 3:15
- "Absolutely Nothing" — 4:04
- "Smile" (Video) — 3:13
- 7" Vinyl
- "Smile" (Radio Edit) — 3:13
- "Smile" (Aaron LaCrate's Gutter Mix) — 2:59
Chart performance
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Top 75 Singles | 1 |
| Ireland Top 50 Singles | 6 |
| UK Top 200 Downloads | 8 |
| New Zealand Top 40 | 19 |
Chart trajectories
| UK Top 75 Singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Chart position | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Top 200 Downloads | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Chart position | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland Top 50 Singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Chart position | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland Top 20 Downloads | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Chart position | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RIANZ Top 40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Chart position | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sales
| Week | UK |
|---|---|
| 01 | 9,605 |
| 02 | 39,501 |
| 03 | 35,228 |
| 04 | |
| 05 | |
| Total | 84,334 |
Music Video
The music video, directed by Sophie Muller (who also directed the video of previous UK #1 "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira), shows Lily getting revenge on an ex-boyfriend by paying some thugs to beat him up, and then taking him to a cafe to console him, while some other thugs go and break into his trash his apartment and cut up his vinyls, and she then goes and put laxatives in his coffee so he gets the runs, and then he has to come round to her house because the thugs have blocked up his karzee but she laughs at him behind his back while pretending console him.
Promotion
On the day of the official release of Smile, Lily promoted it by performing and signing at private record store Sister Ray in Soho, London. She performed 4 songs from her debut album Alright, Still on which Smile is found: LDN, Knock 'Em Out, Littlest Things and Smile. This was followed by the signing of the single for fans.
Earlier in the same day, Lily performed in the Live Lounge for Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley's show. She performed an acoustic cover of The Kooks' Naïve, to apologise for insulting them via her Myspace blog. She also performed an acoustic version of Smile.
Lily has also performed Smile on Top Of The Pops.
External Links
 | This music single-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |