Heart Skips a Beat

Album: In Case You Didn't Know (2011)
Charted: 1 96
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • English singer-songwriter Olly Murs' first single from his sophomore album finds him continuing with his familiar reggae-pop sound. The song was premiered on The Chris Moyles Show on July 7, 2011.
  • The song features Brighton-based Hip-Hop duo Rizzle Kicks, who comprise Jordan "Rizzle" & Harley "Sylvester." They debuted on the UK singles chart in July 2011 with their song "Down With The Trumpets." Jordan said to 4Music of the collaboration: "The beat's wicked. We were a bit apprehensive that it would be like... more poppy, that it wasn't really our style, but then he played the beat. It's kind of got some hip hop vibes."
  • The song was Murs' second UK chart-topper, arriving at #1 just shy of a year after his debut single "Please Don't Let Me Go." It also reached the peak position in several European countries including Germany, Poland and Switzerland.
  • The song was written by Alex Smith, Samuel Preston, Jim Eliot and Rizzle Kicks. Does the name Samuel Preston ring a bell with you? He was the frontman of the Ska-Pop group The Ordinary Boys whose appearance on Celebrity Big Brother and relationship with fellow contestant Chantelle Houghton made him a fixture for a time in UK tabloids.
  • This is the only song Murs did not co-write for In Case You Didn't Know. "It was a curveball and nothing like the album," he told Music Week. "But I loved the production and the writers wrote it for me."
  • The song was remixed for the American market, removing Rizzle Kicks' contribution and including a new verse from Philadelphia Rap-Pop pairing Chiddy Bang. This new version was released as Murs' debut single in the United States on May 14, 2012.
  • Olly Murs discussed the song's meaning with Artist Direct: "I believe the song is about a relationship that's going sour," he said. "It's not feeling as great as it did before. You play that one record fell in love with on repeat, and you remember the good times. It makes you want to dance again and get closer. You feel that love again. That's how I feel when I sing the song. That's how I interpret it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos

Divided Souls: Musical Alter EgosSong Writing

Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Billy Gould of Faith No More

Billy Gould of Faith No MoreSongwriter Interviews

Faith No More's bassist, Billy Gould, chats to us about his two new experimental projects, The Talking Book and House of Hayduk, and also shares some stories from the FNM days.