"Uh La La La" is a song recorded by the Italian singer Alexia, released in 1997, featuring additional vocals by an uncredited male rapper. It was her fourth single from her debut album, Fan Club and written by Roberto Zanetti and Alexia herself. The song was a summer hit of 1997 in Europe and became Alexia's international breakout success. It reached number-one in Italy and Spain, and peaked within the Top 10 in Austria, Finland, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden and the UK. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Uh La La La" reached number 22 in September 1997. After its success in Europe, the song was remixed for a UK release the following year, which also saw release in Australia, where it peaked at number 17. This was her last single to be released by different labels in different territories as after this all her releases would be by Sony Music.
Release
The song was released in Italy on CD and 12", with releases in other European countries following. As before the German edition would be released by ZYX, the Spanish release by Blanco y Negro, the French release by Panic, and the Finnish release by K-Tel. A full set of releases was commissioned for Europe by Sony Music, once again on their Dancepool label; a maxi CD, 2-track CD, and 12" release. Two remix releases followed; one entitled 'Remix' and a doublepack of remixes by Fathers of Sound. The Fathers of Sound remixes would contain vocals and lyrics that were not on the original version. This was the second and last single to feature radio jingles on the CD. After officially signing to Sony for all future releases, plans were made to properly launch Alexia's career outside of Europe. In 1998, Almighty Records were commissioned to provide a remix and edit for the UK market in order to launch her career. The remix was also used for the Australian release later that year. Due to its popularity, the Almighty edit would be released on all versions of Alexia's second albumThe Party. In 1999, the track was released in America under the Epidrome label.
Critical reception
editor Tom Demalon described the song is a "jaunty, infectious number that leans a bit more to pop". Billboard wrote that "without question, "Uh La La La" is as infectious as they get—just perfect for those hot and steamy summer nights. And producer Roberto Zanetti is in ultra-fine form here. In a perfect world, this would surely be a hit." Music & Media commented that the song "sounds like a surefire summer hit; a simple sunny melody, a catchy sing-a-long refrain, a stomp/clap rhythm, some nice shuffle beats and a touch of rap. Another sign of success is that the song has already inspired a copy-cat version."
"Uh La La La" was covered by the Polish pop music group Blog 27 and released as a single in February 2006. It first appeared on their debut album LOL in 2005. The song entered four international charts in early March 2006, rising to the Top 40 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. The music video for the track features teenagers skateboarding and playing the spin the bottle game.
