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Uno (Little Big song)

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"Uno"
Single by Little Big
Released13 March 2020
GenreElectropop
Length2:40
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Little Big
Little Big singles chronology
"Rock-Paper-Scissors"
(2019) 		"Uno"
(2020) 		"Hypnodancer"
(2020)
Music video
"Uno" on YouTube
Eurovision Song Contest 2020 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Languages
Composer(s)
  • Denis Tsukerman
  • Ilya Prusikin
  • Viktor Sibrinin
Lyricist(s)
  • Denis Tsukerman
  • Ilya Prusikin
Finals performance
Semi-final result
Contest cancelled
Entry chronology
◄ "Scream" (2019)
"Russian Woman" (2021) ►

"Uno" (stylized in all caps; Spanish for "one") is a Spanglish song recorded by Russian rave group Little Big. It was selected to represent Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 before its cancellation. The song was released as a digital download and for streaming on 13 March 2020. In the chorus, the line "Uno, dos, cuatro" (transl. One, two, four) is repeated constantly, which was identified by media as a joke reference to the middle finger. The music video was released on March 12. It went viral, reaching 11 million views by a day. Within two months, the music video amassed 100 million views, beating the record of Netta's "Toy". Critics had mixed reactions to the song. Although Eurovision 2020 was cancelled, the song beat "Toy" as the most-viewed video in the Eurovision Channel. The song was added to Just Dance 2021.

Background and composition

[edit]

Russian rave group Little Big had their debut performance, performing as an opening for hip-hop group Die Antwoord on 2 July 2013.[1] The group's first album, With Russia From Love, was released on 18 July 2014.[2] In 2016, the group released their second album, named Funeral Rave, with the name inspired by their music style.[3] That same year, they released their song "Big Dick", which was labeled by a website as the "super NSFW music video of 2016".[4] In 2018, they released the song "Skibidi" which started a "Macarena-like" internet challenge dubbed the "#SkibidiChallenge".[5]

The concept of the song was made during the group's holiday in Los Angeles in January 2020. When they returned back to Saint Petersburg, they wrote the lyrics and recorded the vocals. Within a few days, the song was officially created. According to the band members, the song was not originally intended for Eurovision, but for another album. They sent an application for the song contest "just for fun" but were "surprised" when they were selected.[6][7] The song is Spanglish, written in English and Spanish. In the chorus, the line "Uno, dos, quatro" (transl. One, two, four) is repeated constantly.[8] Various media websites interpreted the counting as a reference to the middle finger joke.[9] The lyrics talk about a certain girl calling on the lyrical "hero" to be with her for the night, but the "hero" ignores the comment. According to Ilya Prusikin, a member of the band, the song is similar to "rock disco" or "metal disco".[8] Russian website also said that the song contained a charming style presumably from the 70s.[10]

Music video

[edit]

Because the song was not prepared for the contest, they only had five days to record the music video. Prusikin compared the creation of the music video to "hell".[11] The music video appeared in the evening program "Evening Urgant" on 12 March.[8] According to Eurovision fan site Wiwibloggs, the music video contained goofy dancing, an "iconic" kung-fu dancer, and flared trousers.[12] The video was full of in-joke cultural references to the history of TV performances of the ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya.[13]

Eurovision Song Contest

[edit]
Main article: Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

The song was Russia's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 after Little Big had been internally selected by the Russian broadcaster, Channel One.[7][14] For feedback, they sent their song to Russian pop singer Philipp Kirkorov.[14] The song would have performed in one of the two semi-final rounds. On 28 January 2020, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals. Russia was placed in the first semi-final, which was to be held on 12 May 2020, and was scheduled to perform in the first half of the show. However, Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16]

Reception

[edit]

Music critic Artur Gasparyan [ru] said the song was "noticeable", but unlikely to win.[17] When the song went viral, internet users supported the song, describing it as catchy.[18] Journalist Boris Barabanov [ru] described the song as a "toy-turbo Latin" which is impossible to forget. Barabanov also described the song close to the "domestic pop" of the early 1990s, like the Car-Man group.[7] According to a journalist from a music website, the song is "fresh" and "fun", with the journalist comparing it to Danish band Aqua.[19] A music critic stated that the song was still good but was inferior to the band's previous hits.[20] Another critic smashed the song, stating that the "only thing" present is the "fat dancer" in the music video. The critic also described the song as a parody of the country's previous Eurovision hits.[21]

Viral success

[edit]

In the first 10 hours of release, it gained 1.3 million views.[22] Within the first 16 hours of release, the song already amassed 4 million views.[23] In one day, the song gained 11 million views, trending in 16 Eurovision countries.[24] The song sparked the "#UnoVisionChallenge" on TikTok, causing the song to gain 250 million views in the platform. The song also reached 100 million views within two months, beating Netta Barzilai's record with "Toy" which reached 100 million views in nine months.[25] By July 20, the song became the most-viewed video on the YouTube channel of Eurovision with 134 million views.[26] The song was added to Just Dance 2021.[13]

Charts

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various 13 March 2020 Digital download, streaming Little Big Family [38]

References

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  1. ^ "Интервью с Little Big" [Little Big: "If you want to change the country, you have to show it like this"]. Собака.ru (in Russian). 25 June 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  2. ^ "Little Big put on their happy faces for "Public Enemy"". Weirdest Band in the World. 18 July 2014. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  3. ^ Mechkivska, Veronika (6 April 2016). "Интервью | Илья Прусикин: "Little Big – музыкальное отражение общества"" [Interviews | Ilya Prusikin: "Little Big is a musical reflection of society"]. Rock Cult (in Russian). Archived from the original on 24 May 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  4. ^ Freiman, Jordan (13 February 2016). "'Big Dick' is the song and super NSFW video of 2016". Death and Taxes. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  5. ^ Katzowitz, Josh (15 October 2018). "The internet is going bonkers over the Macarena-like #skibidichallenge". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  6. ^ "In the spotlight: Little Big". Eurovision. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Момент «Uno»" [The "Uno" moment]. Коммерсантъ (in Russian). 13 March 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "О чем песня «Uno» группы Little Big?" [What is the song "Uno" by Little Big about?]. AiF (in Russian). 13 March 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Объяснили на пальцах: раскрыт тайный смысл песни Uno. С ней группа Little Big представит Россию на «Евровидении»". www.pravilamag.ru (in Russian). 15 March 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  10. ^ Pavlova, Anna (20 April 2020). "Смысл песни Uno Little Big: слова и перевод текста" [Uno by Little Big — one! two! four!]. Сайт со смыслом (in Russian). Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  11. ^ "Солист Little Big рассказал о съемках клипа к Евровидению" [The lead singer of Little Big spoke about the filming of the video for Eurovision]. RIA Novosti. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  12. ^ Gallagher, Robyn (14 March 2020). "Russia: Little Big give first live performance of "Uno" on Russian television". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  13. ^ a b "M. Plisetskaya. Isadora. Bolero by Ravel (1977)". madonna.ru.com. Madonna UDb (Unofficial Database). Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  14. ^ a b Vautrey, Jonathan (2 March 2020). "Skibidi! Little Big will represent Russia at Eurovision 2020". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  15. ^ "Russia's Little Big reveal Eurovision 2020 song "UNO"". Wiwibloggs. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  16. ^ "Official EBU statement & FAQ on Eurovision 2020 cancellation". Eurovision. 6 April 2020.
  17. ^ Gasparyan, Artur (13 March 2020). "Музыкальный критик оценил песню Uno группы Little Big для "Евровидения"" [Music critic praises Little Big's song Uno for Eurovision]. TACC (in Russian). Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  18. ^ "В Сети оценили песню Little Big для Евровидения" [The Web appreciated the song Little Big for Eurovision]. РИА Новости (in Russian). 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  19. ^ Magán, Adrián Valiente (13 March 2020). "'Uno', la diferente apuesta de Little Big, representantes de Rusia en Eurovisión 2020" ['Uno', the different bet of Little Big, Russia's representatives at Eurovision 2020]. Los Replicantes (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  20. ^ Rudovskaya, Yana (13 March 2020). "Рудковская считает, что песне Little Big для "Евровидения" не хватает "хитовости"". TACC (in Russian). Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  21. ^ ""Единственная фишка - толстый танцор": Критик разнес песню Little Big для "Евровидения"" ["The only thing is a fat dancer": Critic smashed the song Little Big for Eurovision]. TVC. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  22. ^ "Клип Little Big оставил далеко позади конкурентов по Евровидению" [Little Big's video left far behind Eurovision competitors]. РИА Новости (in Russian). 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  23. ^ Godwin-Jones, Margaret (2 April 2020). "Little Big's Big Little Moment". Russian Life. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  24. ^ "Клип Little Big попал в «тренды» YouTube в 16 странах-участницах «Евровидения»" [Little Big's video hit YouTube "trends" in 16 Eurovision countries]. Телеканал Санкт-Петербург. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  25. ^ Jumawan, Tim (20 May 2020). "🇷🇺 Little Big's 'Uno' reaches 100 Million Views on Youtube". ESCXtra. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  26. ^ Gallagher, Robyn (20 July 2020). "Little Big's "Uno" is now the most watched video EVER on the official Eurovision YouTube channel". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  27. ^ a b Little Big — Uno. TopHit. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  28. ^ Siim Nestor. "EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: Taukari "Kuule" kihutab nüüd ülespoole" [EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: Taukar's "To the Moon" is now on the way up]. ekspress.delfi.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  29. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  30. ^ "2020 12-os SAVAITĖS (kovo 13-19 d.) ALBUMŲ TOP100". AGATA. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  31. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Apr 30, 2020". TopHit. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  32. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Little Big songs and albums | Full Official Cart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  34. ^ "Top Radio Hits Global Monthly Chart: April 2020". TopHit. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  35. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Monthly Chart: April 2020". TopHit. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  36. ^ "Top Radio Hits Global Annual Chart 2020". Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  37. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart 2020". TopHit. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  38. ^ "UNO - Single by Little Big on Apple Music". Apple Music. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
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