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Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)

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"Big Girl (song)" redirects here. For other uses, seeBig Girl (disambiguation).
"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)"
SinglebyMika
from the albumLife in Cartoon Motion
B-side"Instant Martyr"
Released23 July 2007(2007-07-23)
Recorded2006
Genre
Length
  • 4:10(album version)
  • 3:09 (radio edit)
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)
  • Mika
  • Jodi Marr
  • John Merchant
  • Andres Orue
  • Dan Warner
Producer(s)Greg Wells
Mikasingles chronology
"Love Today"
(2007) 		"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)"
(2007) 		"Happy Ending"
(2007)
Music video
"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)"on YouTube

"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)"is the fourth single from the debut albumLife in Cartoon Motionof singerMika.It reached number 9 in the UK charts after it was released on 23 July 2007. It was inspired by, and written for, the Butterfly Lounge, the firstSize AcceptancenightclubinOrange County, California.[1]The club is mentioned specifically in the lyrics "Get yourself to the Butterfly Lounge. Find yourself a big lady", and is now their theme song.[2]A B-side of the single is "Standing in the Way of Control".

The song was met with mixed reviews frommusic critics.The song peaked at number 9 in the United Kingdom (his third top 10 hit in that country), and reached the top ten in Ireland, Finland, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Background and writing

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Many people speculate that Mika wrote the song as a tribute toQueen's "Fat Bottomed Girls",but in promotional materials forLife in Cartoon Motion,he states that this is not the case at all:

"I was flying toLos Angelesthe next day and I can never sleep because I hate flying so much. So I was watching trashy television, it was two o'clock in the morning, aVictoria Wooddocumentary onChannel 4.It was about fat people in the United States and she visited a club called The Butterfly Lounge, which was the first place of its kind, a club for larger women to hang out in. Skinny women were not being allowed in. The women were amazing and I absolutely felt as if I had to write about them. I muted the television and wrote it straight away. I never expected it on the album, but a few weeks later we recorded it and it's now there. So it is one of my favourite tracks and brilliant to play live. Everyone sings along! "[3]

The song featuresAfro-pop-inspired guitars and harmonies.[4]

Critical reception

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The song received mostly mixed reviews from music critics. Beth Johnson fromEntertainment Weeklyreferred to the song as "an update of Queen's 'Fat Bottomed Girls'."[5]Sal Cinquemani fromSlant Magazineagreed, writing that the song "is nothing if not a disco-fied exaltation toQueen's'Fat Bottomed Girls'. "[6]John Murphy frommusicOMHwrote a negative review, saying that the song is "an ode to the delights of the larger lady, wraps up its laudable message inside a tune that grates in the worst possible way."[7]Graham Griffith fromAboutwrote that "the disco-lite 'Big Girl (You Are Beautiful),' which includes an admirable sentiment, fails to distinguish itself otherwise."[8]Liz Colville fromPitchforksaid that it is "a pumping, chorus-infested jam session complete with gospel backup singers that tragically feels the need to reassure big girls they can be beautiful."[9]

Lizzie Ennever fromBBC Musicwrote a positive review, saying that the track is "upbeat, poppy, all-singing, all-dancing, big-band."[10]Alexander Berntsen from Sputnikmusic wrote a positive review, saying that the song is "an incredibly fun (and happy!) tune, a genius moment. Hilarious indeed."[11]

Music video

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The video was filmed on 19 May 2007 inCroydonand features several curvy women dancing downCroydon High Street,Surrey Street Market,and outsideCroydon Collegein corsets and short dresses.[12]The finale of the video features a whole gathering of curvy women celebrating.

In pop culture

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Mika has also rerecorded the track as the promo theme for the second season of the American comedy-drama seriesUgly Betty,but with altered lyrics to say "Hey, Betty, you are beautiful" in its chorus.[13]Mika explained to the Sun newspaper: "Betty is a real fashion icon and we should celebrate anyone like her – genuine individuals who stay true to their own identity. That's what 'Big Girl' is all about so it was the perfect fit to change the song for her. It was a huge honor to be asked to do it. I love the show."[3]In Australia, Crazy John TV advertisements used a sample of this song. In Spain, theGalicianTV stationTelevisión de Galiciaused samples of this song in the showO show dos Tonechos.The song is featured in theUbisoftvideo gamesJust Dance 2for theNintendo WiiandJust Dance Now(with a remake), and the same remake was later pushed to Unlimited, alongside the launch ofJust Dance 2016.

Track listing

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UK CD single

  1. "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" – 4:10
  2. "Instant Martyr"
  3. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (Live)
  4. "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" (Tom Middleton Remix) – 5:52

Limited edition 7 "single

  1. "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" – 4:10
  2. "Standing in the Way of Control" (Live) (From Radio 1's Big Weekend)

UK 12 "vinyl

  1. "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" (Tom Middleton Remix) – 5:52
  2. "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" (Bonde Do Role Remix) – 3:48
  3. "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" (Lo-Fi-Fnk Remix) – 6:12
  4. "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" (Hick Nurdman Remix) – 5:44

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[41] Gold 35,000^
Belgium (BEA)[42] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] Gold 400,000‡

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

Just Dance 2

References

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  1. ^"BFLMIKA02".Butterfly Lounge.Archived fromthe originalon 18 September 2010.Retrieved15 July2010.
  2. ^"UK Singer Mika and the Butterfly Lounge".Fattie Gossip.3 July 2007.Retrieved15 July2010.
  3. ^ab"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) by Mika Songfacts".Songfacts.Retrieved6 March2012.
  4. ^Phares, Heather."Life in Cartoon Motion - Mika".AllMusic.All Media Network.Retrieved7 March2012.
  5. ^Johnson, Beth (30 March 2007)."Life in Cartoon Motion Review".Entertainment Weekly.Time Inc.Archived fromthe originalon 30 May 2013.Retrieved5 March2012.
  6. ^Cinquemani, Sal (17 March 2007)."Mika: Life in Cartoon Motion | Music Review | Slant Magazine".Slant Magazine.Retrieved6 March2012.
  7. ^Murphy, John (5 February 2007)."Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion | album reviews | musicOMH".MusicOMH.Archived fromthe originalon 11 October 2012.Retrieved6 March2012.
  8. ^"MIKA - Life in Cartoon Motion".About.Archived fromthe originalon 16 October 2011.Retrieved6 March2012.
  9. ^Colville, Liz (17 April 2007)."Mika: Life in Cartoon Motion | Album Reviews | Pitchfork".Pitchfork.Retrieved8 March2012.
  10. ^Ennever, Lizzie (2 February 2007)."BBC – Music – Review of Mika – Life in Cartoon Motion".BBC.Retrieved6 March2012.
  11. ^Berntsen, Alexander (10 February 2007)."Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion (album review) | Sputnikmusic".Sputnikmusic.Retrieved9 March2012.
  12. ^Menhinnitt, Daniel (12 July 2007)."Watch Mika's Croydon video".Sutton & Croydon Guardian.Retrieved11 February2021.
  13. ^"Mika's Ugly Moment".Sky Showbiz. 16 August 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 26 January 2009.Retrieved15 July2010.
  14. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) ".ARIA Top 50 Singles.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  15. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) "(in German).Ö3 Austria Top 40.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  16. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) "(in Dutch).Ultratop 50.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  17. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) "(in French).Ultratop 50.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  18. ^"Mika Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)".Billboard.Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  19. ^"ČNS IFPI "(in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 45. týden 2007 in the date selector.
  20. ^"Mika: Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) "(in Finnish).Musiikkituottajat.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  21. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) "(in German).GfK Entertainment charts.Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  22. ^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ "(in Hungarian).Dance Top 40 lista.Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  23. ^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ "(in Hungarian).Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista.Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  24. ^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) ".Irish Singles Chart.Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  25. ^"Perdono", Italian and Swiss singles chartsItaliancharts(Retrieved 9 December 2008)
  26. ^"Nederlandse Top 40 – Mika "(in Dutch).Dutch Top 40.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  27. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) "(in Dutch).Single Top 100.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  28. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) ".VG-lista.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  29. ^"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  30. ^"ČNS IFPI "(in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: insert 200745 into search.
  31. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) ".Singles Top 100.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  32. ^"Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) ".Swiss Singles Chart.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  33. ^"Official Singles Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  34. ^"Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2007"(in German).GfK Entertainment.Retrieved13 April2020.
  35. ^"Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2007".Dutch Top 40.Retrieved13 April2020.
  36. ^"Jaaroverzichten – Single 2007"(in Dutch).MegaCharts.Retrieved13 April2020.
  37. ^"End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007".Official Charts Company.Retrieved13 April2020.
  38. ^"ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2008".Australian Recording Industry Association.Retrieved13 April2020.
  39. ^"Jaaroverzichten 2008"(in Dutch). Ultratop.Retrieved13 April2020.
  40. ^"Rapports Annuels 2008"(in French). Ultratop.Retrieved13 April2020.
  41. ^"ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Singles"(PDF).Australian Recording Industry Association.Retrieved23 November2017.
  42. ^"Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2008".Ultratop.Hung Medien.Retrieved23 November2017.
  43. ^"British single certifications – Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)".British Phonographic Industry.Retrieved19 April2024.
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