Hey QT

"Hey QT" is the debut and so far only single by the music project QT. The project consists of American vocalist Hayden Frances Dunham, English producer A. G. Cook, and Scottish producer Sophie. The song was released on August 26, 2014 via XL Recordings.[1] The single's release was accompanied by a photo of QT with a blonde wig trimmed into a messy bob cut.[2][3] The promotional image was made by Diamond Wright, a team that includes PC Music musician Hannah Diamond.[4]

"Hey QT"
Single by QT
Released26 August 2014 (2014-08-26)
GenreHyperpop
Length3:55
LabelXL
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • A. G. Cook
  • Sophie

Composition

"Hey QT" is a hyperpop song composed in the key of F major, with a tempo of 129 beats per minute.[6][7] Its production uses synthesizer melodies and an irregular beat comprised of staccato snare hits.[6][8] It features a call and response hook of "Hey QT! Yeah?".[4] QT doesn’t actually sing herself on the track, instead a British singer filled in and her voice was shifted to a higher pitch,[6][9] and the song has a girlish, cute aesthetic.[10] She said that the lyrics describe a "feeling of sensing someone's presence even when they are not in the same physical space".[2] "Hey QT" includes a metanarrative about the song itself.[11]

Release and promotion

The song was debuted at a Boiler Room show in Los Angeles promoting Hudson Mohawke's Chimes EP. A digital broadcast by Eric Wareheim opened the performance.[12] Dunham performed the song as QT, opening the act by sitting down and reading a fashion magazine while a voiceover endorsed the QT energy drink.[4] Dunham then lip synced "Hey QT" while appearing disinterested.[13]

Diplo premiered his remix of "Hey QT" on March 6, 2015 through Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show.[14] His reworking is more subdued, with a drop leading into the chorus.[15] The remix was made available as a free download on WeTransfer.[16]

Critical reception

Reaction to "Hey QT" was divided; many people responded with confusion or repulsion.[17] It received some acclaim from music critics, placing 84th on The Village Voice's 2014 Pazz & Jop critics' poll.[18] "Hey QT" was chosen as number 14 on Pitchfork Media's "100 Best Tracks of 2014".[9] Spin ranked the song 4th on its list of "The 101 Best Songs of 2014",[19] The Fader listed the song 3rd,[20] and Fact magazine placed "Hey QT" 37th on its year-end list.[21]

Music video

The music video for "Hey QT", directed by Bradley & Pablo, was released on March 25, 2015.[22] The video depicts QT developing the DrinkQT energy drink.[23] A laboratory measures her emotional state and distills it into the drink's formula.[24] The video features CGI animations of DrinkQT, which were simulated in RealFlow and rendered using 3ds Max.[25] It references Gap advertisements and includes product placement for Beats headphones.[26][27]

References
  1. "Sophie and A. G. Cook are QT Announce Debut Single Hey QT". Pitchfork. 2014-08-29. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  2. Friedlander, Emilie (2014-11-26). "QT Is The @Horse_Ebooks Of Music". The Fader. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  3. Frank, Alex (2014-09-19). "A Visual Primer on PC Music, London's Weirdest New Subculture". Vogue. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  4. Sherburne, Philip (2014-09-17). "PC Music's Twisted Electronic Pop: A User's Manual". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  5. Robinson, Peter (2014-09-11). "'You become an arse overnight': the pitfalls of having a hit novelty single". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  6. Adams, Gregory (2014-08-26). "QT 'Hey QT'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  7. "QT — Hey QT [XL Recordings]". Beatport. 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
  8. Fallon, Patric (2014-08-26). "QT: 'Hey QT'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  9. Mapes, Jillian (2014-09-30). "The Best Tracks of 2014". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  10. Pearl, Max; Lhooq, Michelle (2015-01-08). "PC Music is Post-Internet Art". Vice. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  11. MacNeill, Kyle (2014-08-29). "Tracks: QT, Death From Above 1979 & More". DIY. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  12. Beauchemin, Molly (2014-09-09). "Sophie and QT Perform Boiler Room Sets: Video". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  13. Weiss, Dan (2014-12-17). "Trend of the Year: How PC Music Chewed Up Pop Conventions". Spin. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  14. Milton, Jamie (2015-03-11). "Diplo shares edit of QT's 'Hey QT'". DIY. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  15. Rettig, James (2015-03-11). "QT – 'Hey QT (Diplo Remix)'". Stereogum. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  16. Harrison, Angus (2015-03-25). "The Video For 'Hey QT' is the Dystopian Energy Drink Commercial We've All Been Waiting For". Vice. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  17. Martin, Clive (2014-09-12). "PC Music: Are They Really the Worst Thing Ever to Happen to Dance Music?". Vice. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  18. "The Village Voice's 42nd Pazz & Jop Music Critics' Poll: The Last Word on the Year in Music". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2015-02-15.
  19. "The 101 Best Songs of 2014". Spin. 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  20. McDermott, Patrick D. (2014-12-09). "The FADER's 116 Best Tracks Of 2014". The Fader. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  21. "The 50 best tracks of 2014". Fact. 2014-12-11. Retrieved 2015-03-21.
  22. "pc music drop hey qt video and spread happiness". i-D. 2015-03-26. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  23. Gordon, Jeremy (2015-03-25). "QT Shares 'Hey QT' Video". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  24. "Hey QT". One Point Four. 2015-03-26. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
  25. Mzhavanadze, Beso (2015-03-26). "QT - Making Of Video". Vimeo. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  26. "Watch QT's virtual reality advert-video for 'Hey QT'". Fact. 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  27. Milton, Jamie (2015-03-25). "QT unveils elixir-fuelled video for 'Hey QT'". DIY. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
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