On a Roll
"On a Roll" is a song by American singer Miley Cyrus, performed under the moniker "Ashley O" (her character in the Black Mirror episode "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too"). It is an adaptation of the 1989 Nine Inch Nails song "Head Like a Hole". The episode originally aired on June 5, 2019, and the song was later distributed as a stand-alone single by RCA Records and The Null Corporation on June 14, 2019. The B-side, "Right Where I Belong", is based on the 2005 Nine Inch Nails song "Right Where It Belongs". Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor approved of the adaptations, and released Black Mirror-themed merchandise to coincide with the episode's airing.[2] The song was ranked 28th on the 100 Best Songs of 2019 list by Billboard.[3] The song was not released to radio in the US.[4]
"On a Roll" | ||||
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Single by Ashley O | ||||
B-side | "Right Where I Belong" | |||
Released | June 14, 2019 | |||
Genre | Dance-pop[1] | |||
Length | 2:34 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | The Invisible Men | |||
Miley Cyrus singles chronology | ||||
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Background and composition
The track interpolates elements of "Head Like a Hole", the 1989 single by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, from their debut studio album Pretty Hate Machine. Therefore, "On a Roll" credits Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor as a songwriter, and was produced by production trio The Invisible Men.[5] Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker gained permission from Reznor to use the song, and later re-wrote the lyrics to be "uber-positive" in order to serve as a juxtaposition with the "dark concepts" of the episode.[6] The song is written in the key of B-flat Major in common time with a tempo of 122 beats per minute.[7] Buzzfeed noted online observations that the song's chorus, "Hey yeah woah-ho", sounds like "Hey I'm a hoe", and described it as an example of a mondegreen.[8] .
Music video
The official music video for "On a Roll" was released on June 13, 2019, on Netflix's official YouTube channel.
Live performances
Cyrus performed "On a Roll" and "Head Like a Hole" live on June 30, 2019, during her set at Glastonbury Festival 2019 in Pilton, Somerset.[9]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Trent Reznor.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "On a Roll" | 2:34 |
2. | "Right Where I Belong" | 2:11 |
Total length: | 4:45 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "On a Roll" (DallasK Remix) | 3:04 |
2. | "On a Roll" (Basic Tape Remix) | 3:00 |
3. | "On a Roll" (KDA Remix) | 3:10 |
4. | "On a Roll" (Junior Vasquez Remix) | 4:23 |
5. | "On a Roll" (Wax Wings Remix) | 3:50 |
Total length: | 17:27 |
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[10]
- Miley Cyrus – vocals, songwriting
- Charlie Brooker – songwriting
- Trent Reznor – songwriting
- Chiara Hunter – backing vocals
- The Invisible Men – production, mixing engineers
- Dylan Cooper – keyboards, programming
- George Astasio – keyboards, programming
- Jason Pebworth – keyboards, programming
- Jon Shave - keyboards, programming, recording engineering
- Murray C. Anderson – recording engineering
- Jethro Harris – assistant engineering
Charts
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] | 77 |
UK Singles (OCC)[12] | 65 |
References
- Unterberger, Andrew. "Is Miley Cyrus' 'Black Mirror' Song 'On a Roll' Going to End Up Her Biggest New Hit?". Billboard.
- Monroe, Jazz (June 5, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Sings Nine Inch Nails Songs in 'Black Mirror' Season 5". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- Billboard Staff (December 11, 2018). "The 100 Best Songs of 2019: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8518583/miley-cyrus-ashley-o-on-a-roll-success-black-mirror
- Spanos, Brittany (June 12, 2019). "Song You Need to Know: Miley Cyrus/Ashley O, 'On a Roll'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- "'Black Mirror' Got Trent Reznor's Blessing to Remix Nine Inch Nails for Miley Cyrus Episode".
- "On a Roll (Head Like a Hole) (Music from the Netflix Original Series, Black Mirror)".
- Zamora, Christian (June 17, 2019). "No, Ashley O Is NOT Singing About How She's A Hoe". Buzzfeed. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- Kreps, Daniel (June 30, 2019). "See Miley Cyrus Perform "On a Roll" and "Head Like a Hole" at Glastonbury". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
- "On A Roll / Ashley O – TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- "Miley Cyrus Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 13, 2019.