America (Razorlight song)

Last updated

"America"
Razorlight America cover.JPG
Single by Razorlight
from the album Razorlight
B-side
  • "Down to the Coast" (demo)
  • "Wilfred Owen" (demo)
Released2 October 2006 (2006-10-02) [1]
Genre Soft rock
Length4:10
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Chris Thomas
Razorlight singles chronology
"In the Morning"
(2006)
"America"
(2006)
"Before I Fall to Pieces"
(2006)
Music video
"America" on YouTube

"America" is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight, included as the fourth track on their self-titled second studio album (2006). It was written by Johnny Borrell and Andy Burrows (credited to Borrell, Burrows, and Razorlight) and was also released as the second single from that album on 2 October 2006.

Contents

The song garnered a negative reception from critics for its attempt at both political commentary and transatlantic crossover appeal. Nevertheless, "America" became the band's first and only number-one single in the United Kingdom and was the country's 17th best selling single of that year. The song also peaked within the top 10 in Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand, and within the top 40 in Austria, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Germany.

Critical reception

"America" received generally negative reviews from music critics, who found its attempt at serious commentary laughable and pretentious. Adam Zacharias of Drowned in Sound panned the song for cribbing the same lyrics from the previous single "In the Morning" and for coming off as trite commentary for the mass public, calling it "a terrible piece of faux-sentiment". [2] Liz Colville of Stylus Magazine criticised the song's attempt at being a blue-collar anthem in the vein of Bruce Springsteen but without his particular musicianship. [3] Michael Lomas of PopMatters called the song "soft rock hell". [4]

John Murphy of MusicOMH was mixed towards the song, saying that it has the right amount of intimacy but found the lyrics "facile at best". [5] Doug Kamin of ARTISTdirect praised Borrell's delivery of the song's overall message, saying that, "It's sung without judgment or criticism and could grab the ears of rock and pop lovers on both sides of the pond." [6]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [31] 2× Platinum1,200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Until It Sleeps</span> 1996 single by Metallica

"Until It Sleeps" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on May 20, 1996, as the lead single from their sixth studio album Load. "Until It Sleeps" reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 making it Metallica's highest charting single and only top ten hit in the United States. The song was also their first number-one on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, peaked in the top five in the United Kingdom, and reached number-one in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, and Sweden. The song's music video, directed by Samuel Bayer and inspired by the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, won the Best Hard Rock Video award at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Touch (song)</span> 2004 single by Razorlight

"Golden Touch" is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight, appearing as the eighth track on their 2004 debut album, Up All Night. The song is based on MTV2 and Queens of Noize DJ Mairead Nash, with whom Johnny Borrell had a brief relationship. "Golden Touch" was released as the fourth single from Up All Night in June 2004 and peaked at No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2006, it was ranked 87th on Q magazine's "100 Greatest Songs Ever".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somewhere Else (Razorlight song)</span> 2005 single by Razorlight

"Somewhere Else" is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight, and was featured as a bonus track on the 2005 re-release of their debut album, Up All Night. It was their first new material following that album and the first A-side recorded with drummer Andy Burrows. It became their biggest hit to date in the United Kingdom at the time when released as a single, debuting at number two in the UK Singles Chart, only to be bettered by "America", which charted at number one in October 2006. In 2007, the lyrics: "and I met a girl/She asked me my name/I told her what it was", were voted the third-worst lyrics of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vice (Razorlight song)</span> 2004 single by Razorlight

"Vice" is the fifth single released by English rock band Razorlight, taken from their debut album, Up All Night (2004). It followed "Golden Touch" into the UK top 20. The lyrics feature the word "love" spelled out in letters, the outro repeating this several times. Near the end of the song, Johnny Borrell gave out his then mobile phone number, allowing fans to call or text him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calling Elvis</span> 1991 single by Dire Straits

"Calling Elvis" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and performed by British rock band Dire Straits. It first appeared on the final studio album by the band, On Every Street (1991). It was released in August 1991 by Vertigo and Warner Bros. as the first single from that album, peaking at number 21 in the United Kingdom, and reaching the top 10 in numerous other countries. It was included on the 2005 compilation The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations. A live version of the song also appears on the 1993 live album On the Night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuel (Metallica song)</span> 1998 single by Metallica

"Fuel" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett, and was released as the third single from their seventh album, Reload (1997). The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1999 but lost to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for the song "Most High". It was moderately successful on the music charts, peaking at number two in Australia, number three in Hungary, number five in Finland and number six on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vertigo (U2 song)</span> 2004 single by U2

"Vertigo" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track on their eleventh studio album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004). It was released to radio as the album's lead single on 8 November 2004, and upon release, it received extensive airplay. The song was an international success, bolstered by its usage in a television advertisement featuring the band for Apple's iPod digital music player. The song lent its name to the band's 2005–2006 Vertigo Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ugly (Sugababes song)</span> 2005 single by Sugababes

"Ugly" is a song by British girl group Sugababes from their fourth studio album, Taller in More Ways (2005). Written and produced by Dallas Austin, inspiration for the song was conceptualised in the midst of reading negative comments about members of the band. The song released on 5 December 2005 in the United Kingdom as the second single from the album. "Ugly" is a midtempo pop rock and R&B ballad that contains lyrics about personality and body-image issues. It received comparisons to "Unpretty" by girl group TLC and "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera. "Ugly" is the band's final single released under the second line up of Sugababes, after original member Mutya Buena departed the group on 21 December 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hardest Part (Coldplay song)</span> 2006 single by Coldplay

"The Hardest Part" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all four members of the band for their third album, X&Y. A piano-based ballad song, it begins with a piano melody, followed with electric guitar lines, that accompanies slow-tempo drumming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You're Not the One</span> 2002 single by Daniel Bedingfield

"If You're Not the One" is a song by New Zealand-British singer Daniel Bedingfield. It was released on 25 November 2002 as the third single from his debut studio album, Gotta Get Thru This (2002). The single entered the top 20 on the majority of charts that it appeared on, including becoming a number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart and reaching number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Like a Pill</span> 2002 single by Pink

"Just Like a Pill" is a song by American singer Pink. It was written by Pink and Dallas Austin and produced by Austin for the singer's second studio album, Missundaztood. The lyrics of the song deal with getting out of painful relationships with a subtheme about drug abuse.

<i>Razorlight</i> (album) 2006 studio album by Razorlight

Razorlight is the second studio album by English indie rock band Razorlight. The album was released on 17 July 2006 in the United Kingdom and debuted at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the Morning (Razorlight song)</span> 2006 single by Razorlight

"In the Morning" is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight, the opening track to their self-titled second studio album (2006). The song was released on 3 July 2006 as the lead single from that album, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Feel Like Dancin'</span> 2006 single by Scissor Sisters

"I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" is a song by American pop band Scissor Sisters. It was released in August 2006 as the first single from their second album, Ta-Dah (2006). The song was written by Jason Sellards, Scott Hoffman and Elton John, the last of whom provides piano for the song, and was the band's first top-10 single in many countries, peaking at number one in nine of them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovelight</span> 2006 single by Robbie Williams

"Lovelight" is a song written and originally performed by Lewis Taylor for his 2002 album, Stoned, Part I. In 2006, the song was covered by British singer Robbie Williams. His version was produced by Mark Ronson and was released as the second single from his seventh solo album, Rudebox, on 13 November 2006. Williams' version reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart and became a top-10 hit in five other European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Before I Fall to Pieces</span> 2006 single by Razorlight

"Before I Fall to Pieces" is a song by English rock band Razorlight, the fifth track on their self-titled second album. It was released as the third single from the album on 18 December 2006. The song peaked at number 17 on UK Singles Chart and number 20 on the Irish Singles Chart. The video for "Before I Fall to Pieces" features Scorpio from TV's Gladiators and actor Guy Pearce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Today (song)</span> 2007 single by Mika

"Love Today" is the second single released by London-based singer Mika, taken from his debut studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion (2007). The song was produced by Greg Wells at Rocket Carousel studios and engineered by Drew Pearson. It was released in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2007 as a digital download, with the official physical release appearing on 23 April 2007, and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart. The single was released in Australia on 23 July 2007, reaching number three on the ARIA Singles Chart, and was used for Austereo radio station network advertising. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording at the 50th Grammy Awards but lost to Justin Timberlake's "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows".

"Stumble and Fall" is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight, included as the ninth track on their 2004 debut studio album, Up All Night. It was released as a single on 26 January 2004, reaching number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr Rock & Roll</span> 2007 single by Amy Macdonald

"Mr. Rock & Roll" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald. The song is the first track on Macdonald's debut album, This Is the Life. It was her first full single after the limited online release of "Poison Prince" and was released physically in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flashdance (song)</span> 2004 single by Deep Dish

"Flashdance" is a song by American electronic music duo Deep Dish with the vocals from Anousheh Khalili. It is a cover of "He's a Dream" by Shandi Sinnamon, from the Flashdance soundtrack. Released in 2004, the song received positive critical reviews and became a hit in several countries, including the United Kingdom, where it debuted and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.

References

  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 30 September 2006. p. 37.
  2. Zacharias, Adam (12 October 2006). "Single Review: Razorlight – America". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  3. Colville, Liz (1 August 2006). "Razorlight – Razorlight". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  4. Lomas, Michael (29 September 2006). "Razorlight: Razorlight". PopMatters . Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  5. Murphy, John (17 July 2006). "Razorlight – Razorlight". MusicOMH . Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  6. Kamin, Doug. "Razoright by Razorlight". ARTISTdirect . Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  7. America (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Razorlight. Vertigo Records. 2006. 1705369.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. America (UK limited 7-inch single sleeve). Razorlight. Vertigo Records. 2006. 1705367.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. America (UK maxi-CD single liner notes). Razorlight. Vertigo Records. 2006. 1705368.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. America (European CD single liner notes). Razorlight. Vertigo Records. 2006. 1705367.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. "Razorlight – America" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. "Razorlight – America" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  13. "Razorlight – America" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  14. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 44. týden 2007 in the date selector. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  15. "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 118, no. 42. 21 October 2006. p. 107. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  16. "Razorlight – America" (in French). Les classement single.
  17. "Razorlight – America" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  18. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – America". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 46, 2006" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  20. "Razorlight – America" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. "Razorlight – America". Top 40 Singles.
  22. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  23. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200652 into search. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  24. "Razorlight – America". Swiss Singles Chart.
  25. "Razorlight: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  26. "European Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  27. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2006". Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  28. "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  29. "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  30. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2007". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  31. "British single certifications – Razorlight – America". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 31 March 2023.