Us Against the World (Westlife song)
Encyclopedia
"Us Against The World" is the second single from Westlife
's ninth studio album, Back Home
. The single was released in both Ireland
and the United Kingdom
. The single was officially confirmed by band member Nicky Byrne
during an X Factor
interview, which later appeared on the band's official website. The song was composed by Arnthor Birgisson, Rami Yacoub
and Savan Kotecha
. The trio also contributed to the upbeat tracks on the Back Home
album, namely "Something Right
", "The Easy Way", and "Pictures In My Head". "Us Against The World" was also dedicated to Westlife's fans worldwide to mark their continuous support. The band gave their first live performance of "Us Against The World" on the TV special "The Westlife Show - Live", which was broadcast on December 15, 2007. In the Philippines, both song and music video premiered on July 3, 2008, the band's anniversary date.
UK CD2
Alex Fletcher rated the album and said: "Westlife have claimed that 'Us Against The World' is the best track on their recent Back Home album, so, if nothing else, we should be grateful that the record company chose to release this rather than one of the tracks the soppy Irish warblers weren't as impressed with. Written about a relationship where the couple find themselves fighting "against the world" to stay together, it's the usual cliché-riddled, down-tempo chugger that the guys have been churning out for nearly ten years now. Knocking Westlife is an utterly futile endeavour. Millions have tried, but several million more keep on buying the records. If you love Mark's falsetto, Shane's dulcet tones, Kian's cheeky grin and Nicky's stubble, you'll doubtless be popping this on your stereo come Valentine's Day. On the other hand, if you'd rather shove your head down a toilet seat used by the entire England rugby team than hear another glossy, schmaltzy three minutes of their Louis Walsh-approved fluff, we'd advise you to steer well clear. This is regulation Westlife that only adds to the argument that the stool-occupying unit-shifters could be replaced by attractive robots without anyone really noticing."
over a two day span. Louis Walsh
, the band's manager, had a cameo role in it. However, the band had a reshoot of the music video due to Simon Cowell
's disapproval of the initial video outcome. This might have caused the release date to be pushed back to March 3 from the initial February 25. The video shows the band walking through a staged red carpet segment, inside the backseat of a moving car, spending time with their loved ones along with photos and videos of their past decade. Noticeably absent from the video though is Mark's partner Kevin. No explanation was ever offered as to why he was not included in the final video. Former Westlife member Brian McFadden
appears in archive footage.
based on downloads alone. On March 3, 2008, the single was released in its physical format, climbing 32 spots to peak at #8 on the UK Singles Chart
and at #6 on the Irish Singles Chart
. A live version of the single was also made available for download. This marks the first time in Westlife
's history that a single has not been able to reach the top 5 in Ireland, making "Us Against The World" the band's lowest charting single to date. The single peaked also at #14 on UK TV Airplay Chart and #24 on UK Radio Airplay Chart. The song peaked at #8 in the Official UK top 40. Many fans have blamed the record label, Sony BMG, for putting the song up for download 2 weeks prior to the physical release of the single as well as choosing to release it during the Back Home Tour
, thus resulting in inadequate single promotion. A similar situation occurred back in 2002 when "Bop Bop Baby
" was released while the band was on tour. On May 4, 2008, the song managed to re-enter the UK Singles Chart at #74. This is believed to be due to a performance from the group on the live final of Britain's Got Talent
. The single peaked at #1 on several radio charts in Ireland, UK, Vietnam, South Africa, and The Philippines, #2 in Thailand, #7 in Indonesia, #20 in Sweden, #22 in Russia. The song also entered the UK and Irish iTunes Top Songs and Top Music video Charts. The music video peaked on the MTV
Asia Chart Attack Top 20 show at #16.
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
's ninth studio album, Back Home
Back Home (Westlife album)
Back Home is the eighth studio album and ninth album overall by Irish boy band Westlife and it was released on 5 November 2007. The album debuted at #1 on the Official UK Album Charts, selling 132,000 copies in its first week of release and remained in the top three spots for eight consecutive weeks...
. The single was released in both 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...
and 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...
. The single was officially confirmed by band member Nicky Byrne
Nicky Byrne
Nicholas Bernard James Adam Byrne, Jr is a singer-songwriter, radio presenter and former footballer. From 1998 until 2012 he was the oldest member of Irish pop band, Westlife....
during an 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...
interview, which later appeared on the band's official website. The song was composed by Arnthor Birgisson, Rami Yacoub
Rami Yacoub
Rami Yacoub is a Swedish music producer and songwriter of Palestinian descent, and former member of the successful songwriting/production houses Cheiron Studios and Maratone...
and Savan Kotecha
Savan Kotecha
Savan Kotecha is an American songwriter and vocal producer from Austin, Texas of Indian descent. Kotecha has sold over 60 million records with artists such as Usher, Enrique Iglesias, Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears, One Direction and Celine Dion...
. The trio also contributed to the upbeat tracks on the Back Home
Back Home (Westlife album)
Back Home is the eighth studio album and ninth album overall by Irish boy band Westlife and it was released on 5 November 2007. The album debuted at #1 on the Official UK Album Charts, selling 132,000 copies in its first week of release and remained in the top three spots for eight consecutive weeks...
album, namely "Something Right
Something Right (Westlife song)
"Something Right" is an original up-tempo song by Irish boyband Westlife from their ninth studio album, Back Home. The song was released as the band's second single in Asia and Europe following their first single, "Home". The band's record label, Sony BMG, aimed to increase album promotions and...
", "The Easy Way", and "Pictures In My Head". "Us Against The World" was also dedicated to Westlife's fans worldwide to mark their continuous support. The band gave their first live performance of "Us Against The World" on the TV special "The Westlife Show - Live", which was broadcast on December 15, 2007. In the Philippines, both song and music video premiered on July 3, 2008, the band's anniversary date.
Track listing
UK CD1- "Us Against The World" (Single Mix)
- "Get Away"
UK CD2
- "Us Against The World" (Single Mix)
- "I'm Already There" (Ashanti Boyz Remix)
- "Us Against The World" (The Wideboys Remix Radio Edit)
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....
Alex Fletcher rated the album and said: "Westlife have claimed that 'Us Against The World' is the best track on their recent Back Home album, so, if nothing else, we should be grateful that the record company chose to release this rather than one of the tracks the soppy Irish warblers weren't as impressed with. Written about a relationship where the couple find themselves fighting "against the world" to stay together, it's the usual cliché-riddled, down-tempo chugger that the guys have been churning out for nearly ten years now. Knocking Westlife is an utterly futile endeavour. Millions have tried, but several million more keep on buying the records. If you love Mark's falsetto, Shane's dulcet tones, Kian's cheeky grin and Nicky's stubble, you'll doubtless be popping this on your stereo come Valentine's Day. On the other hand, if you'd rather shove your head down a toilet seat used by the entire England rugby team than hear another glossy, schmaltzy three minutes of their Louis Walsh-approved fluff, we'd advise you to steer well clear. This is regulation Westlife that only adds to the argument that the stool-occupying unit-shifters could be replaced by attractive robots without anyone really noticing."
Music video
The band announced through their official website that the video began shoot on December 4, 2007. The music video marks a major milestone in the band's decade of music. The video premiered on February 14, while the single was released on 3 March 2008.. The initial video, which featured both the lads and their loved ones, was shot at the Twickenham Rugby Stadium in LondonLondon
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...
over a two day span. Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
, the band's manager, had a cameo role in it. However, the band had a reshoot of the music video due to Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
's disapproval of the initial video outcome. This might have caused the release date to be pushed back to March 3 from the initial February 25. The video shows the band walking through a staged red carpet segment, inside the backseat of a moving car, spending time with their loved ones along with photos and videos of their past decade. Noticeably absent from the video though is Mark's partner Kevin. No explanation was ever offered as to why he was not included in the final video. Former Westlife member Brian McFadden
Brian McFadden
Brian Nicholas McFadden , is an Irish singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of the Irish boyband Westlife...
appears in archive footage.
Release and Chart Performance
Prior to its physical release, the song managed to peak at #40 on the UK Official Singles Chart and at #27 on the Official Irish Singles 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...
based on downloads alone. On March 3, 2008, the single was released in its physical format, climbing 32 spots to peak at #8 on the 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 ...
and at #6 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...
. A live version of the single was also made available for download. This marks the first time in Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
's history that a single has not been able to reach the top 5 in Ireland, making "Us Against The World" the band's lowest charting single to date. The single peaked also at #14 on UK TV Airplay Chart and #24 on UK Radio Airplay Chart. The song peaked at #8 in the Official UK top 40. Many fans have blamed the record label, Sony BMG, for putting the song up for download 2 weeks prior to the physical release of the single as well as choosing to release it during the Back Home Tour
Back Home Tour
The Back Home Tour is a world tour by Irish boyband, Westlife in support of their 9th studio album, Back Home. The band will be touring the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand....
, thus resulting in inadequate single promotion. A similar situation occurred back in 2002 when "Bop Bop Baby
Bop Bop Baby
"Bop Bop Baby" is the third single to be released from Westlife's third studio album, 'World Of Our Own'. The single peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart. However, during an interview, the band claimed this was due to the obscure choice of single, as they would have much preferred to release 'Why...
" was released while the band was on tour. On May 4, 2008, the song managed to re-enter the UK Singles Chart at #74. This is believed to be due to a performance from the group on the live final of Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
. The single peaked at #1 on several radio charts in Ireland, UK, Vietnam, South Africa, and The Philippines, #2 in Thailand, #7 in Indonesia, #20 in Sweden, #22 in Russia. The song also entered the UK and Irish iTunes Top Songs and Top Music video Charts. The music video peaked on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Asia Chart Attack Top 20 show at #16.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles | 28 |
| 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... |
6 |
| 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 ... |
8 |