Strong (Romy song)

Last updated

"Strong"
Single by Romy featuring Fred Again
from the album Mid Air
Released14 November 2022
Genre Trance
Length3:54
Label Young
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Madley Croft
Producer(s)
  • Romy
  • Fred Again
  • Price
Romysingles chronology
"Lights Out"
(2022)		"Strong"
(2022)		"Enjoy Your Life"
(2023)
Fred Againsingles chronology
"Turn On the Lights Again"
(2022)		"Strong"
(2022)		"Rumble"
(2023)

"Strong" is a song by the xx member Romy Madley Croft, released mononymously as Romy, featuring Fred Again. It was released on 14 November 2022 by Young, as the lead single to her debut album Mid Air . The trance song was written and produced by Romy, Fred Again, and Stuart Price.

Contents

The song is about grief, and was inspired by the death of Romy's parents. It was released with a music video directed by Romy's wife Vic Lentaigne, and stars Romy and her cousin Luis. It was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Recording at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, the first Grammy nomination of Romy's career.

Writing

Romy initially paired up with Fred Again to write songs for other artists at a point where neither had yet to release any solo music. [1] "Strong" came out of those early sessions, with the track inspired by Eurodance and trance music which Romy described as "emotional music to dance to". [1] Stuart Price, who Romy started collaborating with on the suggestion of Young founder Caius Pawson, was brought in to finish the track. [1] The song went through multiple iterations, [1] including one change to the bassline inspired by Romy performing the song at a festival and noticing the crowd dancing with their chests rather than their hips as she preferred. [2]

The song is about grief, and was inspired by the death of Romy's parents. [3] [4] Per Romy, the song "is an invitation to the listener and to myself to open up about difficult emotions and connect. It's about vulnerability, and the lyric 'You don't have to be so strong' is about it being OK to be vulnerable." [5]

Release

The song was first teased during Fred Again's Boiler Room set, [6] and later given its live debut at a Fred Again concert in Amsterdam on 25 November. [7] The single was released on 14 November 2022 by Young, [8] as the lead single to her debut album Mid Air . [9] [1] With the release, Romy shared a statement saying:

"Strong" came from a moment in my life when I was processing past grief. Whilst writing the lyrics I was thinking about my cousin Luis, we both have the shared experience of our mums passing away when we were young. I recognise in him the same trait I have which is to try and hold emotions down and put on a brave face. The song was a way to connect with these feelings, offer support and ultimately find a sense of release in the euphoria of music. Luis is with me on the single cover and in the music video too which was really special. [8]

My friendship with Fred [Again] means a lot to me, our closeness helps me to feel safe to be honest and vulnerable lyrically and we definitely connect over our love of songwriting and emotions in dance music. It's amazing and inspiring seeing and hearing what Fred is doing in his solo work and I'm very excited to be releasing this song together. [8]

"Strong" is Romy's second solo single, after she debuted with "Lifetime" in 2020. [10] [11] She also previously appeared on the single "Lights Out", alongside Fred Again and HAAi, which was released in January 2022. [12]

Remixes

In December 2022, in sessions recorded at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios, Romy's bandmate Oliver Sim performed a mashup of "Strong" and the Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony", backed by a "Queer choir" consisting of Romy, Låpsley, Markia Jackman, Katie Gavin, and Casey MQ. [13]

Two remixes of the song, one by I. Jordan and the other by Pretty Girl, were released on 2 February 2023. [14]

Music video

The song came with a music video directed by Romy's wife Vic Lentaigne. [11] [3] It stars Romy and her cousin Luis hugging each other in the middle of a dancefloor while the camera circles around them. [11] The idea of the video was Romy's, while casting Luis came from Lentaigne. [3]

Reception

DIY 's Ben Tipple called the song "euphoric". [15] The Irish Times 's Siobhán Kane called it "surprising in its weird mixture of earnest lyrics and frantic tempo". [16] Kane and The Guardian 's Alexis Petridis both compared it to the music of Faithless. [16] [17] NME 's Nick Levine wrote that Romy singing the line "You don't have to be so strong" felt "both cathartic and uplifting." [18] The Skinny 's said it had "an upbeat energy, encouraging vulnerability and the blissful feeling of euphoria when you're able to truly let go in love." [19] Rolling Stone UK 's Hollie Geraghty called it "as much a maximalist trance banger as it is a powerful comment on grief." [20]

"Strong" was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Recording at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to Skrillex, Fred Again, and Flowdan's "Rumble". [21] [22] It was the first Grammy nomination of Romy's career, about which she said "The fact that this song could reach more people ... and hopefully encourage more people to open up about their feelings is really special to me." [1]

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for "Strong"
Chart (2022)Peak
position
UK Dance (OCC) [23] 25
UK Indie (OCC) [24] 27
UK Singles (OCC) [25] 99

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheila E.</span> American singer and percussionist (born 1957)

Sheila Cecilia Escovedo, known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American singer and drummer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist for the George Duke Band. After separating from the group in 1983, Sheila began collaborating with Prince and launched a solo career, starting with the release of her debut album in 1984, which included her biggest hit "The Glamorous Life". She also saw a hit with the 1985 single "A Love Bizarre". She is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Percussion".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fame (Irene Cara song)</span> 1980 single by Irene Cara

"Fame" is a song written by Michael Gore (music) and Dean Pitchford (lyrics) and released in 1980, that achieved chart success as the theme song to the Fame film and TV series. The song was performed by Irene Cara, who played the role of Coco Hernandez in the original film. It was also her debut single as a recording artist. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1980, and the Golden Globe Award the same year. In 2004, it finished at number 51 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Marley</span> American musician (born 1972)

Stephen Robert Nesta Marley is a Jamaican-American musician. The son of Bob Marley, Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of younger brother Damian Marley's Halfway Tree and Welcome to Jamrock albums, and a further three times as a member of his older brother Ziggy Marley's group Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers.

<i>...Nothing Like the Sun</i> 1987 studio album by Sting

... Nothing Like the Sun is the second solo studio album by English musician Sting. The album was originally released on 16 October 1987 on A&M (worldwide) as a double LP and single CD. The album explores the genres of pop rock, soft rock, jazz, reggae, world, acoustic rock, dance-rock, and funk rock. The songs were recorded in March–August 1987 during sessions that took place at AIR Studios, in Montserrat, assisted by record producers Hugh Padgham, Bryan Loren, and Neil Dorfsman. It features a number of high-profile guest guitarists, including former Police member Andy Summers, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and Hiram Bullock, and is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of Sting's early work.

Joyce Melissa Morgan is an American R&B/Soul singer–songwriter. Morgan had a string of urban contemporary hits from the mid–1980s to the mid–1990s. Most notable include her cover version of Prince's "Do Me, Baby" (1985), "Do You Still Love Me" (1986) and "Still in Love with You" (1992).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Price</span> British electronic musician

Stuart David Price is an English electronic musician, DJ, songwriter, and record producer. His acts include his own band Zoot Woman, Les Rythmes Digitales, Paper Faces, Man with Guitar, Thin White Duke, and the parodic French moniker Jacques Lu Cont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The xx</span> British indie pop band

The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx, and formerly Baria Qureshi. They are known for their distinct and minimalist sound that blends indie rock, indie electronic, indie pop, dream pop and electro-rock and the dual vocalist setup of both Madley Croft and Sim. Their music employs soft, echoed guitar, prominent bass, light electronic beats and ambient soundscape backgrounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie xx</span> British DJ and producer (born 1988)

James Thomas Smith, known professionally as Jamie xx, is an English musician, DJ, record producer, and remixer. He is known for both his solo work and as a member of the indie pop band the xx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Care (song)</span> 2012 single by Drake

"Take Care" is the title track from Canadian rapper and singer Drake's 2011 studio album of the same name. The song features guest vocals from Barbadian singer Rihanna. The song heavily samples Jamie xx's remix of Gil Scott-Heron's version of "I'll Take Care of You", written by Brook Benton. "Take Care" was released as the fifth single from the album on January 17, 2012. It is a club song about a couple in a relationship acknowledging they have been hurt in their past, but will look after one another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skrillex</span> American music producer and DJ (born 1988)

Sonny John Moore, known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, and singer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as its lead vocalist in 2004, and recorded two studio albums with the band—Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount (2004) and Heroine in (2006)—before leaving to pursue a solo career in 2007. He began his first tour as a solo artist in late 2007. After recruiting a new band lineup, Moore joined the Alternative Press Tour to support bands such as All Time Low and the Rocket Summer, and appeared on the cover of Alternative Press's annual "100 Bands You Need to Know" issue.

Camille Angelina Purcell, known professionally as Kamille, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer from London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romy Madley Croft</span> English singer-songwriter

Romy Madley Croft who releases solo music as Romy, is an English musician. She is a member of the xx, and she released a solo album, Mid Air, in 2023, which peaked at No. 15 on the UK Albums Chart. She was nominated for the Brit Award for British Dance Act at the 2024 Brit Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rüfüs Du Sol</span> Australian alternative dance group

Rüfüs Du Sol is an Australian alternative dance group from Sydney, that consists of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt.

<i>In Colour</i> (Jamie xx album) 2015 studio album by Jamie xx

In Colour is the debut studio album by English producer Jamie xx, released on 29 May 2015 by Young Turks. The album was composed during a five-year period while a member of the indie pop band the xx, starting with his production on xx in 2009. After starting his solo career with the remix album We're New Here (2011) and singles like "All Under One Roof Raving" (2014), he was intent on making the album something of a departure from his previous work and genre. The album features guest vocals from fellow the xx members Romy and Oliver Sim, as well as from Young Thug and Popcaan. The album produced five singles: "Girl" and "Sleep Sound" as a double-single on 5 May 2014, "Loud Places" on 27 March 2015, "Gosh" on 4 May, and "I Know There's Gonna Be " on 22 May.

Marc Veira, better known by his stage name Flowdan, is an English grime MC and record producer from Bow and Poplar, East London. A founding member of Roll Deep, he was responsible for naming the group and remained a member until its hiatus. In 2015, he founded his record label, SpentShell, which has since signed YGG and GHSTLY XXVII to its roster. In 2023, he featured on two songs which reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, and in 2024 he won his first Grammy Award for the Skrillex and Fred Again collaboration "Rumble", becoming the first grime MC to win a Grammy in any category.

Marta Salogni is an Italian record producer, mixer and recording engineer.

Paul Nicholas Fisher, known by the stage name Fisher is an Australian music producer. He was nominated for the 2018 ARIA Award for Best Dance Release as well as the Best Dance Recording category at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards for his solo single "Losing It". Fisher is a member of Under Construction, with frequent collaborator, Chris Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Again</span> British musician and producer (born 1993)

Frederick John Philip Gibson, known professionally as Fred Again or simply Fred, is an English record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and DJ. He frequently collaborates with other artists and in 2024 was nominated for Best New Artist at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards and won Best Dance/Electronic Album for Actual Life 3 and Best Dance/Electronic Recording for "Rumble".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tems</span> Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer (born 1995)

Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid's 2020 single "Essence", which peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, she was featured on the song "Fountains" by Canadian rapper Drake.

<i>Mid Air</i> (Romy album) 2023 studio album

Mid Air is the debut solo album by the xx member Romy Madley Croft, released mononymously as Romy. The album was released on 8 September 2023 by the record label Young. The album was primarily produced by Romy in collaboration with Fred Again and Stuart Price, and consists of dance-pop influenced by the likes of Everything but the Girl and Calvin Harris. Regarded by Romy as a love letter to the gay clubs she attended growing up, the album themes include love, grief, and mental health. The album was received positively by critics, and appeared on record charts from numerous countries. "Strong" was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Recording at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Monroy Yglesias, Ana (18 January 2024). "Meet the First-Time Grammy Nominee: Romy on Venturing Out Solo and Collaborating with Fred Again." Grammy.com . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  2. ↑ Wong, Henry (8 September 2023). "The xx's Romy on Debut Solo Album Mid Air, New Sounds and Old Feelings". Esquire UK . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Velasquez, Juan (6 September 2023). "Romy Madley Croft's Heart Is Wide Open". Them . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  4. ↑ Heffler, Jason (14 November 2022). "The xx's Romy Teams Up with Fred Again.. for Sublime Single, "Strong"". EDM.com. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  5. ↑ James, Alastair (17 February 2024). "After her "exposing" debut solo album, Romy is a true trailblazer". Attitude . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Renshaw, David (14 November 2022). "Romy shares new solo song "Strong" featuring Fred Again..." The Fader . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  7. ↑ Richards, Will (27 November 2022). "Watch Romy and Fred again.. give new collaboration "Strong" its live debut". NME . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Rettig, James (14 November 2022). "Romy – "Strong"". Stereogum . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  9. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (7 June 2023). "Romy – "Loveher"". Stereogum . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  10. ↑ Helman, Peter (29 September 2020). "Romy – "Lifetime"". Stereogum . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 Buckle, Becky (15 November 2022). "Romy Releases New Track "Strong" Featuring Fred Again." Mixmag . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  12. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (20 January 2022). "Fred again.., the xx's Romy and HAAi share new single "Lights Out"". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  13. ↑ Spinelli, Adrian (1 December 2022). "The xx's Oliver Sim and Romy Covered the Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" Mashed Up With Fred Again's "Strong" and Ok, Wow". Uproxx . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  14. ↑ "Strong Remixes | Romy & I.Jordan & Pretty Girl". Bandcamp . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  15. ↑ Tipple, Ben (September 2023). "Romy – Mid Air". DIY . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  16. 1 2 Kane, Siobhán (8 September 2023). "Romy's Mid Air: Lyrically introspective work as broad-brushstroke Eurovision pop". The Irish Times . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  17. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (31 August 2023). "Romy: Mid Air review – xx singer shines through dancefloor gems". The Guardian . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  18. ↑ Levine, Nick (6 September 2023). "Romy – Mid Air review: extraordinary, winning songs from the xx vocalist". NME . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  19. ↑ Abeyawardene, Mia (7 September 2023). "Romy – Mid Air review: emotional electronic anthems". The Skinny . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  20. ↑ Geraghty, Hollie (8 September 2023). "Romy, Mid Air review: neon salvation on the dance floor". Rolling Stone UK . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  21. ↑ Minsker, Evan (10 November 2023). "Grammy Nominations 2024: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  22. ↑ Nardino, Meredith (4 February 2024). "List of 2024 Grammy Awards Nominees and Winners". Us Weekly . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  23. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . 21 November 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
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.