The track premiered onBBC Radio 1 just days before the station removed Williams from their playlist, deeming him no longer relevant to their target audience.[1] Williams protested the decision, citing Radio 1 as a pop star's "main oxygen".[2] When the song reached number one without Radio 1 airplay, the singer thanked the station, who "have supported me for a long, long time and I'm very grateful to them. Oh, and I can still have number ones without them!"[3]
The track was originally rumoured to be titled "Vertigo". Williams said of the track: "It's a summer song, very much in a similar vein to 'Rock DJ', about a girl who thinks she's great. And she might be, but she's a bit nefarious with her ways. Some songs take an age to write and some songs just fall out of your mouth completely formed, and you don't have to think about it. I don't know why that fell out of my mouth and out of my brain at that particular time – it just did."[4] On 10 September, Williams debuted "Candy" on Radio 2's Breakfast Show with host Chris Evans.[clarification needed][5] The official artwork for the track features a model of Williams's head covered in pink and red spots against a pink background.[5]
"Candy" was written by Robbie Williams,Gary Barlow andTerje Olsen, while production was handled byJacknife Lee.[6] The song interpolates Norwegian producerTodd Terje's single "Eurodans".[7] In the hook, he uses nursery rhymes about the plague (Ring a Ring o' Roses) and taxes.[8] "Hey ho here she goes/ Either a little too high or a little too low/ Got no self-esteem and vertigo/ Cause she thinks she's made of candy," Williams chants on the chorus.[9] The song contains melodic elements of thenursery rhymeRing a Ring o' Roses and even contains the title of the rhyme at the start of the second verse.
Lewis Corner ofDigital Spy gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, writing that "'Candy' doesn't touch the dizzying heights of 'Rock DJ' or 'Angels', but it's also far from his worst song to date." Corner also wrote: "Robbie chants on a bouncy, playground chant of a chorus brassier than his stage persona – and there within lies the charm."[9] John Bush ofAllMusic wrote that "The trailer single 'Candy' is a trite, uptempo track with a sing-song chorus but not much of a shelf life, it's the perfect radio hit."[10] Sam Lanksy ofIdolator wrote the song "is sprightly and spunky with a clever hook – arguably the best sweets-related diss sinceAnnie's 'Chewing Gum'."[11] Tom Hocknell ofBBC Music called it "catchier than Velcro, although it’s unclear why anyone needs to own it – after the second listen it owns you. It’s eager to please, certainly."[12]
Alexis Petridis ofThe Guardian was less positive, writing that "[...] It's so desperate to be a smash hit that it ends up sounding like one of those novelty singles that used to blight the September charts, bought by returning holidaymakers with rosy memories of the hoteldisco; all it's lacking is an accompanying dance."[13] Philip Matusavage ofmusicOMH also gave the song a mixed review, writing that "It's a neat précis of the problems facing Robbie in 2012. Its bouncy dancehall brass is undeniably and infectiously catchy but it’s also short-lived; the song leaves no impression at its end."[14]Kitty Empire ofThe Observer observed that "it would better suit a boy band in a Caribbean time warp. But somehow, it looks as if it will re-establish Williams's presence in the charts today, regardless."[15]
In Germany, "Candy" broke an airplay record for the most plays in a week.[16] It peaked at number 3 on the main chart. In Austria, the song was a success, debuting and peaking, for three consecutive weeks, at number 4 on theÖ3 Austria Top 40 chart.[17] "Candy" was a growing success in the Netherlands, debuting at number 27 on theDutch Top 40 chart.[18] After six weeks climbing the charts, the song entered the top-ten, reaching number 6, on 10 November 2012. In the Dutch Mega Top 100 "Candy" reached number 1 on 17 November 2012.[18] It reached top 10 in more than 20 countries, and Top 40 in other territories including Japan and New Zealand.
In his native UK, despiteBBC Radio 1 not putting it on their playlist, "Candy" gathered over 10,000 radio spins before the official digital release.[19] The song later achieved more than 30,000 spins on UK radio.[20] On theUK Singles Chart, "Candy" became the singer's first number-one in eight years (the last being 2004's "Radio"), his seventh solo UK number-one and the 14th number-one of his career (includingTake That and solo material).[21] It also became his fastest-selling single in the UK since "Rock DJ" 12 years earlier, and with 137,000 copies sold that week, it also became the fastest-selling male artist single of the year, and the third fastest-selling single of 2012 overall.[22] The song remained number one on the UK Singles Chart for a second week, shifting 90,000 copies.[23] It was the 22nd best-selling single of 2012 in the UK, with sales of 503,000.[24] In June 2013, "Candy" became Robbie's second biggest hit in the UK, after "Angels", with sales passing the 650,000 mark.[citation needed]
A music video to accompany the release of "Candy" was first released onto YouTube on 10 September 2012 at a total length of three minutes and twenty-four seconds. It stars Robbie Williams andKaya Scodelario.[25] The video was filmed inSpitalfields in east London in summer 2012 and was directed byJoseph Kahn.[26] In the video Williams plays a guardian angel figure protecting an absentminded woman named Candice (as referenced in the lyrics of the song: "I was there to witness/Candice's inner business")[27] who is looking at her phone the whole time, resulting in various accidents.
