SugarCrash!

"SugarCrash!"
Single by ElyOtto
Released	August 25, 2020
Genre	Hyperpop
Length	1:20 2:32 (remix)
Songwriter(s)	Elliott Platt, Kim Petras
Producer(s)	Elliott Platt
ElyOtto singles chronology
"Lost" (2017) "SugarCrash!" (2020) "Let Go :(" (2020)
Music video
"SugarCrash!" on YouTube

"SugarCrash!" is a song written, produced, and performed by Canadian musician ElyOtto. It was released on August 25, 2020. A remix featuring Kim Petras and Curtis Waters was released on April 23, 2021.

Background and composition

At one minute and 20 seconds long, the song is in the key of F major with a tempo of 98 beats per minute.^[1][2] It went viral on the video-sharing app TikTok in February 2021. The song is associated with two meme formats on the app, with the more popular format, a parody of fancams, featuring a CapCut video effect that highlights the climax of the video.^[3]

On August 26, 2020, ElyOtto uploaded "Sugarcrash!," a hyperpop song inspired by 100 gecs, to his SoundCloud.^[4]

On August 27, 2020, ElyOtto uploaded a TikTok video promoting the song that received over 760,000 views and 204,000 likes in seven months.^[5]

"SugarCrash!" incorporates hyperpop with many sound effects, distorted bass, and high-pitched vocals, consisting of two choruses, a verse, and a bridge. Platt claimed in a Genius interview that the song, made with GarageBand, was a soundfont test for Pokémon Black and White. Platt also stated that the song covered many of his issues; how tired he was of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, his future, and his gender dysphoria.^[6]

I've heard a lot of trans people say that they feel like they're born in the wrong body, wishing they could be someone else. I don't feel like that at all, I'm who I meant to be. I want to get rid of that self-hatred I have for myself, and sort of become accepting. It's such a personal thing to me, but taken out of context, it's something that pretty much anyone could relate to, which I think is really beautiful.^[6]

Reception

Vulture's Justin Curto wrote: "As a song, 'SugarCrash!' tries to solve the very problem it's about. It's nothing new in hyperpop, which often uses buoyant productions to address darker themes. But on another, equally self-aware level, the song works so well because it's also about exactly what it sounds like. It's a hyperactive song about being full of pent-up energy; a brain-splitting song that, at one point, contemplates splitting one's own brain".^[7] The song also received praise from Billboard author Joe Lynch, who described it as "a diaristic, candy-coated slice of teenage dissatisfaction."^[8]

Following the song's success, at least seven record labels reached out to ElyOtto before he signed to RCA Records.^[9][10]

Chart performance

The song debuted at number 30 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, having spent 19 weeks-and-counting on the chart in total, peaking at number 10.^[11] It later debuted at number 23 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 for the week of March 20, 2021,^[12] and peaked at number 59 on the UK Singles Chart,^[13] as well as number 126 on Billboard's Global 200.^[14] The song also earned ElyOtto a spot on Rolling Stone's Breakthrough 25 chart for the months of February and March 2021 at numbers 15 and 17, respectively,^[15] as well as a spot on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart for four weeks, peaking at number 36.^[16]

Music video

On April 23, 2021, a visualizer was released along with the remix. A music video for the original song was released on May 4, 2021.^[17] Both videos sit at a combined 23.5 million views as of September 2022.

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "SugarCrash!" Chart (2021) Peak position Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] 81 Global 200 (Billboard)[14] 126 UK Singles (OCC)[19] 59 UK Indie (OCC)[20] 11 US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[12] 23 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[11] 10

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "SugarCrash!" Chart (2021) Position US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[21] 48

Certifications

Certifications for "SugarCrash!"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[22]	Gold	40,000^‡
Poland (ZPAV)[23]	Gold	25,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "ELYOTTO - Sugarcrash! Chords and Tabs for Guitar and Piano - ChordZone.org". www.chordzone.org. June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
2. Musescore. "Sugar Crash [ElyOtto]". Musescore.com. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
3. "ElyOtto's "SugarCrash!"". Know Your Meme. March 9, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
4. SugarCrash! on SoundCloud, retrieved May 30, 2023
5. "ElyOtto on TikTok". TikTok. August 27, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
6. "ElyOtto "SugarCrash!" Official Lyrics & Meaning | Verified". Genius. April 2, 2021.
7. Curto, Justin (April 23, 2021). "Admit It, 'SugarCrash!' Was Already Great". Vulture.
8. Lynch, Joe (June 3, 2021). "ElyOtto on What Hyperpop Means to the LGBTQ+ Community". Billboard.
9. Bell, Mike (May 12, 2021). "Calgary artist ElyOtto turns viral fame into record deal with massive TikTok hit SugarCrash". TheYYScene.
10. Raza-Sheikh, Zoya (April 29, 2021). "ElyOtto is the trans TikTok star taking on the music industry". Gay Times.
11. "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs - July 3, 2021". Billboard.
12. "SugarCrash!" - Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
13. "ELYOTTO | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
14. "SugarCrash!" Billboard Global 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
15. Blake, Emily (June 15, 2021). "Future of Music: The Sounds of Tomorrow". Rolling Stone.
16. "Emerging Artists Chart". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
17. "ElyOtto - SugarCrash! (Official Video)". May 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
18. "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of March 13, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
20. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
21. "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
22. "Canadian single certifications – ElyOtto – SugarCrash!". Music Canada. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
23. "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 19, 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter SugarCrash! in the search box.