"No One" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in September 1994 as the second single from their third album, Real Things (1994).[2] Co-written by bandmembers Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, it was a top 10 hit in at least six countries, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where the song reached number ten. It features a reference to "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson[3] and the accompanying music video, directed by La La Land, features the band performing on the beach by Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton commented, "What a nuisance. Here I am all set to launch an account of a new 2 Unlimited single with a witty precis of the melodic and formulaic similarity to everything else they have ever released and what happens? They go and release a track that sounds completely different to all the others! Joking aside, it is absolutely true, 'No One' being the closest they will probably ever get to a conventional pop song and more deservedly a smash hit than some of their recent output. It could well end up their third Top 10 hit of the year and is now their 11th consecutive Top 20 hit."[4]David Stubbs from Melody Maker opined that the song "is apt."[5]
Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "It's their first reggae attempt, and no one has blended it with Euro dance so seamlessly before."[1]Music & Media editor Maria Jimenez remarked that "2 Unlimited have turned their pop rave into tropical pop grooves."[6] Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song a score of four out of five, adding, "This is a good deal slower than usual, but still relies on the he-rap, she-sing template. Likely to garner less club support but may attract some first-time supporters."[7]Iestyn George from NME commented, "He's not a very good rapper that feller, but he plays the pop star to a T."[8]James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "rapped (mentioning Janet Jackson!), cooed and organ wheezed attractive jaunty skipper" in his weekly dance column.[3] Female pop-punk duo Shampoo reviewed the song for Smash Hits, giving it three out of five.[9]
Chart performance
"No One" peaked at number two in the Netherlands and number three in both Belgium and Lithuania.[10][11][12] It was a top-10 hit in Denmark, Finland and Spain (10).[13][14][15] In the United Kingdom, "No One" was 2 Unlimited's least successful release, peaking at number 17 during its first week on the UK Singles Chart, on 25 September 1994.[16] On the UK Dance Singles Chart, it peaked at number 28 in the same period.
Additionally, the single was a top-20 hit in Austria, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 10 in late October 1994, during its fifth week on the chart, and was Europe's 64th-best-selling single.[17][18] On the European Dance Radio Chart, "No One" peaked at number two.[19] Outside Europe, it was a top-70 hit in Australia, peaking at number 70 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Music video
The accompanying music video for "No One" was directed by British production company La La Land.[20] It was shot by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and features Anita and Ray performing on the beach or in a tropical forest. "No One" was later made available on 2 Unlimited's official YouTube channel in 2013, and had generated more than 6.3 million views as of early 2025.[21]
Appearances
The melody of the song was also sampled in 1994 single by Serbian group Moby Dick with name "Kralj kokaina" ("King of Cocaine").
1 2 Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1sted.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
