I Didn't Mean It

"I Didn't Mean It" is a duet between Esmeralda Dimuzio and Violetta DiNozzo, written by Syd Wolfe and released as the third single from Esmeralda's studio album "Inside" and sixthin single from Violetta's album "Blood Of The Sacred, Blood Of The Damned". It was released on August 2, 2010, becoming Violetta's first UK chart-topper and Esmeralda's sixth. The single's success was a surprise to the collaborators, as the single was released against a major duet by Syd Wolfe and China.

Background
Syd Wolfe wrote "I Didn't Mean It" in 2010, and offered the demo for sale. Violetta put in a bid for the song but it was ultimately sold to Esmeralda. Driven and determined to be a part of the song still, Violetta approached Esmeralda about turning the song into a duet. The duet was featured on Esmeralda's album "Inside", and was also included on the tour edition of Violetta's sophomore album "Blood Of The Sacred, Blood Of The Damned". It was chosen as the third single from Esmeralda's album, having been planned since the duet was determined. Since Violetta was embarking on her debut headlining tour, the song was included on the tour edition re-release of her album so there was a single supporting it.

Due to label problems with their previous label, Elite shutting down, and the revival of Esmeralda's old label Alias, which Violetta also signed to, the two did not have as much of a budget to work from, and thus decided to go with a more minimalist theme for the video - in fact, the studio used in the video shoot was the exact same one that appeared as a set in the video for Esmeralda's single "Fake (That's Just Not Me)". In fact, it wasn't until this final scene was being shot that Violetta even knew that she was being filmed for a music video! In 2012, 8-Bit sampled the song's chorus for his debut single, "1UP", so both singers were featured on the single.

Reception
"I Didn't Mean It" was well-received due to the high reputations of all the artists involved (both performers and songwriter). Major publicity from both Esmeralda and Violetta garnered a lot of attention for the single, helping it achieve strong sales. It entered into a chart battle with Syd Wolfe and China, who were releasing a duet EP against Esmeralda and Violetta; Syd and China were expected to win, but in a photo finish it was "I Didn't Mean It" that reached #1. The massive hype from the single helped it become just as massive a digital and airplay hit, reaching #1 on both charts. In the US, it was the first and only single from Violetta's third US album "Dealbreaker", which was compiled of old b-sides and new tracks from the "Blood Of The Sacred, Blood Of The Damned" tour edition, released only to fulfill the terms of Violetta's three-album contract with Epic Records. It received no promotion state-side from Violetta.

Promo CD

 * 1) I Didn't Mean It (Radio Edit)
 * 2) I Didn't Mean It (Instrumental)
 * 3) I Didn't Mean It (Acappella)
 * 4) I Didn't Mean It (Call-Out Hook)

CD1

 * 1) I Didn't Mean It
 * 2) Two Weeks
 * 3) House Of Cards (Esmeralda's Live Lounge Version)

CD2

 * 1) I Didn't Mean It
 * 2) My Problem Is You
 * 3) Standing Strong (Violetta's Live Lounge Version)

Digital Remix EP

 * 1) I Didn't Mean It
 * 2) I Didn't Mean It (Aftershock's Broken Trust Mix)
 * 3) I Didn't Mean It (Phoenix Rising's Hidden Meaning Vocal Mix)
 * 4) I Didn't Mean It (Dearest Kandi × JPOP Radio Mix)
 * 5) I Didn't Mean It (Aftershock's '...Or Did I?' Dub)
 * 6) I Didn't Mean It (Phoenix Rising's 'Scratch The Record' Dub)

Music Video
The video starts at Alias HQ, where in a meeting, Esmeralda and Violetta discuss their video plans. After minutes of going nowhere with their discussions, they just decide to head out for a breath of fresh air... and inspiration. The pair can be seen walking down the streets of London, as passers-by just look at them, not even blinking when they see two celebrities walking down like normal people. Esmeralda and Violetta are in line at a streetside ice cream stand. While they decide which flavours they want, and have trouble deciding... just when they come to a decision, they sell their last one to the person in front of them in line. Esmeralda and Violetta then do a dance routine in the middle of the street, creating a crowd around them. After a cheerleading-type stunt where Violetta carries Esmeralda into the sky, applause can be heard all around.

Suddenly, Violetta sees that nothing is as it seems. She sees that the scenery around them, and in fact, the crowd, is fake! She then pushes herself into a storefront window, and notices it tears apart like paper! Esmeralda follows her. Slowly, the scenery around them, which is entirely made out of paper, falls down and traps Esmeralda and Violetta. Suddenly, we see scissors coming out of the pile of paper, and Esmeralda climbs out of the mess, followed by Violetta. Esmeralda and Violetta find themselves in a blue-painted empty studio with three sturdy walls. They see that the fourth wall appears to be unstable, so they run right through it and it takes them to the other side of the studio, where they end up among technical equipment. Violetta is looking closely at the monitor, where it shows video of herself, only it appears to be in the London streets rather than the studio! She then suspects it's a mirror until it shows that it is recording! Esmeralda then enters the room, saying to Violetta, "Smile! You're on candid camera!" The two then press the stop button on the recording equipment, and the camera view pans out into black.

Chart Performance
"I Didn't Mean It" debuted at #1 on August 8th, 2010 with sales of 80,869 copies. It became Esmeralda's sixth UK #1, and Violetta's first, in a surprise move that saw it out-chart the "Gypsy Shot Me Down" EP by Syd Wolfe and China. The single is currently Violetta's biggest seller, as none of the singles from Violetta's "Divide & Conquer" era reached 300k in sales despite two #1's with greater sales weeks. On airplay, the song also hit #1 on two separate occasions, making it one of the biggest airplay hits of 2010. On the digital chart, it was again a #1 hit, Violetta's biggest with over 190k in digital copies sold. In the US, the single was a top 20 hit on the Billboard chart thanks to digital sales, as it was not actively promoted to radio.

Chart Run
TOTAL: 303,603
 * Week 1: #1 - 80,869
 * Week 2: #3 - 76,687
 * Week 3: #7 - 38,751
 * Week 4: #10 - 25,453
 * Week 5: #10 - 27,884
 * Week 6: #11 - 25,558
 * Week 7: #23 - 12,695
 * Week 8: #25 - 11,583
 * Week 9: #37 - 4,123