On a Sunday
"On a Sunday" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Ester Peony. It was independently released for digital download and streaming as a single on 17 January 2019. Ioana Victoria Badea wrote the lyrics, while Peony composed the music alongside Alexandru Șerbu. Musically, the track is a mid-tempo blues, R&B, soul and 2000s-influenced electropop ballad backed by percussion, guitar, synthesizers and trance beats. Its lyrics discuss a failed relationship and include Peony reflecting upon a former love interest and the futile idea that he might return. Observers likened the track to the American folk song "The Wayfaring Stranger".
"On a Sunday" represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, after winning the pre-selection show Selecția Națională. The country failed to qualify for the final, marking their second and consecutive year to achieve this result. During a large portion of Peony's acclaimed goth-inspired performance, Peony was singing from a red armchair while accompanying dancers enacted a battle between good and evil visually amplified by various dark graphics showed on the LED screens. The show was the first one in Romania's Eurovision participation history to be significantly invested in by the Romanian Television, with costs amounting to a reported 100,000 euros.
The track was met with mixed reviews from music critics upon its release, with some praising its production, contemporary nature and Peony's vocal delivery. To promote "On a Sunday", Peony performed the song on multiple radio and television stations in Romania, as well as on Eurovision-related occasions in the Netherlands and Spain. A well-received accompanying music video was uploaded to Cat Music's YouTube channel on 10 March 2019. Directed by Petre Năstase at Casa Monteoru in Bucharest, the video shows Peony wearing multiple outfits while investigating a haunted house.
Background and composition
gained online recognition in 2014 for covering songs on YouTube, leading to a record deal with a Romanian label. She subsequently achieved success in Romania with her 2015 single "Sub aripa ta", which was playlisted by native radio and television stations. "On a Sunday" was independently released for digital download and streaming as a single on 17 January 2019. It was written by Ioana Victoria Badea, while the music was composed by Peony alongside Alexandru Șerbu. The idea for "On a Sunday" emerged from a guitar chord that inspired Peony to create a vocal melody. The song's title is only mentioned twice in its first verse, and it lyrically references the day in September that a "rupture occurred"."On a Sunday" is a mid-tempo blues, R&B, soul and 2000s-influenced "dark" electropop ballad backed by percussion, "Western" guitar, "stuttering" synthesizers and "driving" trance beats. Critics also noted ethnic, jazz and gothic inspirations. The song's lyrics focus on a failed relationship, with Peony stating in an interview that "love becomes dangerous when given to the wrong person". Analyzing the lyrics, Diego Pinzon of Wiwibloggs called the track a "personal anecdote on the complexities of love". He further wrote: " sings deftly about being obsessed with a former lover — and the idea, ultimately futile, that he might return. That longing, which can drive people into severe depression, often feels like the end of the world. Dealing with that pushes some people to the edge — and very clearly Peony can be counted among them". Lyrics of "On a Sunday" include: "You left me and I still remember that day in September/Watching the smoke rise from the ashtray, filling the room with pain, it’s still in my veins".
For the purpose of Peony's Eurovision Song Contest 2019 participation, "On a Sunday" was remastered, undergoing "structural changes in latter portions", leading to a "harsher beat in some parts". The singer elaborated: "The new version of the song comes with a slightly different, more dynamic feel. But at the same time it's keeping that dark mood". Lasting three minutes and four seconds, the remastered version of "On a Sunday" was eventually released for purchase on 10 March 2019 through Cat Music along with new cover artwork, replacing the previous version of the song. The label also released a CD in Romania.
Critical reception and plagiarism accusation
"On a Sunday" was received with mixed reviews from music critics. Julian Geiser of Wiwibloggs wrote that the song had "a sultry, standout quality", while Pinzon of the same publication labelled it as "thoroughly contemporary" with a "universal appeal". In a Wiwibloggs review containing several reviews from individual critics, praise was outspoken towards Peony's voice and the song's catchiness and instrumentation, while one criticized it as "flat". Overall, the reviewers of the website gave the song 7.04 out of 10 points. Jonathan Currinn, writing for CelebMix, praised Peony's emotional and "classy" vocal delivery, but found the track to be "somewhat disappointing lyrically and rhythmically".Due to accusations of plagiarising the American folk song "The Wayfaring Stranger", the Romanian Television decided to set up a commission to analyze "On a Sunday" in February 2019. It consisted of music professionals Dan Dediu, Andrei Kerestely, Cristian Faur, Laurențiu Oprea and Gabriel Scîrlet. The broadcaster conclusively reported: "Although there are some similarities , it is a musical phrase of minor importance, which is not the essence of 'On a Sunday'. In conclusion, , even if it has some influences, can not be considered a plagiarism".
Music video and promotion
By late February 2019, filming for an accompanying music video for "On a Sunday" had been completed, conducted by director Petre Năstase at Casa Monteoru in Bucharest, Romania. The clip was uploaded to Cat Music's official YouTube channel on 10 March 2019 and shows Peony "imprisoned in a deserted house". It begins with shots of an "old abandoned" mansion at night, which the singer is seen entering. The inside of the house is then shown, where a husky lies on a couch. Throughout the music video, Peony performs to the song wearing different outfits. Among other activities, she is shown investigating the house, performing along with two clones of herself which disappear in a burst of flames, and posing in front of an aquarium. In an interview, Năstase explained his vision for the clip: "The song is a story of a toxic relationship, so we created a character that enters a mansion which is haunted by various spirits". Peony added: "The main character trapped in a parallel universe — haunted by her own ghost. Igor, the dog, is the house guardian. As I become part of the house, Igor becomes my guardian too".The music video was released to generally positive reviews from critics. Nick van Lith of ESCXtra praised it, noting a "moody, haunted atmosphere". He further stated: "With clever lighting, the result is in fact a very intriguing video". Writing for Wiwibloggs, William Lee Adams echoed Van Lith's thought and went on to compare the mansion to the one in the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House due to its "derelict walls and eerie destruction". Adams noted that the video was "bold and just a little brash", as well as "intoxicating with marine life floating in the sky and mirrors reflecting all manner of madness". Pinzon of the same publication added: "he house has become a prison of Ester’s own making. Her inability to move on has turned the situation into a nightmare. The singer’s inner turmoil — put on display in such a raw and visceral way — makes the viewer feel her sorrow". CelebMix's Currinn gave a lukewarm review: "Peony looks like a witch who has been scorned and she’s practising her magic so that she’s prepared to get her own back. It’s a pure performance piece. It’s a haunting visual but they could've done more with her magical abilities – it leaves a lot to be desired, much like the song itself".
For further promotion, Peony performed "On a Sunday" live during O melodie pentru Europa 2019 on 2 March, Moldova's national final to select their entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. Throughout the same month, she appeared to sing the song on Romanian television shows Neața cu Răzvan și Dani, La Măruță, Vorbește lumea, Teo Show, and Star matinal, alongside performances on Pro FM, București FM, Digi FM and Magic FM. In April, she performed at Eurovision pre-parties, including Amsterdam's Eurovision in Concert and PreParty ES in Madrid.