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Take a Hint

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"Take a Hint"
Promotional single by Victorious cast featuring Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies
from the EP Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show
ReleasedMarch 3, 2012
GenrePop
Length2:34
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)James Michael

"Take a Hint" is a song performed by the Victorious cast featuring American singers and actresses Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies.

Background and release

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"Take a Hint" was written by Meghan Kabir, Kevin Kadish, and James Michael, with Michael also serving as the track's producer.[1][2] The song was released as a promotional single through Nickelodeon and Columbia Records on March 3, 2012, by the Victorious cast featuring two of the show's actresses, Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies.[3][4] The track was featured in the show's third season, sixth episode, titled "Tori & Jade’s Play Date".[2][5][6] In the episode, teacher Erwin Sikowitz (Eric Lange) becomes frustrated because when Tori Vega (Justice) and Jade West (Gillies) can't stop arguing. He tells them to hang out at a fictional karaoke restaurant called Nozu, warning that if they can't get along, they would fail his class. When two boys start flirting with them at the restaurant, Tori and Jade reject their advances as they sing "Take a Hint" together.[2][5][7] The track was later added on the shows second soundtrack Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show on June 5, 2012.[8]

Music and lyrics

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Music critics have described "Take a Hint" as a pop track.[7][9] Critics mention that the songs lyrics are about having the right to consent and standing up to unwelcome advances: "No you can’t buy me a drink/Let me tell you what I think/I think you could use a mint."[5][7][10] Jessica Dawson for Common Sense Media wrote that "Take a Hint" contains innuendos: "Get your hands off my hips/Stop that staring at my/Hey", and has hints of profanity: "I don’t want to be a priss, I just try to be polite/But it always seems to bite me in the ***."[7] The song features Gillies counting toward the end.[11]

Promotion and reception

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To promote the song, Justice performed it live throughout 2012.[12][13] Fellow Victorious actor Matt Bennett performed the song live with Gillies during some of his DJ concert sets.[14][15]

"Take a Hint" received positive reviews from music critics. Dawson stated the song is "fun and meant to be lighthearted".[7] Autumn McAlpin for The Orange County Register called the song an "anti-creepy-boy tune",[12] while Jack Irvin of People magazine described it as "memorable".[9] Writing for MovieWeb, Israel Olorunnisola placed "Take a Hint" at number four on his Victorious: 10 Songs You Forgot Were Awesome list, saying the song has a "catchy melody" and "witty and empowering lyrics."[5] For Her Campus, Megan Gaertner and Allison Kane placed the song at number one on their The Best Songs from Victorious list, describing the track as a "complete bop" that introduced them to feminism.[10]

Commercial performance

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"Take a Hint" peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, lasting 2 weeks on the chart.[16] On January 5, 2022, nearly ten years after its original release, "Take a Hint" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 1,000,000 certified units in the United States. It became the first track from a Nickelodeon series to achieve platinum status in the United States.[17][18] In December 2022, "Take a Hint" surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify, marking it as Justice's first track and Gillies's second to reach this milestone.[2]

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for "Take a Hint"
Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[16] 8

Certifications

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Certifications for "Take a Hint"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show/Credits". Tidal. June 5, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Stevenson, Mike (December 26, 2022). "This 'Victorious' Song Makes History for Victoria Justice, Liz Gillies' Music Careers". Music Times. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  3. ^ "Take a Hint (feat. Victoria Justice & Elizabeth Gillies) on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  4. ^ Gray, Delilah (January 31, 2023). "The Stunning Transformation Of Victoria Justice". The List. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d Olorunnisola, Israel (March 19, 2023). "Victorious: 10 Songs You Forgot Were Awesome". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  6. ^ Villamor, Sophia; Patchell-Evans, Tygre (December 6, 2019). "The 10 Best Episodes of Victorious". Her Campus. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e Dawson, Jessica (March 3, 2012). "Take a Hint (CD single)". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ Phares, Heather (March 2012). "Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show [Original TV Soundtrack] Victoria Justice / Victorious Cast". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Irvin, Jack (November 1, 2024). "Liz Gillies Says Her Music Career Faced 'Endless False Starts.' How She's 'Opened the Floodgates' (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  10. ^ a b Gaertner, Megan; Kane, Allison (November 8, 2019). "The Best Songs from Victorious". Her Campus. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  11. ^ Margolis, Sam; McQuiston, Rachel (December 8, 2019). "5 Most Iconic 'Victorious' Songs". Her Campus. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  12. ^ a b McAlpin, Autumn (August 3, 2012). "Victoria Justice thrills kids of all ages at Pacific". The Orange County Register. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  13. ^ "Elitch Gardens announces summer concert lineup". Denver Post. April 4, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  14. ^ Nollette-Patulski, Oscar (November 2, 2022). "iPartied with Matt Bennett". Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  15. ^ Zachian, Skylar (July 9, 2022). "Event of the Summer: iParty with Matt Bennett!". Young Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  16. ^ a b "Victoria Justice Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles)". Billboard. December 12, 2022. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  17. ^ a b "American single certifications – Victoria Justice & Elizabeth Gillies – Take a Hint". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  18. ^ Cantor, Brian (January 7, 2022). "Victoria Justice & Elizabeth Gillies' 'Victorious' Song 'Take A Hint' Earns Platinum Certification In United States". Headline Planet. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
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