Too Close (Alex Clare song)
| "Too Close" | ||||
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| Single by Alex Clare | ||||
| from the album The Lateness of the Hour | ||||
| Released | 15 April 2011 (See release history) |
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| Format | Digital download | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, dubstep, soul | |||
| Length | 4:16 (album version) 3:43 (radio edit) |
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| Label | Island Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Alex Clare, Jim Duguid | |||
| Producer | Diplo, Switch, Ariel Rechtshaid (co) | |||
| Alex Clare singles chronology | ||||
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"Too Close" is a song by British singer-songwriter Alex Clare. The track was first released in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2011 as the second single from Clare's debut studio album, The Lateness of the Hour (2011).[1] The track was written by Alex Clare and Jim Duguid and produced by Diplo and Switch, with co-production from Ariel Rechtshaid and Mike Spencer.
Background
In March 2012, "Too Close" was selected as the soundtrack to Microsoft's advertisement for Internet Explorer 9, released the following month.[2] The exposure propelled the song to international success. This marked a turnaround in Clare's musical career and fortunes. Prior to it entering the singles chart, Clare had been forced to take a job as an estate agent after being dropped by his record label. The song also appears in the end credits of the film Taken 2 and also played in the TV show The Vampire Diaries. The song peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart, number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA.[3]
Musically, "Too Close" is an alternative rock song with dubstep and soul influences. Lyrically, the song describes the protagonist who is not ready for a committed relationship and he must end things with his love interest in good terms. The song was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Single at the 2013 BRIT Awards.[4]
Promotional usage by sports teams
A growing number of Major League Baseball teams are using this song for player entrances. These include the Cincinnati Reds (for Zack Cozart's entrance), the Philadelphia Phillies (for Laynce Nix's entrance), and the Washington Nationals (for Danny Espinosa's entrance).
Sales and chart performance
The song has reached number 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[5] The song has sold over 2 million digital downloads in the US as of October 2012 and became the 30th best selling song in that country.[6]
The song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and at number 1 in Germany.[7] It was the 18th best-selling single in the UK with sales of 557,000.[8]
Music video
A music video to accompany the release of "Too Close" was first released onto YouTube on 15 March 2011 at a total length of four minutes and eighteen seconds. The video contains Clare singing in a chair intermixed with scenes of a heavily dramaticized representation of a Kendo match between two heavily-padded athletes in black uniforms. The fight takes place in an urban setting resembling a deserted factory building.
The video opened to very small numbers but two months after the Internet Explorer 9 advert campaign, it gained much popularity and by 24 February 2013, it has more than 40 million views.[9]
An alternate music video was released to YouTube on 28 August 2012.[10]
Track listing
| Digital download[1] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Too Close" | 4:16 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Too Close" (Nadastrom Remix) | 4:28 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Too Close" (Music video) | 4:18 | ||||||||
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Certifications
Year-end charts
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Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 15 April 2011 | Digital download[1] | Island Records |
| United States | 3 June 2012 | Digital download[1] | Island Records |
References
- ^ a b c d iTunes - Music - Too Close - Single by Alex Clare
- ^ "New Internet Explorer Ad featuring singer Alex Clare". Microsoft. 5 March 2012.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Alex Clare – Too Close". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
- ^ "Brit Awards: Emeli Sande gets four nominations". BBC News. Retrieved 10 January 2013
- ^ a b c d e f g Too Close (Alex Clare song) at Allmusic
- ^ Paul Grein (17 October 2012). "Week Ending Oct. 14, 2012. Songs: Taylor Swift’s Digital Record". Chart Watch (Yahoo Music).
- ^ a b "Archive Chart" UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company.
- ^ a b Dan Lane (2 January 2013). "The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles Of 2012 revealed!". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ Alex Clare - Too Close. YouTube
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daS6on_N7LE
- ^ http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20120716-0000/Issue1170.pdf
- ^ "Alex Clare – Too Close – Austriancharts.at" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Alex Clare – Too Close" (in Dutch). Ultratip. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Alex Clare – Too Close" (in French). Ultratop 50. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201226 into search.
- ^ "Danishcharts.com – Alex Clare – Too Close". Tracklisten. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Alex Clare – Too Close" (in French). Les classement single. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- ^ "Chart Track". Irish Singles Chart. Irish Recorded Music Association.
- ^ "Luxembourg Digital Songs - May 5, 2012". Billboard.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Alex Clare search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40.
- ^ "Archive Chart". Scottish Singles Top 40. Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Alex Clare – Too Close – swisscharts.com". Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien.
- ^ http://www.officialcharts.com/official-streaming-chart/
- ^ "Chart Highlights: Matchbox Twenty Returns With 'She's So Mean'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
- ^ Billboard Adult Pop Songs from November 24, 2012
- ^ "Ascensos de la Semana". Record Report (in Spanish). R.R. Digital C.A. 2012-12-15. Archived from the original on 2012-12-13.
- ^ "Austrian single certifications – Alex Clare – Too Close" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Alex Clare in the field Interpret. Enter Too Close in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alex Clare; 'Too Close')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Alex Clare; 'Too Close')". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Best of 2012 - Hot 100 Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
- ^ "Best of 2012 - Rock Songs 11-20". Billboard.com. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ "Best of 2012 - Alternative Songs 1-10". Billboard.com. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ "Best of 2012 - Adult Pop Songs 31-40". Billboard.com. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ "Best of 2012 - Pop Songs 31-40". Billboard.com. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
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