Possibility (song)
Encyclopedia
"Possibility" is a song recorded by Swedish recording artist Lykke Li
for the soundtrack to the 2009 film The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Li had been asked to write a song for the film soundtrack, but she was initially reluctant to commit to the project. It was after she had seen an early screening of the film that she decided she wanted to contribute to the soundtrack. Following the soundtrack release on 16 October 2009, "Possibility" charted at number fifty-nine on the Swedish Singles Chart
for the week of 4 December 2009, based on download sales from the album.
, saying, "Everyone kept asking me if I wanted to do it, how [the song] was going, when would I have it finished, and I was like, 'Eh, I don't know, maybe I'll do it, maybe I won't.' I mean, I had heard of the Twilight phenomenon, but I didn't read the books or watch the first movie or anything. I mean, I'm Swedish." She also added, "I stayed [in Los Angeles
] and watched the movie, when it only had green screen on it. I had this hook in my mind, even before I saw the movie, and then I was watching it, and I was like, 'That's the hook!' So it was very much like a discovery, inside myself and musically. I had this song growing inside of me that I had to get out, and [the film] was the trigger. Because I really connected with Bella
and Edward
's tortured love story."
The following year, on 13 December 2010, she told The Guardian
: "I was sitting in a car in England [when I got the call] eating a sandwich from Tesco
, and I had no idea what Twilight was. Somebody explained it as this thing about vampires and I'm like, 'I hate vampires.' But when I thought about it, there are so few pop culture things today, where people are really crazy about something, like Beatlemania
, so I thought, how cool to be part of something that so many young, open hearts listen to."
that Li "could melt the coldest of hearts with this sparse tearjerker. A slight scratch in her vocals cuts through the song's intimately innocent feel. 'Tell me when you hear my heart stop,' she sings, while a backing choir inflects the sparse piano with gospel
undertones—a brief, largely a cappella prayer." Dose
magazine referred to the song as "one of the more gripping mope-outs on the disc. The Swedish pop-singer coos in a cracked-with-emotion whisper, accompanied by a barely-there piano, as she pines for a lover." IndieLondon rated the song four out of five, stating it is "as beautiful and haunting as we've come to expect from this Swedish performer... and perfectly ethereal to accompany staring out the window at a snowy landscape. If it wasn't essential beforehand, it damn sure is now!" Consequence of Sound
critic Anthony Balderrama noted that Li "channels some of the more intimate moments of her short career on 'Possibility'. It evokes the vulnerability she's so good at cooing, just as she did in the simple 'Time Flies' and 'Tonight' off of last year's Youth Novels
. At five minutes, the locomotive rhythm and clunky piano borders on plodding, but the overall effect is so depressing that it works better than it should." Marc Hogan from Pitchfork Media
commented that the "feedback-streaked piano ballad 'Possibility' is a relative bright spot, but like the rest of the tracks [on the soundtrack], it pales in comparison to the work on her own records." Krista Richmond from KillerFilm called the song "lovely in its haunted, enchanting way" and added that it is "soft and melodic enough to pull at even the toughest of heartstrings." MusicRadar
's Joe Bosso opined that "[t]his stark, piano-based hymn is spiritual stuff, and Li's arresting vocal powers will have you on your knees in worship." Adam Pfleider of AbsolutePunk believed that "Lykke Li is where the problem of the soundtrack lies. I can't listen to this music without thinking of where it will end up in the melodrama of some teenager metamorphosing into a CGI werewolf. 'Possibility' is a beautiful song, but I can't help feeling its placement in the film would kill its blossoming melody in the end."
In December 2009, the song was announced as one of the sixty-three songs to be shortlisted for the Best Original Song
category at the 82nd Academy Awards
, but did not make it to the final list.
consists of a live performance of the song Li gave at Stockholm
's Decibel Studios on 9 March 2010, directed by Marcus Palmqvist and Frode Fjerdingstad
. The singer posted the video on her blog on 18 March 2010—coinciding with her twenty-fourth birthday—, saying:
described the video as "the perfect visual representation of her ballad". Tyler Grisham of Pitchfork Media wrote it is "about as somber as the tune itself".
Lykke Li
Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson , better known by her stage name Lykke Li , is a Swedish singer-songwriter. Her music often blends elements of pop, indie rock and electronic; various instruments can also be found in her songs, including violins, synthesizers, tambourines, trumpets, saxophones and cellos...
for the soundtrack to the 2009 film The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Li had been asked to write a song for the film soundtrack, but she was initially reluctant to commit to the project. It was after she had seen an early screening of the film that she decided she wanted to contribute to the soundtrack. Following the soundtrack release on 16 October 2009, "Possibility" charted at number fifty-nine on the Swedish Singles Chart
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
for the week of 4 December 2009, based on download sales from the album.
Background and writing
On 12 October 2009, Li commented on the song in an interview with MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, saying, "Everyone kept asking me if I wanted to do it, how [the song] was going, when would I have it finished, and I was like, 'Eh, I don't know, maybe I'll do it, maybe I won't.' I mean, I had heard of the Twilight phenomenon, but I didn't read the books or watch the first movie or anything. I mean, I'm Swedish." She also added, "I stayed [in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
] and watched the movie, when it only had green screen on it. I had this hook in my mind, even before I saw the movie, and then I was watching it, and I was like, 'That's the hook!' So it was very much like a discovery, inside myself and musically. I had this song growing inside of me that I had to get out, and [the film] was the trigger. Because I really connected with Bella
Bella Swan
Isabella Marie "Bella" Swan is the fictional protagonist of the Twilight series, written by Stephenie Meyer. The Twilight series, consisting of the novels Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, is primarily narrated from Bella's point of view...
and Edward
Edward Cullen
Edward Cullen is one of the main characters of the Twilight book series and film.Edward Cullen is also the name of:*Ed Cullen , features writer for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate...
's tortured love story."
The following year, on 13 December 2010, she told The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
: "I was sitting in a car in England [when I got the call] eating a sandwich from Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, and I had no idea what Twilight was. Somebody explained it as this thing about vampires and I'm like, 'I hate vampires.' But when I thought about it, there are so few pop culture things today, where people are really crazy about something, like Beatlemania
Beatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
, so I thought, how cool to be part of something that so many young, open hearts listen to."
Critical reception
"Possibility" was well-received by music critics. Todd Martens wrote for the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
that Li "could melt the coldest of hearts with this sparse tearjerker. A slight scratch in her vocals cuts through the song's intimately innocent feel. 'Tell me when you hear my heart stop,' she sings, while a backing choir inflects the sparse piano with gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
undertones—a brief, largely a cappella prayer." Dose
Dose (magazine)
Dose is a daily Canadian news website and former daily print magazine.Dose was a mixture of standalone features and coverage of daily news, sometimes from an irreverent perspective...
magazine referred to the song as "one of the more gripping mope-outs on the disc. The Swedish pop-singer coos in a cracked-with-emotion whisper, accompanied by a barely-there piano, as she pines for a lover." IndieLondon rated the song four out of five, stating it is "as beautiful and haunting as we've come to expect from this Swedish performer... and perfectly ethereal to accompany staring out the window at a snowy landscape. If it wasn't essential beforehand, it damn sure is now!" Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
critic Anthony Balderrama noted that Li "channels some of the more intimate moments of her short career on 'Possibility'. It evokes the vulnerability she's so good at cooing, just as she did in the simple 'Time Flies' and 'Tonight' off of last year's Youth Novels
Youth Novels
Youth Novels is the debut album by Swedish recording artist Lykke Li, released in Sweden on 30 January 2008 on her own label, the EMI-distributed LL Recordings. It was entirely produced by Björn Yttling of Swedish indie rock trio Peter Bjorn and John and co-produced by Lasse Mårtén...
. At five minutes, the locomotive rhythm and clunky piano borders on plodding, but the overall effect is so depressing that it works better than it should." Marc Hogan from Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
commented that the "feedback-streaked piano ballad 'Possibility' is a relative bright spot, but like the rest of the tracks [on the soundtrack], it pales in comparison to the work on her own records." Krista Richmond from KillerFilm called the song "lovely in its haunted, enchanting way" and added that it is "soft and melodic enough to pull at even the toughest of heartstrings." MusicRadar
MusicRadar
MusicRadar is a website for musicians. It covers information pertaining to artists and music, special features, product news and reviews, music lessons and a social network service in the style of Facebook and Myspace...
's Joe Bosso opined that "[t]his stark, piano-based hymn is spiritual stuff, and Li's arresting vocal powers will have you on your knees in worship." Adam Pfleider of AbsolutePunk believed that "Lykke Li is where the problem of the soundtrack lies. I can't listen to this music without thinking of where it will end up in the melodrama of some teenager metamorphosing into a CGI werewolf. 'Possibility' is a beautiful song, but I can't help feeling its placement in the film would kill its blossoming melody in the end."
In December 2009, the song was announced as one of the sixty-three songs to be shortlisted for the Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
category at the 82nd Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
, but did not make it to the final list.
Music video
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...
consists of a live performance of the song Li gave at Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
's Decibel Studios on 9 March 2010, directed by Marcus Palmqvist and Frode Fjerdingstad
Frode Fjerdingstad
Frode Fjerdingstad is a photographer, born in Oslo, Norway. He studied photography at the London College of Printing. Frode has exhibited his work at the National Artcenter Tokyo and at several other occasions in London, Oslo, Zürich, Berlin, Stockholm, New York and Paris...
. The singer posted the video on her blog on 18 March 2010—coinciding with her twenty-fourth birthday—, saying:
"Here you go, Internet. The first live performance EVER of this song. An homage to an idea lost in the fire. Fortunately for us all, two camera men happened to be lurking in the shadows while me and my band got our groove on for the first time since we recorded it. Why the wait one might think? Well, me as well as other things had to dwell and change shapes for a while but now... Winter became spring. There is hope again!"
Reception
Mikela Floyd of FilterFilter (magazine)
FILTER, the publication that promises us that "Good music will prevail," is a seasonal American music and off-beat entertainment magazine. It features commentary and photos of up-and-coming musicians and filmmakers ranging from actors to writer-directors...
described the video as "the perfect visual representation of her ballad". Tyler Grisham of Pitchfork Media wrote it is "about as somber as the tune itself".
Personnel
- Lykke Li – 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...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Lasse Mårtén – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
59 |
| 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 ... |
133 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
20 |