Lightning (song)
Encyclopedia
"Lightning" is a song by British boy band
The Wanted
from their upcoming second studio album, Battleground. It will be released as the album's third single on 16 October 2011. The song was written by Steve Mac
, Wayne Hector
and Ed Drewett
, and it was produced by Steve Mac, the same team responsible for The Wanted's number-one single "Glad You Came
". The song debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart
, selling 92,689 copies in its first week.
, Wayne Hector
and Ed Drewett
. Band member Tom Parker said of the song, "We all felt it was a sound like we've never done before. It's the perfect prelude to the album, and a great song to get you in the mood for a party." The video premiered on radio on 17 September 2011.
on 16 October 2011. They also performed it on Strictly Come Dancing: The Results on 30 October 2011.
Newsround" who rated it four out of five stars. Their went to say that "The verses aren't that catchy, but the chorus will get you humming in a (lightning) flash!." Their also said that "the rousing singalong chorus is well worth waiting for." Another positive reception came from Digital Spy
's Lewis Corner, who rated it four stars out of five and wrote that "[...] The five-piece croon over a cool 'n' catchy melody more addictive than snacking on a tube of Pringles
in front of the telly." [...] "The results are strikingly similar; once you pop, you shamelessly can't stop no matter how much you try."
. The video was filmed in LA, and premiered on 22 September 2011, via The Wanted's YouTube channel. The video features the members of the band performing during a rave, in a similar fashion to their Glad You Came
video. The video is set at night, and also features many explosions and kissing scenes.
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
The Wanted
The Wanted
The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band based in London, England. The band consists of Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker and Nathan Sykes. Their debut single, "All Time Low", was released in July 2010 and reached number one in the United Kingdom for one week...
from their upcoming second studio album, Battleground. It will be released as the album's third single on 16 October 2011. The song was written by Steve Mac
Steve Mac
Steve Mac , is a songwriter, record producer and owner of Rokstone Studios in London.He has produced more than 22 number one singles in the UK and had several multi-million selling albums worldwide...
, Wayne Hector
Wayne Hector
Wayne Hector is an English songwriter.Wayne Hector has had over 30 number ones around the globe under his belt and numerous movie soundtrack credits, Wayne Hector is one of the UK’s most successful songwriters....
and Ed Drewett
Ed Drewett
Ed Drewett is a singer-songwriter signed to EMI Virgin Records. Drewett first came to public attention in 2007 on the BBC television show Any Dream Will Do but he did not make the final 12 chosen for the live shows. He is best-known, however, for the single "I Need You Tonight" produced by The...
, and it was produced by Steve Mac, the same team responsible for The Wanted's number-one single "Glad You Came
Glad You Came
"Glad You Came" is a song by British/Irish boy band The Wanted from their second studio album, Battleground. It was released as the album's second single on 10 July 2011. The dance-pop song was written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ed Drewett, it was produced by Steve Mac...
". The song debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart
UK 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 ...
, selling 92,689 copies in its first week.
Background
The song was written by Steve MacSteve Mac
Steve Mac , is a songwriter, record producer and owner of Rokstone Studios in London.He has produced more than 22 number one singles in the UK and had several multi-million selling albums worldwide...
, Wayne Hector
Wayne Hector
Wayne Hector is an English songwriter.Wayne Hector has had over 30 number ones around the globe under his belt and numerous movie soundtrack credits, Wayne Hector is one of the UK’s most successful songwriters....
and Ed Drewett
Ed Drewett
Ed Drewett is a singer-songwriter signed to EMI Virgin Records. Drewett first came to public attention in 2007 on the BBC television show Any Dream Will Do but he did not make the final 12 chosen for the live shows. He is best-known, however, for the single "I Need You Tonight" produced by The...
. Band member Tom Parker said of the song, "We all felt it was a sound like we've never done before. It's the perfect prelude to the album, and a great song to get you in the mood for a party." The video premiered on radio on 17 September 2011.
Live Performances
They performed the song on the X Factor Results ShowThe X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
on 16 October 2011. They also performed it on Strictly Come Dancing: The Results on 30 October 2011.
Composition
The song kicks off with a thumping electronic beat, as Tom's raspy vocals come in: "You're in control, pressing pause on my heartbeat...". During the chorus, the band sing: "I know it's a little bit frightening, we might as well be playing with lightning now-ow-ow."Critical reception
A positive reception came from "CBBCCBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
Newsround" who rated it four out of five stars. Their went to say that "The verses aren't that catchy, but the chorus will get you humming in a (lightning) flash!." Their also said that "the rousing singalong chorus is well worth waiting for." Another positive reception came 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....
's Lewis Corner, who rated it four stars out of five and wrote that "[...] The five-piece croon over a cool 'n' catchy melody more addictive than snacking on a tube of Pringles
Pringles
Pringles is a brand of potato and wheat based snacks originally developed by Procter & Gamble. Pringles are sold in more than 140 countries and have yearly sales of more than...
in front of the telly." [...] "The results are strikingly similar; once you pop, you shamelessly can't stop no matter how much you try."
Music video
The music video was created by Director X, the same director who produced the video for Glad You CameGlad You Came
"Glad You Came" is a song by British/Irish boy band The Wanted from their second studio album, Battleground. It was released as the album's second single on 10 July 2011. The dance-pop song was written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ed Drewett, it was produced by Steve Mac...
. The video was filmed in LA, and premiered on 22 September 2011, via The Wanted's YouTube channel. The video features the members of the band performing during a rave, in a similar fashion to their Glad You Came
Glad You Came
"Glad You Came" is a song by British/Irish boy band The Wanted from their second studio album, Battleground. It was released as the album's second single on 10 July 2011. The dance-pop song was written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ed Drewett, it was produced by Steve Mac...
video. The video is set at night, and also features many explosions and kissing scenes.
Track listing
-
- Digital EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
- Digital EP
- "Lightning" – 3:23
- "Lightning" (ChuckieChuckie (DJ)Chuckie, born Clyde Sergio Narain is a Dutch DJ and producer of Surinamese descent.-Biography:Chuckie grew up in Surinam and was influenced by the large number of musical genres of the country. When one of his friends started working as a DJ, his interest for DJing started at the age of thirteen...
Remix) – 5:43 - "Lightning" (Alias Remix Radio Edit) – 3:29
- "Glad You Came" (Live) – 3:20
-
- CD single
- "Lightning"
- "Lightning" (Chuckie Remix)
- "Lightning" (Alias Remix Radio Edit)
Chart performance
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA 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... ) |
79 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 14 October 2011 | Digital download | Global Talent Records, Universal Island Records Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
| Ireland | Digital download, CD single | ||
| United Kingdom | 16 October 2011 | Digital download | |
| 17 October 2011 | CD single |