Pretend

"Pretend" is a song by English singer and former The Uraps Factor contestant Calvin Hawthorne. The song was released as a single on August 27, 2012 and is Hawthorne's debut single following him coming in tenth place on The Uraps Factor and the first single from his debut album Kelvin. The song premiered on August 7, 2012. The single was certified Gold by URAPS, selling more than 200,000 copies.

Background
"Pretend" is Hawthorne's debut single following his stint on The Uraps Factor, where he came in tenth place. The song will be released as a single on August 27, 2012 and will be available on digital download, digital EP, and CD single. Next Generation confirmed that they would only print and ship a limited copies of the single on CD to "save money". A remix EP for the single was also planned but never came into fruition. The song premiered on August 7, 2012 on the internet and was soon after released to radio.

Critical reception
The song has received mixed reviews from critics, with many calling it one of the most "polarizing" tracks of 2012. Some critics have complimented Hawthorne's "surprising conservative style on the tune especially when were expecting something as camp as his performances on The Uraps Factor; some also positively reviewed the song for its "heartbreaking lyrics" and "convincing emotional performance" from Hawthorne himself. Some critics, however, such as Popjustice, gave the song a negative review stating that listeners "were better off watching [Hawthorne] fall off the stage and break his ankle on YouTube [referring to his disastrous rendition of "Fight For This Love" on The Uraps Factor] than listen to this poor excuse of a song - and we say the term loosely - just once!". Hawthorne was also accused for having his vocals "obviously and heavily AutoTuned" in the song.

Chart performance
After charting on the airplay and digital charts in the UK, "Pretend" debuted at #6 on the UK Singles Chart, selling 48,769 copies. Critics felt the single "underperformed" as many thought it would reach the top five. It is also the lowest charting single from Next Generation Records to date and the label's first to not make the top five. The single stayed on the charts for nine weeks and sold 200,454 copies. It was certified Gold by the Urapopstar Recording Association Phonographic Selection (URAPS).

The single also surprisingly charted in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 at #7 and was certified Gold there by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The single initially failed to chart in Ireland but weeks after its premiere, it charted at #18. The song did not chart in Canada.

Track listing

 * CD single
 * 1) "Pretend"
 * 2) "Diamonds Are Forever


 * Digital download
 * 1) "Pretend"


 * Digital EP
 * 1) "Pretend"
 * 2) "With Every Heartbeat"
 * 3) "Diamonds Are Forever"
 * 4) "Pretend" (Wideboys Remix)
 * 5) "Pretend" (Wideboys Radio Edit Remix)