Wonderful Life (Hurts song)
Encyclopedia
"Wonderful Life" is a song by English synthpop
duo Hurts
from their debut album, Happiness
. It was released as their debut single in Denmark on 3 May 2010, and was released as their second single in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2010. The song peaked at number two in Germany, and reached top ten positions in Denmark, Switzerland and Austria. It also charted in Belgium.
lead singer Theo Hutchcraft said of the song: "It's basically based on two extremes: the first being a man who wants to kill himself and the second being love at first sight. He's standing on the bridge about to jump and he's stopped by a woman. They see each other and fall in love. She basically says, 'Come with me, it's all going to be fine'. The song only offers a snippet of someone's life, so we don't know what happens at the end of it."
gave the song five out of five stars writing: "Over noirishly simmering synths, frontman Theo Hutchcraft tells the story of a suicidal man saved from jumping off the Severn Bridge
by the strike of love at first sight. The rest, quite frankly, speaks for itself. Classy video? Check. Haunting vocals? You got 'em. Epic instrumental breakdown two-thirds of the way through? Seriously, it's all here." The Guardian
reviewer Paul Lester wrote: "Wonderful Life is a heart-piercing future classic. Close your eyes and you're transported back to 1987, with the pristine production and melodies." Fraser McAlpine of BBC
Chart Blog gave the song four out of five stars and described it as a sad song with "bitterly optimistic lyrics". Brent DiCrescenzo from Time Out Chicago gave "Wonderful Life" four out of five stars and called it a "immaculately crafted, melodramatic pop song[s]" Sarah Walters of City Life
gave the song three out of five stars. She felt the song was "a product of the 1980s", and wrote, "There are countless debts in here: the sentimental synth of the Pet Shop Boys
or Fiction Factory
, the dancefloor savvy of The Beloved
, the emotional lyrical arch China Crisis
or the dashes of saxophone used by Spandau Ballet
and Black". (Coincidentally, Black was a one-hit wonder
band with a song of the same title
). Altsounds.com gave the song a favourable review, stating: "It isn't ground-breaking by any means but it is a good example of pop music done well. Sure the lyrics aren't the greatest [...] but the chorus is good and will rattle around in your brain for quite a few hours after you have finished listening to it."
Source:
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
duo Hurts
Hurts
Hurts are a British synthpop duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson . Their debut album Happiness, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
from their debut album, Happiness
Happiness (Hurts album)
Happiness is the debut studio album by English synthpop duo Hurts, released in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2010. It was preceded by the release of the singles "Better Than Love" on 23 May 2010 and "Wonderful Life" on 22 August 2010. Collaborators include Jonas Quant and production team The...
. It was released as their debut single in Denmark on 3 May 2010, and was released as their second single in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2010. The song peaked at number two in Germany, and reached top ten positions in Denmark, Switzerland and Austria. It also charted in Belgium.
Background
In an interview with entertainment website 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....
lead singer Theo Hutchcraft said of the song: "It's basically based on two extremes: the first being a man who wants to kill himself and the second being love at first sight. He's standing on the bridge about to jump and he's stopped by a woman. They see each other and fall in love. She basically says, 'Come with me, it's all going to be fine'. The song only offers a snippet of someone's life, so we don't know what happens at the end of it."
Critical reception
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....
gave the song five out of five stars writing: "Over noirishly simmering synths, frontman Theo Hutchcraft tells the story of a suicidal man saved from jumping off the Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
by the strike of love at first sight. The rest, quite frankly, speaks for itself. Classy video? Check. Haunting vocals? You got 'em. Epic instrumental breakdown two-thirds of the way through? Seriously, it's all here." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reviewer Paul Lester wrote: "Wonderful Life is a heart-piercing future classic. Close your eyes and you're transported back to 1987, with the pristine production and melodies." Fraser McAlpine of 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...
Chart Blog gave the song four out of five stars and described it as a sad song with "bitterly optimistic lyrics". Brent DiCrescenzo from Time Out Chicago gave "Wonderful Life" four out of five stars and called it a "immaculately crafted, melodramatic pop song[s]" Sarah Walters of City Life
City Life (Magazine)
City Life was a Manchester-based listings magazine that was published between December 1983 and December 2005. It was a distinctive blend of radical politics and coverage of the increasingly exciting Manchester youth culture scene of the early 1980s, coinciding with the rise of Factory Records and...
gave the song three out of five stars. She felt the song was "a product of the 1980s", and wrote, "There are countless debts in here: the sentimental synth of the Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
or Fiction Factory
Fiction Factory
Fiction Factory are a Scottish New Wave band from Perth, originally formed in 1983.Before they started their project Fiction Factory, Kevin Patterson , Eddie Jordan , Grant Taylor and Chic Medley played in The Rude Boys , a skinhead ska band.CBS asked the band to create a concert playing band, so...
, the dancefloor savvy of The Beloved
The Beloved
The Beloved are an English electronic dance music group, best known for the singles "Sweet Harmony", "Hello", "Your Love Takes Me Higher", and "Satellite".-Formation:...
, the emotional lyrical arch China Crisis
China Crisis
China Crisis is an English pop/rock band. They were formed in 1979 in Kirkby, near Liverpool, Merseyside with a core of vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon...
or the dashes of saxophone used by Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet are a British band formed in London in the late 1970s. Initially inspired by, and an integral part of, the New Romantic fashion, their music has featured a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, achieving ten Top Ten singles...
and Black". (Coincidentally, Black was a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
band with a song of the same title
Wonderful Life (Black song)
"Wonderful Life" is a song by British singer Black from his 1987 album of the same name. Written by Black himself, Colin Vearncombe, the song was released twice as a single and was successful the second time, becoming a top ten hit in Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Austria and Italy.-Single...
). Altsounds.com gave the song a favourable review, stating: "It isn't ground-breaking by any means but it is a good example of pop music done well. Sure the lyrics aren't the greatest [...] but the chorus is good and will rattle around in your brain for quite a few hours after you have finished listening to it."
Track listing
- Danish digital download
- "Wonderful Life" – 4:14
- UK CD single
- "Wonderful Life" – 4:16
- "Affair" – 6:26
- UK digital download
- "Wonderful Life" (Radio Edit) – 3:34
- "Wonderful Life" (Mantronix Remix) – 5:11
- "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix) – 6:43
- "Wonderful Life" (FreemasonsFreemasons (band)Freemasons are an English dance band from Brighton, East Sussex, England. The act consists of producers Russell Small and James Wiltshire .-2005-2007: Early Career:Their name is taken from the Brighton pub, Freemasons Tavern, Hove, which they frequently...
Remix Radio Edit) – 3:23 - "Wonderful Life" (Freemasons Extended Mix) – 8:28
- UK 7" vinyl
- "Wonderful Life" – 4:16
- "Wonderful Life" (Mantronix Remix) – 5:11
- UK 12" picture vinyl
- "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix) – 6:43
- "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix Instrumental)
- German digital download
- "Wonderful Life" – 4:16
- "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix) – 6:43
- "Wonderful Life" (Lexy Remix) – 7:22
- "Wonderful Life" (Mantronix Remix) – 5:11
- German CD single
- "Wonderful Life" – 4:14
- "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix) – 6:43
Personnel
- HurtsHurtsHurts are a British synthpop duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson . Their debut album Happiness, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
– lyricsLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, musicComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and productionRecord 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... - Joseph Cross – music and production
- Jonas QuantJonas QuantJonas Quant is a producer and songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden. One of the Swedish label Dot's leading artists, Quant released a few neo-electro EPs for the quirky label in the late 1990s, in addition to several compilation contributions as well as remixes. His first album was released in 2000...
– additional production - Spike StentMark StentMark 'Spike' Stent is a British record producer, and audio engineer who has worked with The KLF, Björk, Keane, Depeche Mode, Muse, Erasure, Hard-Fi, Massive Attack, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Manson, Pet Shop Boys, Dave Matthews, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, CSS, Beth Orton,...
– 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... - George Marino – masteringAudio 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...
Source:
Weekly charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Poland (ZPAV Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) |
1 |
| Poland (Dance Top 50 Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) |
37 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Austria | Gold |
| Germany 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.... |
Platinum |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 29 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 50 |
| German Singles Chart | 8 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart | 71 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 31 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 3 May 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... |
| Germany | 30 July 2010 | |
| 6 August 2010 | CD single | |
| United Kingdom | 22 August 2010 | Digital download |
| 23 August 2010 | CD single |