Promises
by Nero

Album: Welcome Reality (2011)
Charted: 1 70
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The fourth single from London drum and bass and dubstep duo Nero's debut album, Welcome Reality, once again features the voice of honorary member Alana Watson. Joe Ray, who is one half of the duo, explained to Spoonfed why they have featured the same singer on most of their tracks to date: "She was a friend from way back. We were trying to find a vocal and she ended up coming into our studio at the time (bedroom) and vocal booth (microphone strapped to a bongo drum) and what came out worked really well. It's important for us to have a continuous sound and Alana helps us do that."
  • CMU asked the duo about their writing process. They replied: "It's different on different tracks, sometimes we start off with a vocal and melody and build a track around that, or other times we write a track, then strip it back and write the lyrics. Vocals are important to us when creating a song, as we feel it adds a new dimension."
  • The song was released on August 5, 2011 and debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's first chart-topper. However, its sales of 46,700 was the lowest amount for a #1 single in nearly 22 months.
  • The song was the duo's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. It got a big boost in recognition when the tune was used in an American HP laptop television commercial.
  • American EDM musician Skrillex provided a remix of the tune, which Dave Rene, the A&R rep of the duo's American label Interscope, dubbed as more of a collaboration and a "complete flip of the song" than a remix. "[Skrillex's] sound design is meticulous, so he just put his swag on it," said Rene to Billboard magazine. "You can't really go wrong with a Skrillex co-sign at this point."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And Scandals

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing

Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.