"Smile" is the debut single of American singer Vitamin C, featuring vocals from Jamaican reggae singer Lady Saw. "Smile" was the first single released from Vitamin C's self-titled debut album on June 8, 1999. Using television exposure as a major form of promotion, the song became a top-40 hit in Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, and the United States.
According to Vitamin C, she had trouble coming up with the song's lyrics. On the day she wrote them, she was feeling sad about the breakup of her former band, Eve's Plum, and decided that she needed to write a happy song to move past her depression. Elektra Records released "Smile" as a 12-inch single on June 8, 1999, and as a CD, maxi-CD, and cassette single on June 29 of the same year.[2] On June 22, 1999, Elektra Records serviced "Smile" to American pop and rhythmic radio stations.[3]
"Smile" became Vitamin C's highest-charting single in the United States to date, peaking at number 21 on the BillboardMainstream Top 40[4] and number 18 on the BillboardHot 100, becoming her only single to reach the top 20 and her first single to reach the top 40.[5] Worldwide, "Smile" peaked at number 13 in New Zealand,[6] number 24 in Iceland,[7] and number 29 in Canada.[8] In the US, the single received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 500,000.[9]Billboard attributed the song's success to its intense promotion via television, including featuring in advertisements for The WB series Movie Stars, promos for the NBC series Cold Feet, and the season 9 finale of Beverly Hills, 90210.[2][10]
The music video takes place in a multi-colored Sam Goody CD store which has several motifs from the album art. Lady Saw plays a DJ in the video, while Vitamin C dances with a few backup dancers to the song ("Smile") that Lady Saw is playing. The video was directed by Christopher Erskin.
^Vitamin C (1999). Smile (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 63749-2.
^Vitamin C (1999). Smile (US 12-inch single sleeve). Elektra Records. 0-63749.
^Vitamin C (1999). Smile (US cassette single sleeve). Elektra Records. 64041-4.
^Vitamin C (1999). Smile (UK CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. E3727CD, 7559-63727-2.
^Vitamin C (1999). Smile (European CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 7559-64025-9.
^Vitamin C (1999). Smile (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 7559-63717-2.
^Vitamin C (1999). Smile (Australian CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 7559637372.
^Vitamin C (1999). Vitamin C (US CD album liner notes). Elektra Records. 62406-2.
^"Chartifacts!"(PDF). The ARIA Report (569): 1. January 22, 2001. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 5, 2003. Retrieved February 19, 2023 – via National Library of Australia. More contains her three previous hits, The Itch (No. 6 January 2001), Smile (No. 138 January 2000)...