"Fidelity" is a song by American singer-songwriter Regina Spektor, released as the second single from her fourth album Begin to Hope. The song marked Spektor's first and only Billboard 100 entry and is her most successful track to date. Despite a release date of September 25 (its popular music video was released even earlier), the song did not hit the charts until December. The song was released in the UK as a two-part single on March 12, 2007. The song makes it Spektor's highest-charting single across the world.

"Fidelity"
Single by Regina Spektor
from the album Begin to Hope
Released2006
Genre
Length3:46
LabelSire
Songwriter(s)Regina Spektor
Producer(s)Regina Spektor, David Kahne
Regina Spektor singles chronology
"On the Radio"
(2006)
"Fidelity"
(2006)
"Better"
(2007)
Music video
"Fidelity" on YouTube

Spektor wrote the song while watching the movie High Fidelity, which is based on a book by Nick Hornby.

The single was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies.[1] and single released from her album Begin to Hope which was her most successful single in United States. As of 2009 the single has sold 716,000 copies in United States.[2]

Music video edit

It is directed by Marc Webb. The video features Spektor in a black and white dress in an abstract environment enjoying tea alone. The room and decor are also black and white. As the video progresses, an empty suit is shown, which Spektor converses with as though it were a real companion. Near the end of the video, Spektor drops a heart pendant on the ground, revealing colored dust. A man (played by Scoot McNairy) appears in the suit, and the two then play with the dust, and join hands as the video ends.

Track listing edit

UK CD 1
  1. "Fidelity"
  2. "Music Box"
UK CD 2
  1. "Fidelity"
  2. "Music Box"
  3. "December"
  4. "Fidelity" (Enhanced Video)
UK digital download/AUS CD
  1. "Fidelity"
  2. "Music Box"
  3. "December"

Chart performance edit

"Fidelity" initially made an appearance on the Billboard Bubbling Under chart at #8 (The equivalent to a #108) on December 6. Two weeks later, Spektor made her first appearance in her career on the Billboard Hot 100 as "Fidelity" entered at #98. It climbed for the following two weeks before disappearing and then reappearing at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #36 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs in early 2007.

Fidelity debuted on the New Zealand RIANZ charts at #16, because digital downloads had been added in the week of its debut.[3] This song would have achieved a higher placing if digital downloads had been included earlier, as shown by the single's concurrent top ranking at the New Zealand iTunes Store.

In 2009, the popularity of Spektor's single "Laughing With" caused a revival in sales of Fidelity, bringing it to #55 on the Alternative Songs Chart on US iTunes.

Charts edit

Chart (2006) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 50
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5] 16
UK Singles (OCC)[6] 45
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 51
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[8] 33
US Billboard Pop 100[citation needed] 46

In popular culture edit

In 2009, the song was used with permission as accompaniment to the video, "Don't divorce us", released by the Courage Campaign against Proposition 8.[9] The video was viewed over 500,000 times in a week.[10]

In the 2010 20th Century Fox film Love & Other Drugs, directed by Edward Zwick, the song can be heard as the film's credits are rolled.

The song was also used in Veronica Mars, Brothers & Sisters, A Favorita, Grey's Anatomy, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 27 Dresses, Love & Other Drugs, and Las Vegas (TV series).

References edit

  1. ^ "RIAA Certifications for Regina Spektor". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  2. ^ "Billboard". 2009-06-06.
  3. ^ "New Zealand's music chart embraces digital". 2007-05-23. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  4. ^ "Regina Spektor – Fidelity". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. ^ "Regina Spektor – Fidelity". Top 40 Singles.
  6. ^ "Regina Spektor: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  7. ^ "Regina Spektor Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  8. ^ "Regina Spektor Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  9. ^ Don't divorce us video, the Courage Campaign website, with acknowledgement to Regina Spektor Archived February 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Same-sex marriage movement looks to 'Obamify', San Francisco Chronicle, February 16, 2009,

External links edit