2 Times

Last updated

"2 Times"
Ann Lee - 2 Times single cover.jpg
Single by Ann Lee
from the album Dreams
Released22 December 1998 (1998-12-22) [1]
Length3:46
Label X-Energy [2]
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Marco Sorcini
  • Alfredo Larry Pignagnoli
Ann Lee singles chronology
"2 Times"
(1998)
"Voices"
(1999)
Music video
"2 Times" on YouTube

"2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. [3] It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, Dreams (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, reached number one in Flanders, and entered the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and New Zealand.

Contents

Background and composition

Ann Lee's previous work on a large number of Eurodance projects would help her receive a contract with Alfredo Larry Pignagnoli, with whom she had already worked with on the Whigfield project as a songwriter, amongst others. He worked on a track with Marco Sorcini called "Two Times". [4] The song is played in a F major key in common time at a BPM of 132, and throughout follows chord progression F-C7. [5]

Critical reception

A reviewer from Daily Record wrote, "This sounds like a line-dancing song reworked for the techno market, but it's worked for Ann Lee who has already topped the charts across Europe." [6] The Guardian described it as "giddy". [7]

Commercial performance

The song achieved success in many European countries where it was a top-10 hit, particularly in Denmark, Scotland, and the Flanders region of Belgium, where it reached number one. [8] [9] [10] It peaked number two in Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom; [11] [9] [12] it has sold over 500,000 copies in the UK as of 2014. [13] It was also a top-10 hit in Australia after initially receiving frequent airplay on Melbourne radio station KIX FM. [9] [14]

Music video

The song's accompanying music video was released in 1999 by Energy Productions. [15] It sees Ann Lee performing the song during a day in her life, beginning with her waking up in the morning in her hut. She cooks, plays with her doll, takes a stroll on the beach and has a bath in her bathtub. The video ends with Lee sleeping in her bed. The singer has noted that the structure and cinematography of the video was very similar to that of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"; "The two videos were similar! I remember perfectly the 'sledge video' (love Peter Gabriel!) and my movements are in fact very similar - but I think the similarity ends there". [16] Parts of the music video were filmed in Whitstable, Kent.

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [57] Platinum70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) [58] Gold25,000*
Belgium (BEA) [59] Platinum50,000*
France (SNEP) [60] Gold250,000*
Germany (BVMI) [61] Gold250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [62] Gold5,000*
Sweden (GLF) [63] Gold15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [64] Gold500,000 [13]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
ItalyDecember 199812-inch vinylX-Energy [1]
March 1999CD
Netherlands24 April 1999High Fashion [33]
Germany28 April 1999 ZYX Music [33]
United Kingdom4 October 1999
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
Systematic [65]

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