Some Kind of Miracle (song)

Last updated

"Some Kind of Miracle"
Song by Girls Aloud
from the album Sound of the Underground
Released23 May 2003
Genre Pop
Length3:09
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Some Kind of Miracle" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, appearing on their debut studio album Sound of the Underground (2003). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. One of six songs produced by Xenomania for Sound of the Underground, "Some Kind of Miracle" was also remixed by Illicit.

Contents

Receiving comparisons to Madonna, the Bangles and Geri Halliwell, "Some Kind of Miracle" was praised by contemporary music critics as a stand-out track from Sound of the Underground. "Some Kind of Miracle" was intended to be the album's fourth single, but these plans were canceled upon the recording of "Jump" for the Love Actually soundtrack.

Background and composition

Following the success of their debut single "Sound of the Underground", Girls Aloud began work on their debut album. Initially, Brian Higgins and Xenomania had only produced "Sound of the Underground" and second single "No Good Advice". Higgins said, "They'd sent them off to these other Swedish guys and different people in the UK [...] I said, 'There are two completely separate groups on this record. We need to get rid of six tracks and I'll replace them'. We did that and allowed the album to stand up as a body of work." [1] "Some Kind of Miracle" was one of six songs that Higgins and Xenomania ended up producing for Sound of the Underground .

"Some Kind of Miracle" was written by Higgins, Miranda Cooper, Lisa Cowling, Tim Powell, Shawn Lee, and former B*Witched member Edele Lynch. The song, originally titled "Should I Stay or Should I Go", has "layered vocals with its slow tempo despite being more formulaic" than other Xenomania productions. [2] [3] Described as "a breezy summer pop song about trying to bag a guy," [4] the song was said to sound like "a 21st century Bangles", as well as former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell. [5] [6]

Release

"Some Kind of Miracle" was originally intended to be the third single from Sound of the Underground until Polydor Records noticed the warm reception fans gave "Life Got Cold". It was then decided that "Some Kind of Miracle" would be the album's fourth single. [2] However, the opportunity arose for Girls Aloud to release a single for the Love Actually soundtrack when director Richard Curtis requested they record a cover of the Pointer Sisters' "Jump". [2] The re-recorded version of "Some Kind of Miracle" that would have been released as a single appeared on the re-release of Sound of the Underground later that year. Remixes of "Some Kind of Miracle" had also already been commissioned. Illicit remixed the song, which later appeared on the rarities disc of Girls Aloud's Singles Box Set in 2009.

Reception

Contemporary music critics praised "Some Kind of Miracle" as an album highlight. In a review of Sound of the Underground, BBC's Ian Youngs stated that "there are more gems to be found," describing "Some Kind of Miracle" as "lovely." [3] Jacqueline Hodges, also writing for BBC, praised "Some Kind of Miracle" as "superficial pop at its purest. With a vocal hook that gnaws its way into your brain and leaves you afflicted with a tendency to repeat it again and again in your head, it must qualify for future chart success." [7] It was also labeled a stand-out by Anne-Louise Foley of RTÉ.ie, who said it was one of the tracks "that give[s] your ears and hips a big tug," and pinpointed it as a possible future single. [8] Other critics predicting it would be a future single included Colin Somerville of Scotland on Sunday . [9] Martyn Leek of the Sunday Mercury described the song's sound as having "a syrupy 60s feel", [10] and Lisa Verrico of The Times wrote that it was "a breezy summer pop song about trying to bag a guy", [11] while Paul Connolly of The Times suggested a similarity to "Beautiful Stranger" by Madonna. [12] Gemma Pike of Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News noted, "The tempo is slowed a little for Some Kind of Miracle, which has a Geri Halliwell pop song feel to it, but is classier and better produced." [6]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls Aloud</span> British girl group

Girls Aloud are a British-Irish pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The line up consisted of members Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. In 2012, the group was named as Britain's biggest selling girl group of the 21st century so far, with over 4.3 million singles sales and 4 million albums sold in the UK. The group achieved a string of twenty top-ten singles on the UK singles chart, including four number ones. They also achieved seven BPI certified albums, two of which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. They have been nominated for five Brit Awards and won one of them, Best Single in 2009 for "The Promise".

Xenomania is an English songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent. Formed by Higgins with his Creative Director Miranda Cooper and Business Director Sarah Stennett of First Access Entertainment, Xenomania has written and produced for artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Pet Shop Boys, The Saturdays and Sugababes. In particular, all but one of Girls Aloud's studio albums have been entirely written and produced by Xenomania. Sugababes' "Round Round" and Girls Aloud's "Sound of the Underground" have been credited with reshaping British pop music for the 2000s. Gabriella Cilmi's "Sweet About Me" and Girls Aloud's "The Promise" were named Best Single at the ARIA Music Awards of 2008 and the 2009 BRIT Awards, respectively.

<i>What Will the Neighbours Say?</i> 2004 studio album by Girls Aloud

What Will the Neighbours Say? is the second studio album by English-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were enlisted to produce the entire album, allowing for more inventive ideas. What Will the Neighbours Say? explores various subgenres of pop music.

<i>Sound of the Underground</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Girls Aloud

Sound of the Underground is the debut studio album by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, formed through the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals. It was released in Ireland on 23 May 2003, in the United Kingdom and Europe on 26 May 2003, and reissued on 17 November 2003 through Polydor. Girls Aloud worked with a variety of musicians and producers on Sound of the Underground, which was largely inspired by 1980s music. Comparisons were made with artists such as Bananarama, The Bangles, Blondie and Spice Girls.

Miranda Cooper is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and television presenter. Miranda Cooper has worked in the music industry since 1996 when she gained her first recording contract. She worked as a professional dancer for artists such as Dannii Minogue before going into television presenting.

<i>Chemistry</i> (Girls Aloud album) 2005 studio album by Girls Aloud

Chemistry is the third studio album by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 5 December 2005 by Polydor Records. After the success of What Will the Neighbours Say?, the album was again entirely produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania. Chemistry is a loose concept album which details celebrity lifestyle and "what it's like to be a twentysomething girl in London." A number of the songs avert the verse-chorus form typical of pop music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sound of the Underground (song)</span> 2002 single by Girls Aloud

"Sound of the Underground" is the debut single by British-Irish pop group Girls Aloud, and later featured on their debut album of the same title. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and Niara Scarlett, and produced by Higgins and his production team Xenomania. Following Girls Aloud's formation on the ITV1 reality television show Popstars: The Rivals, "Sound of the Underground" was released 16 days later, on 16 December 2002. Commercially, it was an immediate success; it became the year's Christmas number one in the UK, spending four consecutive weeks atop the chart. It also reached number one in Ireland and peaked within the top forty in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Good Advice</span> 2003 single by Girls Aloud

"No Good Advice" is a song by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their debut album, Sound of the Underground (2003). The song was written by Aqua's Lene Nystrøm Rasted, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. The song has themes of rebellion, reflecting Higgins' general mood of failure after a business partnership fell through.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Life Got Cold</span> 2003 single by Girls Aloud

"Life Got Cold" is a song by British girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their debut album Sound of the Underground (2003). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Noel Gallagher of Oasis received a writing credit due to similarities with Oasis' "Wonderwall".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Machine (Girls Aloud song)</span> 2004 single by Girls Aloud

"Love Machine" is a song recorded by British girl group Girls Aloud from their second studio album, What Will the Neighbours Say? (2004). It was released by Polydor Records on 13 September 2004, as the second single from the album. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Lisa Cowling, Myra Boyle, and Shawn Lee. The instrumentation was inspired by The Smiths, and created by Powell and Coler. "Love Machine" is an uptempo pop rock song with elements of 1980s synthpop. The single was received favourably by contemporary music critics, who deemed it a joyful track that was different from the single releases by other artists at the time. According to research carried out for Nokia in 2006, "Love Machine" is the second "most exhilarating" song ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Hot Summer (Girls Aloud song)</span> 2005 single by Girls Aloud

"Long Hot Summer" is a song by English-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken as the first single from their third studio album Chemistry (2005). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. "Long Hot Summer" was written for inclusion in the Disney film Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), but plans fell through. Higgins later described the track as "a disaster record." Released in August 2005, it became Girls Aloud's first single to miss the top five on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biology (song)</span> 2005 single by Girls Aloud

"Biology" is a song performed by English-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their third studio album Chemistry (2005). The progressive pop song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and Higgins' production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Composed of distinct sections, it avoids the verse-chorus form present in most contemporary pop music. "Biology" was released as a single in November 2005, ahead of the album's release. Following the disappointment of "Long Hot Summer", "Biology" returned Girls Aloud to the top five of the UK Singles Chart and became their tenth top ten hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whole Lotta History</span> 2006 single by Girls Aloud

"Whole Lotta History" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their third studio album Chemistry (2005). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as "a lush ballad", "Whole Lotta History" was slightly remixed and released as a single in March 2006. It continued Girls Aloud's string of hits by becoming their twelfth consecutive single to chart within the top ten on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something Kinda Ooooh</span> 2006 single by Girls Aloud

"Something Kinda Ooooh" is a song by British-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their first greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits (2006). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Inspired by 1980s pop and George Michael, "Something Kinda Ooooh" was released as a single in October 2006. It returned Girls Aloud to the top three of the UK Singles Chart for the first time in two years. It also made Girls Aloud the first British act to debut in the top five on the chart based on legal download sales alone.

"Graffiti My Soul" is a song by British-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their second studio album What Will the Neighbours Say? (2004). Written and produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, the track was originally written for Britney Spears. "Graffiti My Soul" includes a sample of Peplab's "It's Not the Drug."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Speak French</span> 2008 single by Girls Aloud

"Can't Speak French" is a song performed by British-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fourth studio album and serving as the third and final single from the album Tangled Up (2007). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as "a swirling, slower cut with great jazzy guitar changes," Higgins said it was "the easiest Girls Aloud single they made." Upon its release in March 2008, "Can't Speak French" charted within the top ten on the UK Singles Chart, continuing their five-year streak of top ten hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here We Go (Moonbaby song)</span> 2000 song by Moonbaby

"Here We Go" is a pop song written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, and Matt Gray, originally recorded by Cooper under the alias Moonbaby. The song was initially released as Moonbaby's first single in 2000, later being covered by Lene Nystrøm in 2003 and Girls Aloud in 2004. A version with rewritten lyrics appears as the theme music of the French/Canadian animated television series Totally Spies!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Love Is Pink</span> 2007 promotional single by Sugababes

"My Love Is Pink" is a song by English girl group Sugababes from their fifth studio album, Change (2007). It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range in collaboration with the songwriting and production team Xenomania, who produced the song. "My Love Is Pink" is an uptempo dance-pop and electropop song, reminiscent of those performed by British girl group, Girls Aloud. The song was released on 10 December 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the second single from Change. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the composition and sound, but criticised its lyrical content. The song peaked at number five on the UK Commercial Pop Club chart and number 51 on the Slovakian Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Loving Kind</span> 2009 single by Girls Aloud

"The Loving Kind" is a song by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control (2008). The song was written by Pet Shop Boys, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as a "synth-pop ballad", "The Loving Kind" was originally written for inclusion on Pet Shop Boys' Yes (2009) before being given to Girls Aloud. Upon its release in January 2009, "The Loving Kind" peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart, thereby continuing their six-year streak of top-ten hits.

"Memory of You" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud recorded during sessions for their fifth studio album Out of Control (2008). The song was written by Girls Aloud, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as "more dance oriented than pop," the track is influenced by trance and progressive house music, originating as a track entitled "Japan" by trance project Cadence.

References

  1. ↑ Andreas Soteriou (13 April 2010). "Brian Higgins: The Pop Don't Stop". Ponystep. Archived from the original on 27 April 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Robinson, Peter (2009). "Jump". The Singles Boxset (Booklet). Girls Aloud. London, England: Fascination Records. p. 13.
  3. 1 2 Ian Youngs (23 May 2003). "Girls Aloud trounce pop rivals". BBC News . BBC. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  4. ↑ Lisa Verrico (23 May 2003). "Hello, girls". The Times Online . London: The Times. Retrieved 3 December 2012.[ dead link ]
  5. ↑ Angus Batey (30 May 2003). "Girls Aloud - 'Sound Of The Underground'". Yahoo! Music . Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  6. 1 2 Gemma Pike (15 May 2003). "Girls aim to make a noise". Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News. Trinity Mirror . Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  7. ↑ Jacqueline Hodges (11 June 2003). "Review of Girls Aloud – Sound of the Underground". BBC Music . BBC . Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  8. ↑ Anne-Louise Foley (13 June 2003). "Girls Aloud - Sound of the Underground". RTÉ.ie . Raidió Teilifís Éireann . Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  9. ↑ Colin Somerville (25 May 2003). "Album reviews: Sound of the Underground: Girls Aloud". Scotland on Sunday . p. 7.
  10. ↑ Martyn Leek (25 May 2003). "CD reviews: Girls Aloud". Sunday Mercury . p. 44.
  11. ↑ Lisa Verrico (23 May 2003). "Hello, girls". The Times . p. 14.
  12. ↑ Paul Connolly (31 May 2003). "Girls Aloud: Sound of the Underground". The Times . p. 15.
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.