Always (Aysel and Arash song)

"Always" is a song by Azerbaijani singer Aysel Teymurzadeh (performing as Aysel) and Swedish-Iranian singersongwriter Arash Labaf (performing mononymously). It was the Azerbaijani entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song was selected by Ictimai TV (İTV), the Azerbaijani broadcaster, among the 30 songs submitted to the broadcaster in an open call. The song was composed by a group of songwriters including Arash.[1][2]

"Always"
Single by Aysel & Arash
from the album Donya
Released3 March 2009
Recorded2009
Genre
LabelWarner Music Sweden
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • Arash Labaf
  • Robert Uhlmann
  • Elin Wrethov
  • Anderz Wrethov
Eurovision Song Contest 2009 entry
Country
Artist(s)
As
Aysel & Arash
Language
English
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • Arash Labaf
  • Robert Uhlmann
  • Elin Wrethov
  • Anderz Wrethov
Finals performance
Semi-final result
2nd
Semi-final points
180
Final result
3rd
Final points
207
Entry chronology
◄ "Day After Day" (2008)
"Drip Drop" (2010) ►

The video clip for the song was directed by Swedish director Fredrik Boklund and premiered on Ictimai TV on 24 April 2009. Boklund described the video as "visual rendition of the performers' emotions and feelings."[3] It notably featured tar, a traditional Azeri musical instrument. Likewise the instrument briefly appeared on stage in Arash's hands during the live performance of "Always" at Eurovision.

AySel & Arash performed 12th in the second Eurovision semi-final on 14 May, following Hungary's Zoli Ádok with "Dance with Me" and preceding Greece's Sakis Rouvas with "This Is Our Night". The duo received 180 points, placing second behind Norway's Alexander Rybak, and proceeding to the final.

At the final the duo performed 11th in the draw, following Russia's Anastasiya Prikhodko with "Mamo" and preceding Bosnia and Herzegovina's Regina with "Bistra voda". They received 207 points, placing 3rd behind Norway's Alexander Rybak and Iceland's Yohanna. This was Azerbaijan's first top 3 placing.

By 2023, the official video for "Always" had been played on YouTube over 40 million times, while the live performance in the Eurovision final has over 21 million views.

In January 2010, Tophit.ru reported that "Always" had become the second most selling ringtone in Ukraine and Belarus.[4]

Charts

Weekly
Chart (2009) Peak
position
CIS (TopHit)[5] 75
Czech Republic Airplay Chart[6] 40
European Hot 100 Singles[7] 92
Germany (Official German Charts)[8] 96
Greek Billboard Singles Chart 2
Hungarian Airplay Chart[9] 40
Iceland (RÚV)[10] 16
Norway (VG-lista)[11] 18
Slovakian Airplay Chart[12] 47
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 98
Turkish Singles Chart[15] 18
UK Singles Chart[16] 137

Year-end
Chart (2009) Position
Swedish Singles Chart[17] 50

Track listing
  • Turkish – Digital single[18]
  1. "Always" (Single Version) – 3:03
  2. "Always" (Ali Payami Remix) – 4:09

References
  1. "Azerbaijan: Aysel goes to Eurovision with song by Arash". ESCToday. 5 February 2009.
  2. Brey, Marco (5 February 2009). "Azerbaijani entry written by Arash". Eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  3. (in Russian) Videoclip Always from Azerbaijani Eurovision Contestants. RIA Novosti. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  4. Farid Alyyev. "Always" Is One of the Most Selling Songs in CIS Archived 20 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine. 1news.az. 18 January 2010.
  5. AySel & Arash — Always. TopHit. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  6. Czech IFPI Singles Chart Retrieved on 2009-12-07
  7. Billboard European Hot 100 Singles
  8. "AySel & Arash – Always" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  9. Mahasz Hungarian Airplay Chart, Week 20. Retrieved 28 May 2010
  10. "RÚV - Vinsældalisti Rásar 2". RÚV. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  11. "AySel & Arash – Always". VG-lista. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  12. Slovakian IFPI Singles Chart
  13. "AySel & Arash – Always". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  14. "AySel & Arash – Always". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  15. "Number One Top 20 | Klip İzle". Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  16. UK Singles Chart
  17. "Årslista Singlar – År 2009" (in Swedish). Hitlistan. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  18. "Turkish Digital Single". Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
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