The OH in Ohio

"The OH in Ohio" is a song performed by British recording artist Alesha. It was released alongside "Candy Cigarettes" on September 3, 2007, by Ensemble Entertainment, as the third single from her fourth studio album Alesha Is the Queen (2007). The song, written and produced by Alesha, was inspired by crunk music and is heavily influenced by hip-hop sounds. Like much of Alesha Is the Queen, "The OH in Ohio" has themes of fashion, luxury and narcissism.

Following the release of "Power Power," infamous for its commercial failure and controversy, Alesha targeted a new audience in an attempt to regain public support. Following a highly-regarded (yet still controversial) Urapopstar Awards 14 performance and a collaboration with high-street retailer River Island, "The OH in Ohio"/"Candy Cigarettes" entered the chart at number two and became the best-selling single from Alesha Is the Queen (2007). The single was Alesha's first to sell 300,000 copies.

The music video was based on the '80s cult classic film Heathers, starring Alesha in a role comparable to Winona Ryder's portrayal of Veronica Sawyer in the movie. The video mostly focuses on the film's fashion, rather than subject matter. Alesha has performed the song on a number of her world tours since the song's release, most notably 2007's The Queen Tour and 2008's Jesus Christ Supertour.

Background and composition
In 2006, Alesha began recording her fourth studio album Alesha Is the Queen (2007). After scrapping an album’s worth of material, Alesha was given "Fashion Kills," a disco-inspired song written by Buffi. This song “changed the course of the album,” according to Alesha biographer Niles Bryans in Alesha, Queen of Pop: Underneath the Crown. Soon after, Alesha wrote and produced "London Brat." The song was heavily inspired by Alesha’s extravagant lifestyle as both a musician and an "It girl." Her partying antics had been well noted by the media; Alesha and her circle of friends were dubbed the "London Brat Pack" in an allusion to the '80s film stars who were part of the Brat Pack, itself a reference to the Rat Pack. The song begins with the lyrics, "I reek of cigarettes and flavored lipgloss / You can smell the vodka from a mile off."

The production of the song was described as "a dark, squiggly synth pop epic a la Pet Shop Boys," while the lyrical content was compared to both "self-involved hip-hop" and Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls." The song was described as "a collision of warp-speed funk guitar riffs and distorted Giorgio Moroder-style techno-disco."

Critical reception
Kitty Empire of ''The Observer;; praised the song's production. She wrote that "the skill and nous that have gone into songs such as 'London Brat' are unimpeachable. There hasn't been a song since the Pet Shop Boys' 'West End Girls' that captures the ugly charms of London on a Friday night, but 'London Brat' comes close." John Murphy of musicOMH said the song "sounds like the best night out you'll ever have set to a frenetic dance beat." However, alongside other songs from Alesha Is the Queen, "London Brat" received attention due to its lyrical content. It was suggested that the song "toys with Alesha’s reputation for partying a little too heartily."

Music video
The music video co-starred Josie Matthews, Kati, Shell Ruin, Taylor Brookes and the matronly Buffi. Matthews had collaborated with Alesha on her previous single "Just for the Thrills", while Kati, Brookes and Buffi guest starred in the "Fashion Kills" video as well. Furthermore, Alesha, Ruin, Brookes and Buffi would collaborate on "Power Power". The video, shot in Las Vegas on April 29, 2007, was directed by Mark Klasfeld. The music video was banned from broadcast for drug use and mild violence.

The video depicts the group as caricaturized versions of themselves, capitalizing on the “party girl” stereotypes they were given. It opens with Alesha arriving at a club in Las Vegas, where she meets Buffi. Eventually, the London Brat Pack stumbles out of the club’s back entrance. They share cigarettes, while Taylor Brookes chugs a bottle of vodka in a brown paper bag. They see the paparazzi and pose for the cameras. Stumbling down the Las Vegas Strip, they throw cigarette butts at pedestrians. In a white stretch limousine, Alesha, Josie Matthews and Taylor Brookes are flailing out of the sunroof. Taylor throws an empty vodka bottle at a vehicle passing by and another at a police car. Alesha is seen being carried on a red-cushioned golden throne by her servants, pop queens Lucreacia, Emma Brown and Miss Drips. Claire Kitten and 4tune lookalikes also appear. Alesha is seen snorting a line of cocaine in a bathroom.

Live performances
Alesha memorably performed "The OH in Ohio" at the 14th Urapopstar Awards ceremony. Alesha rose from the stage amidst strobe lights and pyrotechnics, wearing millions of pounds in carefully placed Cartier diamonds and turquoise Christian Louboutin heels. Alesha was joined by a chorus line of midgets. Midway through the song, the performance transitions into a previously unheard and yet-to-be released new song titled "Even God Hates U" — Alesha is joined by Twist, who push five female artists on the stage in wheelchairs – Camilla Holmes, Dalisay, Ellen Fitpatrick, Lady Lou and Lavina. Alesha then "roasted" each artist. Although some critics called the performance "nasty," most agreed that it was "memorable" and argued that it did little harm to the artists in question's already mediocre careers.

Alesha performed the song on 2007's The Queen Tour and again on 2008's Jesus Christ Supertour as part of the encore. In 2009, Alesha performed the Ethiopian Ritual Chants MetroMix of the song in a medley with Amy Marshall's "Bang!" (on which Alesha features) on the Apocalypse City Live tour. Alesha performed the song in a medley with "Power Power" on 2010's The Reckoning tour, in support of the greatest hits album Last Judgment. "The OH in Ohio" was once more included in the Judgment Day set list, a live concert at Wembley Stadium billed as Alesha's "final concert" in 2010 (Alesha later returned to the industry after retiring six months earlier).

Track listing

 * CD1
 * 1) "The OH in Ohio"
 * 2) "Candy Cigarettes"
 * 3) "Burns (Candy Cigarettes Part II)"
 * 4) "The Turn" (M.I.A.)
 * 5) "Bitch in Heat" (Remix with Putanovska)
 * CD2
 * 1) "The OH in Ohio"
 * 2) "Candy Cigarettes"
 * 3) "Burns"
 * 4) "Creator" (Santigold)
 * 5) "The OH in Ohio" (Ethiopian Ritual Chants MetroMix)
 * DVD
 * 1) "Making the Videos"
 * 2) "The OH in Ohio" (music video)
 * 3) "Candy Cigarettes" (music video)
 * 4) "The OH in Ohio"/"Even God Hates U" (Live at Urapopstar Awards 14)
 * 5) "Power Power" (Live at Lollapalooza)
 * 6) "Keys to the House" (with Neyssa) (Live at Lollapalooza)
 * 7) "Spot the Cigarette Burns on Alesha's Baby" (Game)


 * Digital download
 * 1) "The OH in Ohio"
 * 2) "Candy Cigarettes"
 * 3) "Burns"
 * 4) "Morning Wood" (BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge)
 * 5) "Not For You" (BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge)

Chart performance
The song debuted on the official singles chart at number four on June 17, 2007, becoming the third top-five single to come from Alesha Is the Queen. Despite not performing as well as predecessors "Fashion Kills" (number one) or "Just for the Thrills" (number two), "London Brat" received a silver certification with 140,451 copies sold (in 2013, due to sales inflation, silver certifications were given to songs with sales of over 150,000 copies). Aside from "Power Power," Alesha’s next single which became infamous for its controversy, "London Brat" is Alesha’s last single to miss the top two and avoid a platinum certification.