Shine (Years & Years song)

Last updated

"Shine"
Years & Years - Shine (cover).jpg
Single by Years & Years
from the album Communion
Released3 July 2015
Recorded2014–2015
Length
  • 3:28 (radio edit)
  • 4:14 (album version)
  • 3:11 (NOW 91/interactive video version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Years & Years
  • Ralph
Years & Years singles chronology
"King"
(2015)
"Shine"
(2015)
"Eyes Shut"
(2015)

"Shine" is a song by British synthpop trio Years & Years for their debut studio album, Communion (2015). It was released on 5 July 2015 by Polydor Records as the album's fifth single and is the third track on the album. "Shine" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It also serves as a follow-up to the group's most successful single, "King".

Contents

Background

The song premiered on 11 May 2015 as Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World, and is their follow-up to "King" from the album Communion . [1] Vocalist Olly Alexander explained that the song uses light as a metaphor to pertain to the "overwhelming and unstable feeling of falling in love". The track was written for his new boyfriend and marked a change in style. "I know he would’ve said he liked it, but it really mattered to me whether he truly liked it or not. But he did, and I was so relieved". [2]

Music video

A music video was created for the song. [3] It features the band traversing a house in which assorted supernatural occurrences occur. [4] The band took inspiration from the films E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , Poltergeist , and Close Encounters of the Third Kind . [5] [6] An interactive music video was later released for the record, billed by Spin magazine as "a choose your own adventure", in which the viewer may pick from either "Choose Light", "Choose Dark" or "Choose Shadow". [7] The live interactive event using the three video sequences was premièred on the UK's Channel 4, Friday 10 July 2015 in a three and a half minute advert break controlled by viewers tweets as a promotion for the single Shine and the Communion album using the hashtags for the three colour styles, refreshed every 30 seconds on viewers votes. The creative agency The Outfit produced the advert for Polydor Records. Channel 4 and Years & Years embraced the take over. "Viewers’ tweets will be counted live during the ad break and tallied every 30 seconds, while the two alternative music video choices to the performance playing in full screen will be displayed as insets". [8] Jack Melhuish, the marketing director at Polydor Records said "Giving fans and viewers the chance to control and direct a TV advert as it happens has never been done before and plays perfectly into the band’s ethos of rewarding their fans and always being on the cutting edge". [9] Promonews reported that nearly 14,000 tweets were made during the event and more people were pulled into watch the event rather than the programme which contained the ad break. [10] The performance was also simulcast to a global audience via the band's website, Twitter and Facebook feeds and subsequently was made available as an interactive video. [11]

Critical reception

"Shine" received very positive reviews from music critics. PopJustice.com gave it a positive review, noting similarities between it and Girls Aloud's "Call the Shots" and the fact that "the similarity would have inspired eight bootlegs, two compilation albums and a club night by now" in 2002, they scored it 9/10 and stated that it would have scored 10/10 had "it picked up the tempo a bit". [12] Sugarscape was also positive, commending it for not departing from the sound of the band's previous singles of "glittery, 80s-tinged synthpop" and instead opting for a "melancholic and even more emotionally-charged" sound whilst still retaining a "huge chorus and quirky elements in the production that separate them from the rest of the pop pack". [13]

"Shine" was performed by Years & Years on Sunday Brunch [14] and on the 20th Anniversary edition of TFI Friday . [15] Irish Broadcaster RTÉ One also used the track, in their coverage of the results of the 2016 Irish general election.

The song is also featured in the 2016 racing video game Forza Horizon 3 , which plays in the in-game radio station Horizon Pulse. [16] The song also was used in the 2018 ITV Drama Butterfly

UK country pop duo Ward Thomas covered the song on their 2017 EP A Shorter Story .

Track listing

Digital download – single [17]
No.TitleLength
1."Shine"4:14
Digital download – remixes [18]
No.TitleLength
1."Shine" (Sanna & Pitron Remix)7:05
2."Shine" (Joe Goddard Remix)5:21
3."Shine" (Toyboy & Robin Remix)5:02
4."Shine" (Danny L Harle Remix)3:30

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [39] Gold35,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [40] Gold30,000^
Germany (BVMI) [41] Gold200,000
Poland (ZPAV) [42] Platinum20,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [43] 2× Platinum1,200,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Real Slim Shady</span> 2000 single by Eminem

"The Real Slim Shady" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his second album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000). It was released as the lead single a month before the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forever Young (Alphaville song)</span> 1984 single by Alphaville

"Forever Young" is a song by German synth-pop band Alphaville from their 1984 debut studio album of the same name. The single was successful in Scandinavia and in the European German-speaking countries in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take That discography</span>

The discography of Take That, a British pop music group, consists of nine studio albums, two compilation albums, thirty-three singles, three live albums, one extended play and fourteen video albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine (Take That song)</span> 2007 single by Take That

"Shine" is the second single taken from English pop group Take That's comeback album, Beautiful World (2006). It became Take That's sixth consecutive number one single and their tenth number-one overall, making them one of only seven acts in the history of the UK charts to have more than nine number one hits. The song is about former Take That member Robbie Williams' battle with depression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spaceman (Babylon Zoo song)</span> 1996 single by Babylon Zoo

"Spaceman" is a song by British rock band Babylon Zoo, released on 15 January 1996 as the lead single from their debut album, The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes (1996). Featuring heavily distorted guitars and metallic, robotic sounding vocals, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number one on 21 January 1996 following its use in a Levi's jeans television advertisement the previous year; "Spaceman" was the sixth song to reach number one in the UK after being featured in a Levi's advert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Saturdays</span> British-Irish girl group

The Saturdays are an English-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and has been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa White. They were formed through Fascination Records, a sub-division of Polydor Records, which gave them an instant record deal with the label. As soon as the contract was finalized, the Saturdays went on tour with Girls Aloud during their Tangled Up Tour. The group's music style is pop, but throughout their career, their management has experimented with dance-pop and electropop. Songwriters and producers Ina Wroldsen, Steve Mac, Camille Purcell, and Quiz & Larossi have helped create their music. In July 2008, The Saturdays released their debut single and first Top Ten hit, "If This Is Love". Their debut album, Chasing Lights, released the same year, charted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart; it was certified platinum by the BPI and produced three more top ten singles: "Up", "Issues", and "Just Can't Get Enough". "Work" was also released from the album. The group's first concert tour, The Work Tour, took place in 2009. The group's second album, Wordshaker, produced the Top Ten hits "Forever Is Over" and "Ego". In 2010, the Saturdays released a mini album, Headlines!, which contained the top 10 hits "Missing You" and "Higher", the latter of which featured guest vocals from Flo Rida. The mini-album was supported by the group's second concert tour, The Headlines Tour. Their third album, On Your Radar, was released in 2011 and resulted in two top 10 singles: "Notorious" and "All Fired Up".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock That Body</span> 2010 single by The Black Eyed Peas

"Rock That Body" is a song by the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album The E.N.D (2009). The song serves as the fifth international single from the album, and was released in Australia on January 29, 2010, in the United Kingdom on March 15 and in the United States on May 11. The song peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the fifth top ten hit from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Years & Years</span> English music project

Years & Years were an English band formed in London, in 2010. Their music has been described as electropop, mixing R&B and 1990s house elements. Since 2021, the band has operated as the solo project of frontman and sole remaining member Olly Alexander, and previously included Mikey Goldsworthy, Emre Türkmen, Noel Leeman and Olivier Subria. The band's debut studio album, Communion, debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart in July 2015 and was the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a UK signed band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Care (Cheryl song)</span> 2014 single by Cheryl

"I Don't Care" is a song recorded by English recording artist Cheryl from her fourth studio album, Only Human (2014). It was co-written by Jocke Åhlund, Bonnie McKee, John Stuart Newman and Cheryl, and was produced by Åhlund and Oliver "Oligee" Goldstein. The song was released on 2 November 2014 through Polydor Records as the second single from the album. Musically, "I Don't Care" is a pop and dance song, which features breezy synthesizers and pumping bassline and lyrically sees Cheryl taking on a dismissive attitude to former lovers and critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Changes</span> 2014 single by One Direction

"Night Changes" is a song recorded by British-Irish boy band One Direction. It was written by the band alongside Jamie Scott, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan, while the production was handled by Bunetta and Ryan. The song was released on 14 November 2014 as the second and final single from their fourth studio album Four. It also marked the last single with member Zayn Malik. A moderate commercial success, the track is one of the band's most critically acclaimed, receiving praise for contemplating the fleeting nature of life with depth and maturity. The song crossed 1 billion streams on Spotify as of April 2023. It is the band's first song to achieve that feat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desire (Years & Years song)</span> 2014 song by Years & Years

"Desire" is a song by English synthpop band Years & Years from their debut studio album, Communion (2015). It was released on 23 November 2014 as the album's third single. Written by Years & Years and Kid Harpoon, the song peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King (Years & Years song)</span> 2015 single by Years & Years

"King" is a song by British synth-pop trio Years & Years from their debut studio album Communion. It was originally released as a single on 3 February 2015. The song was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 1 March 2015 through Polydor Records.

<i>Communion</i> (Years & Years album) 2015 studio album by Years & Years

Communion is the debut studio album by English synth-pop trio Years & Years. It was released on 10 July 2015 through Polydor Records for the United Kingdom and other countries and Interscope Records for the United States only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Magic (Little Mix song)</span> 2015 song by Little Mix

"Black Magic" is a song recorded by British girl group Little Mix, released on 21 May 2015 through Syco Music and Columbia Records as the lead single from their third studio album, Get Weird (2015). The single received acclaim from music critics upon release, who praised it for its catchy sound and upbeat tempo, and comparisons were made with the songs from their debut album, DNA (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hills (song)</span> 2015 single by The Weeknd

"The Hills" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd. It was released on May 27, 2015, as the second single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). "The Hills" was a massive critical and commercial success, appearing on several year-end lists, and peaking at number one in several nations' charts, including his native Canada, and the United States where the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, replacing his own "Can't Feel My Face". It also made the top 10 in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. A music video for the song was released on May 27, 2015, directed by Grant Singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom (Pharrell Williams song)</span> 2015 single by Pharrell Williams

"Freedom" is a song by Pharrell Williams which was released for streaming on Apple Music and played by Zane Lowe on his show on Beats 1 on its launch date of June 30, 2015. Part of the song was made available as a teaser on Williams' Twitter page and was also used in a promotional video for Apple Music. Its music video was nominated for Best Music Video at 58th Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Years & Years discography</span>

British singer Olly Alexander has released three studio albums, two extended plays, twenty six singles, and nineteen music videos. Until 2021, Years & Years was a three-member band with Alexander as the lead vocalist, and their releases under the Years & Years name until that point were released by the band rather than by Alexander as a solo act. After Emre Turkmen and Mikey Goldsworthy left the band, Years & Years became Alexander's solo project, and all releases under that name from the 2021 single "Starstruck" onwards were solo releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alive (Sia song)</span> 2015 single by Sia

"Alive" is the lead single from Australian singer and songwriter Sia's seventh studio album This Is Acting (2016). It was co-written by Sia, Adele, and Tobias Jesso Jr. The song was produced by Jesse Shatkin. "Alive" was released on 25 September 2015. The song was originally intended for Adele's third studio album, 25, along with "Bird Set Free". However, since Adele decided not to use the songs, she let Sia use them for her seventh studio album. Musically, it is a midtempo pop and synth-pop song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something in the Way You Move</span> 2016 single by Ellie Goulding

"Something in the Way You Move" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from her third studio album, Delirium (2015). The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio in the United States on 19 January 2016 as the album's second single in North America, and third overall. It reached number 51 on the UK Singles Chart and number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Palo Santo</i> (Years & Years album) 2018 studio album by Olly Alexander (Years & Years)

Palo Santo is the second studio album by the English electronic trio Years & Years, released by Polydor Records on 6 July 2018. Executive produced by the band, it is the follow-up to their debut album Communion (2015). After the success of their Communion, the trio felt pressured in making their succeeding record. Influenced by religion and spirituality, lead singer and principal songwriter Olly Alexander wanted to connect religious transcendence to pop music after perceiving parallels between a church's sense of belonging and gay nightclubs. The trio met with frequent and new collaborators such as Mark Ralph, Greg Kurstin, Steve Mac and Jesse Shatkin to produce most its tracks. Named after the South American "palo santo", which was commonly used to fend off bad spirits, though Alexander used its name as a dick joke referring to men he knew, it is the group's last album as a trio. As of December 2023, the album primary artist has changed to 'Olly Alexander ', after the band's disbandment.

References

  1. "Years & Years premiere shimmering new single 'Shine'". Digital Spy. 11 May 2015.
  2. Peeples, Jase (3 August 2015). "Straight Talk With Years & Years' Olly Alexander, the U.K.'s New Gay Pop Star". The Advocate. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  3. This Week's Fresh Music Top 20. 21 June 2015. 4Music.
  4. "Years & Years unveil weird and wonderful music video for 'Shine'". Digital Spy. 8 June 2015.
  5. "Watch Years & Years' new video for 'Shine'". Complex.com.
  6. "Years & Years share new single 'Shine'". New Musical Express.
  7. "Years & Years Let Viewers Take the Wheel in Interactive 'Shine' Video". Spin. 13 July 2015.
  8. Williamson, Coral (9 July 2015). "Polydor to takeover Channel 4 ad break for Years & Years". Music Week. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  9. Degun, Gurjit (9 July 2015). "Years & Years to take over Channel 4 ad break with 'unique interactive event'". Campaign. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  10. Velez, Cat (20 July 2015). "Years & Years 'Shine' (interactive ad/video) by Fred Rowson". Promonews. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  11. Channel 4 Press Office (9 July 2015). "Years & Years fans to direct exclusive C4 ad in live Twitter battle". Channel 4. Retrieved 4 August 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. "Listen: Years & Years: Shine". PopJustice.com. 11 May 2015.
  13. "Single review: Years & Years - 'Shine'". Sugarscape.com.
  14. "Sunday Brunch". 4. Episode 35. 12 July 2015. Channel 4.
  15. "TFI Friday". Special. 12 June 2015. Channel 4.
  16. Ekberg, Brian (9 September 2016). "Drive to the Music You Love with Groove". Community Manager at Turn 10 Studios. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  17. "Shine - Single by Years & Years". iTunes Store (GB). Apple Inc. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  18. "Shine (Remixes) - EP by Years & Years". iTunes Store (GB). Apple Inc. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  19. "Years & Years – Shine". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  20. "Years & Years – Shine" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  21. "Years & Years – Shine" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  22. "Years & Years – Shine" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  23. "Years & Years Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  24. "Years & Years – Shine" (in French). Les classement single.
  25. "Years & Years – Shine" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  26. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Years & Years". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  27. "Years & Years – Shine" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  28. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  29. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  30. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201528 into search.
  31. "SloTop50 – Slovenian official singles chart". slotop50.si. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  32. "Years & Years – Shine" Canciones Top 50.
  33. "Years & Years – Shine". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  34. "Years & Years – Shine". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  35. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  36. "Years & Years Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  37. "Jaaroverzichten 2015 - ultratop.be". Ultratop .
  38. "The Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2015 revealed". OfficialCharts.com . Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  39. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  40. "Danish single certifications – Years & Years – Shine". IFPI Danmark.
  41. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Years & Years; 'Shine')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  42. "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2016 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  43. "British single certifications – Years & Years – Shine". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 19 May 2023.