Shame (Monrose song)

"Shame"
Single by Monrose
from the album Temptation
B-side	"Work It"
Released	December 1, 2006
Format	CD single, digital download, ring tone
Recorded	2006, Weryton Studios (Munich, Germany)
Genre	Pop
Length	3:29
Label	Starwatch, Warner
Writer(s)	Christian Ballard, Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley, Andrew Murray
Producer(s)	Jiant, Snowflakers
Certification	Platinum (GER, SWI) 3× Gold (GER) Gold (AUT)
Monrose singles chronology
"Shame" (2006) "Even Heaven Cries" (2007)

"Shame" is a pop song performed by German pop trio Monrose. It was written by Christian Ballard, Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley and Andrew Murray and co-produced by production teams Jiant and Snowflakers for the band's debut studio album, Temptation (2006).

The song was released as the band's debut single on December 1, 2006 (see 2006 in music) in German-speaking Europe following the trio's formation on the television talent show Popstars two weeks prior. It peaked at number one in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, where it became one of the best-selling singles of the year, resulting in a sales total of 200,000 copies Europe-wide,^[1] and the most-downloaded track since the introduction of the legal digital download charts in Germany in 2004.^[2] "Shame" also reached the top ten on the official airplay charts in the Czech Republic and Slovenia, and on a composite European Hot 100 Singles chart respectively.^[3]

Release

"Shame" worldpremiered on November 16, 2006 on the second last episode of the Popstars series in a special solo version performed by Bahar Kızıl. Even though the song was not advertised as the final group's first single at this point, Amazon.de accidentally released a CD cover – which showed three (Katarzyna Zinkiewicz, Mandy Capristo and Bahar Kızıl) of the six remaining finalists – the day after. While the accident raised public concern about the significance of the final band voting, the cover soon was replaced by promotional artwork and Popstars broadcaster ProSieben instantly released an official statement which confirmed both the single's title and the planned band name Monrose but also rejected reproaches of fraud.

However, on the season's finale on Thursday, November 23, 2006, three different variants were presented in several constellations, ending with a final version of "Shame" sung by all three Monrose members in place. In the following days various audio ripping of the show spread, but it was not until November 30, 2006 the radio edit had leaked onto the internet.

Music video

The music video for "Shame" was directed by Oliver Sommer and entirely shot in the Berlin Ballhaus Studios in the week of October 30, 2006.^[4] Produced by the AVA Studios GmbH, it was shot over twenty-four hours and choreographed by Popstars judge Detlef "D!" Soost.^[4] As reported, the video was filmed in twenty different versions with all six finalists of the show since the jury had not laid down who would make the band at this time.^[4]

It begins with Kızıl waking up in her bedroom after an argument with her boyfriend the night before. She enters the bathroom, where she is confronted and churned up with his dental equipmenta and eventually dresses up. Her sequences are intercutted by Guemmour and Capristo who alternately switch into her role. The video ends with a young man entering the kitchen, apologizing to an impressed Capristo with a bunch of flowers.

A one and a half minutes preview of the edited music video was aired on November 24, 2006 on German television channel ProSieben's daily gossip television magazine taff.^[4] The full version was eventually premiered the same day at the end of VIVA's show Neu.

Chart performance

Although "Shame" was officially released on December 1, 2006, it appeared a week early on the German Airplay Chart, debuting at number 66, according to Nielsen Music Control.^[5] However, it took another five weeks until the song reached the top position on the particular chart, eventually becoming the first airplay number-one of 2007.^[6]

With a total of more than 150,000 CD maxi singles shipped to stores within its first week of release the song also debuted on top of the German Top 100 singles chart, making Monrose one of the most successful musical debuts of the year.^[2] Outselling 3/4 of the German Top 100's singles sales combined, the song, moreover, emerged as the fastest selling CD single of 2006 and the biggest downloaded song since the introduction of the legal digital download charts in 2004.^[2] Although "Shame" spend two weeks on top of the charts only, it profited from constant sales and as a result remained on the charts until late March 2007, staying seventeen weeks on that particular chart.^[7] The song was eventually certified triple gold and one-time platinum by the German arm of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry,^[8] and ranked seventh on the German Media Control singles year-end charts 2007.^[9]

In Austria and Switzerland the single also spent two weeks on top of the national singles charts, while remaining within the top 100 until mid-April 2007 – one month after the release of follow-up "Even Heaven Cries". It was eventually certified gold by the IFPI Austria for more than 15,000 singles sold in its first week of release^[10] and ranked sixteenth on the Swiss singles year-end charts.^[11] Outside the German-speaking countries "Shame" reached the top ten of the Slovenian Airplay Chart and a peak position of number forty-seven on the Czech Airplay Chart.

Formats and track listings

CD single

1. "Shame" (radio edit) – 3:29
2. "Work It" (written by Richard Kelly, Anthony Little) – 3:49
3. "Shame" (video edit) – 3:49
4. "Shame" (instrumental) – 3:29

Credits and personnel

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

• Shame (Monrose song) at MusicBrainz
• "Shame" music video on YouTube
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics