Hello (Karmin EP)

Hello
File:Karmin - Hello (EP).png
EP by Karmin
Released	May 4, 2012 (2012-05-04)
Recorded	June–October 2011
Genre	Dance-pop pop-rock hip hop R&B
Length	24:36 (Standard Edition) 30:12 (iTunes Edition)
Label	Epic
Producer	L.A. Reid (exec.) Nils Gums (exec.) Claude Kelly (exec.) Stargate Tricky Stewart Cirkut Jon Jon Soundz
Karmin chronology
Karmin Covers, Vol. 1 (2011) Hello (2012) Pulses (2014)
Singles from Hello
"Brokenhearted" Released: February 7, 2012 "Hello" Released: July 31, 2012

Hello is an extended play (EP) by pop music duo Karmin. It was released on May 4, 2012 through Epic Records and distributed through Sony Music Entertainment.

Concept

Both Heidemann and Noonan worked to maintain original songs and ideas, while working toward mainstream and pop music. They cited L.A. Reid's understanding of their musical background to be helpful in this process.

Album title and artwork

Through Twitter, the duo revealed that their debut studio album would officially be called HELLO. Heidemann explained to BeatWeek: "We thought it was a perfect title, because it’s our introduction album. When you hear the songs in a row, you’re going to hear our story." The artwork depicts the two band members sitting on the base of a billboard with "Hello" written under them.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	43/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	StarHalf starFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg
Rolling Stone	StarHalf starFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg

The album was panned by some music critics. Writing in The New York Times, Jon Caramanica critiqued Karmin as an act whose fame came from "assaulting the songs of others, performing glib and highly stylized YouTube covers that inadvertently doubled as sketch comedy" and found Heidemann's rapping in her own material "intricate and deeply irritating". Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone dubbed it "one of the most aggressively obnoxious debut albums in recent memory", with "Brokenhearted", for example, being "catchy" but "Heidemann's daffiness and horrendous rapping spoil[ing] the broth every time".

On the other hand, Gerrick D. Kennedy wrote on the Los Angeles Times music blog: "The disc brims with the swagged-out pop/hip-hop that made [Karmin] YouTube darlings, as collaborators Stargate, Benny Blanco, Tricky Stewart and Dr. Luke deliver slick, radio-ready productions."

The album debuted at #18 on the Billboard 200 and #33 on the Canadian Albums Chart.

Singles

Karmin and Epic released "Brokenhearted" as the first single from Hello, which impacted radio February 7, 2012. It subsequently became their first song to enter Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #16. It also reached the #1 spot on Hot Dance Club Play, #12 Pop Digital Songs, and #10 Mainstream Top 40. It was certified as a platinum digital single (1,000,000 unit sales) by the RIAA as announced by Karmin and their management on Twitter and Facebook in early August 2012.

"Hello" impacted radio stations on July 31, 2012 as the EP's second single, which debuted #89 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking their second single to chart in the US. So far, the single is currently peaking at #62 in the US. It is also charting in New Zealand, Australia and in many other countries.

Promotional singles

"I Told You So" was released as the first and only promotional single on May 9, 2012.

Track listing

Standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Walking on the Moon"	Amy Heidemann Nick Noonan Claude Kelly John Webb Jr.	Jon Jon Claude Kelly	3:33
2.	"Brokenhearted"	Heidemann Noonan Kelly Emily Wright Elite Henry Walter John Hill	Cirkut Emily Wright	3:47
3.	"I Told You So"	Heidemann NoonanWebb Jr.	Jon Jon	2:48
4.	"Too Many Fish"	Heidemann Noonan Christopher Stewart Rodney Richard Sean McMillion Ralph Jeanty	Tricky Stewart Don Vito* The Exclusives*	3:18
5.	"I'm Just Sayin'"	Heidemann Noonan Webb Jr.	Jon Jon	3:35
6.	"Coming Up Strong"	Heidemann Noonan Kenneth Coby	Soundz	3:38
7.	"Hello"	Heidemann Noonan Kelly M.S. Eriksen T.E. Hermansen A. Rowe	Stargate	3:57
Total length:				24:36

iTunes bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
8.	"Brokenhearted" (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Club Remix)	5:36
9.	"Brokenhearted" (music video)	3:52

(*) Denotes co-producer

Sample credits

• "Too Many Fish" interpolates "Too Many Fish in the Sea" as performed by The Marvelettes, and written by Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland.
• "Hello" interpolates "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana.

External links

• Crash Your Party (music video) on YouTube
• Brokenhearted (audio) on YouTube