Nothing Fails
Encyclopedia
"Nothing Fails" is the third single by American
singer-songwriter Madonna
from her 9th studio album American Life
. It was released by Maverick Records
on November 21, 2003. There was little promotion to accompany it and no music video was filmed. The song performed poorly on most mainstream charts. The song was released as a double A-side to the fourth and final single "Love Profusion
" in some territories such as the UK and Australia
.
and singer Jem Archer
as she was beginning work on her debut album. After two days of working in the studio the song "Silly Thing" was written, which later became "Nothing Fails". Sigsworth had initially planned to write the song for his wife. He said: "I never write love songs, but I was moved to write one for her. I've never had a problematic relationship with her, there's not been a lot of drama. But I wanted to write something naive and honest." The song was later played for Madonna, who loved it and added to and changed parts of the song. On the song Archer said: "When I finally heard the finished song it was the strangest experience. It's not every day you hear Madonna singing words and melodies you sang into your dictaphone at two in the morning! I really admire her for being so involved in everything she does. The song sounds beautiful."
The London Community Gospel Choir, led by Nicki Brown, recorded backing vocals for the song , and performed it with a choir during her MTV
American Life Special. The strings engineer for the choir Geoff Foster recalls that the choir consisted of "a bunch of great singers giving it loudly, it was impressive." No official music video was produced for the release.
called it "lovely" and named it, among other songs from the album "refreshingly - hell, shockingly - earnest". Alex Petridis of The Guardian
praised its choral finale, which E! Online called "warm" and "earthy". Slant Magazine
labeled it a moment of greatness on the album. However, Stylus Magazine
compared it negatively to "Like a Prayer
", calling it "an off-hand denouncement of religion" and stating that "the same old song, over 10 years later, just doesn't cut it anymore". Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club
considered the song "emotionally resonant", but characterized the introduction of a choir as "busy".
" EP (again, considered an album by ARIA due to the number of different tracks) on the same day in December 2003. While "Love Profusion" peaked on the ARIA singles chart at #25, both "Nothing Fails" and "Remixed & Revisited" failed to chart on the ARIA albums chart. However, they did appear on the ARIA Dance Album chart at #5 for "Remixed & Revisited" and #6 for the "Nothing Fails" EP.
US 12" promo vinyl (PRO-A-101245)
US promo CD single (PRO-CDR-101230)
GR promo CD single (PR 04322)
US 2 x vinyl (0-42682)
EU CD single (5439 16500 2)
EU Maxi-CD (9362 42690 2)
EU Maxi-CD single (9362 42682 2)
AU Maxi-CD single (9362 42682-2)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
from her 9th studio album American Life
American Life
American Life is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on April 22, 2003 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The album produced in its entirety by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï featured references to many parts of American culture...
. It was released by Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
on November 21, 2003. There was little promotion to accompany it and no music video was filmed. The song performed poorly on most mainstream charts. The song was released as a double A-side to the fourth and final single "Love Profusion
Love Profusion
"Love Profusion" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 2003 studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on December 8, 2003 in the UK, Europe and Australia and in North America on March 16, 2004. The song failed to match the chart success...
" in some territories such as the UK and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Background and composition
The song started as a collaboration between Guy SigsworthGuy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth is a U.K. based composer, producer and songwriter. In his career to date he has worked with many famous artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian and Alanis Morissette...
and singer Jem Archer
Jem (singer)
Jemma Griffiths , better known as Jem, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Finally Woken, includes elements of rock, new wave-styled electronica and trip-hop...
as she was beginning work on her debut album. After two days of working in the studio the song "Silly Thing" was written, which later became "Nothing Fails". Sigsworth had initially planned to write the song for his wife. He said: "I never write love songs, but I was moved to write one for her. I've never had a problematic relationship with her, there's not been a lot of drama. But I wanted to write something naive and honest." The song was later played for Madonna, who loved it and added to and changed parts of the song. On the song Archer said: "When I finally heard the finished song it was the strangest experience. It's not every day you hear Madonna singing words and melodies you sang into your dictaphone at two in the morning! I really admire her for being so involved in everything she does. The song sounds beautiful."
The London Community Gospel Choir, led by Nicki Brown, recorded backing vocals for the song , and performed it with a choir during her MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
American Life Special. The strings engineer for the choir Geoff Foster recalls that the choir consisted of "a bunch of great singers giving it loudly, it was impressive." No official music video was produced for the release.
Critical reception
Critical response to the song was generally positive. Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment 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...
called it "lovely" and named it, among other songs from the album "refreshingly - hell, shockingly - earnest". Alex Petridis of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
praised its choral finale, which E! Online called "warm" and "earthy". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
labeled it a moment of greatness on the album. However, Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
compared it negatively to "Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer (song)
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...
", calling it "an off-hand denouncement of religion" and stating that "the same old song, over 10 years later, just doesn't cut it anymore". Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
considered the song "emotionally resonant", but characterized the introduction of a choir as "busy".
Chart performance
"Nothing Fails" was a minor chart success, but did not match the success of previous singles from American Life in Europe, charting outside the top twenty in some countries. In Canada the song charted in the top ten. It was a dance hit in the US though, charting at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club play chart. In the UK, it remained unreleased as a single and was included as a radio edit on the "Love Profusion" single. In Australia, Warner released a maxi CD single of "Nothing Fails" (considered an album by ARIA, due to its playing time), a two-part CD single of "Love Profusion" (which, like the UK single, featured a radio edit of "Nothing Fails") and the "Remixed & RevisitedRemixed & Revisited
Remixed & Revisited is an remix album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 24, 2003 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
" EP (again, considered an album by ARIA due to the number of different tracks) on the same day in December 2003. While "Love Profusion" peaked on the ARIA singles chart at #25, both "Nothing Fails" and "Remixed & Revisited" failed to chart on the ARIA albums chart. However, they did appear on the ARIA Dance Album chart at #5 for "Remixed & Revisited" and #6 for the "Nothing Fails" EP.
Track listings and formats
US 12" promo vinyl (PRO-A-101232)- A1 "Nothing Fails" (Peter Rauhofer's Classic House Mix) — 8:24
- B1 "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Big Room Rock Mix) — 6:44
- B2 "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Global Dub) — 7:45
US 12" promo vinyl (PRO-A-101245)
- "Nothing Fails" (Peter Rauhofer's Lost In Space Mix) — 8:36
US promo CD single (PRO-CDR-101230)
GR promo CD single (PR 04322)
- "Nothing Fails" (Radio Edit) — 3:46
- "Nothing Fails" (Radio Remix) — 3:59
US 2 x vinyl (0-42682)
- A1 "Nothing Fails" (Peter Rauhofer's Classic House Mix) — 7:38
- A2 "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Big Room Rock Mix) — 6:44
- B1 "Nothing Fails" (Tracy Young's Underground Mix) — 7:29
- B2 "Nothing Fails" (Jackie's In Love In The Club Mix) — 7:28
- C1 "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Global Dub) — 7:45
- C2 "Nobody Knows Me" (Mount Sims Italo Kiss Mix) — 5:26
- D1 "Nobody Knows Me" (Mount Sims Old School Mix) — 4:44
- D2 "Nothing Fails" (Tracy Young's Underground Dub) — 8:36
EU CD single (5439 16500 2)
- "Nothing Fails" (Radio Edit) — 3:46
- "Nothing Fails" (Peter Rauhofer's Classic House Mix) — 8:24
EU Maxi-CD (9362 42690 2)
- "Nothing Fails" (Radio Edit) — 3:46
- "Nothing Fails" (Peter Rauhofer's Classic House Mix) — 8:24
- "Nothing Fails" (Tracy Young's Underground Mix) — 7:29
- "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Big Room Rock Mix) — 6:44
EU Maxi-CD single (9362 42682 2)
AU Maxi-CD single (9362 42682-2)
- "Nothing Fails" (Peter Rauhofer's Classic House Mix) — 8:24
- "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Big Room Rock Mix) — 6:44
- "Nothing Fails" (Tracy Young's Underground Mix) — 7:29
- "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Global Dub) - 7:45
- "Nothing Fails" (Jackie's In Love In The Club Mix) — 7:28
- "Nobody Knows Me" (Peter Rauhofer's Private Life Part 1) — 8:07
- "Nobody Knows Me" (Above & Beyond 12" Mix) — 8:45
- "Nobody Knows Me" (Mount Sims Italo Kiss Mix) — 5:26
Nothing Fails/Love Profusion
EU Maxi-CD (9362 42697 2)- "Nothing Fails" (Radio Edit) — 3:46
- "Love Profusion" (Album Version) — 3:48
- "Love Profusion" (The Passengerz Club) — 7:01
Nothing Fails/Nobody Knows Me
US Maxi-CD (42682-2)- "Nothing Fails" (Peter Rauhofer's Classic House Mix) — 8:24
- "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Big Room Rock Mix) — 6:44
- "Nothing Fails" (Tracy Young's Underground Mix) — 7:29
- "Nothing Fails" (Nevins Global Dub) — 7:45
- "Nothing Fails" (Jackie's In Love In The Club Mix) — 7:28
- "Nobody Knows Me" (Peter Rauhofer's Private Life Part 1) — 8:07
- "Nobody Knows Me" (Above & Beyond 12" Mix) — 8:45
- "Nobody Knows Me" (Mount Sims Italo Kiss Mix) — 5:26
Official versions
- Album Version (4:48)
- Radio Edit (3:46)
- Radio Remix (3:59)
- Peter Rauhofer's Classic House Mix (8:24)
- Peter Rauhofer's Lost In Space Mix (8:37) (Bonus track on the 'Love Profusion' USA CD Maxi Single)
- Nevins Mix (4:00) (featured on Remixed & Revisited as simply "Nevins Mix")
- Nevins Big Room Rock Mix (6:44)
- Nevins Global Dub (7:45)
- Tracy Young's Underground Mix (7:29)
- Tracy Young's Underground Dub (8:36)
- Jackie's In Love In The Club Mix (7:28)
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian 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... Dance Albums Chart |
6 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 51 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
7 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 11 |
| France SNEP Singles Chart | 34 |
| German Singles Chart 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... |
36 |
| Germany Airplay Chart 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 |
| Greek Singles Chart | 19 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
10 |
| Italian FIMI Singles Chart | 7 |
| Romanian Singles Chart | 49 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Spain Los 40 Principales Chart | 35 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 41 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 1 |