The Way Love Goes
Encyclopedia
"The Way Love Goes" is the first single taken from British
R&B singer Lemar
's first compilation album The Hits
. The song received a digital download release on 14 February 2010, while a physical CD was released the following day.
, Lemar explained the background to 'The Way Love Goes': "With my 'The Hits' album being a celebration of what I've done so far as well as being a look into what I want to do in the future, I didn't want the first single to be too serious. So, while lyrically the topic of the song is love and there is a serious thread going through it, sonically I wanted the actual track to be light-hearted, upbeat and different to what some people have become accustomed to from me. You know, after songs like 'If There's Any Justice' and 'It's Not That Easy', I think people just got used to hearing me in that very old skool soul style and maybe forgot about earlier songs like 'Dance (With U)' and '50/50'. So, with 'The Way Love Goes', I just wanted to flip it and to show people there is another side to me - as well as coming with a live upbeat track to help create a celebration-type vibe for the album."
Chart Blog gave the song a positive review stating:
on 21 February 2010. The single has so far managed to peak at #8, his first Top 10 single since "It's Not That Easy
" in 2006. It became Lemar's seventh Top 10 single. The following week, the single dropped 11 places to #18, meaning it only spent 1 week in the UK Top 10. On 7 March 2010, the single dropped a further 13 places to #32. The following week, the single feel to #33, meaning the song has spent a total of 4 weeks in the UK Top 40 as of 14 March 2010.
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...
R&B singer Lemar
Lemar
Lemar Obika , professionally known simply as Lemar, is an English recording artist. Obika has had a run of chart success in the UK, Europe and Australia...
's first compilation album The Hits
The Hits (Lemar album)
The Hits is the first greatest hits collection by English soul/R&B singer Lemar. The album was released on March 8, 2010. The first single off the album is called "The Way Love Goes". The album also contains two other new songs plus a re-recorded version of "What About Love" with X Factor 2008...
. The song received a digital download release on 14 February 2010, while a physical CD was released the following day.
Background
Speaking to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & SoulBlues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....
, Lemar explained the background to 'The Way Love Goes': "With my 'The Hits' album being a celebration of what I've done so far as well as being a look into what I want to do in the future, I didn't want the first single to be too serious. So, while lyrically the topic of the song is love and there is a serious thread going through it, sonically I wanted the actual track to be light-hearted, upbeat and different to what some people have become accustomed to from me. You know, after songs like 'If There's Any Justice' and 'It's Not That Easy', I think people just got used to hearing me in that very old skool soul style and maybe forgot about earlier songs like 'Dance (With U)' and '50/50'. So, with 'The Way Love Goes', I just wanted to flip it and to show people there is another side to me - as well as coming with a live upbeat track to help create a celebration-type vibe for the album."
Critical reception
Fraser McAlpine of BBCBBC
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 a positive review stating:
OK, I give in. King Cnut had to find out his limits the hard way and so, it seems, do I. If a man with a singing voice of as unmistakably high a quality as Lemar's can resort to a bit of autotune, everyone else might as well opt for a robo-tracheotomy and have done with it.
At least he's using it well, following the Cher model, where you slightly and subtly androiderise your all-too meaty voice so that it sits better among the unyielding electronica. It's a bit like having a USB port soldered into your neck. Slightly painful, but a useful way to get two different operating systems to interface effectively*.
The other model is to use it as a kind of robo-polyfilla, where all vocal cracks are given a smooth metallic outer coating because the voice inside would simply collapse without it. If asked, all singers and producers will claim that this model does not actually exist, and that they are all dabbling with this hot new production technique for genuine artistic reasons. And because everyone else is. The song was awarded a 4 star.
Music video
The music video for The Way Love Goes was shot by LUT! MED!A director Rage on December 11, 2009 and premiered online on The Sun Website on January 14, 2010.Remixes
- The Way Love Goes (Full Phatt Remix) (featuring Mz Bratt)
- The Way Love Goes (Cahill Club Dub)
- The Way Love Goes (Cahill Radio Edit)
Chart performance
"The Way Love Goes" first entered the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
on 21 February 2010. The single has so far managed to peak at #8, his first Top 10 single since "It's Not That Easy
It's Not That Easy
"It's Not That Easy" is the first single taken from British R&B singer Lemar's third album The Truth About Love.Before the single's release, "It's Not That Easy" made the top 3 of the UK radio airplay chart and the top 10 of the TV airplay chart. The week prior to the single's physical release,...
" in 2006. It became Lemar's seventh Top 10 single. The following week, the single dropped 11 places to #18, meaning it only spent 1 week in the UK Top 10. On 7 March 2010, the single dropped a further 13 places to #32. The following week, the single feel to #33, meaning the song has spent a total of 4 weeks in the UK Top 40 as of 14 March 2010.
| Chart (2010) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
33 |