Sailors Vs Mermaids

"Sailors Vs Mermaids"
Single by Candi from the album First Signs Of Sunlight
Released	9 April, 2012
Format	CD single, Digital download
Recorded	2011
Genre	Electropop, synthpop, New Wave
Label	Blacklight Records
Writer	Candi
Producer	Chase Elite
Chart position	#3
Certification	Platinum
Candi chronology
"Jigglypuff" (2012) "Sailors Vs Mermaids" (2012) "Summer Nights" (2012)

"Sailors Vs Mermaids" is a song by British recording artist Candi. The synthpop song was written by Candi herself, while the production was done by her brother Chase Elite. The song was released as the lead (sixth overall) single from the re-release of her album, First Signs Of Sunlight. The song is mythical, based on fantasy, and tells a story of Candi as a mermaid, battling for peace against the sailor's who lack respect of the world. Despite becoming Candi's most critically aclaimed release, it became her first to miss the top 2, debuting at #3. Despite this, it has become her best selling singles, selling over 433,000 copies and was the 14th best selling single of 2012.

Background

The song serves as the first (and only) single from the re-release of First Signs Of Sunlight. The song was released one week before Candi's One Heart Tour and was new, more indie sound for Candi, something which she had never tried before.

When revealing the song, Candi claimed "It's a song about pain. It's a song about rivalry. It's a song about living in a castle under the sea! It's a little crazy, but if artist's didn't experiment every now and then, we'd live in a very musically boring world now..." The use of mermaids and sailors are also a metaphor, repressenting anything in modern day, where divisions may apply. It essentially focuses on the fact every individual is different, and although this brings conflict, it is a beautiful fact that should be celebrated.

Critical reception

The song recieved gereally positive reviews from critics. Many complimented the fact Candi took a more artistic direction with the release, delving into deeper meanings, where as past singles have been about looking hot.

Some critics did note however, that Candi had earned massive success with tracks like "That's Hot" and "PUSHIT", and her first attempt at making a release artistic was "The Sword", which became her first single to not chart at #1.

Before the premiere of the single, Popjustice gave a review of the song; caliing it "a genuinely great song" adding that it is "sincerely moving" and that "Candi really needs more credit than what is giving. What appears to be a cute fairytale song is actually a deep and moving tale of prejudice, bias and woe. Another gem to add to the underated Candi collection Rolling Stone weren't as keen on the stating "Candi and her songs are always cute. But if she starts getting any cuter, we're going to start getting tooth ache. Enough is enough.". Yahoo! Music called the song "highly original" and added "a tear-jerking violin solo by Candi and lush strings weave into this break-your-heart song, which is perfectly suited for Candi's gentle vocals, and shows she has no signs of loosing her pop princess title anytime soon".

Music video

The video begins on a beach. Just the sound of the ocean is heard as all appears beautiful and calm, as the ocean waves are focused on. A boat sails on the water, as the music begins. Candi is seen in the water, with just her head visable. She spots a man on the boat and leans against a rock, leaning on her shoulder as she stares longingly at him. She also runs her hands gently through the water. Candi comes onto the beach, and while keeping her bottom half in the water, she sits on the sand and sings. She also raises a blue veil above her head and watches as it blows in the wind. Meanwhile on the boat, the sailor Candi saw looks out to sea sadly, while he draws a picture of mermaid Candi and sighs. Suddenly the man and Candi spot one another, and although a distance apart, they make eye contact. Candi panics, and dives back under the water. She then comes back to the surface in a cave, where she watches her sailor from in the cave and behind the shadows. As the ship sails further into the distance, Candi ventures back out of the cave and continues to sing on the beach, The song slows down, and now on the beach, Candi sits on a cliff and plays her violin out into the ocean. A distance away, the sailor who saw Candi hears the song, and dives off the ship and into the ocean. Candi swims into her cave, where she sits and sighs thinking about the sailor. Suddenly from under the water he arises, after swimming from his ship. The pair look at one another, and even though they're different (human and mermaid) they can't resist and the pair embrace one another. Water pours down on their bodies as they hold each other naked. The camera focuses once again on the waves of the beach, this time surrounded by night as it slowly blacks out.

Cover versions

Justyce covered the song in Week 9 of The Uraps Factor 2013 season.

Track listing

TBA

Credits

• "Sailors Vs Mermaids" — written by Candi

Performances

• Candi's Mermaid Party
• One Heart Tour

Artwork

• 

  CD1 cover
  

Chart performance

The single is set for release alongside the album's re-release on April 9, 2012. Upon it's release, it charted at #3, behind relatively unknown group Spells and their single "Hauswerq", and James Moss. The single becaming Candi's lowest charting release ever, although did present her with her third highest first week sales at the time, behind her two most recent singles "PUSHIT" and "Jigglypuff". It sold 93,561 copies in it's first week. In the single's tenth week, Candi's next single, "Summer Nights" was released, yet it's positions still stayed strong. In it's eleventh week, the single became Candi's best selling single, overtaking the sales of "PUSHIT". It also managed to hit the #1 poisition on the Airplay chart, giving Candi her fifth #1 on the chart. It was also the 14th best selling single of 2012.

Elsewhere in the world, "Sailors Vs Mermaids" achieved success where it charted at #4 in Australia, #5 in Ireland, #7 in Japan, #10 in Switzerland and #20 in Canada (becoming Candi's only single to date to miss the top ten there). It also chared at #33 in the US, becoming Candi's lowest charting release to date in the country.

Chart Run

• Week 1: #3 - 93,561
• Week 2: #3 - 79,391
• Week 3: #6 - 67,782
• Week 4: #8 - 53,952
• Week 5: #11 - 39,165
• Week 6: #14 - 23,744
• Week 7: #12 - 29,683
• Week 8: #20 - 13,600
• Week 9: #24 - 12,817
• Week 10: #23 - 13,384
• Week 11: #32 - 6,545

TOTAL: 433,624

Charts

Charts (2011)	Peak
UK Singles Chart	3
UK Downloads Chart	4
UK Airplay Chart	1

Release dates

Date	Region	Format	Label
9 April 2012	United Kingdom	CD Digital download	Blacklight
12 April 2012	Ireland