Feels Like Heaven (Reigan Derry song)

Last updated

"Feels Like Heaven"
Reigan Derry - Feels Like Heaven.jpg
Single by Reigan Derry
B-side "Always Know My Truth"
Released4 September 2015 (2015-09-04)
Genre Pop
Length3:29
Label Sony
Songwriter(s)
Reigan Derry singles chronology
"All of the Pieces"
(2014)
"Feels Like Heaven"
(2015)

"Feels Like Heaven" is the second single by Australian singer and songwriter Reigan Derry. It was written by Derry, Jon Hume, Hayley Warner and Phil Barton. The song was released both physically and digitally on 4 September 2015, as the lead single from Derry's upcoming debut studio album. "Feels Like Heaven" is a mid-tempo pop track, which contains elements of indie music and uses synth beats, harmonies and a guitar as its instrumentation. Lyrically, the song talks about the heavenly feeling a person receives from someone they love.

Contents

Upon its release, "Feels Like Heaven" received positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the production and Derry's vocal delivery. Some critics also felt that its musical style and Derry's vocals were reminiscent of Florence and the Machine and Sia. The song debuted at number 37 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The accompanying music video was directed by Mitchel Tuul and Hugh Martin, and filmed in Adelaide. It features scenes of Derry singing the song's lyrics and playing the guitar in her bedroom, and hanging out with her love interest at the countryside. Derry promoted "Feels Like Heaven" with live performances and interviews on radio and television programs, as well as instore appearances.

Background and release

In December 2014, Derry released her debut extended play All of the Pieces , which included her debut single of the same name and four cover versions of songs she performed on The X Factor Australia. [1] Following the EP's release, Derry began working on new material with several other songwriters to create the songs which could potentially be included on her upcoming debut studio album. She also went on writing trips to London and Sweden. [2] On 6 August 2015, Derry announced the release of her second single "Feels Like Heaven" via her social media platforms and it became available to pre-order online in both digital and physical formats. [3] [4] On the decision to release "Feels Like Heaven" as her second single, Derry said "it's because of the sound of the song, the power of the song, the pop sensibility versus a bit of acousticness and that singer-songwriter feeling." [2] "Feels Like Heaven" was then released on 4 September as the lead single from her debut studio album. [2] [5] Its physical release includes the B-side track "Always Know My Truth". [6]

Production and composition

"Feels Like Heaven" was written by Derry, Jon Hume, Hayley Warner and Phil Barton. [7] They wrote the song on Hume's farm during the summertime and it took one day to complete. [8] "Feels Like Heaven" is a mid-tempo pop song with elements of indie music. [7] [5] [9] Its instrumentation consists of a guitar, synth beats and harmonies. [10] The Daily Telegraph 's Kathy McCabe likened the song's musical style to Florence and the Machine, while Thomasbleach.com felt that its production and Derry's vocal performance was reminiscent of Sia. [5] [10] Lyrically, "Feels Like Heaven" talks about the heavenly feeling you get from someone you love. Derry explained, "Heaven is found in the most basic places and is a celebration of love in its simplest form." [11] According to Snap Cackle Pop, the song starts off with a soft intro, before bursting "into a massive chorus as Derry screams she has found heaven in the most simplest of places". [12] The chorus begins with the lyrics, "Cause it feels like heaven with your hand on my face / Oh it feels like heaven when I'm with you for days" and ends with the line "we found heaven, in this hell of a place". [10] [11]

Reception

"Feels Like Heaven" received positive reviews from music critics. Damian of Auspop named it "a gorgeous, mature pop number" and complimented Derry's "stunning, raspy vocals" in the verses. [2] Shahbaz Malik of Media Hype 101 gave "Feels Like Heaven" four stars out of five and described it as "heavenly divine", further praising the track as an "euphoric bop" that "sounds like a hit". [9] [13] Kathy McCabe of The Daily Telegraph felt that "Feels Like Heaven" sounds like a cross "between the orchestral Florence and the Machine style pop that Australia seemed to feel connected with her [Derry] most strongly and the straight ahead pop that commercial radio prefers to play". [5]

Thomasbleach.com praised Derry for delivering "a powerful and infectious feel good track" that will have listeners "captivated" when the first chorus begins, further adding that the track will make listeners forget about their problems and feel "a pure form of infectious happiness". [10] Chris Jameson of Joy 94.9 named it "a very pretty" song that listeners "will enjoy", while a writer for Snap Cackle Pop called it "mesmerising". [12] [14] For the issue dated 14 September 2015, "Feels Like Heaven" debuted at number 37 on the ARIA Singles Chart. [15] It became Derry's third top-fifty entry on that chart and her eighth top one hundred entry overall. [16] The following week, "Feels Like Heaven" dropped out of the ARIA top one hundred. [17]

Music video

The music video for "Feels Like Heaven" was directed by Mitchel Tuul and Hugh Martin, [18] and filmed in Adelaide in August 2015. [19] [20] Derry's love interest in the video was played by a friend she had not seen in five years. [19] A behind-the-scenes clip of the music video was released on The Daily Telegraph website on 5 September. [5] Derry explained that she wanted the video to be simple so that viewers "would appreciate the simplicity" of the song's lyrics. [19] The official video premiered on The X Factor Australia official Facebook page on 18 September, and was later uploaded to Derry's Vevo channel the following day. [21]

The video begins with scenes of Derry in her bedroom singing the song's lyrics and playing the guitar. It is then intercut with bedroom scenes of Derry and her love interest staring intimately at each other. The video then shows the pair going on a road trip to the countryside. They are later seen hanging out at a nearby field, where Derry is shown resting her head on her lover's shoulder. This is intercut with scenes of Derry singing the song in her car and bedroom, and running on the field. The video then shows Derry back in her bedroom looking directly into the camera and it ends with her laying on her bed. [22]

Promotion

Derry promoted "Feels Like Heaven" on television with live performances on Sunrise (4 September) [23] and The Morning Show (7 September), [24] and an interview on The Daily Edition (4 September). [25] She also performed and signed physical copies of the single for fans during appearances at Bond Café in Sydney (4 September), [26] the Roselands Shopping Centre in Roselands, New South Wales (6 September), [27] and Westfield Carousel in Cannington, Western Australia (13 September). [28] On 11 September, Derry performed "Feels Like Heaven" on Sonshine FM's Live on Drive. [29]

Track listing

  1. "Feels Like Heaven" – 3:29
  1. "Feels Like Heaven" – 3:29
  2. "Always Know My Truth"

Charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [15] 37

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelCatalogue
Australia4 September 2015 Sony Music Australia 88875130012

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulini</span> Fijian-Australian singer and songwriter

Pauline Curuenavuli, known professionally as Paulini, is a Fijian-Australian singer and songwriter. Born in Suva, Paulini moved to Sydney with her family at the age of four. She rose to fame in 2003 as a contestant on the first season of Australian Idol and placed fourth in the competition. Paulini subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony BMG Australia and released her debut studio album One Determined Heart (2004), which debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum. The album included the platinum single "Angel Eyes", which spent three consecutive weeks at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. Paulini received two ARIA No. 1 Chart Awards for both the album and single.

Emily Williams is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame in 2005 on the third season of Australian Idol and became the runner-up of the competition. After Idol, Williams signed with Sony BMG Australia and enjoyed commercial success as a member of the Australian girl group Young Divas. The group released two top-ten albums, Young Divas (2006) and New Attitude (2007), and achieved three top-fifteen singles, including the hugely successful "This Time I Know It's for Real". After the Young Divas disbanded in 2008 and Williams' contract with Sony BMG ended, she began releasing her solo music independently. Williams' debut solo single "Spellbound" was released in 2010, followed by the release of her debut solo album Uncovered in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreams (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1977 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Dreams" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from their eleventh studio album, Rumours (1977). In the United States, "Dreams" was released as the second single from Rumours in March 1977, while in the United Kingdom, the song was released as the third single in June 1977. A stage performance of "Dreams" was used as the promotional music video.

Hayley Michelle Aitken is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and record producer who also performs mononymously as Hayley. She had a top 40 hit on the ARIA Singles Chart with her second single, "Kiss Me Quick". Aitken has worked as a songwriter or producer for other artists, and is a prolific producer for many K-pop artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reigan Derry</span> Musical artist

Reigan Elisse Derry, also known mononymously as Reigan, is an Australian singer and songwriter. Derry rose to fame after placing eleventh on the fourth season of Australian Idol in 2006. The following year, she became a member of the Australian pop duo Scarlett Belle, who disbanded in 2011. Three years later, Derry placed fourth on the sixth season of The X Factor Australia. She subsequently received a recording contract with Sony Music Australia and released her debut extended play, All of the Pieces, in December 2014. Currently Reigan works as a club singer for various agencies in Sydney and the Gold Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samantha Jade</span> Australian singer and songwriter (born 1987)

Samantha Jade Gibbs is an Australian singer and songwriter. She has written tracks for artists including JoJo and Ashley Tisdale. In 2012, Jade won the fourth season of The X Factor Australia, the first woman to win the Australian series. She subsequently signed with Sony Music Australia and released her winner's single "What You've Done to Me", which debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Now That You Got It</span> 2007 single by Gwen Stefani

"Now That You Got It" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her second solo studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006). Stefani co-wrote the song with its producers Sean Garrett and Swizz Beatz. "Now That You Got It" is a reggae song featuring hip hop beats, staccato piano sample and military snare drums. Lyrically, the song places Gwen asking her lover to give all that she wants. A remix featuring Damian Marley was produced for the song's release as the album's fourth single on August 26, 2007, by Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freak Tonight</span>

"Freak Tonight" is a song by Australian singer and songwriter Israel Cruz. It was written by Cruz and released as the lead single from his second studio album, The Legacy. It was made available for digital download on 18 March 2009, followed by a CD release on 23 March 2009. The song only managed to reach number 68 on the ARIA Physical Singles Chart. A club-themed music video accompanied the single's release.

Scarlett Belle was an Australian pop duo formed in 2007, that initially consisted of Tamara Jaber, Reigan Derry and Hayley Aitken. Aitken left the group in 2008, leaving them as a duo. Scarlett Belle's debut single "Closure" was released in June 2010, and peaked in the top forty on the ARIA Singles Chart. Their second single "Freak Tonight" became a top thirty hit. In 2011, Scarlett Belle disbanded to pursue their solo careers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Closure (Scarlett Belle song)</span> 2010 single by Scarlett Belle

"Closure" is the debut single by Australian pop duo Scarlett Belle. It was written by Reigan Derry, Rudy Sandapa and Tamara Jaber, and produced by Sandapa. The song was released physically on 4 June 2010 and digitally on 18 June 2010. Upon its release, "Closure" peaked at number 38 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombs Away (group)</span> Australian DJ vocal and producer duo

Bombs Away is an Australian DJ vocal and producer duo consisting of Matthew and Thomas Coleman. They are best known for their top 40 2012 single "Party Bass".

<i>The X Factor</i> (Australian season 6) Season of television series

The X Factor was an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent; the winner of which received a Sony Music Australia recording contract. Season 6 premiered on the Seven Network on 13 July 2014 and ended on 20 October 2014. Luke Jacobz returned as host, while Dannii Minogue, Redfoo, Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Ronan Keating returned as judges. Comedy duo Luke & Wyatt joined the sixth season as the hosts of the online spin-off show The Fan Factor. The winner was Marlisa Punzalan and her winner's single "Stand by You" was released after the final. Punzalan became the youngest winner of the show at 15 years old and was the first contestant from the Girls category to do so. She was mentored by Keating, who won as mentor for the second time after previously mentoring season two winner Altiyan Childs in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Ray</span> Musical artist

Dean Pritchard, better known by his stage name Dean Ray, is an Australian singer and songwriter. In 2014, he was the runner-up on the sixth season of The X Factor Australia. Ray subsequently received a recording contract with Sony Music Australia and released his debut single "Coming Back", which debuted at number one on the ITunes Singles Chart and number five on the ARIA Singles Chart. This was followed by the release of his self-titled debut album in November 2014, which debuted at number five on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

"All of the Pieces" is the debut solo single by Australian recording artist Reigan Derry. It was written by Adam Argyle, Becky Hill and Martin Brammer, and produced by Argyle and Brammer. "All of the Pieces" was released to Australian radio on 27 November 2014 as the lead single from Derry's first extended play of the same name. Musically, "All of the Pieces" is a mid-tempo alternative pop ballad with folk influences. The song received a positive reception from various publications and was compared to works by several other artists, including Florence and the Machine, Marina and the Diamonds, Paloma Faith and Ella Henderson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day Before I Met You</span> 2015 single by Jessica Mauboy

"The Day Before I Met You" is a song by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy from the platinum edition of her third studio album, Beautiful. It was released on 13 February 2015 as the album's sixth overall single and the second single from the platinum edition. "The Day Before I Met You" was written by Antonio Dixon, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Khristopher Riddick-Tynes, Helen Jane Culver and Mauboy. Dixon and Edmonds also produced the song with The Rascals. "The Day Before I Met You" is a pop love song which features an acoustic guitar riff and "very low pitched" vocals in its verses. Lyrically, Mauboy sings about "not wanting to go back to a time before that special someone was in her life".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love My Life</span> 2015 single by Justice Crew

"I Love My Life" is a song recorded by Australian pop group Justice Crew for their debut studio album Live by the Words (2014). It was released on 3 April 2015 as the sixth single from the album. The song was written by Lukas Bellesini, Jayson DeZuzio, Wolfgang Gartner, Mason "MdL" Levy, Mike Posner and Solo Tohi. Upon its release, "I Love My Life" received positive reviews from various publications and debuted at number 68 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The accompanying music video was filmed at the Parramatta plaza using a one-shot-camera technique and features cameo appearances by Beau Ryan, YouTube beauty vlogger Brittney Lee Saunders and pranksters The Royal Stampede. Justice Crew promoted the song with performances at Westfield Miranda and on Sunrise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smile (Dami Im song)</span> 2015 single by Dami Im

"Smile" is a single by Australian recording artist Dami Im, released on 26 May 2015. It was written in Solna, Sweden by Im, Hayley Aitken and Olof Lindskog, and produced by the latter under his production name Ollipop. "Smile" is an upbeat bubblegum pop and doo-wop song that consists of a saxophone rift, electric guitar, synth, handclaps, harmonies and backing vocals. Several critics felt its production was reminiscent of Meghan Trainor's sound. Lyrically, "Smile" conveys a positive message "about loving and appreciating yourself and doing all the simple things in your life to make yourself smile and be ultimately happy." The song received mixed reviews from critics; some complimented its fun pop sound, while others criticised the simple production and Im for following Trainor's sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wings (Delta Goodrem song)</span> 2015 single by Delta Goodrem

"Wings" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem, released as the lead single from her fifth studio album Wings of the Wild. It was written by Goodrem with Anthony Egizii and David Musumeci, the song's producers known as DNA Songs. Sony Music released it as a digital download and CD single on 24 July 2015. "Wings" is a pop song, with heavy drums, keyboards, piano, guitar riff and strings as its mains instrumentation. Lyrically, "Wings" has a focus on self-empowerment, where Goodrem uses "the extended metaphor of flight to explore feelings of catharsis and one’s ability to overcome adversity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Ain't Love</span> 2015 single by Jessica Mauboy

"This Ain't Love" is a song recorded by Australian singer and songwriter Jessica Mauboy, originally for a fourth studio album, but was left off the track listing of Hilda (2019). It was released on 11 September 2015 as the intended first single from the album, However the album never materialized and left "This Ain't Love" as a standalone single. "This Ain't Love" was written by Mauboy, David Sneddon and Carl Ryden, who also handled the production. It is a drum and bass song, which contains elements of soul music. The song marks a new musical direction for Mauboy as it is a departure from her usual pop and R&B style. "This Ain't Love" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Mauboy's vocals and the production, and believed that the song had potential to do well on international charts. They also noted that it was reminiscent of artists such as Rudimental, Disclosure and Ella Eyre.

<i>December</i> (Reigan Derry EP) 2015 EP by Reigan Derry

December is the second extended play (EP) by Australian singer and songwriter Reigan Derry. The EP was released through Sony Music Australia on 11 December 2015. The four-track EP contains reworked versions of classic Christmas Carols all recorded live and unrehearsed.

References

  1. "All of the Pieces by Reigan – CD". Sanity . Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Damian (4 September 2015). "Interview: Reigan". Auspop. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  3. Reigan Derry [@ReiganOfficial] (6 August 2015). "My new single 'Feels Like Heaven' will be out Sept 4 and it's available to preorder now! :)" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 September 2015 via Twitter.
  4. "Reigan's New Single 'Feels Like Heaven' Announced". Reigan Derry Official Website. 14 August 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 McCabe, Kathy (5 September 2015). "Reign Derry finds pop life after X Factor Feels Like Heaven with her record deal opening doors". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 "Feels Like Heaven (Signed Copy) by Reigan". Sanity. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  7. 1 2 Russo, Caroline (8 August 2015). "Reigan Set To Release New Single 'Feels Like Heaven'". Hush Hush Biz. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  8. Bestawros, Rebecca (4 September 2015). "Interview: Reigan talks new single 'Feels Like Heaven'". Spotlight Report. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  9. 1 2 Malik, Shahbaz (4 September 2015). "Listen: Reigan – 'Feels Like Heaven' (Single Premiere)". Media Hype 101. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Reigan – Feels Like Heaven". Thomasbleach.com. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  11. 1 2 Damian (7 August 2015). "Reigan Readies New Track". Auspop. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Reigan finds a piece of heaven in new single..!". Snap Cackle Pop. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  13. "Reigan 'Feels Like Heaven' (New Music)". Beat Cog. 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  14. Jameson, Chris (9 September 2015). "New music to weekdays (9 September 2015)". Joy 94.9 . Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Reigan – Feels Like Heaven". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  16. Ryan, Gavin (12 September 2015). "ARIA Singles: Justin Bieber 'What Do You Mean' Spends Second Week At No. 1". Noise11. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  17. Damian (19 September 2015). "Chart Watch #334". Auspop. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  18. Feels Like Heaven – Reigan. Vevo. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 Damian (20 September 2015). "Reigan: Feels Like Heaven". Auspop. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  20. Reigan Derry [@ReiganOfficial] (31 August 2015). "Meet my luuuurve interest in the video clip for #FeelsLikeHeaven which is out on Friday!" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 September 2015 via Twitter.
  21. The X Factor Australia [@thexfactor_au] (18 September 2015). "We will be premiering the video for @ReiganOfficial's new single #FeelsLikeHeaven on our Facebook page tonight at 7!" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 September 2015 via Twitter.
  22. Reigan – Feels Like Heaven. YouTube . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  23. Reigan Derry performs live. Sunrise . 4 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  24. Reigan Derry performs live. The Morning Show . 7 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  25. X-Factor favourite releases hot new single. The Daily Edition . 4 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  26. "Meet Reigan & Get Your Copy Of 'Feels Like Heaven'". Reigan Derry Official Website. 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  27. "Reigan Announces Performance & Signing of 'Feels Like Heaven'". Reigan Derry Official Website. 27 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  28. "Reigan Derry – Live Performance". Westfield Carousel . Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  29. "Live on Drive: Reigan". 98five.com. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  30. 1 2 "Feels Like Heaven – Single by Reigan". iTunes (Australia). Retrieved 8 September 2015.