Drowning (Backstreet Boys song)
2001 single by Backstreet Boys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Drowning" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys, released on September 25, 2001, as the only single from their compilation album, The Hits – Chapter One.
| "Drowning" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Backstreet Boys | ||||
| from the album The Hits – Chapter One | ||||
| B-side | "Back to Your Heart" | |||
| Released | September 25, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | July 1[1] – September 2000[2] | |||
| Studio | Polar, Cherion (Stockholm, Sweden) | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:28 | |||
| Label | Jive | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
| |||
| Backstreet Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Drowning" on YouTube | ||||
Background
Written by Andreas Carlsson, Rami and Linda Thompson and produced by Rami and Kristian Lundin, the song "Drowning" was initially recorded for the Backstreet Boys' 2000 Black & Blue album but was excluded due to the limited track listings left.[citation needed] Several elements of the song, such as the piano intro and the chorus, are very similar to "Långsamt farväl" released by the Swedish artist Mauro Scocco in 1997. Andreas Carlsson, co-writer of "Drowning," sang backing vocals on Lisa Nilsson's version of "Långsamt farväl," released in 2003.[3] In Finland, "Drowning" was compared to the 1995 song "Älä sano huomisesta" by Hausmylly.[4]
Country remixes of the song were also recorded, produced by Dann Huff.[5]
Chart performance
The song peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on November 13, 2001. It reached the top ten in several European countries, reaching number three in Sweden, number four in the UK, and number five in Norway.
Music videos
Official version
The official music video was directed by Nigel Dick, who directed their music videos for "As Long as You Love Me" and "All I Have to Give."[6]
Unreleased version
Before the final video was produced, a different concept was in production. The concept was eventually abandoned, and the official video was produced instead. One of the preliminary cuts of this original video was leaked to the public. This video was done, then canceled and replaced by the end of the month.[citation needed]
It features the band members dressed in black outfits, as seen in the photograph on the single cover of the CD.[citation needed] The video was shot mainly using green screen to place the band on an arid salt flat. The sun is initially shining, but dark clouds quickly fill the sky in the first chorus, and it begins to rain in the second verse. A flood of water fills the area, and the storm worsens. At the key change and the song's end, the band members are hit with a large wave. They sing at shallow water depth throughout the rest of the video.[citation needed]
Track listings
|
UK CD1[7]
UK CD2[8]
UK cassette single[9]
|
European CD single[10]
Australian CD single[11]
Japanese CD single[12]
|
Personnel
- Kristian Lundin – producer, recording engineer, mix engineer
- Rami – producer, recording engineer, mix engineer
- John Amatiello – assistant recording engineer, Pro Tools engineer
- Thomas Lindberg – bass
- Esbjörn Öhrwall – guitar
- Jonathan Lindström – pedal steel guitar
- Tom Coyne – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts |
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[62] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[63] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[64] | Gold | 4,000^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[65] | Gold | |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
In popular culture
"Drowning" and another Backstreet Boys single "The One" were both licensed and used in the 2002–2003 anime television series Hanada Shōnen Shi. "Drowning" was used for the ending theme, while "The One" was the opening theme.[70]