"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" is a song written by Katy Perry, Bonnie McKee, Max Martin, and Dr. Luke, who both also produced the track. The song is the fifth single to be released from the album, Teenage Dream on June 6, 2011. A remix featuring Missy Elliott was made where she contributed on a new opening verse and bridge being released digitally August 8, 2011. Perry stated that she was inspired to write the track after a night of wild partying and streaking. The "T.G.I.F." in the title is an acronym for "Thank Goodness It's Friday".
The song had chart success worldwide, reaching number one in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and has attained top-ten positions in Austria, Ireland, Italy, and Poland. By topping the US Billboard Hot 100, Perry became the first female solo artist to have five number-one singles on the Hot 100 from a single album; it also was Perry's sixth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and her fifth consecutive number one single. The single had sold 3.7 million digital copies in the US and was the tenth most played single on US radio during 2011.
Background
Katy Perry commented on the song during an interview for TheDirt.com:
| โ | "Last Friday Night" is a bonafide party song. It's almost like my "Waking Up in Vegas 2"...it's just kinda about those moments where you swear to god you're never going to mix Yager and lemon drop shots ever again 'cause you feel like crap and then you do it all over again the next week. I think it will go over well with college kids because they're always learning by default-by hangover...but they somehow can never stop, you know? and I think it's one of those fun, "Thank Goodness It's Friday", like "T.G.I.F.", "Last Friday Night"...I think we all relate to that at some point in our life. | โ |
โKaty Perry | ||
Perry has revealed that she was inspired to write the track after running naked through a park with her friends. According to Music Rooms, Perry claims that after a wild night of partying and streaking, she wrote the song about her antics and what she remembered the next day. Perry revealed: โThereโs nothing better than an impromptu dance party with my friends. My track 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)' is a song about debauchery because I had one of those nights in Santa Barbara. We went out to this place called Wildcat and got crazy,โ Perry admitted: โWe had a couple of beers and danced until we died, then brought the party back to the hotel room.โ She added: โMost of that song is actual truth, apart from the mรฉnage ร troisโฆ unfortunately! But, yes, streaking in the park, thatโs what we did, so we had to write a song about it the next day!โ Bonnie McKee, the co-writer of the song stated "TGIF is pretty much a word for word description of our trip to Santa Barbara [with Perry], so I love that one. Itโs really kitschy and fun and makes me nostalgic."
Artwork
Perry first revealed the official single artwork for the song's remix EP through a message on her Facebook page, "Recognize that face? Katy reveals her official album artwork for the 'Last Friday Night (TGIF)' Remixes!". The photo features Katy in nerdy gear, including mouth guard and glasses, and was taken when she hosted the Teen Choice Awards in summer 2010. The image is surrounded by '80s-style neon colors and swirly graphics.
A second single artwork was revealed for the individual song release, it features the same 80's theme as the remixes cover, except this time one side contains the same nerdy look as before along side a new glammed out look.
A third single cover was made for the official remix featuring Missy Elliott. The artwork conists of a screenshot of Perry from the music video and continues the 80's theme of the previous artwork making it look like a classic cover.
Critical reception
The song has mixed reception from music critics. AllMusic picked it among the top tracks on the album, and said that Perry "salutes fellow attention-whore Ke$ha on โLast Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)โ. Rolling Stone said that "Perry likes her songs chatty; in the kegger romp "Last Friday Night," she chirps, "Think I need a ginger ale/That was such an epic fail". Slant Magazine said that ""Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" is a lifeless roller-rink jam with a "T! G! I! F!" shout-along that will no doubt provide the soundtrack to any number of trashy sorority parties this semester". Spin Magazine said that "Last Friday Night recounts an evening of nonstop naughtiness -- think streaking, skinny-dipping, and mรฉnage ร trois-ing". Drowned in Sound said that "Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night, Hummingbird Heartbeat, are all as good (or bad) as โCalifornia Gurlsโ, and will all probably be released as singles".
Now magaznie said that "The singer recently said that the catchy Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) is her version of I Gotta Feelinโ. With lyrics about photos ending up online after a debauched evening, itโs also reminiscent of Lady Gaga singing about drunkenly losing her keys and phone on Just Dance. Derivative, sure, but the song strikes a perfect equilibrium between Perryโs sex appeal and goofy, self-effacing charm". The Hartford Courant said that Perry "glorifies getting wasted and misbehaving on Last Friday Night (TGIF)". Pop Matters said that " โLast Friday Night (TGIF)โ is catchy enough, and features the cheesiest sax solo ever played on a keyboard (Edit: Not true, it is played by musical director from SNL Lenny Pickett), but the verses are hammered down into a monotone catalog of girls gone wild cliches. Last Friday night, we maxed out our credit cards, got kicked out of the bar, had a menage a troisโyou know, the usual. By the end of the song, the girls are chanting โTGIF!!โ Itโs the kind of song thatโs mildly smirk-worthy on the first listen, tolerably infectious on the second, and forever annoying thereafter". The A.V. Club said that "assuming that everything here is based on real life also means we have to accept that sheโs had a mรฉnage ร trois on the indie-rock-meets-American Idol cut Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". The Washington Post said that "And while innocence-crushing party fantasies are central to the persona Perry so desperately tries to espouse, they feel flimsy and irksome during "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." Over strummy guitars and zigzagging keyboards, Perry recounts an evening of debauchery with no repercussions, her innocent transgressions (streaking, skinny-dipping) mentioned in the same breath as more serious trouble (mysterious bruises, a blackout), but concerned parents of young Katy Perry fans, don't fret -- this woman might have more in common with you than with your kids. When it's time for Perry to reflect on her 3 a.m. follies, she stiffly sings, "That was such an epic fail." It sounds like a clueless parent's attempt to speak teenager. (And the song only gets stranger with a rally chant of "T-G-I-F," as if she were trying to raise the ghost of Steve Urkel). Billboard Magazine included it in their "Five Potential Pop Hits for 2011" list.
Release
Physical releases
The physical CD will be released on August 21, 2011 in the UK including the album version of the song with an Instrumental.
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|---|---|---|
| LABEL | Capitol | |
| RELEASED | August 27, 2011 | |
| FORMAT | Slimcase | |
| Cover photo by ' Design by ' |
Made in UK |
Track listing
Promotional CD single
- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Album Version)" โ 3:52
- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Instrumental)" โ 3:48
- "Call Out Hook" โ 0:17
Promotional CD single โ remixes
- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Sidney Samson Dub)" โ 6:04
- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Sidney Samson Club Mix)" โ 6:19
- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Sidney Samson Extended Edit)" โ 4:12
Digital download โ remix single
- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" (featuring Missy Elliot) โ 3:58
Lyrics
There's a stranger in my bed,
There's a pounding my head
Glitter all over the room
Pink flamingos in the pool
I smell like a minibar
DJ's passed out in the yard
Barbie's on the barbecue
This a hickey or a bruise?
Pictures of last night
Ended up online
I'm screwed
Oh well
It's a blacked out blur
But I'm pretty sure it ruled, damn
Last Friday night
Yeah we danced on tabletops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot
Last Friday night
Yeah we maxed our credit cards
And got kicked out of the bar
So we hit the boulevard
Last Friday night
We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a mรฉnage ร trois
Last Friday night
Yeah I think we broke the law
Always say we're gonna stop-op
Whoa-oh-oah
This Friday night
Do it all again
This Friday night
Do it all again
Trying to connect the dots
Don't know what to tell my boss
Think the city towed my car
Chandelier is on the floor
Ripped my favorite party dress
Warrants out for my arrest
Think I need a ginger ale
That was such an epic fail
Pictures of last night
Ended up online
I'm screwed
Oh well
It's a blacked out blur
But I'm pretty sure it ruled
Damn
Last Friday night
Yeah we danced on table tops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot
Last Friday night
Yeah we maxed our credits card
And got kicked out of the bars
So we hit the boulevards
Last Friday night
We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a menage a trois
Last Friday night
Yeah I think we broke the law
Always say we're gonna stop-op
Oh whoa
This Friday night
Do it all again
This Friday night
Do it all again
This Friday night
T.G.I.F.
T.G.I.F.
T.G.I.F.
T.G.I.F.
T.G.I.F.
T.G.I.F.
Last Friday night
Yeah we danced on table tops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot
Last Friday night
Yeah we maxed our credit cards
And got kicked out of the bar
So we hit the boulevard
Last Friday night
We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a menage a trois
Last Friday night
Yeah I think we broke the law
Always say we're gonna stop-op
Whoa-oh
This Friday night
Do it all again
Music video
Background and development
In an interview with MTV, director Marc Klasfeld said that the video's storyline was inspired by Sixteen Candles and other works of John Hughes, as well as "all those great '80s high school movies."[18] Including a long series of outtakes during the ending credits was influenced by a similar idea in The Cannonball Run.[18]
The music video for "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" was filmed around May 3โ6, 2011. It was directed by Marc Klasfeld, and co-directed by Danny Lockwood. Perry tweeted, "I told someone about my new music video I just filmed & they responded with 'wow, that's gonna break the internet.' ... Should I knock on wood?"
Promotion and release
The teaser of the video was released on Perry's YouTube profile on June 7, 2011. Prior to the video's premiere, Perry created Facebook and
Twitter profiles for her alter-ego of a nerdy thirteen year old, Kathy Beth Terry. Starting from June 8, a series of short video clips was uploaded on the Facebook profile, YouTube and Perry's official website, presenting Terry and other characters who would later appear in the video. Before to the planned June 14 release date, the video was leaked onto the internet June 12. The full 8-minute-long final version premiered later on the same day on Funny or Die. On July 11, after crossing the half-million "likes" mark, Perry released an interview in character as Terry on DigitalSpy.
Cast and characters
- Katy Perry as Kathy Beth Terry
- Darren Criss as Aaron Christopherson
- Rebecca Black as herself
- Kevin McHale as Everett McDonald
- Isaac, Taylor, & Zac Hanson as Hanson
- Kenny G as Uncle Kenny
- Corey Feldman as Kirk Terry
- Debbie Gibson as Tiffany Terry
Synopsis
Kathy Beth Terry (Perry), a nerdy teenager with braces, headgear, and a pair of oversized glasses, has just woken up the morning after a house party, surrounded by passed-out partygoers. A male guest, Aaron Christopherson (Glee actor Darren Criss) opens the door to her bedroom and congratulates her on having the "best party ever." Puzzled as to what happened, she goes online, only to find pictures of herself in various compromising positions, including one picture of her licking the stomach of the man in bed next to her. The video then goes into a flashback of the events that occurred the night before. While trying to complete a Sudoku puzzle, Kathy hears loud music from the house next door, and goes over to complain. She is greeted by Rebecca Black (who appears in an homage to Black's viral video "Friday"), who invites her in. A nerdy seventh-grader, Everett McDonald (Glee star Kevin McHale), ogles Terry from afar and fantasizes about being with her. Kathy, however is more interested in Steve Johnson (model Richie Nuzzolese), an attractive football player, who turns her down because of her appearance. To cheer her up, Rebecca Black takes Kathy Beth Terry upstairs and gives her a makeover, ripping off her headgear with pliers, waxing her upper lip, dressing her in tight-fitting neon clothing, and teasing her hair out. Steve becomes enamored with her, and everyone starts dancing. Kathy and Rebecca are also seen playing Just Dance 2 (a game that notably features Perry). Musician Kenny G plays a saxophone solo on the roof while Hanson act as the house band. The entire party ends up moving to Kathy's house, where Everett punches Steve for trying to fondle Kathy's bottom. At the end of the night, Kathy finally passes out next to Steve and as she is asleep, we see Everett place her glasses back on and happily rekindle his crush on her. The video shifts back to the next morning, where she looks at the photos with regret, but is also ecstatic to have a naked Steve passed out in her bed.
The film ends with former teen idols Corey Feldman and Debbie Gibson making a cameo as Kathy's parents, Kirk and Tiffany Terry, who barge into their daughter's bedroom, home early from an 80's convention and complain about the disarray of their house. Feldman also makes several references to The Lost Boys, a film in which he starred. The video's end credits feature various deleted lines, bloopers, and extra scenes from the party. These include Everett making breakfast in bed for Kathy; Kathy screaming the previous as a side of her top falls over, revealing her breast; and the cast reciting sayings that were popular in the 80's.
The video was filmed inside John Schneider's house. Several Webkinz make appearances in the video, most notably a Fantail Goldfish, a Ribbon Lion, Fishy clown.
Controversy
In some countries, the single had been censored on radio stations, specifically for the lyrics "then had a menage a trois", meaning "had a threesome", although it may also make a reference to the wine of the same name. Oddly enough, some other inappropriate lyrics such as "we went streaking in the park" had been left unedited. Most U.S. radio stations did not censor the song.๏ปฟ
Live performances
On September 5, 2010, Perry performed the song live for the first time along with "Teenage Dream", "Firework" and "Not Like the Movies" in the show's launch of the Teenage Dream in Berlin. Though the song has never been performed live as part of a televised performance, the song is featured on the set list of the Teenage Dream Tour and California Dreams Tour. The first televised performance was during her presentation at Rock In Rio, which was broadcast live by the Multishow. During this song, photos of fans are displayed on the screens.
References
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