Walking on Air is a song performed by Kerli. It is the first official single, released on May 20, 2008, and second track from her debut album, Love Is Dead[1]. It was originally featured on her now out of print self-titled EP [2]. Kerli wrote the song with Lester Mendez, who also produced it. It's about "following your dreams and just going with the flow[3]."
The music video, directed by Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro (the team known as Aggressive), debuted on May 19, 2008[4]. As of March 29, 2012, it has remained in the iTunes Top 200 Alternative Music Video charts since its release[5]. The video features an inverted house theme where everything is opposite of what it is supposed to normally be[6].
An EP containing five remixes of Walking on Air was released on October 14, 2008[7]. It contains remixes by Ralphi Rosario, Armin van Buuren and Josh Harris.
Walking on Air was featured twice on the United States dance competition So You Think You Can Dance (season 5 and 6). The song was also featured on a season 16 episode of the U.S. dance competition series Dancing with the Stars on May 7, 2013. The song and parts of the music video were featured in a promo for the television series Fringe. It was also iTunes' "Free Single of the Week" for the week of July 21, 2008[8]. It was downloaded more than 550,000 times during its promotion week, and is the largest "Free Single of the Week" download total in iTunes history[9]. The song had received mixed to positive reviews from music critics who praised the storyline of the song.
Composition
Kerli claims when she was younger, her mother would tell her a story: "In the black, black world there was a black, black town and in the black, black town there was a black, black house and in the black, black house there was a black, black cupboard and in the black, black cupboard there was a white box." This is the inspiration for the verse in the song.
The song in general is about "following your dreams and just going with the flow" and a "little creepy girl that comes from a little creepy place and she has her big dream and she loves music, but nobody believes in her[10]." The specific details in the song, such as "cats and hats and rocking chairs" are based on Kerli childhood when she would frequently wear older hats.
Track listing
Promo
- Walking on Air (Radio edit)
- Walking on Air
Digital Download
- Walking on Air (Radio edit)
CD Single/ Digital Download Single
- Walking on Air (Radio edit)
- Walking on Air (Armin van Buuren Club Mix)
Remixes
- Walking on Air (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J Club Mix)
- Walking on Air (Josh Harris Club Mix)
- Walking on Air (Lindbergh Palace Full Mix)
- Walking on Air (Armin van Buuren Club Mix)
- Walking on Air (Ralphi Rosario Big Dub Mix)
Music video
- Main article: Walking on Air music video
Kerli had created "Book of Kerli": a book of pictures that she had collected over the years of how she wanted the video and herself in the video to appear.[11] The music video is directed by Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro (the team known as Aggressive). It premiered on May 19, 2008 on MTV's website.[12]
Live performances
Among other performances, in 2008 Kerli performed Walking on Air at the Greek Theatre on October 22 at the Scream Awards[13]. and in 2009 at The Dome in Munich, Germany on May 22[14] and at the Estonian festival Õllesummer on July 19 in Tallinn
Popular culture
Walking on Air was featured twice on the Fox dance competition So You Think You Can Dance. The first was during the 5th Season in a solo danced by 4th place finisher, contemporary dancer, Kayla Radomski. The second was during Vegas Week during the 6th Season when the dancers were taught a contemporary dance routine by Emmy-Winning choreographer Mia Michaels. The song was also featured on a season 16 episode of the U.S. dance competition series Dancing with the Stars on May 7, 2013. The song and parts of the music video were featured in a promo for the television series Fringe. It was also iTunes' "Free Single of the Week" for the week of July 21, 2008[15]. It was downloaded more than 550,000 times during its promotion week, and is the largest "Free Single of the Week" download total in iTunes history[16]. The song had received mixed to positive reviews from music critics who praised the storyline of the song.
Lyrics
There's a little creepy house
In a little creepy place
Little creepy town
In a little creepy world
Little creepy girl with
Her little creepy face
Saying funny things
That you have never heard
Do you know what it's all about?
Are you brave enough to figure out?
Know that you could set your world on fire
If you are strong enough to leave your doubts
Feel it, breathe it, believe it
And you'll be walking on air
Go try, go fly so high
And you'll be walking on air
You feel this, unless you kill it
Go on and you're forgiven
I knew that I could feel that
I feel like I am walking on air
She has a little creepy cat
And a little creepy bat
Little rocking chair
And an old blue hat
That little creepy girl
Oh, she loves to sing
She has a little gift
An amazing thing
With her little funny eyes of hazel
With her little funny old blue hat
She will go and set the world on fire
No one ever thought she could do that
Feel it, breathe it, believe it
And you'll be walking on air
Go try, go fly so high
And you'll be walking on air
You feel this, unless you kill it
Go on and you're forgiven
I knew that I could feel that
I feel like I am walking on air
Flitter up
And hover down
Be all around
Be all around
You know that I love you
Go on
Feel it, breathe it, believe it
And you'll be walking on air
Go try, go fly so high
And you'll be walking on air
You feel this, unless you kill it
Go on and you're forgiven
I knew that I could feel that
I feel like I am walking on air
I am walking on air
I am walking on air
Gallery
- ↑ http://www.kerlimusic.com/news.aspx?nid=837
- ↑ {http://www.discogs.com/Kerli-Kerli/release/1350459
- ↑ http://www.popculturemadness.com/interview/Kerli.html
- ↑ http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2008/05/20/new-video-kerli-walking-on-air/
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/us/music-video/walking-on-air/id281297380
- ↑ =http://www.whatisaggressive.com/movies/makingof/makingof_kerli.mov
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/walking-on-air-remixes-ep/id292822585
- ↑ http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=26876087852
- ↑ http://lineup.lollapalooza.com/band/kerli
- ↑ http://www.starshinemag.com/articles/kerli.html
- ↑ http://www.kerlimusic.com/news.aspx?nid=917
- ↑ http://www.kerlimusic.com/news.aspx?nid=837
- ↑ http://www.spike.com/video/30-seconds-of-kerli/3051246
- ↑ http://www.abendzeitung.de/kultur/pop/102701
- ↑ http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=26876087852
- ↑ http://lineup.lollapalooza.com/band/kerli