"Redrum" (stylized as "redruM"; palindrome for "Murder") is a song by Romanian singer and songwriter Sorana and French disc jockey David Guetta. It was released for digital download and streaming on 20 January 2022 by Atlantic Records. The song was written by Sorana and 15 others, including Jeffrey Bhasker, Mikkel Cox, Guetta, Malik Jones, Mr Hudson, Scott Mescudi, Giorgio Tuinfort, Kanye West and Ernest Wilson, while the production was handled by Toby Green, Guetta and Cox. A dance-pop track about a love triangle and a resulting heartbreak, it interpolates the refrain of West's 2008 song "Heartless".
Music critics gave positive reviews of "Redrum" upon its release, praising the catchiness, Sorana's vocal delivery and the production. Commercially, the song reached number ten in Bulgaria and the top 20 in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Russia and the Netherlands. An accompanying music video was uploaded to Guetta's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single release. Directed by Andra Marta, Alexandru Mureșan and Cristina Poszet, it portrays Sorana being chased by a clone of herself through the hallways of a hotel. Observers likened the visual and the singer's outfit to the 1980 psychological horror film The Shining and fictional superheroine Sailor Moon, respectively.
Background and composition
Sorana has left her native country of Romania to pursue a musical career and relocated to London and then Los Angeles. Her work as a songwriter includes the commercially successful singles "Takeaway" (2019) by the Chainsmokers, Illenium and Lennon Stella, "OMG What's Happening" (2020) by Ava Max and "Heartbreak Anthem" (2021) by Galantis, Guetta and Little Mix. Furthermore, Sorana has also provided features for artists such as Alan Walker on "Lost Control" (2018).
"Redrum", Sorana's debut single under Atlantic Records, was released for digital download and streaming on 20 January 2022, in collaboration with fellow lead artist Guetta. It was written by Sorana and 15 others, including Jeffrey Bhasker, Mikkel Cox, Guetta, Malik Jones, Mr Hudson, Scott Mescudi, Giorgio Tuinfort, Kanye West and Ernest Wilson, while the production was handled by Toby Green, Guetta and Cox. West personally approved an interpolation of the refrain of his 2008 song "Heartless" in "Redrum", leading to him, Jones, Mescudi and Wilson receiving credits. "Redrum", the song's title, is a palindrome for "Murder" that originates from a scene in the 1980 psychological horror film The Shining; an alternative stylization is "redruM". Musically, "Redrum" is a dance-pop track backed by "Guetta's signature driving bass lines and huge synths". Regarding its meaning, Sorana stated:
On 4 February 2022, a MistaJam remix of "Redrum" was released. Nicole Pepe of We Rave You thought that it "breathes a new life into the original by adding more hypnotic and spacey synths, and an edgy faster tempo"; she further noticed "a darker underlying tone" and "early 2000's EDM vibes". Robin Schulz also issued a remix on 16 February 2022, with Dancing Astronaut's Rachel Narozniak labelling it as a "beat-driven take on [the] original [that] maintains the easy-listening appeal present [...] but picks up the pace just slightly".
Reception
Upon release, "Redrum" was met with positive reviews from music critics. We Rave You's Ellie Mullins thought that "the heartbreak [in the song's lyrics] is perfectly conveyed through the passion of [Sorana's] stunning vocals. Completing the track and putting the cherry on top, Guetta creates a passionate and intricate soundscape that allows for [her] talents to shine to their fullest ability." Nassim Aziki, writing for Fun Radio, noticed a "powerful chorus" and a "terribly beautiful voice" resembling that of Sia.
Another editor from Fun Radio highlighted the song's similarities to "Dangerous" (2014) and "Flames" (2018) from Guetta's catalogue. A writer of CelebMix commended the song, writing that it "beautifully showcases Sorana's knack for catchy hooks and artful storytelling as well as [...] Guetta's ability to craft sleek productions. This one's made to be played over and over again and will get stuck in your head for a while". Commercially, "Redrum" attained modest peaks in several countries, including number ten in Bulgaria, number 17 in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), number 26 in Croatia, number 18 in the Netherlands and number 13 in Russia.