Thirty years ago, a Swedish band reached the top of the American radio charts when The Cardigans’ “Lovefool” soundtracked an integral party scene in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, becoming a defining crossover single of the ’90s. Now, the globally focused girl group AtHeart — pointedly, a K-pop act built from the U.S.-based TITAN CONTENTS — is betting that the same melody can cross over all over again.
In the latest K-pop track to pay homage to ’90s pop hits, the seven-member group’s new single “Say It” is built around an interpolation of “Lovefool” as a deliberate piece of nostalgia engineering. And with the original turning 30 this year, the timing is almost too perfect to pay homage to the pop-rock smash.
The credits for AtHeart’s “Say It” include original Carpenters members Peter Svensson and Nina Persson as well as Ryan “Ryketz” Williamson. While Ryketz has credits with everyone from Skip Marley and BoA to H.E.R and CNCO, the Memphis musician also produced Lisa of BLACKPINK’s solo single “Moonlit Floor” featuring an interpolation of Sixpence None the Richer’s 1998 hit “Kiss Me.” With 19 weeks on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, “Kiss Me” became one of the most visible examples of a ‘90s Western pop song being reupholstered for a globally focused K-pop release.
Sampling vs. Interpolation: What’s the Difference?
It’s worth being precise about what’s happening on AtHeart’s “Say It” because the distinction of the track interpolating “Lovefool” is key — it doesn’t sample the song, which was likely an important decision when it comes to many creative measures needed to create K-pop that’s competitive on the charts.
A sample lifts a sound from the original recording and incorporates it into a new song. An interpolation re-records or re-performs the original melody, leaving the master untouched. “Say It” does the latter with AtHeart preserving the “Lovefool” hook but rebuilding it as they see fit with a faster, funkier beat and bright synthesizers. With the original melody-makers credited and compensated, the reference is recognizable, but the recording is entirely AtHeart’s.
Typically, interpolations are cleared through publishers and songwriters rather than the original label, giving the new artist more creative freedom to play with the melody.
Recent hits with notable interpolations include Ariana Grande’s 2019 chart-topper “7 Rings” utilizing the melody of “My Favorite Things” from Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music, as well as Pitbull and Christina Aguilera’s “Feel This Moment” pulling the instrumental of “Take on Me” by A-ha.
AtHeart Adds ’90s Edge — And Impressive Choreography — In Rookie Year
According to reports, “Say It” is AtHeart’s first in a planned run of ’90s reinterpretations spanning both American and Korean pop. Named one of the greatest K-pop songs of all time by Rolling Stone, the reggae-influenced classic “3! 4!” by Roo’Ra is set to be honored in August. As a K-pop group based in the U.S., showing love for nostalgic hits on both sides of the world gives audiences in both hemispheres a greater chance to lean into the new group.
But just in case the song references aren’t enough to catch audiences’ attention, the accompanying choreography and stage production for “Say It” are remarkably impressive for AtHeart bringing physical workout elements to the stage with Pilates balls incorporated into their dance routine.
