Song 2 You

2011 song by Victorious cast featuring Leon Thomas III and Victoria Justice
"Song 2 You"
Song by Victorious cast featuring Leon Thomas III and Victoria Justice
from the album Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show
ReleasedAugust 2, 2011
Length3:38
Label
Songwriters
Producers

"Song 2 You" is a song by the Victorious cast featuring Leon Thomas III and Victoria Justice. The song first appeared in a Victorious episode titled "The Diddly-Bops" which aired on January 17, 2011. The track was then officially released on Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show, the show's debut soundtrack album on August 2, 2011.

The song was written by Thomas himself, Brian Kierulf, and Josh Schwartz, the latter two producing the track alongside Backhouse Mike. The track is about love being more important than material possessions. Upon its release, "Song 2 You" was positively received by music critics. Commercially, it peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Kid Digital Song Sales chart.

Release

"Song 2 You" was first featured on the Nickelodeon television sitcom Victorious in an episode titled "The Diddly-Bops" which aired on January 17, 2011.[1][2] In the episode, Tori (Victoria Justice) and her friends are asked by their teacher Sikowitz (Eric Lange) to sing at a children's birthday party as last minute replacements.[1][2] Andre (Leon Thomas III) is close to landing a record deal, but his chances are threatened when a video of him performing at the birthday party is leaked online. Andre has to convince the producer of the record label that he can be taken seriously as an artist.[1][2] The song was officially released as the ninth track on the show's debut soundtrack album Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show on August 2, 2011.[3][4][5]

Music and lyrics

The track features Leon Thomas III (pictured in 2020) on lead vocals.

The track features lead vocals and guitar by Thomas,[6][7][8] with background vocals provided by Justice.[6] The track was written by Thomas,[9] Brian Kierulf, and Josh Schwartz. Kierulf also contributed as a producer, programmer, engineer, and recording engineer, alongside Schwartz. Michael Corcoran served as an additional producer and recording engineer. The song was mixed by Greg Wells and mastered by Brian Gardner.[10] In an interview with Newsday in July 2011, Thomas revealed that he wrote "Song 2 You" when he was 14 years old.[11] He explained that it was "really a blessing" for the song to appear on Victorious.[11]

Writing for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann expressed that "Song 2 You" has lyrical themes that "tend toward light romance, happy and sad, and assertions of self-worth".[12] Jessica Dawson, writing for Common Sense Media, stated that the song is "about being yourself, not caring about material things, and opening up to someone you love".[13] Bob Hoose and Steven Isaac for Plugged In said that the track "lifts up the promise of true love by offering a personalized love song", highlighting the lines: "I don't have the world, can't give it to you, girl/But all that I can do is give this song to you."[14]

Reception

"Song 2 You" was met with mainly positive reviews from music critics. Hoose and Isaac expressed that the song has "Maroon 5-sounding stops".[14] Robyn Ross of TV Guide opined that Justice "has shown off her singing skills" on the track, while saying that Thomas "is proving he's got talent as well".[2] Liam Crowley of ComicBook.com declared that the track is one of the "biggest hits from the Victorious soundtrack".[6] Kayla Chanthavisith, writing for Her Campus, described the track as "underrated".[15] For AbsolutePunk, Joe DeAndrea commented that the track reveals "the intricacy of how fun the show really is".[16]

Tiara B. of The Shade Room ranked the song fourth on her list titled "Victorious: The Top 10 Songs That Still Have Us Hooked", describing it as a "beautiful" track and one of the show's "most iconic duets".[17] She also noted its lasting appeal, stating that the A cappella version "eats every single time".[17] Writing for MovieWeb, Israel Olorunnisola put the song at number two on his "Victorious: 10 Songs You Forgot Were Awesome" list, remarking that Thomas gave a "wonderful performance" during the episode.[18] Commercially, "Song 2 You" charted at number eight on the Billboard Kid Digital Song Sales chart in the United States.[19]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[10]

Charts

Chart performance for "Song 2 You"
Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Kid Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[19] 8

References

  1. ^ a b c "Leon Thomas: Victorious 'Song 2 You' Preview!". Just Jared Jr. January 14, 2011. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |archive-url= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Ross, Robyn (January 11, 2011). "Video Exclusive: Victorious Star Debuts Original Song on Show". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  3. ^ "Columbia Records Reveals Tracklisting For Victorious Soundtrack Album; Available Everywhere On August 2, 2011". Top40-Charts. July 11, 2011. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  4. ^ "Victorious (Music from the Hit TV Show) [feat. Victoria Justice] - Album on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  5. ^ Franzen, Marty (January 12, 2013). "By the Way, Justin Bieber Can Sing, Too". Bucks County Courier Times. Archived from the original on November 24, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Crowley, Liam (October 16, 2024). "Victoria Justice 'Would Be Open' to Victorious Revival (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  7. ^ "Leon Thomas III details 'frequency of freedom' to create music". Geo News. November 23, 2024. Archived from the original on June 10, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  8. ^ Mathis, Carlos (July 14, 2025). "'Victorious' Actor Announces 2 Ohio Tour Stops". WDTN. Archived from the original on November 24, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  9. ^ Orozco, Diana (May 27, 2011). "Details on Victoria Justice's First 'Victorious' Show!". Celebuzz. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Credits / Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show / Various artists". Tidal. August 2, 2011. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Kachadourian, Jenna; Kachadourian, Christian (August 14, 2011). "Kidsday talks with actor Leon Thomas". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  12. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Victoria Justice/Victorious Cast Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  13. ^ Dawson, Jessica (August 2, 2011). "Victorious Soundtrack". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Hoose, Bob; Issac, Steven. "Victorious: Music From the Hit TV Show". Plugged In. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  15. ^ Chanthavisith, Kayla (March 27, 2022). "What I've Been Obsessed With This Month: March Edition". Her Campus. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  16. ^ DeAndrea, Joe (August 2, 2011). "Victorious Cast feat. Victoria Justice - Victorious - Album Review". AbsolutePunk. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  17. ^ a b B, Tiara (March 28, 2025). "Celebrating 15 Years of 'Victorious': The Top 10 Songs That Still Have Us Hooked". The Shade Room. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  18. ^ Olorunnisola, Israel (March 19, 2023). "Victorious: 10 Songs You Forgot Were Awesome". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Victoria Justice Chart History (US Kid Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
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