Please Don't Let Me Go
Encyclopedia
"Please Don't Let Me Go" is a song by British
singer Olly Murs
. Written by Murs, Claude Kelly
and Steve Robson
, the song served as the lead single
from the X Factor
runner-up's eponymous debut
album. The song was released as a digital download
in the United Kingdom
on 29 August 2010, where it debuted at number-one on the singles chart; also peaking at number five in Ireland
.
of singing competition The X Factor
, following which he was offered a joint record deal with Epic Records
and Syco Music in February 2010. Work then began on his debut album and "Please Don't Let Me Go" was written by Murs, Claude Kelly and Steve Robson
. The song is about a minor relationship Murs was in where he ended up feeling something for the other person. Murs commented: "Sadly she kept giving me the impression that she didn't like me as much, and ultimately it didn't work out, so that's where the idea of me singing 'Please Don't Let Me Go' came from." Murs said he was excited to be releasing the single, stating that it was important to him that it was an original song, and that he wanted it to be different from his performances on The X Factor.
The song premiered on British radio on 2 July 2010 on Capital FM.
. The video shows Murs pursuing a young girl who is playing hard-to-get at a large party. When he starts to lose hope, she then pursues him and the video culminates with both of them dancing into the night. The woman playing the female subject of the song was chosen personally by Murs. The owner of the house also appeared as an extra in the video. As Murs was well known for his dancing on The X Factor, he wanted a video in which he did not dance, to make it more about the song.
described "Please Don't Let Me Go" as "a lovely summery reggae
-tinged pop tune that bobs along in a thoroughly hummable and not un-Will Young
-like fashion" and said that the music video "is just as quintessentially pleasant". A reviewer for children's news programme Newsround
rated the song four out of five, stating: "The song is funky, catchy and easy to sing along to. It's quite a mellow, summery sound[.]"
. On 5 September, the single debuted at number-one on the UK chart
, having sold 93,239 copies. The single spent only one week at the top of the singles chart, having been dethroned by fellow X Factor contestant Alexandra Burke
and the single "Start Without You
". "Please Don't Let Me Go" spent three weeks within the top 10 and nine weeks within the top 40. Following the release of Murs' second single "Thinking of Me
", the single re-entered the top 40 at number thirty-nine; bringing its total weeks spent within the top 40 to ten. Due to downloads, the single's B-side "This One's for the Girls" charted for one week at number 69.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
singer Olly Murs
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
. Written by Murs, Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. He has a prolific discography, well known for writing for artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Sean, Adam Lambert, Jessie J and Charice.-Career:He began playing the piano...
and Steve Robson
Steve Robson
Steve Robson is an English songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song, "What Hurts the Most" co-written with Jeffrey Steele and recorded by Rascal Flatts as well as winning a Brit award and Ivor Novello award for the song "Shine"...
, the song served as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from the X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
runner-up's eponymous debut
Olly Murs (album)
-Charts:-End of year charts:-Certifications:-Tour:On 21 November 2010 a UK tour was announced for 2011 to promote the album.-Release history:...
album. The song was released as a 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...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 29 August 2010, where it debuted at number-one on the singles chart; also peaking at number five in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Background
In 2009, Murs was runner-up in the sixth seriesThe X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of singing competition The X Factor
The 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...
, following which he was offered a joint record deal with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
and Syco Music in February 2010. Work then began on his debut album and "Please Don't Let Me Go" was written by Murs, Claude Kelly and Steve Robson
Steve Robson
Steve Robson is an English songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song, "What Hurts the Most" co-written with Jeffrey Steele and recorded by Rascal Flatts as well as winning a Brit award and Ivor Novello award for the song "Shine"...
. The song is about a minor relationship Murs was in where he ended up feeling something for the other person. Murs commented: "Sadly she kept giving me the impression that she didn't like me as much, and ultimately it didn't work out, so that's where the idea of me singing 'Please Don't Let Me Go' came from." Murs said he was excited to be releasing the single, stating that it was important to him that it was an original song, and that he wanted it to be different from his performances on The X Factor.
The song premiered on British radio on 2 July 2010 on Capital FM.
Track listing
Music video
The music video for "Please Don't Let Me Go" premiered on 23 July 2010. It was filmed on location at a house near Reading, BerkshireReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. The video shows Murs pursuing a young girl who is playing hard-to-get at a large party. When he starts to lose hope, she then pursues him and the video culminates with both of them dancing into the night. The woman playing the female subject of the song was chosen personally by Murs. The owner of the house also appeared as an extra in the video. As Murs was well known for his dancing on The X Factor, he wanted a video in which he did not dance, to make it more about the song.
Critical reception
Nick Levine from Digital SpyDigital 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....
described "Please Don't Let Me Go" as "a lovely summery 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...
-tinged pop tune that bobs along in a thoroughly hummable and not un-Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
-like fashion" and said that the music video "is just as quintessentially pleasant". A reviewer for children's news programme Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
rated the song four out of five, stating: "The song is funky, catchy and easy to sing along to. It's quite a mellow, summery sound[.]"
Chart performance
The single made its chart debut on 3 September, where it debuted at number five on the Irish chartIrish 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...
. On 5 September, the single debuted at number-one on the UK 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 ...
, having sold 93,239 copies. The single spent only one week at the top of the singles chart, having been dethroned by fellow X Factor contestant Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
and the single "Start Without You
Start Without You
"Start Without You" is a song by British recording artist Alexandra Burke. Featuring vocals from Jamaican American reggae rapper Laza Morgan, it was written by Kristian Lundin, Savan Kotecha, Julian Bunetta, and RedOne. The song is a pop song, which incorporates reggae fusion and dancehall....
". "Please Don't Let Me Go" spent three weeks within the top 10 and nine weeks within the top 40. Following the release of Murs' second single "Thinking of Me
Thinking of Me
"Thinking of Me" is a pop song by British singer Olly Murs, taken from his debut studio album, Olly Murs. It is written by Murs, Wayne Hector and Steve Robson, and was released as Murs's second single on 19 November 2010...
", the single re-entered the top 40 at number thirty-nine; bringing its total weeks spent within the top 40 to ten. Due to downloads, the single's B-side "This One's for the Girls" charted for one week at number 69.
Personnel
- Writer – Olly Murs, Claude KellyClaude KellyClaude Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. He has a prolific discography, well known for writing for artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Sean, Adam Lambert, Jessie J and Charice.-Career:He began playing the piano...
, Steve RobsonSteve RobsonSteve Robson is an English songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song, "What Hurts the Most" co-written with Jeffrey Steele and recorded by Rascal Flatts as well as winning a Brit award and Ivor Novello award for the song "Shine"... - Producer – Future Cut, Steve Robson
- Mixer – Steve FitzmauriceSteve FitzmauriceSteven Fitzmaurice is a Grammy Award-winning mixer and producer based in London, UK. His credits include albums for Craig David, Depeche Mode, Kate Nash, Seal, and U2.Born in Ireland, Fitzmaurice moved to London in 1987 to carve out a career in music...
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Release history
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 27 August 2010 | 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... |
| United Kingdom | 29 August 2010 | |
| 30 August 2010 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
|
| Australia | 27 August 2010 | 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... |
| New Zealand | 17 September 2010 |
See also
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (UK)