"Classic" is a song by the American pop music duo MKTO. Written by Evan "Kidd" Bogart, Andrew Goldstein, Emanuel Kiriakou, and Lindy Robbins, "Classic" was first released on June 20, 2013iTunes – Music – Classic – Single by MKTO as the second single from the duo's self-titled debut album.

Background and release After securing a recording contract with Columbia Records in 2012, MKTO began recording material for their self-titled debut album in 2013, with American singer-songwriter, Ne-Yo and Swedish record producer, Max Martin among some of their collaborators.MKTO Talks New Single "Thank You" and Debut Album In Studio With Toro « New York's 92.3 NOW "Classic" was eventually chosen as the follow-up to the duo's top ten hit, "Thank You" and released as the second single from their debut album in June 2013. In the lead-up to the single's release in the United States, MKTO served as the opening act for Emblem3 during their tour in the summer and also visited the Billboard office, where they previewed tracks from their debut album, which had not yet been released at the time.MKTO Preps For U.S. Push, Talks Debut Album | Billboard

Reception The song received positive reviews from critics and fans. BrentMusicReviews gave it 5/5 stars and called it "MKTO don't reinvent the wheel, but deliver worthwhile pop music". Matt Collar from AllMusic gave a positive review and stated: "Featuring the talents of actor/musicians Malcolm Kelly and Tony Oller, MKTO's full-length debut album, 2014's eponymous MKTO, is an exuberant and catchy mix of dancey, hip-hop-infused pop, rock, and R&B." The song featured on the American version of Now That's What I Call Music! 47 almost a whole year before it reached national success. The song sold 76,000 downloads in the US in 2013 according to Nielsen SoundScan. It has sold 742,000 downloads in the US up to date.

Music video The song's accompanying music video was directed by Josh ForbesBehind The Scenes MKTO Classic – Video Interview With MKTO – Seventeen and was released alongside the single. In MKTO: The Making of Classic, the duo reveals that the video explores "bringing back the classic feel". Band member Tony Oller elaborates further by saying, "The whole concept is about going back in time and reliving those great classic moments". The video begins with MKTO walking into a club, where they meet a few girls and take them to a magical photo booth that transforms the girls' outfits into dresses that were worn back in the different "classical" eras.Behind the scenes: MKTO's "Classic" music video | NovaFM

Chart performance "Classic" was a commercial success in Oceania, peaking at number eight in New Zealand and number nine in Australia, becoming the duo's second top 10 hit in both nations. It has been certified Gold by Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) for sales in excess of 7,500 copies and 2× Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments in excess of 140,000 copies. In the United States, "Classic" debuted at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming MKTO's first single to chart in North America. It peaked at number 14, becoming the group's first top 20 hit in the US. In addition to the Hot 100, "Classic" has also peaked at number eight on the US Mainstream Top 40, becoming the duo's first top 10 hit on this chart. In June 2014, the song surpassed the one million mark in digital sales and was subsequently certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Charts

Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for "Classic" Chart (2013–2014) Peakpositionscope="row"scope="row" Bulgaria (IFPI)37scope="row"scope="row" scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row" Latvia (EHR) 6Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tiparade) 5scope="row" Russia Airplay (Tophit) 217scope="row"South Korea International Singles (GAON) (in Korean). gaonchart.co.jr. Retrieved February 20, 2014. 153scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row" +2021–2025 weekly chart performance for "Classic" Chart (2021–2025) Peakposition

Year-end charts +2013 year-end chart performance for "Classic" Chart (2013) Position Australia (ARIA) 38 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 41

+2014 year-end chart performance for "Classic" Chart (2014) Position Hungary (Rádiós Top 40) 43 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 28 US Billboard Hot 100 50 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 31

Certifications

Release history +Release dates and formats for "Classic" Region Date Format Label(s) United States November 12, 2013 Mainstream airplay Columbia

References