Strawberry Kisses

"Strawberry Kisses"
The artist stands with her left leg stretched to her left and her arms folded at her bared waist. Her top and pants are matching in largely purple-pink with swirls. She wears her blonde-brown hair over shoulder length, it is highly curled. To her left is a child's toy/doll, which appears to be dancing. The single's title is across the top in pink-red script. The artist's name is across her middle.
Australian version
Single by Nikki Webster
from the album Follow Your Heart
Released11 June 2001 (2001-06-11)
Length3:33
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Chong Lim
Nikki Webster singles chronology
"We'll Be One"
(2000) 		"Strawberry Kisses"
(2001) 		"Depend on Me"
(2001)
Alternative covers
UK CD single cover

"Strawberry Kisses" is a song written by Jeff Franzel, Andy Marvel, and Marjorie Maye. It was produced by Chong Lim for Australian teen singer Nikki Webster, which also appears on her first album, Follow Your Heart (2001). It was released as the album's lead single on 11 June 2001 in Australia as a three-track CD single and in May 2002 in the United Kingdom with an additional track. Webster stated the song is "fresh, really bright and chirpy", and also said, "After I first heard the demo, I was singing it that night and I just thought that's a fantastic sign of a good song - something people remember".[1]

The song debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and appeared at No. 21 on the list of Top 25 singles for 2001 in Australia. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 64 in June 2002. In 2009, a poll run by Herald Sun voted "Strawberry Kisses" the fifth-worst Australian song of all time.[2] An updated version of the track featuring Sam Mac, entitled "Strawberry Kisses 2017", was released in Australia on 16 March 2017. All proceeds of the song were donated to the Australian division of Starlight Children's Foundation.[3]

The song was used as the Matildas' unofficial team song during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[4][5] Webster performed the song for the Matildas in a surprise appearance at their public reception in Brisbane on 20 August 2023.[6]

Webster revealed in 2023 that, despite strong sales, she earns no royalties for the song, as she did not write it, and her share of the profits are still being used to cover the cost of the music video, which, upon release, was the most expensive Australian music video ever made at the time.[7]

  1. ^ "Disney Magazine, August 2001"[permanent dead link]. Disney magazine. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
  2. ^ Adams, Cameron (2 January 2009). "Vote on your worst ever Australian song". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Strawberry Kisses 2017 (feat. Sam Mac) - Single by Nikki Webster" – via music.apple.com.
  4. ^ Varvaris, Mary (14 August 2023). "You'll Never Guess The Matildas' Hype Song". The Music. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  5. ^ "The 'Team Song' Of The Matildas Is Strawberry Kisses By Nikki Webster". The Project. 10Play. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  6. ^ Cootes, Isobel (20 August 2023). "Matildas surprised by Nikki Webster singing their Women's World Cup song 'Strawberry Kisses'". Optus Sport. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Nikki Webster says she doesn't get royalties for her hit song". celebrity.nine.com.au. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2024.