"Take a Hint" is a song performed by American actresses and singers Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies, written by Kevin Kadish, Meghan Kabir, and its producer James Michael, for the Nickelodeon television series Victorious. It was released on February 28, 2012, as the second and final promotional single from the series' first extended play, Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show, on which it was included as the second track.[1]
Background and release[]
On January 26, 2012, Nickelodeon uploaded a video with Victoria Justice, Leon Thomas III, and Elizabeth Gillies about the then-upcoming third season of Victorious. They mentioned they had recorded two duets for the season, "Countdown" and "Take a Hint", pieces of which could be heard in the background. Thomas said what's great about their voices is they "marry well" in the track, which Gillies agreed with because they're so different.
On February 27, Teen.com revealed the cover artwork of "Take a Hint" and announced the song would be released on iTunes on March 3.[2] Four days before the planned commercial release, the track was released exclusively on the AOL website.[1] "Take a Hint" was also available to listen to on the series' website TheSlap and Nickelodeon's website.[3][4] TheSlap version was shorter, and had a different mix and minor changes in the lyrics. Columbia Records later confirmed it would be the second track on the soundtrack extended play, released under the title Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show.[5]
Meghan Kabir, one of the co-writers of this song, posted an audio video of the demo version on her YouTube channel on August 16. Her version contains several different lyrics, including explicit words, that were changed in the final version of the song for use in the series on a children's television station. On February 4, 2022, less than 10 years later, Kabir officially released her version on digital music platforms.[6]
In the series[]
"Take a Hint" was performed by Tori Vega (portrayed by Victoria Justice) and Jade West (portrayed by Elizabeth Gillies) in the episode "Tori & Jade's Play Date", that premiered on March 3, 2012. Tori and Jade, who are enemies, are forced to "date" at Nozu so that they can better play the married couple in the school play. While spending time together, two unknown guys, Alan (portrayed by Michael Adrian) and Chad (portrayed by Steven Crowley), try to flirt with them, which only annoys Tori and Jade. After they find out the girls go to Hollywood Arts High School, the guys ask if Tori and Jade can do a karaoke performance for them, to which the girls agree. They want to perform a song known under the karaoke number "T-305", which turns out to be "Take a Hint", a song whose lyrics are about how they aren't interested in guys who flirt with them.
A performance of this episode is later used during the closing credits of the episode "The Bad Roommate" (in which "Faster Than Boyz" was performed) that aired on January 5, 2013.
Composition and reception[]
Jessica Dawson from Common Sense Media gave three stars out of five. She praised Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies' vocal performance and the song's theme of "standing up for themselves", stating the track is "fun and meant to be lighthearted". However, she wrote the song "might be a little mature for young tween fans", and noted it contains innuendo and implied profanity.[7] Megan Gaertner of Her Campus placed it at number one on the list of the best songs from Victorious, calling it "complete bop".[8]
Commercial performance[]
- Main article: Take a Hint/Charts
"Take a Hint" is the most commercially successful song from Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show. The song appeared on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at number eight and spent two weeks.[9] It's one of Victoria Justice's four songs (along with "Freak the Freak Out", "Beggin' on Your Knees", and "Best Friend's Brother") and her only non-single to appear on the Digital Songs chart where it spent a week at number 60.[10] It spent 111 weeks in general on the now-discontinued Kid Digital Song Sales chart, the most of Justice's all songs.[11] By spending the first two weeks at number one, it became her fifth song to hit the top of this chart, following "Beggin' on Your Knees", "Best Friend's Brother", "I Want You Back", and "You're the Reason".[12][13] It reached the 27th position and spent four eight weeks in total on also discontinued Pop Digital Song Sales chart.[14]
"Take a Hint" peaked at number three on the 2012 Kid Digital Song Sales year-end chart.[15] On January 5, 2022, "Take a Hint" received a platinum certification by Recording Industry Association of America, after receiving 1,000,000 units based on sales and streaming in the United States, becoming Justice's second song to be certified after "Freak the Freak Out".[16]
The song didn't chart outside the United States. On January 6, 2023, it received a silver certification in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry for 200,000 units, also based on sales and streaming.[17] It's Justice's only song to be certified in that country so far, and the second time she received certification there after the album Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show.
Promotion[]
The lyric video premiered on the Victorious Vevo channel on YouTube on March 6, 2012, before being removed and re-uploaded later.[18] The same month, a short music video was posted on the Nickelodeon website, which consists of scenes from the series' episodes "The Breakfast Bunch", "André's Horrible Girl", and "Tori & Jade's Play Date", and their production.[19] Victoria Justice performed "Take a Hint" on her 2013 second concert tour, Summer Break Tour.
Credits[]
- Personnel
- Eric Bisgyer – Assistant engineer
- Michael Corcoran – Engineer
- Brian Gardner – Mastering engineer
- Elizabeth Gillies – Vocal
- Victoria Justice – Vocal
- Meghan Shannaz Kabir – Background vocal, writer
- Kevin Kadish – Writer
- James Michael – Producer, recording engineer, writer
- Miles Walker – Mixing engineer
- Management
- Published by Endurance Alpha (ASCAP); Kobalt Songs Music Publishing (ASCAP); Shannaz Publishing (ASCAP); Atlantic Music Corp (BMI); Red Level Three Music (BMI)[20][21]
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
[Verse 1]
Why am I always hit on by the boys I never like?
I can always see 'em coming, from the left or from the right
I don't want to be a priss, I'm just tryna be polite
But it always seems to bite me in the—
Ask me for my number, yeah, you put me on the spot
You think that we should hook up, but I think that we should not
You had me at "hello", then you opened up your mouth
And that is when it started going south (oh)
[Chorus]
Get your hands off my hips
Or I'll punch you in the lips
Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
No, you can't buy me a drink
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
T-take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
[Verse 2]
I guess you still don't get it, so let's take it from the top
You asked me what my sign is, and I told you it was "stop"
And if I had a dime for every name that you just dropped
You'd be here and I'd be on a yacht (oh)
[Chorus]
Get your hands off my hips
Or I'll punch you in the lips
Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
No, you can't buy me a drink
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
T-take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
[Bridge]
What about "no" don't you get?
So go and tell your friends
I'm not really interested
It's about time that you're leavin'
I'm gonna count to three and
Open my eyes and you'll be gone
[Chorus]
(One) Get your hands off my—
(Two) Or I'll punch you in the—
(Three) Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
I am not your missing link
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
Take a hint, take a hint (whoa)
Get your hands off my hips
Or I'll punch you in the lips
Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
T-take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
[Verse 1]
Why am I always hit on by the boys I never like?
I can always see 'em coming, from the left or from the right
I don't want to be a priss, I'm just tryna be polite
But it always seems to bite me in the—
Ask me for my number, yeah, you put me on the spot
You think that we should hook up, but I think that we should not
You had me at "hello", then you opened up your mouth
And that is when it started going south (oh)
[Chorus]
Get your hands off my hips
Or I'll punch you in the lips
Stop your staring at my—
Take a hint, take a hint
No, you can't buy me a drink
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
T-take a hint, take a hint
[Verse 2]
I guess you still don't get it, so let's take it from the top
You asked me what my sign is, and I told you it was "stop"
And if I had a dime for every name that you just dropped
You'd be here and I'd be on a yacht (oh)
[Chorus]
Get your hands off my hips
Or I'll punch you in the lips
Stop your staring at my—
Take a hint, take a hint
No, you can't buy me a drink
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
T-take a hint, take a hint
[Bridge]
What about "no" don't you get?
So go and tell your friends
I'm not really interested
It's about time that you're leavin'
I'm gonna count to three and
Open my eyes and you'll be gone
[Chorus]
(One) Get your hands off my—
(Two) Or I'll punch you in the—
(Three) Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
I am not your missing link
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
[Intro]
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
[Verse 1]
Why am I always hit on by the boys I never like?
I can always see 'em coming, from the left or from the right
I don't want to be a bitch, I'm just tryna be polite
But it always seems to bite me in the—
Ask me for my number, yeah, you put me on the spot
You think that we should hook up, but I think that we should not
You had me at "hello", then you opened up your mouth
And that is when it started going south (oh)
[Chorus]
Get your hands off my hips
Or I'll punch you in the lips
Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
No, you can't buy me a drink
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
T-take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
[Verse 2]
I guess you still don't get it, so let's take it from the top
You asked me what my sign is, and I told you it was "stop"
And if I had a dime for every name that you just dropped
I'd be buying everyone a shot (oh)
[Chorus]
Get your hands off my hips
Or I'll punch you in the lips
Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
No, you can't buy me a drink
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
T-take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
[Bridge]
What about "no" don't you get?
So go and tell your friends
I'm not really interested
It's about time that you're leavin'
I'm gonna count to three and
Open my eyes and you'll be gone
[Chorus]
(One) Get your hands off my—
(Two) Or I'll punch you in the—
(Three) Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
I am not your missing link
Let me tell you what I think
I think you could use a mint
Take a hint, take a hint
Take a hint, take a hint (oh)
Get your hands off my hips
Or I'll punch you in the lips
Stop your staring at my— (hey)
Take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
T-take a hint, take a hint
(La, la-la-la-la)
(La, la-la-la-la)
Trivia[]
- "Take a Hint" is Victoria Justice's only duet with Elizabeth Gillies. Though Gillies provided background vocals in many other songs by Justice, she isn't credited as the artist on any but this one.
- It's Justice's most streamed song on Spotify, with over 123 million streams.[22]
- The song reached number 29 on iTunes.[23]
- It appears in the Kevin Kadish: The Songwriters playlist on Apple Music.[24] It also appears in the Nickelodeon Essentials playlist, along with "Make It Shine", "Freak the Freak Out", "Beggin' on Your Knees", and "Best Friend's Brother".[25]
- It appears in TeenNick's the Best of Victorious playlist on Spotify, along with other 12 songs by Justice.[26]
- Matt Bennett, who also starred in Victorious, played "Take a Hint" on his DJ concerts. Elizabeth Gillies attended to one of them to perform this song.[27]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Images[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20120229080553/https://blog.music.aol.com/2012/02/28/victorious-take-a-hint/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120228211425/https://www.teen.com/victorious-take-a-hint-victoria-justice-elizabeth-gillies-duet/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120304141044/https://www.theslap.com/tunes
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120404221341/https://www.nick.com/shows/victorious/
- ↑ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/columbia-records-and-nickelodeon-announce-the-release-of-victorious-20-more-music-from-the-hit-tv-show-available-june-5-150739605.html
- ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/album/take-a-hint-demo-from-victorious-single/1608531091
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20121017220806/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/music-reviews/take-a-hint-cd-single
- ↑ https://www.hercampus.com/school/xavier/best-songs-victorious/
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/artist/victoria-justice/chart-history/hbu/
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/artist/victoria-justice/chart-history/hds/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210531063800/https://www.billboard.com/music/victoria-justice/chart-history/KDT/song/733922
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20161224153318/https://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2012-03-17/kid-digital-songs
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20161119202508/https://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2012-03-24/kid-digital-songs
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210607160703/https://www.billboard.com/music/victoria-justice/chart-history/PPD/song/733922
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20130609055843/https://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/year-end/2012/kid-digital-songs
- ↑ https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=VICTORIOUS+CAST&ti=TAKE+A+HINT+%28FEAT.+VICTORIA+JUSTICE+%26+ELIZABETH+GILLIES%29&lab=NICKELODEON%2FCOLUMBIA&genre=POP&format=Single&date_option=release&from=2012-03-03&to=2012-03-03&award=P&type=DI
- ↑ https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/18630-6198-1
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120319012612/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8isU7_nhtY
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120307010749/https://www.nick.com/videos/clip/victorious-take-a-hint-music-video.html
- ↑ https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/883952341
- ↑ https://repertoire.bmi.com/Search/Search?SearchForm.Main_Search=BMI+Work+ID&SearchForm.Main_Search_Text=14375736
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/album/4G83wuBUs0u5bDGN7EgoQr
- ↑ https://twitter.com/VictoriaJustice/status/176438411656310784
- ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/kevin-kadish-the-songwriters/pl.4e36cb17077542cf9f8565e68c8f0448
- ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/nickelodeon-essentials/pl.7e36142599294ec783aced5a07650184
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/09xYO3Tci5rmxOsdmlV9w2
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CewAII_u_Rl/