Unbeknownst

"Unbeknownst"
Single by Alesha & Paulo Araujo
from the album Alesha
A-side	"Opulence"
B-side	"Love Me Harder" "The OH in Ohio" "Passive Aggressive"
Released	October 6, 2014 (2014-10-06)
Format	Digital single, remix EP, CD, vinyl
Recorded	2011
Genre	R&B, pop
Label	Blacklight Records Holy Trinity
Writer(s)	Alesha
Producer	Alesha
Alesha singles chronology
"Japan" (2014) "Opulence"/ "Unbeknownst" (2014) "Number One" (2014)
Paulo Araujo singles chronology
"Fruits EP" (2014) "Opulence"/ "Unbeknownst" (2014) "Chiron EP" (2015)

"Unbeknownst" is a song performed by British recording artist Alesha and Brazilian recording artist Paulo Araujo, written and produced by Araujo and Nellee Hooper in 2011. The song was scheduled to appear on Araujo's sixth studio album Introspective Retrospective (2011), but Alesha disappeared from the limelight during a three-year hiatus. Upon Alesha's industry return in 2014, "Unbeknownst" appeared on Profanities, Paulo Araujo's seventh studio set. "Unbeknownst" was released as the album's third single, togetehr with "Opulence" – another duet between the pair recorded for Alesha's self-titled eighth studio album (2014). Despite being old friends, the tracks mark the first musical collaborations between Alesha and Araujo (as well as both artists' first time working with Hooper).

Sonically, "Unbeknownst" was inspired by trip hop music and Nellee Hooper's experience with the genre. The song borrows elements from "Saturday Night Divas" by the Spice Girls, tweaking the '90s pop song into a scratchy, trip hop sample. Lyrically, "Unbeknownst" deals with untold secrets and their consequences, while alluding to an intricate relationship with truth coming to light. However, scholars and academics have noted that the song contains lyrical subtexts. An accompanying music video for the song was filmed at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but it ultimately never saw a release.

"Opulence"/"Unbeknownst" was a commercial success, becoming Alesha's fifteenth number-one single and her first since returning to the music industry after a three-year hiatus. For Araujo, it was his tenth chart-topper. The single sold over 100,000 copies in its first week of release and also topped airplay charts. The dual release won Collaboration of the Year at the 26th Urapopstar Awards. Alesha and Paulo Araujo performed "Opulence" and "Unbeknownst" at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and on Saturday Night Live. Paulo also sang a solo version of the track on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Araujo joined Alesha on the Vancouver date of her Alesha: Renaissance Live tour to perform the track together.

Background and composition

Paulo Araujo first approached Alesha with the song "Unbeknownst" in 2011, while recording music for his sixth studio album Introspective Retrospective. Alesha and Araujo had been friends for many years, having appeared as industry newcomers at a relatively similar time, and appearing as judges on URAPS Idol together. However, Alesha disappeared from the spotlight during a three-year hiatus from the music industry, her last releases being "Alpha & Omega"/"Who Do You Think You Are" with Putanovska in July 2011 and the budget greatest hits compilation God Save the Queen: The Best of Alesha a month later. Upon Alesha's return to the industry in 2014, Araujo was in the process of completing a revised version of his seventh studio album, Profanties (2014), and re-recorded the duet with Alesha. In return, Araujo appeared on "Opulence" from Alesha's album.

"Unbeknownst" was written and produced by Araujo together with Nellee Hooper. The song borrows elements from "Saturday Night Divas" by the Spice Girls, tweaking the 1990s pop track into a scratchy, trip hop sample. "Unbeknownst" was heavily inspired by trip hop music, inspired by Hooper's work with Björk, Madonna and others. According to Rikky Rooksby, in his book The Complete Guide to the Music of Alesha, the lyrics of "Unbeknownst" are about "secrecy destroying relationships" and "the denial of truth". Sexual themes have also been noted within the song's lyrics.

Critical reception

Alesha and Araujo each appeared on individual covers of Interview.

Upon release, "Unbeknownst" received generally positive response from reviewers. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic, in a review for Araujo's album as a whole, wrote that, along with other tracks, it was among the "best songs on the album" and that they "slowly work their melodies into the subconscious as the bass pulses". Larry Flick from Billboard noted that "It is easily among [Araujo's] boldest and most experimental pop singles to date", also noting its "trippy and cutting-edge trance dance rhythms". He finished his review praising its "ingratiating" hook. Mim Udovitch of Rolling Stone dubbed it "ominous" and "anthemic". "Opulence"/"Unbeknownst" was nominated for and later won Collaboration of the Year at the 26th Urapopstar Awards.

Commercial response

"Opulence"/"Unbeknownst" charted at number one on the official singles chart ahead of new releases by Veronica Nightshade and Yuna Marie, selling 102,066 copies in its first week of sale. The following week, the duet slipped to number three and received a silver certification. The single spent a further four weeks in the top ten, receiving a gold certification in its fifth week on the singles chart. "Opulence"/"Unbeknownst" continued to linger in the upper reaches of the top twenty until its tenth charting week, when the release of Alesha's follow-up single "Number One" sent her Paulo Araujo collaboration spiraling down the top forty. The single spent a total of twenty-two weeks on the singles chart, selling 555,480 copies and continuing Alesha's streak of platinum singles.

"Unbeknownst" also followed "Opulence" in peaking at number one on the Urapopstar Airplay 40 chart.

Music video

A music video for "Unbeknownst" was shot on-location in various locales with additional scenes filmed at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The visuals from the Copacabana Palace, one of Rio's five-star hotels, were simply "glamour shots," according to Araujo. "Most of the video was shot last month," Araujo told reporters. "We've had like four or five small sessions together." The music video was reportedly inspired by Ancient Greece, particularly the Eleusinian Mysteries, and intended to criticize religion and contain homoeroticism. Araujo teased that the video would premire on midnight on October 6, 2014, the day of the single's release; however, the video has never been released and remains unseen.

Alesha and Araujo each appeared on individual covers of Interview.

Live performances and promotion

Alesha and Paulo Araujo first performed "Opulence" live together at Alesha's album launch gig at the Royal Albert Hall, later released for home video as A Night At Royal Albert Hall. After teasing fans that she will perform her new single at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, Alesha and Araujo performed a medley of "Opulence" and "Unbeknownst". On September 16, Araujo joined Alesha on her Alesha: Renaissance Live tour in Vancouver to perform both "Opulence" and "Unbeknownst". Araujo performed a solo version of the track on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, as well as his verse from "Opulence". On October 4, Alesha and Araujo appeared as muscial guests on Saturday Night Live, performing "Unbeknownst" first and "Opulence" as their second selection. The pair also interviewed one another for Andy Warhol's Interview magazine.

Track listing

CD

1. "Opulence"
2. "Unbeknownst"
3. "Love Me Harder"

Digital EP

1. "Opulence"
2. "Unbeknownst"
3. "The OH in Ohio" (Paulo Covers Alesha)
4. "Passive Aggressive" (Alesha Covers Paulo)

Digital remix EP

1. "Opulence" (Christian Stone Femme Realness Edit)
2. "Opulence" (Gregor Salto & Funkin Matt Remix)
3. "Opulence" (The Partysquad Remix)
4. "Unbeknownst"(Christian Stone 'A Shade Shady' Edit)
5. "Unbeknownst" (Crookers Remix)
6. "Unbeknownst" (Fedde le Grand Remix Edit)

7" vinyl

1. "Opulence" (Christian Stone Femme Realness Edit)
2. "Unbeknownst" (Christian Stone 'A Shade Shady' Edit)

Artwork

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  Main cover

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  Remix EP cover

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  Vinyl cover

Charts

Chart (2015)	Peak position
Urapopstar Top 40 Singles Chart	1
Urapopstar Top 20 Digital Chart	1
Urapopstar Top 40 Airplay Chart	1