Lazy (X-Press 2 song)

"Lazy"
Single by X-Press 2 featuring David Byrne
from the album Muzikizum
B-side	"AC/DC"
Released	8 April 2002 (2002-04-08)
Studio	Rocksteady (London, England)
Genre	Deep house [1]
Length	6:58 (album version) 4:17 (radio edit)
Label	Skint Columbia
Songwriter(s)	X-Press 2 David Byrne
Producer(s)	X-Press 2
X-Press 2singles chronology
"Smoke Machine" (2001) "Lazy" (2002) "I Want You Back" (2002)

"Lazy" is a single by the British house duo X-Press 2, featuring vocals from David Byrne, released on 8 April 2002 through Skint Records. It was written and produced by X-Press 2 and co-written by Byrne.

"Lazy" reached number two on the UK singles chart and spent four weeks in the UK top 10. "Lazy" won the Ivors Dance Award at the Ivor Novello Awards in 2003. Byrne included an orchestral version on his 2004 solo album Grown Backwards , and performed it during his 2018 American Utopia tour.

Recording

David Byrne initially approached X-Press 2 to ask them to be his backing band, but they turned the offer down. They confessed, "We had to tell him we're just a bunch of studio gits." ^[2] Byrne told Drowned in Sound : "I love the idea of a throbbing beat, and a dancefloor filled with energised bodies, and the singer proclaiming the merits of laziness." ^[2]

Byrne recorded his vocals at his home in New York City and emailed them to X-Press 2. ^[3] Darren Rock of X-Press 2 said: "We put it through the mixing desk. Our music coming out of one side, all his stuff coming out of the other side. We were all there like, 'Oh my god'. At points, he's clucking like a chicken on there, at other points there are these mad organ noises that didn't fit at all. It was so out there. Just nuts." ^[4] Byrne released an orchestral version on his 2004 album Grown Backwards. ^[5]

Critical reception

Writing in The Guardian , Gary Mullholland called the song "a cheery dance-pop record". ^[6] Helen Brown of The Daily Telegraph praised it as a "glorious dancefloor collaboration". ^[7] Drowned in Sound 's Jon Smith said: "Catchy, funny and anthemic, if we're lucky this could be the sound of the summer. For those of us who had written off the singles chart as irrelevant, this is a welcome reminder that there's life in the old dog yet." ^[2] "Lazy" won the Ivors Dance Award at the Ivor Novello Awards in 2003. ^[8]

Music video

The music video was directed by Howard Shur. It features a man played Bob Stephenson who has created a series of contraptions that enable him to go through his daily routine without moving.

Live performances

During a performance on Top of the Pops , Byrne sang while X-Press 2 sat on a bunk bed and at a desk. ^[1] Byrne performed "Lazy" during his 2018 American Utopia tour. ^[9]

Track listings

UK CD single [10] "Lazy" (radio edit) "Lazy" (original) "Lazy" (Norman Cook remix) "Lazy" (enhanced video) UK 12-inch single [11] A1. "Lazy" (original mix) AA1. "Lazy" (acapella) AA2. "Lazy" (reprise) UK 12-inch single (remixes) [12] A1. "Lazy" (Norman Cook remix) A2. "Lazy" (radio edit) AA1. "Lazy" (Peace Division dub)

European CD single [13] "Lazy" (radio edit) "Lazy" (Norman Cook remix) Australian CD single [14] "Lazy" (radio edit) "Lazy" (original) "Lazy" (Norman Cook remix) US maxi-CD single [15] "Lazy" (original) – 9:26 "Lazy" (Norman Cook remix) – 6:18 "Lazy" (Norman Cook dub) – 6:42 "Lazy" (Peace Division dub) – 9:20 "AC/DC" (Gangbanger mix) – 9:26

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the European CD single liner notes. ^[13]

Studios

• Recorded at Rocksteady Studio (London, England)
• Mixed at Rollover Studios (London, England)

Personnel

• X-Press 2 – writing, production, arrangement, art direction
• David Byrne – writing, vocals, arrangement
• Pete Z. – keyboards
• James Brown – engineering, mixing
• Adam Wren – mixing
• Tom Hingston Studio – art direction, design
• Jason Evans – photography

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2002) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [16] 52 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [17] 2 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [18] 19 Ireland (IRMA) [19] 15 Ireland Dance (IRMA) [20] 1 Italy (FIMI) [21] 37 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [22] 7 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [23] 78 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [24] 31 Scotland (OCC) [25] 4 UK Singles (OCC) [26] 2 UK Dance (OCC) [27] 1 UK Indie (OCC) [28] 1 US Dance Club Play ( Billboard ) [29] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2002) Position UK Singles (OCC) [30] 58

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [31]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	8 April 2002	12-inch vinyl CD	Skint	[32]
Australia	15 April 2002	CD		[33]
New Zealand	27 May 2002			[34]

See also

• List of UK top 10 singles in 2002
• List of UK Dance Singles Chart number ones of 2002
• List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 2002

References

1. Coultas, Jimmy (27 January 2014). "X-Press 2 Interview". Skiddle. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
2. Smith, Jon (21 April 2002). "Single Review: X-Press 2, David Byrne – Lazy". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
3. Allen, Jeremy (9 March 2018). "The Guide to Getting into David Byrne". Vice . Retrieved 2 October 2019.
4. Jenkins, Dave (21 June 2022). "How X-Press 2 and David Byrne's 'Lazy' became the timeless house ode to doing nothing". DJ Mag .
5. Lynskey, Dorian (12 March 2004). "David Byrne, Grown Backwards". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 10 March 2025.
6. Mulholland, Garry (18 September 2005). "'Give It' by X-Press 2 feat. Kurt Wagner". The Guardian . Retrieved 12 June 2018.
7. Brown, Helen (20 October 2005). "Perfect playlist: Talking Heads" . The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 12 June 2018.
8. "Ivor Novello Awards 2003: Winners". BBC.
9. Connick, Tom (15 June 2018). "David Byrne's 'American Utopia' tour might be the most ambitious and impressive live show of all time". NME . Retrieved 10 March 2025.
10. Lazy (UK CD single liner notes). X-Press 2. Skint Records. 2002. SKINT74CD.
11. Lazy (UK 12-inch single sleeve). X-Press 2. Skint Records. 2002. SKINT74.
12. Lazy (UK 12-inch single sleeve). X-Press 2. Skint Records. 2002. SKINT74X.
13. Lazy (European CD single liner notes). X-Press 2. Skint Records. 2002. SKI 672468 1.
14. Lazy (Australian CD single liner notes). X-Press 2. Skint Records. 2002. 672620 2.
15. Lazy (US maxi-CD single liner notes). X-Press 2. Columbia Records, Skint Records. 2002. 44K 79754.
16. "Issue 636" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
17. "X-press 2 feat. David Byrne – Lazy" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
18. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 20, no. 18. 27 April 2002. p. 11. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
19. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Lazy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
20. "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 18 April 2002". GfK Chart-Track . Retrieved 3 June 2019.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
21. "X-press 2 feat. David Byrne – Lazy". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
22. "Tipparade-lijst van week 20, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 29 April 2023.
23. "X-press 2 feat. David Byrne – Lazy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
24. "X-press 2 feat. David Byrne – Lazy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
25. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
27. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
28. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
29. "Dance Club Songs". Billboard . 6 July 2002. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
30. "2002 UK Year-end Charts" (PDF). UKChartsPlus . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
31. "British single certifications – X-Press 2 ft David Byrne – Lazy". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 April 2023.
32. "New Releases – For Week Starting 8 April 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 6 April 2002. p. 28. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
33. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 15/04/2002" (PDF). ARIA. 15 April 2002. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 April 2002. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
34. "New Releases". netcd.co.nz. 27 May 2002. Archived from the original on 2 June 2002. Retrieved 8 November 2023.