To Love Again (song)
Encyclopedia
"To Love Again" is the first single from a re-release of Alesha Dixon
's second album, The Alesha Show
, entitled The Alesha Show - Encore released by Asylum Records
. The song is produced by John Shanks
and written by Gary Barlow
, and is one of four new tracks that appears on the re-release. Bimbo Jones
has done a club remix for the song. The first week sales raised from the song were donated to Children in Need
.
met in Los Angeles
with John Shanks
and penned the song within the day. Dixon wrote the lyrics about recovering from her divorce with MC Harvey a few years previously. Barlow stated, "We all sat around the piano and To Love Again was created throughout that afternoon. Later that night we recorded the song. It was clear this would take a big vocal performance. I hadn't heard anything like it on Alesha's record. She went in the vocal booth and killed it. It was a joy to watch. Take after take she really nailed it." Dixon praised Barlow, describing him as a "genius" and explained the reason for creating the track together; "We've become really good friends since going up the mountain together for Comic Relief
. He is a genius so it was an absolute honour to write the song with him."
influenced ballad
that lasts 3 minutes and 51 seconds. The song consists of 67 beats per minute; a moderate tempo
. The instruments primarily used throughout the song are the piano
and the guitar
. The song is written in the key of A minor
and Dixon's vocal range spans from F3
to C5
. Fraser McAlpine of the BBC
commented that "it's a plaintive ballad, which starts kind of small and intimate and ends kind of huge and expanded [...] It sounds for all the world like a classic Gary Barlow
ballad - a slower 'Patience
'". The Daily Star described "To Love Again" as "an epic ballad that will surprise many of Alesha's fans". Music website TeenToday noted Dixon's vocal ability, saying " Dixon's voice has never sounded better – and in fact, seems to have got a bit stronger".
was originally intended to be filmed in Prague
, however, the video shoot coincided with a papal visit by Pope Benedict XVI
, and filming difficulties would occur. Also, Charles Bridge
, which was planned to feature throughout the video was clad in scaffolding, causing more filming complications. The new video, shot on 8 October 2009 in Battersea Park
, London
, features Dixon walking through a mist
y park with autumn
leaves scattered across the ground. Her love interest throughout the video appears then disappears intermittently, giving the impression he is spirit-like. The video ends at night with Dixon stood in the park in the centre of a group of people, with skyscraper
s in the backdrop, with an array of sky lantern
s flying in the sky. The video premiered on 4Music
on 13 October 2009 at 7:00pm GMT
. The video was directed by Big TV!.
at 15; this would be the peak position it would reach. The next week "To Love Again" dropped 11 places to 26 in the charts and by week 3 it had disappeared from the Top 40 entirely; it had dropped to 50 in the charts. Week 3 became the last week it charted in, before dropping out of the Top 75. Peaking a 15, "To Love Again" became Dixon's lowest charting single since "Knockdown" in 2006, which charted at 45. "To Love Again", despite being released in Ireland
, failed to chart on the Irish Singles Chart
, though every single Dixon has released has fared less well in the Irish charts than the UK charts.
telethon event on BBC1, which she also co-hosted with Terry Wogan
and Tess Daly
. Additionally, Dixon performed "The Boy Does Nothing" at Children in Need too. Dixon, according to the Daily Mail
, "looked angelic" in a Ralph & Russo
gown which she wore whilst performing on Children in Need. On 24 November Dixon sang live at GMTV
. Dixon then performed "To Love Again" on 27 November on The Alan Titchmarsh Show
. Dixon did perform on Alan Carr: Chatty Man
, however she neglected to play "To Love Again", and chose instead to perform "The Light", an album track from The Alesha Show - Encore
.
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
's second album, The Alesha Show
The Alesha Show
The Alesha Show is the second studio album from British R&B recording artist Alesha Dixon, the album is her first album to be released in the United Kingdom. It was released on November 24, 2008 in the UK by Asylum Records...
, entitled The Alesha Show - Encore released by Asylum Records
Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell...
. The song is produced by John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
and written by Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
, and is one of four new tracks that appears on the re-release. Bimbo Jones
Bimbo Jones
Bimbo Jones is a UK dance music group comprising producers Lee Dagger and Marc JB and vocalist Katherine Ellis. Known for their remix work and white label releases, they produced a remix of Meck's 2006 UK number-one single "Thunder in My Heart Again"...
has done a club remix for the song. The first week sales raised from the song were donated to Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
.
Background
Dixon and BarlowGary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
met 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...
with John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
and penned the song within the day. Dixon wrote the lyrics about recovering from her divorce with MC Harvey a few years previously. Barlow stated, "We all sat around the piano and To Love Again was created throughout that afternoon. Later that night we recorded the song. It was clear this would take a big vocal performance. I hadn't heard anything like it on Alesha's record. She went in the vocal booth and killed it. It was a joy to watch. Take after take she really nailed it." Dixon praised Barlow, describing him as a "genius" and explained the reason for creating the track together; "We've become really good friends since going up the mountain together for Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
. He is a genius so it was an absolute honour to write the song with him."
Composition
"To Love Again" is a popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
influenced ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
that lasts 3 minutes and 51 seconds. The song consists of 67 beats per minute; a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. The instruments primarily used throughout the song are the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. The song is written in the key of A minor
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
and Dixon's vocal range spans from F3
F (musical note)
F is a musical note, the fourth above C. It is also known as fa in fixed-do solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle F is approximately 349.228 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
to C5
C (musical note)
C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
. Fraser McAlpine of the 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...
commented that "it's a plaintive ballad, which starts kind of small and intimate and ends kind of huge and expanded [...] It sounds for all the world like a classic Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
ballad - a slower 'Patience
Patience (Take That song)
"Patience" is a song by British boy band Take That. It was released on 13 November 2006 as the first single from their comeback album Beautiful World...
'". The Daily Star described "To Love Again" as "an epic ballad that will surprise many of Alesha's fans". Music website TeenToday noted Dixon's vocal ability, saying " Dixon's voice has never sounded better – and in fact, seems to have got a bit stronger".
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...
was originally intended to be filmed in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, however, the video shoot coincided with a papal visit by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, and filming difficulties would occur. Also, Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century...
, which was planned to feature throughout the video was clad in scaffolding, causing more filming complications. The new video, shot on 8 October 2009 in Battersea Park
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200 acre green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, and was opened in 1858....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, features Dixon walking through a mist
Mist
Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...
y park with autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
leaves scattered across the ground. Her love interest throughout the video appears then disappears intermittently, giving the impression he is spirit-like. The video ends at night with Dixon stood in the park in the centre of a group of people, with skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s in the backdrop, with an array of sky lantern
Sky lantern
Sky lanterns, also known as Kongming Lantern are airborne paper lanterns traditionally found in some Asian cultures. They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside...
s flying in the sky. The video premiered on 4Music
4Music
4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at with its own and pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and...
on 13 October 2009 at 7:00pm GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
. The video was directed by Big TV!.
Chart performance
The song 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 ...
at 15; this would be the peak position it would reach. The next week "To Love Again" dropped 11 places to 26 in the charts and by week 3 it had disappeared from the Top 40 entirely; it had dropped to 50 in the charts. Week 3 became the last week it charted in, before dropping out of the Top 75. Peaking a 15, "To Love Again" became Dixon's lowest charting single since "Knockdown" in 2006, which charted at 45. "To Love Again", despite being released 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...
, failed to chart on the 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...
, though every single Dixon has released has fared less well in the Irish charts than the UK charts.
Live performances
Dixon performed the song first on 20 November at the Children in Need 2009Children in Need 2009
Children in Need 2009 was a campaign held in the United Kingdom to raise money for Children in Need. It culminated in a live broadcast on BBC One which began on the evening of Friday 20 November and ran through to the morning of Saturday 21 November. The broadcast was hosted by Terry Wogan, Tess...
telethon event on BBC1, which she also co-hosted with Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
and Tess Daly
Tess Daly
Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly is an English television presenter. She is married to the presenter Vernon Kay.-Early life:Daly was born in Derbyshire to Vivian , who died of emphysema, and Sylvia Daly...
. Additionally, Dixon performed "The Boy Does Nothing" at Children in Need too. Dixon, according to the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, "looked angelic" in a Ralph & Russo
Ralph and Russo
Ralph & Russo is a luxury couture house that specialises in bespoke evening, cocktail and red carpet wear. The brand was established in London 2007 by Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo.-Gowns:...
gown which she wore whilst performing on Children in Need. On 24 November Dixon sang live at GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
. Dixon then performed "To Love Again" on 27 November on The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
. Dixon did perform on Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Alan Carr: Chatty Man is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Alan Carr. The award-winning show is on Channel 4. The show features interviews with celebrity guests, sketches, topical chat and music....
, however she neglected to play "To Love Again", and chose instead to perform "The Light", an album track from The Alesha Show - Encore
The Alesha Show
The Alesha Show is the second studio album from British R&B recording artist Alesha Dixon, the album is her first album to be released in the United Kingdom. It was released on November 24, 2008 in the UK by Asylum Records...
.
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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 ... |
15 |
| Scottish Singles Chart Scottish Singles and Albums Chart The Scottish Singles Chart and Scottish Albums Chart are charts compiled by The Official Charts Company, based on physical and digital sales in the STV North, STV Central and ITV Border regions.... |
23 |
Track listing
- Digital download
- "To Love Again" – 3:51
- Digital download EP
- "To Love Again" – 3:51
- "Breathe Slow" (Piano Remix) – 3:39
- "Before the Sun Goes Down" – 3:07
- CD single
- "To Love Again" – 3:51
- Bimbo JonesBimbo JonesBimbo Jones is a UK dance music group comprising producers Lee Dagger and Marc JB and vocalist Katherine Ellis. Known for their remix work and white label releases, they produced a remix of Meck's 2006 UK number-one single "Thunder in My Heart Again"...
remix
- "To Love Again" (The Bimbo Jones Remix) - 3:49
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 15 November, 2009 | 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... |
Asylum Records Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell... |
| 16 November, 2009 | 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... , Maxi single Maxi single A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:... |