Marble Cake

The Escort/Marble Cake was a double a-side single release by Bella-May. "The Escort" was the title track from her debut album and "Marble Cake" was a newly-recorded track. The single charted at #5 on the URAPS singles charts.

The Escort
The title track to Bella's debut album was written, recorded and produced all in 3 weeks during Bella's studio sessions with pop producer Arnthor Birgisson. Bella took to her Twitter in September 2010 to say that she'd recorded "the track that is going to make me a superstar". The mid-tempo pop track lyrically focuses on the fun and pleasure that comes with being an escort and clearly states that it is not a degrading nor a tacky job. Bella stated in an interview with FHM Magazing that escorting takes talent and people are too quick to judge nowadays without understanding. The song was the opening track on Bella's debut album of the same name and a promotional music video was released in December 2010, 4 months before the track was announced as a single, alongside "Marble Cake".

Marble Cake
Bella began recording tracks for a re-release of "The Escort" in March 2011. One of the tracks produced from these sessions was the RedOne penned anthem "Marble Cake". The track brought Bella into a dirtier territory than she had ever entered before as the songs lyrics used 'marble cake' as a metaphor for a woman's vagina. Bella then told folks at her record label that she did not want to re-release "The Escort" and instead wanted to produced a brand new record to be released in the autumn of 2011. They agreed, but on the condition that "Marble Cake" was released alongside "The Escort" as a double a-side single as Vampire Crypt Records did not have enough faith in the title track alone as a single. Bella said in an interview with 4Music that the double a-side release showed her versatility. "Well, The Escort is a mid-tempo, cool, eery track. Haunting, whispered lyrics and its only at the final chorus where it all picks up. It wasn't exactly radio friendly. Then "Marble Cake" was a typical RedOne track. Anthemic, fun, crazy! It was perfect. It was very, very catchy and its chorus really caught on with people after the first listen. So that made me happy going with a double a-side single release, people got to see what I'm capable of as an artist; whether its a mid-tempo piece or an all out crazy pop track!"

The Escort
Upon release of Bella's debut album, the title track received many mixed reviews. NME called the song "the perfect album opener. If every artist had their own 'The Escort', the music world would be a great place". The Sunday Times praised the tracks production, calling Arnthor Birgisson a "musical genious", but slammed the song's lyrics and deemed them "too try hard". They added that the lyrics praised escorting and prostitution and said it was "laughable how Bella sings about this topic so seriously". Popjustice had "The Escort" as their Song of the Day in December 2010 and said it was "easily better than "Boom Boom Bang", but that wouldn't be hard".

Marble Cake
"Marble Cake" got exceptionally good reviews upon its release. BBC Music called it "the best thing 2011 has heard so far" and praised the tracks use of metaphors; "It is dirty, without being very obvious. It avoids being cheap, while still being very tacky. It is all kinds of brilliant". Popjustice said 'Marble Cake' was "Bella-May's best song to date".

The Escort
Four months before the release of "The Escort", the official music video for the track was shot as a 'promotional video' on the 8th December 2010 and directed by Ray Kay. The music video was shot in Shepperton Studios, Surrey and the set-up was made for the studio to look like an abandoned warehouse. The music video uses the album version of the track, however a slightly altered edit of the video using the tracks radio mix was made available on CD2 of "The Escort/Marble Cake". Throughout the video, Bella can be seen strutting on a catwalk in a 'sexy' black, latex outfit. She is also wearing hair extensions. Within the warehouse, Bella and her dancers dance provocatively on the catwalk together. In the latter part of the video, Bella is accompanied by male dancers off the catwalk. During these final scenes, the dancers are shirtless and wearing black pants. Bella has changed into a black tracksuit. The video ends with sparks falling from the ceiling as Bella and her boys continue to dance to the track. At the very end of the video, the power cuts out and Bella can be heard laughing.

Marble Cake
The music video for "Marble Cake" was directed by Harvey B Brown and premiered on MSN video on March 12th 2011. The concept of the video is that Bella-May is shooting a pornography film and people and video crew are fussing over her. She plays the role of a famous porn star called Chastity. The film is set in the window of a high street, Top Shop-style store. Towards the end of the video, Bella, the crew and the other porn stars have a 'cake fight'. At the very end, a slice of cake hits Bella in the vagina. She looks up at the camera and winks.

Tracklisting

 * CD 1
 * 1) "Marble Cake - 3:10
 * 2) "The Escort" (Album Version) - 3:35


 * CD 2
 * 1) "The Escort" (Radio Edit) - 3:24
 * 2) "Marble Cake" - 3:10
 * 3) "The Escort" (L'Mondrea's $10 Mix) - 4:52
 * 4) "The Escort" (L'Mondrea's $20 Extended Mix) - 7:44
 * 5) "Marble Cake" (Monaco's Moist Mix) - 6:12
 * 6) "The Escort" (Music Video)
 * 7) "Marble Cake" (Music Video)"


 * Digital EP
 * 1) The Escort (Radio Edit) - 3:24
 * 2) Marble Cake - 3:10
 * 3) "The Escort" (L'Mondrea's $10 Mix) - 4:52
 * 4) "Marble Cake" (Monaco's Moist Mix) - 6:12

Charts
TOTAL SALES: 193,241 copies.