Winner

Album: Contact (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the first single from UK indie rock band Noisette's third album. It was co-written by Dan Smith, and Shingai Shoniwa of the group with will.i.am songwriter Jean Baptise in Los Angeles. The song was released in the UK on July 9, 2012.
  • On the face of it, the song's anthemic feel and triumphant lyrics were penned with the 2012 Olympics in mind, which were held in the Noisettes' home city of London. However the trio started writing the tune long before the Games became a national obsession. "A lot of people around us were saying The Winner could be a perfect song for the occasion," Smith told The Daily Telegraph. "My dad was going 'If anyone's got any sense they'll make that the single for the Olympics!'"
  • The song represents for Smith a life-changing moment when he moved to Brighton and turned 30. "I started buying old radios and threw the TV out. That was my 'Winner' moment," he explained to The Independent.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers

JJ Burnel of The StranglersSongwriter Interviews

JJ talks about The Stranglers' signature sound - keyboard and bass - which isn't your typical strain of punk rock.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

Famous Singers' First Films

Famous Singers' First FilmsSong Writing

A look at the good (Diana Ross, Eminem), the bad (Madonna, Bob Dylan) and the peculiar (David Bowie, Michael Jackson) film debuts of superstar singers.

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

Elton John

Elton JohnFact or Fiction

Does he have beef with Gaga? Is he Sean Lennon's godfather? See if you can tell fact from fiction in the Elton John edition.