World in Your Hands

Last updated

"World in Your Hands"
World in your hands.jpg
Single by Culture Beat
from the album Serenity
Released21 March 1994 (1994-03-21) [1]
Genre Techno-pop [2]
Length5:33
Label Dance Pool
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Torsten Fenslau
Culture Beat singles chronology
"Anything"
(1993)		"World in Your Hands"
(1994)		"Inside Out"
(1995)
Music video
"World in Your Hands" on YouTube

"World in Your Hands" is a song by German Eurodance group Culture Beat, released in March 1994 by Dance Pool as the fourth single and the last one marketed in almost all countries in Europe from their second album, Serenity (1993). As for other Culture Beat's singles, a CD maxi entirely composed of remixes was added among the available media a short time after. The ballad is written by Nosie Katzmann with Jay Supreme, Torsten Fenslau and Peter Zweie, and produced by Fenslau. It was a top-10 hit in Finland and the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 20. Its accompanying music video was directed by Matt Broadley and filmed in Sweden.

Contents

Critical reception

AllMusic editor William Cooper complimented the song as "competent and entertaining". [3] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton said, "Just when it seemed Culture Beat records could not get any faster they suddenly release a slow one." [4] Ian Gittens from Melody Maker found that it "isn't quite so instant [as "Anything"] but it does boast the kind of killer chorus which many infinitely hipper club acts and DJs would die for." [5] Alan Jones from Music Week commented, "After a trio of big hits, it is becoming obvious that Culture Beat aren't going to disappear overnight. And this is actually a more stylish and better-written song than some of their tunes, but it will probably meet with more resistance too as it is less obvious "in your face". Basically, it is a sweet ballad, but one which has been submerged beneath heavy percussion and bass elements and, like all the group's songs, it comes with a leaden rap." [6]

Terry Staunton from NME commented, "Stress on my mind, I think I'll end it all/People tell me to stand tall/But I don't wanna live/Got nothin' to give/And I'm tired of hitting walls. Bloody hell! Continental techno pop with a suicide lyric! Can't wait to read The Chart Show captions on this one. Never mind 'Mr. Vain', Culture Beat ought to be calling the Samaritans. Inevitably destined for the Top Ten, and surely the only hit from this or any other year that advocates topping yourself with a bullet and a shot of gin." [2] Sylvia Patterson from Smash Hits was less enthustiastic and gave it two out of five, writing, "They are the new Snap! and to prove it they're here with a song just like all the others except it's got that "sinister" moody synth and underwater piano." [7]

Chart performance

"World in Your Hands" was a hit in most of the European countries where it was released, but didn't reach the same level of success as the previous singles of the band. However, it entered the top 10 in both Finland and the Netherlands, reaching number four and ten, respectively. Additionally, the single was a top-20 hit in Ireland (13), Denmark (16), Germany (18), and the United Kingdom. In the latter, it reached number 20 in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on 27 March 1994. [8] On the UK Dance Singles Chart, it fared better, peaking at number 17. In the group's native Germany, the single peaked at number 18 in its fourth week on the German Singles Chart, with four weeks inside the top 20 and 14 weeks within the chart. [9] On the Eurochart Hot 100, "World in Your Hands" reached number 25 in May 1994, in its fifth week on the chart after charting in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherland and Switzerland. [10] Outside Europe, the song reached numbers 37 and 57 in New Zealand and Australia, respectively.

Music video

The music video of "World in Your Hands" was directed by Swedish-based director Matt Broadley. [11] It was filmed in Stockholm, Sweden, [12] featuring lead singer Tania Evans and rapper Jay Supreme performing in a winter landscape. In the beginning, Evans sits in the backseat of a driving car, while Supreme walks on a ship dock. Then Evans performs while standing on a frozen lake covered with snow. At the end, they both meet on a cliff with a view over Stockholm in the background. The video was A-listed on Germany's VIVA in April 1994. [13] Broadley had previously directed the videos for the group's earlier singles, "Mr. Vain" and "Anything". In 2024, "World in Your Hands" was made available on Culture Beat's official YouTube channel, remastered to 4K. [14]

Track listings

Charts

References

  1. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week . 19 March 1994. p. 21.
  2. 1 2 Staunton, Terry (26 March 1994). "Singles". NME . p. 49. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  3. ↑ Cooper, William. "Culture Beat – Serenity". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Masterton, James (27 March 1994). "Week Ending April 2nd 1994". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  5. ↑ Gittens, Ian (26 March 1994). "Singles". Melody Maker . p. 35. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  6. ↑ Jones, Alan (19 March 1994). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 12. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  7. ↑ Patterson, Sylvia (2 March 1994). "New Singles". Smash Hits . p. 56. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  8. 1 2 "World in Your Hands", UK Singles Chart Official Charts Company (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
  9. 1 2 "Culture Beat – World In Your Hands" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 11, no. 19. 7 May 1994. p. 11. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Credits - Matt Broadley". mattbroadley.com. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "Culture Beat - World in Your Hands Music Video 1994". Eurokdj.com. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Station Reports > VIVA TV/Cologne" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 11, no. 16. 16 April 1994. p. 21. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Culture Beat - World in Your Hands (Official Video)". YouTube. 22 October 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 26 Jun 1994". ARIA . Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  16. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  17. ↑ "Culture Beat – World In Your Hands" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Culture Beat – World In Your Hands" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  19. ↑ Danish Singles Chart. 1 April 1994.
  20. ↑ Finnish peak
  21. ↑ "Culture Beat – World In Your Hands" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  22. ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
  23. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Culture Beat" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  24. ↑ "Culture Beat – World In Your Hands" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  25. ↑ "Culture Beat – World In Your Hands". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  26. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 27 March 1994 - 02 April 1994". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  27. ↑ "Culture Beat – World In Your Hands". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week . 16 April 1994. p. 24. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  29. ↑ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 2 April 1994. p. 22. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  30. ↑ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 9 April 1994. p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  31. ↑ "Jaarlijsten 1994" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Archived from the original on 2 November 2003. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
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