"Radioactive" is a song recorded by British singer Rita Ora, released as the fourth overall single from her debut studio album, Ora. The single was released on 11 February 2013. The song was co-written by Sia Furler and Greg Kurstin, while the latter also produced the cut.
Background and composition
In July 2012, it was announced that "Radioactive" would serve as the third single from Ora in the United States. In November 2012, it was confirmed that "Radioactive" would serve as the fourth single from Ora in the United Kingdom. The cover artwork for the song was revealed on 9 January 2013. It features Ora against a backdrop of colorful stars. Sia Furler and Greg Kurstin wrote the song, while Greg Kurstin was the producer.
Critical reception
"Radioactive" received favorable reviews from music critics. According to a reviewer of Metro, "Radioactive is a dancefloor-ready track that is more about the beat than the lyrics or any deeper meaning behind them". An example is when she sings: "‘I’m checking you out in your sweet desire/I’m coming over to make you mine/It’s a crime boy, you’re so fine/I’m taking you out, boy, it’s a green light/I’m glad you came over, it was about time/It feels right, boy you’re so fine". Scott Kara from New Zealand Herald found it a highlight on the album and called it a "serenade" track. Robert Corpsey from Digital Spy said he sees her in "Guetta-style dancefloor mode". He found the song a highlight on the album. Jon O'Brien from Yahoo! Music called it a "gleaming neo-disco number". Laurence Green from MusicOMH was very positive towards his statements of the song, calling it a "David Guetta-esque euro-techno" song and branded it "excellent". Entertainment Focus gave it an acclaimed review, awarding the song five stars out of five, saying "This is such a catchy track that will be sure to blow up the charts and we are sure that it will also be a massive smash in the club land too This is the perfect song to stick on whilst getting ready for a big Friday night out. Well done Rita Ora, this is simply a fantastic song that will appeal to most that hear it and it makes us want to get our party shoes on!". A reviewer from musiceyz.co.uk stated personally: "it’s my favourite song that Rita Ora has released and I have heard by her so far, there is just something about it that makes it so easy to listen to. The simplicity of it is what makes it so big".
Chart performance
"Radioactive" was released in UK on 11 February 2013 as the fourth single from Ora. It reached No. 18 in the UK Singles Chart. The track was serviced to Australian radio only four weeks after "Shine Ya Light", and has peaked at No. 73 on the "Australian Radio Airplay Chart". It was released as the third single from Ora in the US on 26 February 2013 via digital download.
Music video
The music video, directed by Syndrome, premiered on YouTube on 10 December 2012, at a total length of four minutes and twenty-two seconds. The music video features intense animation and graphics, along with futuristic fashion and robotics. There are several different scenarios in the video; the first one, Ora stands in a nuclear cloud and forms the word "Radioactive" whilst animated rings circle her; the next she is in a chair in a barren wasteland, which is made to look like it has been destroyed by a nuclear explosion, and there are two men in gasmaks holding torn flags; the next, we see Ora in a high-tech room, with animated figures of people being created and a rotating head of Ora with animatronic parts; and the last scene, Ora is riding through a tunnel on a motorbike. On 18 December 2012, a behind-the-scenes video was posted on her official VEVO page.
