Tardy for the Party

This article is about the song. For the television series, see Don't Be Tardy.

"Tardy for the Party" is a song by American television personality Kim Zolciak; it was independently released on September 1, 2009. The track was written and produced by her The Real Housewives of Atlanta castmate Kandi Burruss, with additional lyrical contributions from Zolciak, Brandon Joel Bowles, and Darnell Richard.

"Tardy for the Party"
Single by Kim Zolciak
Released	September 1, 2009 (2009-09-01)
Genre	Dance-pop electropop
Length	2:44
Songwriter(s)	Brandon Joel Bowles Kandi Burruss Darnell Richard Kim Zolciak
Producer(s)	Brandon "Blade" Bowles
Kim Zolciak singles chronology
"Tardy for the Party" (2009) "Google Me" (2010)

Background and composition

"Tardy for the Party" was written by Kandi Burruss, Zolciak, Brandon Joel Bowles, and Darnell Richard,^[1] and was produced solely by Burruss.^[2] Zolciak claimed that her daughter Brielle drafted the original lyrics when she was 9 years old, which were later reworked by Burruss during formal recording sessions.^[3] The production of "Tardy for the Party" was documented on the second season of the reality television series The Real Housewives of Atlanta, in which Zolciak and Burruss are featured.^[4] After Zolciak requested that the track be a duet with fellow housewife NeNe Leakes,^[2] Burruss began making arrangements for the women to record together.^[5] However, the song ultimately became a solo performance by Zolciak, placing a strain on Leakes' friendships with her and Burruss.^[6]

Reception

In October 2009, Nielsen Soundscan reported that "Tardy for the Party" had sold approximately 29,000 digital downloads, while Mediabase revealed that the track had been played six times on radio stations.^[4] In September 2011, The Hollywood Reporter noted that the song had moved 101,000 copies since its premiere, with illegal downloads increasing ownership of the track to over one million individuals.

Live performances

Zolciak (left) at the American Music Awards of 2009

Zolciak first performed "Tardy for the Party" during the reunion for the second season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, broadcast by Bravo on November 5, 2009. Dressed in black leggings and leather boots, Zolciak was accompanied by two female backup dancers, and encouraged her fellow housewives Leakes, Sheree Whitfield, and Lisa Wu-Hartwell to "c'mon bitches" in the midst of the performance.^[7] During the bridge of the song through the end of the recording, Zolciak was joined onstage by Burruss.^[8] Donald Deane from The Huffington Post characterized the segment as an "assault to the senses",^[9] while Brian Moylan from Gawker Media labeled it "the scariest thing to happen on television" since Britney Spears' performance of "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.^[10] Zolciak later sang "Tardy for the Party" on February 26, 2010, at the Gold Room in Atlanta^[11] and during an April 9, 2010 appearance on The Wendy Williams Show.^[12]

Lawsuit

Since 2010, Burruss has claimed that Zolciak withheld payment for her services during production of "Tardy for the Party".^[13] The ensuing conflict between the women became a central plotline during the third and fourth seasons of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which appeared to have been resolved during a season 4 reunion episode.^[14] However, Burruss filed a lawsuit against Zolciak on March 14, 2013, coincidentally the same day that the fifth season reunion was filmed. Burruss was represented by fellow housewife Phaedra Parks, and alleged that Zolciak made profit from the track "without [the] plaintiffs' authorization, license or consent."^[15] The lawsuit was dismissed on October 12, 2013, after the presiding judge deemed that Burruss failed to furnish enough evidence of copyright infringement.^[16]

Track listing

"Tardy for the Party" – Digital download^[17]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Tardy for the Party"	Brandon Joel Bowles Kandi Burruss Darnell Richard Kim Zolciak	Kandi Burruss	2:44
Total length:				2:44

"Tardy for the Party" – Remix EP^[18]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Tardy for the Party"	2:46
2.	"Tardy for the Party" (Tracy Young's Don't Be Tardy Radio Mix)	4:01
3.	"Tardy for the Party" (Tracy Young's Don't Be Tardy Club)	10:09
4.	"Tardy for the Party" (Tracy Young's Don't Be Tardy Mix Show)	7:54
5.	"Tardy for the Party" (Tracy Young's Don't Be Tardy Dub)	8:52
Total length:		33:42

Charts

Chart performance for "Tardy for the Party"

Chart (2009)	Peak position
US Heatseekers Songs (Billboard)[19]	44

Release history

"Tardy for the Party" release formats

Country	Date	Version	Format	Label	Ref.
United States	September 1, 2009	Single version	Digital download	—	[17]
	February 9, 2010	Remix EP		Ferosh	[18]

References

1. "ACE Title Search". ascap.com. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
2. "The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 2 Home Is Where the Heartbreak Is". Bravotv.com. NBCUniversal. August 27, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
3. Zolciak, Kim (September 17, 2009). "Don't Be Tardy to Kim's Party". Bravotv.com. NBCUniversal. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
4. Ho, Rodney (October 14, 2009). "So how is Kim Zolciak's 'Tardy for the Party' doing?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
5. "The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 2 Throwing Shade". Bravotv.com. NBCUniversal. September 10, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
6. "The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 2 Precious Pocketbook". Bravotv.com. NBCUniversal. September 24, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
7. "Watch Kim Zolciak Perform 'Tardy for the Party!'". Us Weekly. November 5, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
8. "Watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta: For the First Time Performing On Stage Online". Hulu. November 15, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
9. Deane, Donald (November 6, 2009). "Kim Zolciak 'Tardy for the Party' Performance on 'Real Housewives' Reunion". The Huffington Post. AOL. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
10. Moylan, Brian (November 6, 2009). "'Tardy for the Party' Live Will Give You Nightmares". Gawker. Gawker Media. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
11. Bachelor, Blane (February 26, 2010). "Real Housewives' Kim Zolciak Says She's Still With Big Papa". People. TIME Inc. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
12. "Tardy for the Party". The Wendy Williams Show. April 9, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
13. Gostin, Nicki (March 14, 2013). "Kandi Burruss Sues Kim Zolciak". Bravotv.com. NBCUniversal. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
14. Ho, Rodney (March 13, 2013). "Kandi Burruss sues Kim Zolciak over use of 'Tardy for the Party'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
15. Johnson, Zach (March 14, 2013). "Kandi Burruss Sues Kim Zolciak for "Tardy for the Party" Profits". Us Weekly. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
16. Nededog, Jethro (October 12, 2013). "'Real Housewives' Kim Zolciak Claims Victory Over Kandi Burruss' 'Tardy to the Party' Lawsuit". The Wrap. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
17. "Tardy for the Party – Single by Kim Zolciak – Download Tardy for the Party – Single on iTunes". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. September 1, 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
18. "iTunes – Music – Tardy for the Party (Remixes) by Kim Zolciak". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. February 9, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
19. "Kim Zolciak Chart History (Heatseekers Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 3, 2020.