Better in Time
Encyclopedia
"Better in Time" is a pop
and R&B
song performed by British singer Leona Lewis
. It was written by J. R. Rotem
and Andrea Martin
, and was produced by Rotem. It is featured on Lewis's debut album Spirit
(2007). "Better in Time" was released on 10 March 2008 as Lewis's third single in the United Kingdom, as a double A-side with "Footprints in the Sand
", and "You Bring Me Down" as B-side. It was Lewis's second international single following her hit "Bleeding Love
" (2007). Lyrically, "Better in Time" tells the story of a girl who cannot forget her ex-partner, and who knows that "it will all get better in time".
Lewis promoted the song on several live television programmes, such as Good Morning America
, Live with Regis and Kelly
, and on the 2008 American Music Awards
, and it was included on the set list of her debut concert tour The Labyrinth
(2010). The music video was filmed by Sophie Muller
at Hampton Court House
School, London
in February 2008. On it, Lewis is shown performing in front of several photographic set-ups, and shows what goes on behind the scenes of them. Receiving generally positive reviews by music critics, it was nominated at the Brit Awards
in the category "Best British Single". "Better in Time" reached number two in the national music charts of the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as the top ten in several countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy and New Zealand. The single was certified gold in Australia, Denmark and Germany, and silver in the UK.
and R&B
song set in common time
composed in a moderate tempo
of eighty beats per minute, in the key of G major
with a vocal range from the tone of C4
to the note of B5
. The song has a sequence of G–Bm–Em–G/D–C as its chord progression. Lyrically the song talks about someone who cannot forget her ex-partner, and at the end the protagonist knows that "it will all get better in time". Andrea Martin
and J. R. Rotem
wrote the song, and Rotem composed and produced it. On 29 January 2008, Lewis announced on her website that "Better in Time", along with "Footprints in the Sand
", would be released as a double A-side single on 10 March 2010, as her third single in the United Kingdom, with 2008 Sport Relief
, a biennial charity organised by Comic Relief
and BBC Sport
, selecting "Footprints in the Sand" as their official single. It was also her second international single. A new remix of the song was created for the single release. The double A-side was released with another song, "You Bring Me Down", as a B-side
.
It is also one of 38 songs included on the benefit album, Songs for Japan
(compiled in response to the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Tōhoku
), released on March 25, 2011.
described the single as "one of the best tracks [on the album] with impressive piano
sounds harmonized with [Lewis] powerful vocals". Alex Fletcher from Digital Spy
gave a mixed review to the double A-side. He called the single a "placid affair" with "its plinky-plonky piano and R&B
groove resting uncomfortably next to Lewis's creamy vocal style". The BBC
's reviewer Fraser McAlpine gave "Better in Time" three stars our of five commenting that "The tune's quite nice, fairly hummable without ever actually going anywhere and despite the floaty, Mariah
-esque qualities of Leona's vocals, it never goes completely mental in the throat-breakdancing department". Chuck Taylor of Billboard
gave a positive review, stating that the song is of "equal caliber to its predecessor ["Bleeding Love
"], with a one-listen hook, elegant chug-along melody, a lyric about healing and Lewis' unquestionably emotive vocal versatility". Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe
called it a "love takes time' rumination", and along with another song of the album ("I Will Be
"), described it as "predictable". Sean Fennessey for Vibe noted that the track "is the best thing [on the album], is mannered and takes nearly three minutes to get off the ground". It ranked at number four on the "10 Best Singles of 2008" list by American magazine Entertainment Weekly
. "Better in Time" was nominated at the 2009 BRIT Awards
in the category of Best British Single, and later the song was included on the awards' compilation album.
on 1 March 2008; rising thirty-six places, it debuted in the top forty the following week, at number thirty-eight. On its fourth week, the song reached its peak position at number two, selling 40,476 copies and being beaten to the number one spot by Duffy
's "Mercy
". With this it became the third single by Lewis to reach the top five in the country. "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand" was certified as silver by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI). In the Australian charts
, "Better in Time" debuted at number thirty-two on 27 April 2008, reaching the top ten two weeks later, her second single to achieve this feat. On 25 May 2008 the single reached its peak position, at number six, and remained within the top fifty for eighteen weeks. The song was later certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA). It debuted at number thirty-four on New Zealand's RIANZ
Chart on 17 March 2008, eventually reaching number nine after five weeks, and by its seventh week had climbed to number six, thereby becoming her second consecutive top ten hit in the country. "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand" debuted in the German charts
on 16 June 2008 at number five. Although it fell out the top ten the following week, it managed to reach the top five in the issue ending 27 July 2010, and rose to its peak position, at number two, in subsequent days. "Better in Time" entered the German chart on 22 February 2009 at number seventy-nine, where it stayed for three weeks. It achieved a gold certification by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie
(BVMI). In Denmark
"Better in Time" entered the charts at number twenty-nine on 9 May 2008, and managed to rise twenty-three places in the next two weeks. On 6 June 2008 the single reached its peak position, number three. Next week, it fell out two places, but it retook its peak the following issue, and the song continued in this position for three weeks. Later the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) certified the single as gold.
"Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand" debuted and peaked at number eight on the European Hot 100 Singles in the issue ending 29 March 2008, becoming the highest debut of the week. Moreover, "Better in Time" was also a success in the chart, the single eventually reached number seven on the chart in the week ending 2 August 2008. In Switzerland
, the single entered at number thirteen, becoming the highest release of the week. On 27 July 2008, its ninth week, it reached its peak position at number five, becoming Lewis's second top five in the country. It managed to stay within the top ten for eleven weeks and it was last seen in the chart on 22 March 2009, forty-two weeks after its debut. In the week ending 26 April 2008, "Better in Time" debuted at number sixty-two on the Billboard Hot 100
, in the same week that her previous single, "Bleeding Love", topped the chart. Next week it dropped out of the chart but later re-entered the Hot 100 at number seventy-five, becoming the best comeback of the week. The song reached its peak position at number eleven on its fourteenth week, where it stayed for another week. In other charts of the United States, "Better in Time" peaked at number four on the Adult Top 40, ninety-nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, three at the Mainstream Top 40
, and at number four on the Adult Contemporary chart, where it spent fifty-two weeks on the chart. The single became the seventeenth best-selling single of 2008 in Austria, as well as the twenty-second in Germany and Switzerland, the thirty-sixth in New Zealand, the thirty-seventh in the UK, the fifty-fifth of Australia, the fifty-ninth in Europe, the sixty-fourth in the Netherlands, and the seventy-second in Flanders, a region in Belgium.
was filmed at Hampton Court House
School in London
by the British director Sophie Muller
in February 2008, and was released at the end of the same month. The video is inspired by fashion design, with Lewis performing in front of "unrelated photographic set-ups", and shows what goes on behind the scenes. In some parts of the video Lewis is shown with a horse
.
Lewis first performed the song live on the television programme Dancing on Ice
on 9 March 2008. Lewis also performed both sides of the single on BBC One
's Sport Relief on 14 March 2008, Good Morning America
on 4 April 2008, and on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show along with "Bleeding Love". On 3 September 2008 Lewis performed the song on Live with Regis and Kelly
, and on 1 October 2008 on the season finale of America's Got Talent
. The song was featured in the 90210
episode "Lucky Strike", originally aired on 9 September 2008. On 24 November 2008, Lewis performed the song at the 2008 American Music Awards
. In May 2010, the song was added to the setlist of her The Labyrinth
tour, performed as the fourth song of the show. "Better in Time" was included on the tour's live album and blu-ray
The Labyrinth Tour Live from The O2, released on 29 November 2010. In 2011, Lewis performed a reggae
version of the song at BBC Radio 1
segment Live Lounge
, where she mashed up
the single with "Man Down
", a song by Rihanna
.
CD single (Syco), CD single (RCA
), Maxi single, and Swiss CD single
German Premium single
Sony
single; Swiss Maxi single
You Bring Me Down
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song performed by British singer Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
. It was written by J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
and Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin (musician)
Andrea Monica Martin is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.She is primarily known for writing hit songs for artists like Toni Braxton , Monica , Angie Stone , En Vogue , SWV , and Leona Lewis Andrea Monica Martin is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.She is primarily...
, and was produced by Rotem. It is featured on Lewis's debut album Spirit
Spirit (Leona Lewis album)
Spirit is the debut album by British singer Leona Lewis, released by Syco Music in November 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by a worldwide release during early 2008...
(2007). "Better in Time" was released on 10 March 2008 as Lewis's third single in the United Kingdom, as a double A-side with "Footprints in the Sand
Footprints in the Sand (song)
"Footprints in the Sand" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album Spirit . It was written by Simon Cowell, David Kreuger, Per Magnusson, Richard Page, and produced by Steve Mac. It was released on 9 March 2008 in the United Kingdom as Lewis's third...
", and "You Bring Me Down" as B-side. It was Lewis's second international single following her hit "Bleeding Love
Bleeding Love
"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder and produced by Tedder for British singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song is the album's lead single , released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007...
" (2007). Lyrically, "Better in Time" tells the story of a girl who cannot forget her ex-partner, and who knows that "it will all get better in time".
Lewis promoted the song on several live television programmes, such as Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, and on the 2008 American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2008
The 2008 American Music Awards were held on November 23, 2008 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.-Performers:-Presenters:* Jamie Foxx* Sarah Chalke* Akon* Julianne Hough* Ashley Tisdale...
, and it was included on the set list of her debut concert tour The Labyrinth
The Labyrinth (tour)
The Labyrinth is the name of the debut concert tour by British pop singer Leona Lewis. Beginning on 28 May 2010, it showcased songs from her debut album, Spirit and her second album, Echo. Dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland were completed with Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi serving as the...
(2010). The music video was filmed by Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
at Hampton Court House
Hampton Court House
Hampton Court House is an 18th Century home built by the 2nd Earl Halifax, which now houses an independent school.-The School:The school currently takes boys and girls from Nursery to Year 11 . At present, Hampton Court House are exploring the possibility of opening a small, tutorial style Sixth...
School, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in February 2008. On it, Lewis is shown performing in front of several photographic set-ups, and shows what goes on behind the scenes of them. Receiving generally positive reviews by music critics, it was nominated at the Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
in the category "Best British Single". "Better in Time" reached number two in the national music charts of the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as the top ten in several countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy and New Zealand. The single was certified gold in Australia, Denmark and Germany, and silver in the UK.
Composition and release
"Better in Time" is a popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
composed in a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of eighty beats per minute, in the key of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
with a vocal range from the tone of C4
C (musical note)
C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
to the note of B5
B (musical note)
B, also known as H, Si or Ti, is the seventh note of the solfège. It lies a chromatic semitone below C and is thus the enharmonic equivalent of C-flat....
. The song has a sequence of G–Bm–Em–G/D–C as its chord progression. Lyrically the song talks about someone who cannot forget her ex-partner, and at the end the protagonist knows that "it will all get better in time". Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin (musician)
Andrea Monica Martin is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.She is primarily known for writing hit songs for artists like Toni Braxton , Monica , Angie Stone , En Vogue , SWV , and Leona Lewis Andrea Monica Martin is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.She is primarily...
and J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
wrote the song, and Rotem composed and produced it. On 29 January 2008, Lewis announced on her website that "Better in Time", along with "Footprints in the Sand
Footprints in the Sand (song)
"Footprints in the Sand" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album Spirit . It was written by Simon Cowell, David Kreuger, Per Magnusson, Richard Page, and produced by Steve Mac. It was released on 9 March 2008 in the United Kingdom as Lewis's third...
", would be released as a double A-side single on 10 March 2010, as her third single in the United Kingdom, with 2008 Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
, a biennial charity organised by Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
and BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
, selecting "Footprints in the Sand" as their official single. It was also her second international single. A new remix of the song was created for the single release. The double A-side was released with another song, "You Bring Me Down", as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
.
It is also one of 38 songs included on the benefit album, Songs for Japan
Songs for Japan
Songs for Japan is a charity compilation album created to benefit relief efforts for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. A collaborative project between the music industry's "big four" record labels , the album was released through the iTunes Store on March 25, 2011 through Universal...
(compiled in response to the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Tōhoku
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
), released on March 25, 2011.
Critical reception
"Better in Time" received generally positive reviews from music critics. In his review of the album, Chung Ah-young of The Korea TimesThe Korea Times
The Korea Times is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea, along with The Korea Herald and The JoongAng Daily. It is part of the same newspaper group as Hankook Ilbo, a major Korean language daily...
described the single as "one of the best tracks [on the album] with impressive piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
sounds harmonized with [Lewis] powerful vocals". Alex Fletcher from Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
gave a mixed review to the double A-side. He called the single a "placid affair" with "its plinky-plonky piano and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
groove resting uncomfortably next to Lewis's creamy vocal style". The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's reviewer Fraser McAlpine gave "Better in Time" three stars our of five commenting that "The tune's quite nice, fairly hummable without ever actually going anywhere and despite the floaty, Mariah
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
-esque qualities of Leona's vocals, it never goes completely mental in the throat-breakdancing department". Chuck Taylor of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave a positive review, stating that the song is of "equal caliber to its predecessor ["Bleeding Love
Bleeding Love
"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder and produced by Tedder for British singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song is the album's lead single , released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007...
"], with a one-listen hook, elegant chug-along melody, a lyric about healing and Lewis' unquestionably emotive vocal versatility". Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called it a "love takes time' rumination", and along with another song of the album ("I Will Be
I Will Be
"I Will Be" is a song by British singer Leona Lewis. In 2007, and released it as her third and final single from her debut album, Spirit in North America....
"), described it as "predictable". Sean Fennessey for Vibe noted that the track "is the best thing [on the album], is mannered and takes nearly three minutes to get off the ground". It ranked at number four on the "10 Best Singles of 2008" list by American magazine Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
. "Better in Time" was nominated at the 2009 BRIT Awards
2009 BRIT Awards
The 2009 BRIT Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 18 February 2009. It was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, and was broadcast live on ITV1 on 18 February at 8pm...
in the category of Best British Single, and later the song was included on the awards' compilation album.
Chart performance
The double A-side "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand" debuted at number seventy-four on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 1 March 2008; rising thirty-six places, it debuted in the top forty the following week, at number thirty-eight. On its fourth week, the song reached its peak position at number two, selling 40,476 copies and being beaten to the number one spot by Duffy
Duffy (singer)
Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
's "Mercy
Mercy (song)
"Mercy" is a soul song performed by Welsh blue-eyed soul singer Duffy, released as the second single from her debut album, Rockferry . Co-written by Duffy and Steve Booker and produced by Booker, it was released over 2008 worldwide to critical acclaim and unprecedented chart success...
". With this it became the third single by Lewis to reach the top five in the country. "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand" was certified as silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI). In the Australian charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, "Better in Time" debuted at number thirty-two on 27 April 2008, reaching the top ten two weeks later, her second single to achieve this feat. On 25 May 2008 the single reached its peak position, at number six, and remained within the top fifty for eighteen weeks. The song was later certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA). It debuted at number thirty-four on New Zealand's RIANZ
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
Chart on 17 March 2008, eventually reaching number nine after five weeks, and by its seventh week had climbed to number six, thereby becoming her second consecutive top ten hit in the country. "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand" debuted in the German charts
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
on 16 June 2008 at number five. Although it fell out the top ten the following week, it managed to reach the top five in the issue ending 27 July 2010, and rose to its peak position, at number two, in subsequent days. "Better in Time" entered the German chart on 22 February 2009 at number seventy-nine, where it stayed for three weeks. It achieved a gold certification by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie
Bundesverband Musikindustrie
The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises....
(BVMI). In Denmark
Tracklisten
Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl...
"Better in Time" entered the charts at number twenty-nine on 9 May 2008, and managed to rise twenty-three places in the next two weeks. On 6 June 2008 the single reached its peak position, number three. Next week, it fell out two places, but it retook its peak the following issue, and the song continued in this position for three weeks. Later the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) certified the single as gold.
"Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand" debuted and peaked at number eight on the European Hot 100 Singles in the issue ending 29 March 2008, becoming the highest debut of the week. Moreover, "Better in Time" was also a success in the chart, the single eventually reached number seven on the chart in the week ending 2 August 2008. In Switzerland
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
, the single entered at number thirteen, becoming the highest release of the week. On 27 July 2008, its ninth week, it reached its peak position at number five, becoming Lewis's second top five in the country. It managed to stay within the top ten for eleven weeks and it was last seen in the chart on 22 March 2009, forty-two weeks after its debut. In the week ending 26 April 2008, "Better in Time" debuted at number sixty-two on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, in the same week that her previous single, "Bleeding Love", topped the chart. Next week it dropped out of the chart but later re-entered the Hot 100 at number seventy-five, becoming the best comeback of the week. The song reached its peak position at number eleven on its fourteenth week, where it stayed for another week. In other charts of the United States, "Better in Time" peaked at number four on the Adult Top 40, ninety-nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, three at the Mainstream Top 40
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
, and at number four on the Adult Contemporary chart, where it spent fifty-two weeks on the chart. The single became the seventeenth best-selling single of 2008 in Austria, as well as the twenty-second in Germany and Switzerland, the thirty-sixth in New Zealand, the thirty-seventh in the UK, the fifty-fifth of Australia, the fifty-ninth in Europe, the sixty-fourth in the Netherlands, and the seventy-second in Flanders, a region in Belgium.
Music video and promotion
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was filmed at Hampton Court House
Hampton Court House
Hampton Court House is an 18th Century home built by the 2nd Earl Halifax, which now houses an independent school.-The School:The school currently takes boys and girls from Nursery to Year 11 . At present, Hampton Court House are exploring the possibility of opening a small, tutorial style Sixth...
School in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by the British director Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
in February 2008, and was released at the end of the same month. The video is inspired by fashion design, with Lewis performing in front of "unrelated photographic set-ups", and shows what goes on behind the scenes. In some parts of the video Lewis is shown with a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
.
Lewis first performed the song live on the television programme Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice (UK)
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
on 9 March 2008. Lewis also performed both sides of the single on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's Sport Relief on 14 March 2008, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
on 4 April 2008, and on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show along with "Bleeding Love". On 3 September 2008 Lewis performed the song on Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, and on 1 October 2008 on the season finale of America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent (season 3)
The third season of America's Got Talent, an American television reality show talent competition, premiered on MediaCorp Channel 5 on September 3, 2008. Opera singer Neal E. Boyd was named the winner on January 28, 2009....
. The song was featured in the 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
episode "Lucky Strike", originally aired on 9 September 2008. On 24 November 2008, Lewis performed the song at the 2008 American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2008
The 2008 American Music Awards were held on November 23, 2008 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.-Performers:-Presenters:* Jamie Foxx* Sarah Chalke* Akon* Julianne Hough* Ashley Tisdale...
. In May 2010, the song was added to the setlist of her The Labyrinth
The Labyrinth (tour)
The Labyrinth is the name of the debut concert tour by British pop singer Leona Lewis. Beginning on 28 May 2010, it showcased songs from her debut album, Spirit and her second album, Echo. Dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland were completed with Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi serving as the...
tour, performed as the fourth song of the show. "Better in Time" was included on the tour's live album and blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
The Labyrinth Tour Live from The O2, released on 29 November 2010. In 2011, Lewis performed a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
version of the song at BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
segment Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
, where she mashed up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
the single with "Man Down
Man Down (song)
"Man Down" is a song performed by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fifth studio album Loud . The song was sent to US rhythmic and urban radios on May 3, 2011 and was released as the album's sixth overall single in the United States as well as in certain countries internationally...
", a song by Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
.
Track listings and formats
Australian Maxi single and UK Sport Relief CD single- "Better in Time" – 3:55
- "Footprints in the Sand" – 4:09
- "You Bring Me Down" – 3:54
CD single (Syco), CD single (RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
), Maxi single, and Swiss CD single
- "Better in Time" (Single Mix) – 3:55
- "Footprints in the Sand" (Single Mix) – 3:58
German Premium single
- "Better in Time" (Single Mix) – 3:55
- "Footprints in the Sand" (Single Mix) – 3:58
- "Bleeding Love" (Moto Blanco Remix Radio Edit) – 3:40
- "Better in Time" (Video) – 3:58
Sony
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
single; Swiss Maxi single
- "Better in Time" (Single Mix) – 3:55
- "Footprints in the Sand" (Single Mix) – 3:58
- "Bleeding Love" (Moto Blanco Remix Radio Edit) – 3:40
Credits and personnel
Better in Time- Leona Lewis – VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- J. R. Rotem – Instruments, musical arranger, writer and producer
- Greg Ogan – Recorder
- Andrea Martin – Writer
- Vlado Meller – MasterAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– Mixer - John Hanes – Pro–tools engineer
- Tim Roberts – Pro–tools engineer assistant
You Bring Me Down
- Leona Lewis – Vocals, writer
- Salaam Remi – Bass, piano, drums, writer
- Vincent Henry – SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed... - Bruce Purse – TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, bass trumpetBass trumpetThe bass trumpet is a type of low trumpet which was first developed during the 1820s in Germany. It is usually pitched in 8' C or 9' B today, but is sometimes built in E and is treated as a transposing instrument sounding either an octave, a sixth or a ninth lower than written, depending on the...
, flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus... - Vlado Meller – Master
- Manny MarroquinManny MarroquinManny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War....
– Mixer - Taj Jackson – Vocal producer, writer
- Gleyder "Gee" Disla – Recorder
- Franklin "Esoses" Socorro – Recorder
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální is the name of the Czech national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis.Besides the main Top 100 record chart, also two component charts are effective. While the Rádio CZ 50 Oficiální features songs released exclusively by Czech and/or Slovak... ) |
3 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 7 |
| European Hot 100 Singles |
8 |
| Germany (German Control AG Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
79 |
| Germany (German Control AG Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
2 |
| Slovakia (Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna is the name of the Slovakian national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis since the cancellation of the Slovakian national section on December 31, 2009.... ) |
5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
11 |
| US Adult Contemporary | 4 |
| US Adult Pop Songs Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
6 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
99 |
| US Pop Songs Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... |
3 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2008) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 55 |
| Austria Top 75 Singles | 17 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) | 72 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) | 93 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 64 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 59 |
| German Singles Chart | 22 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart New Zealand Top 50 Singles of 2008 This is a list of the Top 50 singles in 2008 in New Zealand, as listed by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand .-Chart:Songs in grey shading indicates a song of New Zealand origin.-External links:*... |
36 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 45 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
22 |
| UK Singles Chart | 37 |
Certifications
| Region (provider) | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... ) |
Gold |
| Denmark (IFPI) | Platinum |
| Germany (BVMI Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises.... ) |
Gold |
| United Kingdom (BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... ) |
Silver |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 9 March 2008 | Syco Music Syco Syco Entertainment, often known as simply Syco , is a global joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment focused on the production and exploitation of music, television, film and digital content... |
Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| 10 March 2008 | CD single | ||
| Canada | 11 March 2008 | Sony BMG, Syco Music | CD single, digital download |
| United States | |||
| Australia | 19 April 2008 | ||
| Switzerland | 16 May 2008 | Maxi single | |
| 23 May 2008 | CD single, digital download | ||
| Germany | 30 May 2008 | Ariola Ariola Records Ariola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment... |
CD single, maxi single |
| Europe | 3 June 2008 | Sony BMG Europe | CD single, digital download |
| Japan | 6 June 2008 | CD single, Maxi single | |
| Australia | 5 July 2008 | Sony BMG, Syco Music | Maxi single |
| United States | 15 July 2008 | J J Records J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:... , RCA RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
Airplay Airplay * Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay... |