Play It Cool (Whitney Thornton song)

"Play It Cool" is the debut single written by Ericka Streets and DJ Kubin, and performed by Kuboian singer Whitney Thornton. It was released as a single on 26th March, 2006, initially stated to be the lead single as a studio album scheduled for 2007, though the album was scrapped and "Play It Cool" became a non-album single. It was, however, included on the compilation album The Best of Whitney Thornton upon its release in 2008.

"Play It Cool" was a number one hit on the Karuboia charts, and remained at the top for four weeks. Despite its commercial success, it received negative reviews from critics, who criticised the lyrics and Thornton's image. It was referred to as some sources as one of the worst songs of all-time by some sources during its original release.

Background
Ericka Streets and DJ Kubin got together to write "Play It Cool" for Thornton over two periods which occurred on the 4th and 8th of January 2006. Thornton recorded her lines in February that year, after a day of school. According to Thornton, Streets gave her the song's lyrics and let her listen to a rough instrumental produced by Kubin. Thornton was told that she was allowed to "sing with her own style", but if she wanted any changes to the lyrics, then the recording session would have to be delayed. Whilst Thornton avcepted the song as it is, her parents were supposedly unkeen on some of the lyrics, so Streets make some quick changes in order to compensate.

Thornton recorded the single's B-side, "This Girl's on Fire", a few weeks after recording "Play It Cool". After the single's success, a low budget music video for the B-side was recorded alongside the video for "Play It Cool". Due to strong airplay figures in certain European countries, "This Girl's on Fire" was able to reach number 33 on the Dutch Top 40 chart in the Netherlands.

Composition
"Play It Cool" is an electronic R&B song with elements of pop-rap and dance-pop. According to the CultHits Karaoke website, the song is written in the key of D minor, and has a tempo of 112 beats per minute.

Critical reception
Deespite a somewhat positive review by the Open Eagle, the song was panned by many critics alike. Some sources branded Thornton as "fake", and acting as a stereotypical karoul in order to gain more media attention and sell better. A review by British newspaper The Guardian cited "Play It Cool" as "so hilariously cliché that it is almost like a parody".

Thornton's parents fought back at the criticism, citing most of it as "insulting". Thornton's mother claimed in a 2018 interview that the criticism made Thornton demotivated and unable to concentrate in school.

Commercial performance
According to the Karuboia website, "Play It Cool" was the seventh best-selling single in Kuboia in the year 2006.

Music video
The music video, shot under a low budget in the MTV Recording Studio building, was filmed on 7th March, 2006. DJ Kubin opted to direct the video himself, which shifts back and forth between two different settings, one which features Thornton in a youth lounge, sitting on a beanbag, and another featuring Thornton in an isolated dancing hall. Thornton is the only person who appears in the video, as her parents requested that the video was not "excessively big budgeted". The video premiered on 7th April, 2006 on Nick Party, and was uploaded to YouTube the following day. Despite its low budget, the music video has become a large hit on the internet, and currently has over 250 million views on YouTube.

Another video, for the B-side track "This Girl's on Fire", was filmed on 28th April, 2006. It too was shot under a tight budget, and simply features Thornton walking and dancing in an isolated building in Jaillage, East Kuboia. Despite not being as popular, it has been able to surprass 30 million views on YouTube.

Digital download

 * 1) "Play It Cool"

European CD single

 * 1) "Play It Cool" (single version)
 * 2) "Play It Cool" (UK radio edit)
 * 3) "This Girl's on Fire"
 * 4) "Play It Cool" (instrumental)

Japanese CD single

 * 1) "Play It Cool"
 * 2) "One Step Closer" (live on Nick Karaoke Stars)