Catallena

Orange Caramel, the first sub-unit of South Korean girl group After School, had achieved mainstream success with hit singles such as "Magic Girl", "Bangkok City" and "Shanghai Romance" since their debut in 2010 as a three-member girl group. The group consisted of Raina, Nana and Lizzy.[1][2] As one of the most-successful units, the trio are well known for their oddball and "Candy Culture" concepts.[3][4] In late 2013, the group's record label, Pledis Entertainment, announced that Orange Caramel were preparing for a comeback the following February.[5] However, the comeback was delayed until the beginning of March 2014. On 18 February of that year, the group posted a teaser on their official Facebook page, announcing the release of their third single, titled "Catallena".[6] The teaser showed the leg of a woman hiding behind a pink wall, with her wearing a polka-dot styled vintage skirt, stockings and high-heels. It was followed by another teaser that was released two days later, being based on a still-cut image from the then-upcoming music video.[7] On 26 February 2014, the release date for the single was announced.[8] It marked the group's first Korean offering in 17 months since their previous song "Lipstick" (2012), and their sixth single overall.[6][9]

"Catallena" was made available for digital download and streaming as a single in various countries through Pledis Entertainment and Kakao M on 12 March 2014.[10][11] The physical CD single for the song was released in South Korea on 14 March 2014 by the aforementioned record labels.[12] The song was written and composed by the group's long-time collaborators Igy and Seo Yong-bae, with the collaborators also handling production.[13][14] Both versions of the single contain B-side tracks "So Sorry" and "Cry".[13]

"Catallena" mixes contemporary pop with Italo disco and hi-NRG styles, and contains elements of '70s and '80s.[15][16] The song is composed in the key of E minor, with a tempo of 127 beats per minute, and runs for 3:13.[18] It interpolates a sample of a Punjabi folk song "Jutti Meri", which is used in the chorus.[15][16][17] The track is instrumented by Nile Rodgers & Chic-esque guitars and makes use of a compressed synth bassline, which was compared to English rock band New Order's song "Blue Monday" (1983).[19] "Catallena" also utilizes '80s snares, Ghazal folk samples, and Bollywood-tinged overtones and beats in its production.[4] Throughout the song, Orange Caramel sing using high-pitched vocals and melodious coos.[15][20] Its orchestration was compared to the style of Swedish supergroup ABBA.[4] During the song's lyrics, the group voice their fascination towards a charming "Catallena" woman in spite of being straight, singing, "She's so great, I've fallen for her/ Even as a girl."[4][21] Music journalists associated the lyrics to have a deeper meaning.[4][21]

The original sample of the song is Ueberschall - Disco De Luxe of 2002

"Catallena" was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. Jakob Dorof, writing for Vice, praised the "mass" production of the track, which he labelled as "clever" and said made it "feel dang near handmade." Dorof further deemed Orange Caramel's "packaged positivity" as "a nightlight brighter than all the rest."[19] He also wrote an article for Pitchfork, in which he called the song a "pretty fantastic pop" and regarded it as the group's best song, mainly for utilizing a "filter-swept combo" in the production.[4] In PopMatters, Scott Interannte lauded the track for its "odd smashing of genres and styles."[15] In his review for Billboard, Jeff Benjamin shared a similar view, citing the song as "a mishmash of peculiar sonic elements," and noting it as a departure from "K-pop's heteronormative love lyrics."[21] Reviewing for Dazed, Taylor Glasby regarded it as "the queen of the disco" and wrote that "the comical, twisted and wonderful 'Catallena' was a tune that welded itself to your brain." Labelling the song as "more of a novelty side-project," he felt that it "brimmed with confidence" and represented the group "turning a corner."[16] Kim Do-heon from IZM gave a slightly positive review, rating the song three out of five stars and writing, "the song itself is okay, but its symbolism and implications are not light."[22] Jessica Oak and Benjamin listed the track as one of the best 20 songs of 2014 for Billboard and deemed it as "possibly the oddest track of the year," but also "one of the year's most genius releases."[20] The magazine ranked the track 20th on its list of the 100 best K-pop songs of the 2010s decade.[23]

"Catallena" was a commercial success in South Korea. The song debuted and peaked at number six on the Gaon Digital Chart for the chart issue dated 9–15 March 2014.[24] It maintained the position for four consecutive weeks before falling for the week of 12 April 2014.[25] In addition, the song debuted at number three on the component Download Chart, selling 111,510 digital units in its first week of release.[26] "Catallena" was the seventh best-performing song of March 2014 on the Digital Chart.[27] Meanwhile, the physical single edition peaked at number five on the Gaon Album Chart.[28] As of December 2014, "Catellena" has sold over 1,011,735 digital units in South Korea, becoming the 33rd best-selling single of 2014 in the country.[29] Additionally, it became the 38th best-performing single on the Gaon Digital Chart for 2014, based on digital sales, streaming, and background music (track downloads).[30]

Prior to release, Orange Caramel held a "Surprise premiere" in Gangnam, Seoul on 11 March 2014, to discuss the single with their fans.[39] Pledis Entertainment also released the making of jacket album photos for the group and behind the scenes footage of the music video.[40] Following the release of the single, Orange Caramel appeared and performed on several South Korean music programs. The group gave their first televised live performance of "Catallena" on Mnet's M! Countdown on 13 March 2014.[41] They subsequently appeared on MBC's Show! Music Core, SBS' Inkigayo and MBC Music's Show Champion on a weekly basis to perform it.[42][43][44][45] During the performances, the group dressed as various food items, including sushi, french fries, and bibimbap.[42][44][46] They also performed the song during WAPOP K-Dream Concert on 22 March 2014.[47]

Credits adapted from Naver Music.[14]

• Igy – lyricist, composer, producer
• Seo Yong-bae – lyricist, composer, producer
• Orange Caramel – vocals