"BonBon" (Albanian pronunciation:[bɔnbɔn]) is a song by Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter
Era Istrefi. The song was written by Istrefi and Ergen Berisha, while produced by Big Bang,
Cricket and Toton. Nesër released it as a
single for
digital download and
streaming in the United States on 30 December 2015. A
dance-pop,
dancehall,
EDM and
R&B song, its
Albanian-language lyrics imply a message of
empowerment and
self-love. The song received widespread acclaim from
music critics, several of whom praised the music and lyrics as well as Istrefi's appearance. Some praised Istrefi's vocal delivery, likening it to
Rihanna or
Sia. The song became Istrefi's breakthrough single, topping the charts in Albania and reaching the top 10 in four other countries. It was awarded gold certifications in various countries alongside a platinum certification in France by the
Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).
For promotion, an accompanying
music video was uploaded to Nesër's
YouTube channel on 30 December 2015, before it was transferred to the channel of
Ultra Music on 7 March 2016. Filmed in the mountainous region of
Brezovicë, Kosovo, the video depicts Istrefi walking across a snow-covered road. The singer performed the song at several occasions throughout 2016, including in Albania, Germany, France and Romania.
Background and composition
Born into an Albanian musical family, Istrefi began pursuing a professional music career in 2013 and rose to widespread attention in the Albanian-speaking territories at a relatively early stage.[1] She made her international breakthrough in early 2016, after the release of BonBon", which secured her a recording contract with
Ultra Music.[1][2] With a length of two minutes and 47 seconds, Nesër released it as a
single for
digital download and
streaming in the United States on 30 December 2015.[3] It was written by Istrefi and Ergen Berisha, with the production handled by Big Bang,
Cricket and Toton.[4][5][6] Johnny Horesco and Miles Walker
mastered and
mixed the song, respectively.[6] Musically, "BonBon" is as a
dance-pop,[7]EDM,[8]R&B[9] and
dancehall-leaning song.[10] During the song's
Albanian-language and occasional English lyrics, Istrefi implies an
empowerment message, singing about
self-love and how she does not need anyone to make her feel happy.[2][10][11]
Reception
Upon its release, "BonBon" was met with widespread acclaim from
music critics. Many critics praised Istrefi's appearance and vocal delivery, constantly comparing it to that of Barbadian artist
Rihanna and Australian musician
Sia.[12][13][14] David Rishty from Billboard also responded positively towards the song and linked her aesthetic to that of American disc jockey-trio
Major Lazer.[2]Ultra Music's executive Patrick complimented the song for its "oriental" appeal and found the lyrical alternation between Albanian and English as "seamless" and "special".[2] Tanja Hill of The Source wrote that Istrefi portrays a "smooth" and "sexy" sound with an "irresistible" beat.[15] The staff of
BigFM expected a chart success in Germany and wrote that "BonBon", including its "smooth, sexy-smoky-sounding tones" fusing
pop,
reggae and
dubstep, was destined for a chill evening.[16] Fans of "BonBon" included
Bebe Rexha,[17]Imany,[18]Jelena Karleuša,[19]Jesse Saint John,[20]Katy Perry,[20]Kim Kardashian[21] and
P. Diddy.[22] "BonBon" won the Song of the Year at the
2016 Top Music Awards in Tirana, Albania.[23][24] Istrefi also was awarded the 2017
European Border Breakers Award for the single's achievements and success.[25][26]
"BonBon" experienced widespread success on record charts, reaching top 10 positions were achieved in the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),[27] Germany,[28] Greece,[29] Lebanon,[30] Romania,[31] Russia and Sweden.[32][33] "BonBon" further reached the top 50 in Australia,[34] Austria,[35] Belgium,[36][37] Denmark,[38] France,[39] Switzerland and Ukraine.[40][41] Due to high sales, "BonBon" was awarded gold certifications in Australia,[42] Canada,[43] Denmark,[44] Germany,[45] Italy[46] and the Netherlands.[47] In February 2017, the single also received a platinum certification by the
Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) in France for shifting more than 133,333 units.[48]
Promotion and other usage
Upon her international breakthrough, Istrefi performed "BonBon" in various countries. In 2016, the singer provided live performances at the
Top Music Awards and Skopje Calling Festival in June,[49][50] as well as at the
NRJ Music Tour in
Roubaix in July and the Coca-Cola Happy Energy Tour in
Sofia in September.[51][52] She later performed the song at the
Untold Festival in
Cluj-Napoca in August 2017.[53] In May 2016, she further went on to perform "BonBon" on German game show Schlag den Star and French television programme Mad Mag.[54][55][56] The single was further featured on an episode of American series Dynasty in 2016 and in the dance video game Just Dance 2017.[57][58] Greek actress Konnie Metaxa and Romanian singer Adina Răducan impersonated Istrefi and provided performances of the recording for the Greek and Romanian versions of the reality talent show of Your Face Sounds Familiar, respectively.[59][60]
Music video
An accompanying music video for "BonBon" was initially uploaded to Nesër's official
YouTube channel on 30 December 2015.[61] After she was signed to the label, the video was transferred on 7 March 2016 to the channel of American record label
Ultra Music on the aforementioned platform.[62][63] The three-minute long video was filmed in the mountainous region of
Brezovicë, Kosovo.[64] It features scenes of Istrefi walking across a snow-covered road dressed in a green parka-jacket with bright pink fur.[62][64]
^Wernke-Schmiesing, S. (15 April 2016).
"Musikvideo Era Istrefi – Bonbon" (in German). Dance-Charts.
Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201628 into search. Retrieved 12 February 2022.