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

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"They're Playing My Song

Armed with a childhood spent devouring books, Mike Scott's heart was stolen by the punk rock scene of 1977. Not surprisingly, he would go on to become the most literate of rockers.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

Wolfgang Van Halen

Wolfgang Van HalenSongwriter Interviews

Wolfgang Van Halen breaks down the songs on his debut album, Mammoth WVH, and names the definitive Van Halen songs from the Sammy and Dave eras.

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.