The Promise of a New Day

Last updated

"The Promise of a New Day"
Paula Abdul The Promise.jpg
Single by Paula Abdul
from the album Spellbound
ReleasedJuly 1991 (1991-07)
Studio
  • Studio Masters (Los Angeles)
  • Sunset Sound (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length
  • 4:32 (album version)
  • 4:13 (7-inch edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Peter Lord
  • V. Jeffrey Smith
Paula Abdul singles chronology
"Rush Rush"
(1991)		"The Promise of a New Day"
(1991)		"Blowing Kisses in the Wind"
(1991)
Music video
"The Promise of a New Day" on YouTube

"The Promise of a New Day" is a song by American singer and entertainer Paula Abdul, recorded for her second studio album Spellbound (1991) and services as the album's opening track. The track, written by Abdul, Peter Lord, Sandra St. Victor, and V. Jeffrey Smith and produced by Lord and Smith, was released as the album's second official single in July 1991 in the United States. The song lyrically finds the singer singing optimistically about a relationship, with a vague sub-context of improvement of the world. [3] It was also her first single released under her own label, Captive Records. [4]

Contents

Despite mixed critical reception, "The Promise of a New Day" became another hit single for Abdul. It hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1991, becoming Abdul's sixth and final number one song on the chart as of 2025. Internationally, the track proved to be a more minor commercial success, hitting the top 10 in Canada, top 20 in Finland, and top 40 in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden.

Background

In an interview with Songfacts, when asked how the song came to be, co-writer Peter Lord said, "Paula had an idea for the title and feel for the song and we built it from there." [5]

Critical reception

The song received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. In a review of Spellbound for the New York Times News Service republished in The Dispatch, Simon Reynolds said that the track "feebly gestures at the social-awareness-by-numbers of Janet Jackson's second album Rhythm Nation 1814." [6] Billboard gave the track a positive review saying it is a "a lyrically uplifting ditty that percolates with an insinuating, new jack-ish groove." [7] Dave Sholin of Gavin Report reviewed it favorably saying, "Backed by an intriguing beat, America's most lovable singer/dancer/choreographer provides another new twist to her familiar sound." [8]

Chart performance

"The Promise of a New Day" displaced Bryan Adams's (pictured in 2007) "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" from the top spot. Bryan Adams Hamburg MG 0631 flickr.jpg
"The Promise of a New Day" displaced Bryan Adams's (pictured in 2007) "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" from the top spot.

"The Promise of a New Day" debuted at number40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week ending July 20, 1991, claiming the spot of "Hot Shot Debut," meaning the highest new entry. [9] The following week, the single climbed to No. 26, with this week claiming the Greatest Airplay Gainer. [10] The song reached No. 1 on the chart on September 14, 1991, and ended the reign of Bryan Adams' long-running No. 1 hit, "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)". The following week, it fell to No. 5, and departed the top 40 only four weeks later. It was Abdul's sixth chart-topping single, and her last No. 1 single to date. [11] Its rapid fall from the number one spot was attributed to have been from the implementation of Nielsen SoundScan by Billboard in 1991, which provided more accuracy and was more sales-oriented; this affected other titles such as Roxette's "Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)". [12] Abdul's declining success as a recording artist was shown in preceding singles, as she would only reach the top 40 four more times. [4]

Music video

Abdul in the video for "The Promise of a New Day". Paula Abdul - TPOAND music video.jpg
Abdul in the video for "The Promise of a New Day".

The video was directed by Big TV!, [13] a duo made up of Andy Delaney and Monty Whitebloom and of which would be the first of multiple times of Abdul working with them. The live waterfall and tropical footage were filmed on location in Hawaii, but Abdul was unable to attend filming due to prior commitments. Filming and production took place on July 8, 1991, [14] [15] in which Abdul and a number of background dancers filmed on a sound stage in Los Angeles, in which it would be edited in the video through green screen. The video would be released on August 17, 1991 on MTV as an exclusive, [16] where it was shortly placed on heavy rotation. [17]

The video attracted controversy due to the fact that special lenses were used to film the video. [15] This method was in order so that editors could fit in more dancers but unintentionally made Abdul taller and a lot more thinner than what she actually was. [18] The video was later mocked on In Living Color , where it was parodied as "Promise of a Thin Me" and took jabs at Abdul's singing voice and also fat-shamed her. [19]

Track listings

Charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesJuly 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • cassette
 Virgin
United KingdomAugust 19, 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [58]
JapanAugust 21, 1991Mini-CD [59]

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Troy L. (October 21, 2020). "Every No. 1 song of the 1990s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com . Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Abdul's 'Spellbound' is meatier but still vapid". Bangor Daily News . June 21, 1991. p. 2. ...dressing her in the harder funk trimmings of such songs as "The Promise of a New Day,"...
  3. ↑ Breihan, Tom (December 10, 2021). "The Number Ones: Paula Abdul's "The Promise Of A New Day". Stereogum . Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Hoffmann, Frank (May 23, 2016). "1991". Chronology of American Popular Music, 1900-2000. Taylor & Francis. p. 467. ISBN   9781135868864.
  5. ↑ Grant, Jess (September 25, 2012). "Peter Lord : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts . Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Paula Abdul's 'Spellbound' is tasty, but it lacks substance". The Dispatch, republished from New York Times News Service . May 18, 1991. p. 7B.
  7. ↑ "Single Reviews: Pop". Billboard . Vol. 103, no. 30. Prometheus Global Media. July 27, 1991. p. 67. ISSN   0006-2510.
  8. ↑ Sholin, Dave (July 5, 1991). "Personal Picks: Singles". Gavin Report . No. 1863. p. 52.
  9. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard . July 20, 1991. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. July 27, 1991. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  11. ↑ Kleid, Beth (July 8, 1991). "Tv/video". Los Angeles Times .
  12. ↑ Stanley, Bob (July 14, 2014). Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé. W. W. Norton. ISBN   9780393242706.
  13. ↑ "Paula Abdul: The Promise of a New Day (Music Video 1991) - IMDb". IMDb . Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Abdul plans video". The Victoria Advocate . July 5, 1991. p. 4D.
  15. 1 2 "The Promise Of A New Day single | Paula-Abdul.com". Paula Abdul Official Fan Site. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  16. ↑ "The Clip List". Billboard . Vol. 103, no. 33. Prometheus Global Media. August 17, 1991. p. 60. ISSN   0006-2510.
  17. ↑ "The Clip List". Billboard . Vol. 103, no. 34. Prometheus Global Media. August 24, 1991. p. 47. ISSN   0006-2510.
  18. ↑ "The Promise of a New Day by Paula Abdul - Songfacts". Songfacts . Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  19. ↑ Wiser, Carl (May 10, 2022) [November 10, 1991]. "In Living Color's Most Memorable Song Parodies : Song Writing". Songfacts . Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  20. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. 7-98752.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (US cassette single sleeve). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. 4-98752.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (Canadian cassette single sleeve). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. VS4 1560.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (Australian 7-inch single sleeve). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. VUS 44.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. VJDP-10172.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. VUS 44, 114 680.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (UK cassette single sleeve). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. VUSC 44.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (UK & Australian 12-inch single sleeve). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. VUST44.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (UK CD single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. VUSCD 44, 664 680.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ↑ The Promise of a New Day (UK limited 12-inch single vinyl disc). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1991. VUSTP 44.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ↑ "Paula Abdul – The Promise of a New Day". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Paula Abdul – The Promise of a New Day" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1642." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1619." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  34. 1 2 Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 18. ISBN   1-896594-13-1.
  35. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . October 19, 1991. p. 38. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  36. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  37. ↑ "Paula Abdul – The Promise of a New Day" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Tipparade-lijst van week 40, 1991". Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Paula Abdul – The Promise of a New Day" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  40. ↑ "Paula Abdul – The Promise of a New Day". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  41. ↑ "Paula Abdul – The Promise of a New Day". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  43. ↑ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  44. ↑ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  45. ↑ "Top 40 Radio Monitor". Billboard . Vol. 103, no. 34. Prometheus Global Media. August 24, 1991. p. 70. ISSN   0006-2510.
  46. ↑ "Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box . Vol. LVI, no. 5. September 14, 1991. p. 4. ISSN   0008-7289.
  47. ↑ "the Gavin Report: Adult Contemporary". Gavin Report . No. 1874. September 20, 1991. p. 24.
  48. ↑ "Crossover Chart". Gavin Report . No. 1870. August 23, 1991. p. 22.
  49. ↑ "the Gavin Report: Top 40". Gavin Report . No. 1872. September 6, 1991. p. 8.
  50. ↑ "The Back Page: Adult Contemporary". Radio & Records . No. 907. September 13, 1991. p. 140.
  51. ↑ "The Back Page: CHR". Radio & Records . No. 906. September 6, 1991. p. 117.
  52. ↑ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  53. ↑ "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  54. ↑ "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard . Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-14.
  55. ↑ "Awards: Top 50 Pop Singles". Cash Box . Vol. LV, no. 20. December 28, 1991. p. 8. ISSN   0008-7289.
  56. ↑ "Top 40: Top 100". Gavin Report . No. 1386. December 13, 1991. p. 24.
  57. ↑ "Top 91 of '91: CHR". Radio & Records . No. 920. December 13, 1991. p. 45.
  58. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . August 17, 1991. p. 19.
  59. ↑ "プロミス・オブ・ア・ニュー・デイ | ポーラ・アブドル" [Promise of a New Day | Paula Abdul] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved September 1, 2023.
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.