Crucify

Crucify
EP by Alesha
Released	November 10, 2008
Recorded	November 2007 – October 2008,; London, Los Angeles, New York, Stockholm
Genre	Alternative
Label	Ensemble
Producer	Alesha
Alesha singles chronology

"Crucify" is an EP by British recording artist Alesha. It was released on November 11, 2008 by Ensemble Entertainment. The album contains four tracks from Alesha's fifth studio album The Second Coming and two previously unreleased songs. In contrast to the upbeat, electronic nature of previous single releases, the "Crucify" EP is notably driven by alternative and ballad influences, foreshadowing Alesha's next releases.

The two most significant songs on the EP, "Jesus Christ Supermodel" and "Crucify", paint Alesha as a Messianic figure, and were later featured on Alesha's 2010 greatest hits album Last Judgment. Of the new tracks, "Judas" is a piano-led ballad and "Boytoy" is a mid-tempo electroclash song with glam rock influences. The EP charted at number two upon its release.

No music videos were recorded to promote the EP (meaning only one music video was produced during The Second Coming era). However, "Jesus Christ Supermodel" featured heavily in an advertisement for iTunes while "Crucify" was performed on The X Factor. The album tracks from the EP were performed on 2008's Jesus Christ Supertour, while the title track has been reprised on numerous tours.

Background and composition[edit | edit source]

The EP features "Jesus Christ Supermodel" and "Crucify" from The Second Coming, both songs which notably portray Alesha as a Messianic figure. The former has "a house-y feel", while the latter is a mid-tempo electronic track with hip-hop influences in which Alesha draws parallels between people living under public scrutiny and the crucifixion of Jesus. Meanwhile, new track "Judas" is a piano-led song about betrayal that makes reference to both Judas Iscariot and Roman leader Julius Caesar.

"aThe Angels in This City" is an indie rock song comprised of pieces of different demo tracks. The lyrics reference Neeley O'Hara, a character in the popular book and film Valley of the Dolls; Alesha would later go on to play Helen Lawson in a Broadway adaptation of Valley of the Dolls. "Timebomb" is an indie pop song with New Wave influences. "Boytoy," inspired by electronic duo Goldfrapp, is a mid-tempo elecroclash song with glam rock influences.

The EP was released on November 10, 2008. "Jesus Christ Supermodel" had originally been intended for stand-alone single release in July, but it was put on hold for the Ryan Dawson duet "Original Sin". After releasing two tracks penned by Shell Ruin, "Tsunami of the Soul" and "Disciplinary", Alesha decided to include only songs that were self-written on the EP.

Critical reception[edit | edit source]

"Jesus Christ Supermodel" was originally intended for single release.

Critics responded positively to the EP as a whole. Poppy Weir of The Sunday Times noted that "the songs together make sense." Keith Caulfield of Billboard was impressed with the new tracks "Boytoy" and "Judas". He said, "Die-hard fans and those unenamored of Alesha will dig this EP." Neil Strauss of The New York Times felt all the songs on the EP "cohere" and "tell a story of their own, of a voice and attitude that have hardened in recent years." Writing for The Baltimore Sun, J. D. Considine believed that with the album "Alesha reminds us that there's more to her music than dance tunes."

Critical commentary of the individual tracks was mostly favorable. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine was very positive of "Jesus Christ Supermodel": he described it as "infectious Nineties rave nostalgia." In a review of The Second Coming (2008), James Westeros of Spin described "Crucify" as "menacing" and compared it to the Pixies and New Order. While reviewing the "Crucify" EP, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly said "Boytoy" and "Judas" "are consumer enticements that just add to the allure," while The Guardian journalist Edward Tipton considered "Judas" a "bitter-sweet serenade."

In a more negative review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic felt that the presence of a "strong hook and a strong sense of fun" was missing from "The Angels in This City," "Boytoy" and "Judas."

Commercial response[edit | edit source]

"Crucify" debuted on the official singles chart at number two, becoming Alesha's Alesha's seventh consecutive top-two hit, as well as her seventh consecutive single to be certified platinum. The EP sold a total of 311,343 copies in its run on the chart, following three previous singles from The Second Coming that sold over 300,000 copies.

Live performances[edit | edit source]

Alesha performed "Jesus Christ Supermodel", "The Angels in This City", "Timebomb" and "Crucify" on August 1, 2008, during a concert in Dublin, Ireland as part of her Jesus Christ Supertour. "Jesus Christ Supermodel" served as the show's opening number in a set entitled "Alesha of Nazareth." "The Angels in This City" was sung in the penultimate set, while both "Timebomb" and "Crucify" were included in the final set. "Crucify" is the show's final performance prior to the encore. Alesha performed the songs on the remainder of the tour.

"Crucify" was performed live on The X Factor on 8 November, 2008, ahead of the EP's release date. Following the performance, sales of the title track in the UK increased by 96% within two hours, and were up by 252% the following day.

In 2009, "Timebomb" and "Crucify" were both included on the set list of Alesha's first stadium tour, Apocalypse City Live. A year later, "Crucify" was performed in a medley with "Bear Dance" and "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" on 2010's The Reckoning tour. Alesha performed "Jesus Christ Supermodel" and "Crucify" at Judgment Day, a televised greatest hits concert held at Wembley Stadium.