Karate Chop

"Karate Chop" is a download only release from British recording artist Coral Harris. The song was released on August 6 2012, as a promotional single for the upcoming release of her new single "City Lights" and album "The English Rose". It was released to show the album's more hip hop and urban side. It was only released on the download chart, where it charted at #1.

Background
"Karate Chop" was originally announced as a download single on 7 July, 2012 to coincide with the release of the new single and album. Unlike the new single, "Karate Chop" was a lot less pop orientated, and focused more on Coral's urban sound, to show a more wide range to her music. The song was the only song on the album to be heard months before it's premiere, as Coral performed the song during several gigs throughout the summer, however only low quality videos were posted online. The single was also originally due for release on 13 August, however it was eventually moved forward a week.

Release and reception
The single official premiered on 02 August, being described before it's premiere as a "bass-heavy song". The song was rather well recieved by critics, with most complimenting it for being "extremelly catchy" and "having as much fiest and power as Coral herself does." Digital Spy stated it also offered "something which is a very rare feature on the charts, grime music. And for that alone, Coral is pushing boundries, not following the crowd."

Music video
Unlike Coral's past promotional single ("Hard Shoulder") a video for "Karate Chop" was made. It premiered on 04 August, 2012.

The video begins where Coral arrives at a party with her boyfriend. The pair are hand in hand and meet up with a group of their friends. Coral starts talking to her friends, when after a while she realises her boyfriend is missing. She starts looking around for him and then asks her friends if they've seen him, to which they all look down seeming embarassed. Coral starts to get angry until one of her friends points across the room, where her boyfriend is sitting on a sofa kissing two random women at the same time. Coral looks shocked as her friends drag her across to the dancefloor to try and cheer her up and distract her from her cheating boyfriend.

Once on the dancefloor, Coral carries on rapping to the song, while she carries out a rather raunchy routine with her friends dancing behind her too. There are a lot of lights flashing onto the floor too. After a bit the girls huddle together, whispering something. They high five and walk off the dancefloor with a sly grin.

Coral walks over to her boyfriend with her blonde friend. She whispers in his ear in a sexual way, obviously trying to imply she wants a threesome with him and her friend. He instantly pushes the two girls he was sat kissing and walks upstairs in the party with Coral and her friend. Once they get upstairs, Coral's other friends turn on the television in the party, which shows the bedroom. Coral and her friend tie the man up and blindfold him, making him think it's for dirty reasons. However they just draw all over his body, making fun of him and then walk off, but not before Coral gives him a nice little kick in the ribs. Coral comes back downstairs to the party and everyone in the room cheers for her, as the song ends.

Track listing

 * Download Release
 * 1) "Karate Chop"

Credits

 * "Karate Chop" &mdash; written by Coral Harris

Performances

 * In New Music We Trust (concert) &mdash; 05 February 2012
 * T4 On The Beach (concert) &mdash; 02 July 2012

Chart performance
The track was released on 6 August, 2012. It beat entries from the likes of Kleo and Syd Wolfe and became the highest of six new entries (and only one to make the top ten) when it charted at #1 on the download chart, with debut sales of 33,170. It dropped to #5 in it's second week selling 24,819 copies and in the track's third week it fell to #11 with sales of 19,060 meaning it has sold a total of 77,049 downloads.