User:WikiUhOh/sandbox

"WikiUhOh/sandbox"
Song

"How Do You Love Someone" is a song written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander and Alaina Beaton, originally performed by Ashley Tisdale.

Background

"How Do You Love Someone" was written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander and Alaina Beaton. The song was recorded in 2009 in Cryptic Studios, Los Angeles, California under Jerk Awake, Jetanon Music (ASCAP) and A Beat On Publishing (ASCAP). The song serves as the albums sixth track.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Tisdale revealed that in the song she she channels the anxieties of her childhood, after having watched her parents split up and treat each other badly. However, it was later revealed that Tisdale's mother, Lisa, and father, Mike, are still in fact married and run a construction company together. Tisdale revealed that she also still lives with them when visiting Los Angeles.

Critical reception

"How Do You Love Someone" garnered praise from critics for its lyrical content and the song itself, but Tisdale was scrutinized by critics whom negatively reviewed her effort to sing the song with absolutely no input from Tisdale herself during the songs writing process. Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune negatively reviewed Tisdale's ability deliver in the song, even after given a heavier subject (in this case a divorce) than a Disney star is usually accustom to. Nick Levine of Digital Spy described the song as a "botched attempt at a Pink-style family confessional," describing Tisdales efforts as "unconvincing" and "horribly cynical." Levine continued by praising the songs "soul-baring lyrics," but scrutinized Tisdale for not partaking in the songs creation during the writing process. Margaret Wappler of The Los Angeles Times noted that the song could have been an affecting portrait of broken marriage from a child's perspective, but it takes the "easy way out with cringe-inducing stereotypes." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as a "Lindsay Lohan's soul-baring second album" cut, later dismissing the song as "so atypically ugly it stops the album dead." Erlewine went on to say that "That is, until the realization flashes that this, like so much in Tisdale's career, is a careful pose from a showbiz kid who relishes performing so much she'll try anything just along as she can stay on the stage." Seventeen noted "How Do You Love Someone" and "Hot Mess," as personal favorite album cuts.

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from Guilty Pleasure liner notes.

• Writing - Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg, Alaina Beaton
• Produced by - J. Alexander, B. Steinberg
  • Additional vocal production - Chris Garcia
• Recording - J. Alexander
• Mixing - Mark "Spike" Stent
  • Assistant mixing engineer - Matty Green
• Keys, guitars, drumming programming - J. Alexander
• Digital editing - J. Alexander, C. Garcia
• Pro Tools & Logic Tech - Scott Roewe
• Vocals - Ashley Tisdale
• Vocals (background) - A. Tisdale, A. Beaton

Porcelain Black version

"WikiUhOh/sandbox"
Song

	I really didn’t wanna give that song up but she ended up doing it, but I got it back, so that’s good. But that was an interesting situation. But I got to meet her and she was really cool. She’s a nice girl.
—Black to Free-Wired about Tisdale recording the song.

American pop-rock singer-songwriter Porcelain Black originally had written the song with intensions to release it on her debut album, Mannequin Factory (2012). However, following a brief altercation with her label, the song was handed over to Ashley Tisdale who than recorded it for her 2009 LP Guilty Pleasure. Black recorded the song with Billy Steinberg during her label struggle with Virgin Records when she was asked to allow Ashley Tisdale to rerecord "How Do You Love Someone?" Hesitant at first, Black refused until the label consistently asked to hand the song over for two months, where Black finally agreed stating “Take the fucking song…”

After being signed to RedOne's Universal Republic imprint, 2102 Records, Black bought back her rights to the song and recorded it with alternate production from RedOne for her debut album. Although Black worked with RedOne for her debut album's entirety, she noted that "How Do You Love Someone?" is the one song that RedOne had no part in, during its writing process. On her official website, Black revealed that the song unmasks a layer of vulnerability when addressing her adolescence, as she addresses her step-father instead of her biological father in the songs lyrics. Describing the songs writing process as "dope," Black praised Alexander and Steinberg for their extended writing work on Madonna's "Like A Virgin."

Composition

Black unmasks a layer of vulnerability when addressing her adolescence when she sings "Momma never taught me how to love, Daddy never taught me how to feel."

Critical reception

Awarding the song five-out-of-five stars, Jermy Leeuwis of MusicRemedy gave the song a positive review, describing it as "an oldie and classic song."

Release

Following an interview in May 2011, Black revealed she has expectations to release "How Do You Love Someone?" as a single from the album.