Wicked

"Wicked" is the debut single by singer Violetta DiNozzo and the first single released from her debut studio album "Just Another Girl". The song was co-written by Violetta and her half-brother Victor, and was produced by American producer JR Rotem. The single was released December 8th, 2008, failing commercially in both the UK and the US. To date it is Violetta's only single to miss the top 20 in the UK.

Background
"Wicked" was one of two songs that Violetta worked on with members of Phoenix Rising, as a starting point during the development of her album. Wanting to create material that was age-appropriate, Violetta chose to take the production down the route of JR's work with Ashley Tisdale and a rough demo of the song was quickly produced. From that point, Violetta went through the process of picking apart every element with JR, discussing which elements she wanted to change or emphasize which resulted in the song in its current form. Interesting to know is that there was minimal use of auto-tune during the recording process, and only minute amounts were used in areas of the song, such as Violetta's whistle register notes at the climax of the song. "Wicked" is track three on the album, and it has been described by Violetta as being about a girl who knows exactly what she's got and how to use it in order to get what - or in the song's case who - she wants in spite of imitations and wannabes. In 2010 it was announced that all of the singles from 'Just Another Girl' would be re-issued with new cover artwork, for inclusion in a 2-year anniversary boxed set of the album.

Reception
Public reaction to the single was mild, however critically the single was mostly ignored. A lack of promotion is cited as the major reason for the lack of attention received by the single, as well as the possibility of being snubbed due to the perception that she was riding on the coattails of her elder brother. In later times, Violetta has reflected that she adopted a very bratty attitude and image at the time she was starting out in the industry which turned off a number of industry long-timers and the general public. In recent times Violetta herself has criticized the song as a major mis-step in her career, and her least favourite of all her single catalogue.

Promo CD

 * 1) Wicked (Radio Edit)
 * 2) Wicked (Instrumental)
 * 3) Wicked (Mossman's Emerald Radio Mix)

CD1

 * 1) Wicked
 * 2) Disruption
 * 3) Wicked (Mossman's Emerald Radio Mix)
 * 4) Wicked (Instrumental)

CD2

 * 1) Wicked (Mossman's Emerald Radio Mix)
 * 2) Wicked (Mossman's Emerald Club Mix)
 * 3) Wicked (Jason Nevins Funkrokr Radio Edit)
 * 4) Wicked (Jason Nevins Funkrokr Extended)
 * 5) Wicked (Bimbo Jones Radio Mix)
 * 6) Wicked (Bimbo Jones Club Mix)
 * 7) Wicked (Dave Aude Radio Edit)
 * 8) Wicked (Dave Aude Club Mix)

Music Video
The video opens up to a desert landscape facing a cliff wall. The screen is empty until we see neo-cavemen emerging from between the cracks of the cliff. They mill about the desert looking around until the earth starts to rumble. The screen starts to shake slightly and then a vehicle comes into frame -- it's Violetta, riding on a bulldozer complete with junkyard. The music starts as we zoom in on Violetta, who sings the opening lines while looking through a pair of overlarge binoculars. We cut to a POV shot of Violetta. Through the binoculars we see the pool area of an expensive house. Some party is going on, and we see the love interest being flirted with by an underdressed and sleazy teenaged bimbo, following the lyrics of the song. We cut back to Violetta on the bulldozer, and she continues to sing the verse as the neo-cavemen run alongside the vehicle, jumping to try and climb aboard.

When the chorus hits, we pull back to reveal that the "desert landscape" is actually an abandoned developmental lot, and the expensive house is right across the street. Teenagers out on the lawn of the house react startled when the bulldozer pulls up out front, running to get out of its way as Violetta kills the engine and jumps down. One of the neo-cavemen tries to grab at Violetta once she's on ground level, so she knees him in the groin and walks off toward the house, leaving the caveman convulsing in pain behind her. The music stops for a moment as she struts into the pool area. Reaction shots from other party-goers, as well as the bimbo teen and the love interest. The music starts again as Violetta sings the second verse, strutting slowly toward bimbo teen, and causing all sorts of mayhem when party-goers try to get in her way. Soon enough, she reaches bimbo teen and the love interest, who is staring at her. On the line 'how much business I mean' she forcefully shoves bimbo teen into the pool, leaving the love interest wide open for her to get to him.

During the second chorus, Violetta drags the love interest inside the house where she dumps him into a chair and sings to him. He watches transfixed during the breakdown where she and some of the party-goers perform slick, skilled choreography. For the final two choruses, the bimbo teen shows up, enraged at her party being ruined and the love interest being taken away from her. Violetta and the love interest scramble to get out of the house and back to the bulldozer. Once they're both on the vehicle, Violetta turns it around and goes back the other way. As the video ends we see the bimbo teen watching after them, and then her parents coming home, and with the guilty look on bimbo teen's face, we learn that the girl is now in trouble for throwing a party, which has been successfully wrecked by Violetta.

Chart Performance
"Wicked" debuted at its peak of #23 on December 14th, 2008 with sales of 13,875 - the single's highest sales week. It charted for seven weeks, selling only 61,745 copies, making it a commercial failure. On airplay, it had three separate single-week runs inside the top 40, first at its peak of #34, then at #38, and the final time back at its #34 peak. In the US, it fared similarly, only making #56 on CHR/Pop radio, and missing the iTunes top 120 songs. It peaked at #7 on the Bubbling Under chart and to date has sold 412,637 digital copies.

Chart Run
TOTAL: 61,745
 * Week 1: #23 - 13,875
 * Week 2: #26 - 9,985
 * Week 3: #24 - 11,564
 * Week 4: #29 - 7,123
 * Week 5: #26 - 9,985
 * Week 6: #33 - 6,218
 * Week 7: #37 - 2,995