Better Off Alone

"Better Off Alone" is a song by Alice Deejay, the trance music project of Dutch producer DJ Jurgen in collaboration with Wessel van Diepen, Dennis van den Driesschen, Sebastiaan Molijn and Eelke Kalberg (Pronti & Kalmani). In 1997, the song was released as an instrumental by DJ Jurgen on Violent Records. Later releases of the track included vocals by Judith Pronk, who would later become an important part of the Alice Deejay project. The song was included on the project's debut album, Who Needs Guitars Anyway? (2000). The song is known for playing a key role in the development of the commercial trance sound, and has since been considered an electronic/trance music classic. In 2023, Billboard featured "Better Off Alone" in their list of Best Pop Songs of All Time.[4]

"Better Off Alone"
Orbit Records German cover
Single by Alice Deejay
from the album Who Needs Guitars Anyway?
Released1999[1]
Recorded1997[2]
StudioViolent (Studio 4045), (Hilversum, Netherlands)[3]
Genre
Length3:34
LabelViolent
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Alice Deejay singles chronology
"Better Off Alone"
(1999)
"Back in My Life"
(1999)
Music video
"Better Off Alone" on YouTube
DJ Jurgen version
Violent Records DJ Jurgen single
Audio sample
21-second excerpt where the song's primary line is featured.
  • file
  • help

Production

The song was initially an instrumental track composed in 1997 by Jürgen "DJ Jurgen" Rijkers, Sebastiaan "Pronti" Molijn, and Eelke "Kalmani" Kalberg at the Violent Studios 4045 complex in Hilversum, Netherlands.[5][2][3][6] Violent Music and Violent Studios owners Dennis "Danski" Van Der Driesschen and Wessel "Delmundo" van Diepen had previously offered studio space for Pronti and Kalmani next to their 4045 complex.[6] Before the production of "Better Off Alone", Pronti and Kalmani had worked on composing music for the label's other project the Vengaboys.[6]

In post-production of the instrumental, Sebastiaan Molijn stated he invented the lyric "Do you think you're better off alone?" after his romantic partner had left him. Molijn stated that "I started humming the vocal melody while the track was playing and we decided to add vocals. It made the emotion of the song as real as it gets."[5] Judith Pronk later served as singer for the Alice Deejay compositions of the song.[7] Pronti and Kalmani's official biography once stated that DJ Jurgen, "wanted to stay the underground DJ that he was, so the group Alice Deejay was formed."[6] In 1999, the "Radio Edit" was produced.[6]

Later in 1999, Sebastiaan Molijn and Eelke Kalberg produced several remixes of the song which included the "Vocal Clubmix", "Pronti & Kalmani Vocal Remix", and the "Pronti & Kalmani Club Dub".[6]

Composition

"Better Off Alone" is written in the key of G-sharp minor. The song is set in common time with a fast tempo of 137 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of E–Dm–Gm–F, and the vocals span from B3 to G4.[8]

With the turn of the century, "Better Off Alone" has been described as a turning point in the development of a commercialized techno sound. This sound is shared by related compositions such as "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65 that surfaced around the same time.[9] Co-founder of Dash Berlin Jeffrey Sutorious stated, "It became such a huge chart hit around the world that many people categorised it as Euro Dance, when in fact it started out as vocal trance". Eelke Kalberg and Sebastiaan Molijn are Dash Berlin's other co-founders.[2] Entertainment Weekly described the song as "techno-pop" while Spin described it as a "trance-fueled Eurodance".[7][10]

Release

Single

The single was initially released as an instrumental single by DJ Jurgen in 1997 on Violent Music B.V.'s label Violent Records.[6] Upon its release, there were only 500 vinyls pressed.[2] After the single established credibility under DJ Jurgen's name, the vocal versions got re-released as "DJ Jurgen Presents Alice Deejay" as well as "Alice Deejay Featuring DJ Jurgen" in some countries. The vocal single later came to be of just Alice Deejay.[11][12]

The track was released to dance clubs and became an international hit in clubs reaching number 2 on the Billboard club charts and a top ten club chart worldwide. The song then became a hit reaching number 2 in Canada, number 27 in the U.S. and number 2 in the UK. It went on to sell over 600,000 copies in the UK and become one of the country's best-selling singles of 1999, despite the radio edit not being on the commercial CD release.[13] The song was in the top 100 best-selling singles in Australia for 2000 as compiled by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[14]

Music videos

"Better Off Alone" has two versions of its music video. The original music video was directed by Olaf van Gerwen through the studio Blood Simple – who at the time directed videos for Sebastian Molijn and Eelke Kalberg's other music project the Vengaboys.[15][16] In the first version of the video, a man travels in a 1997 Jeep Wrangler through the Moroccan desert. His car stalls and he is forced to walk on foot. He discards his items along the way such as a watch, a map and some water. In parallel, a woman is sitting on a couch in a living room singing the lyrics to the song while the man sees her in the desert. The man gets lost in the desert while intercut scenes of him and his girlfriend in love are shown. He takes off his broken dog tag while screaming. Because the dog tag is already broken and the girl has the second part probably means he is already dead and she is missing him. The video ends on his dead body being covered by the desert sand.

The second version was directed by "Cousin Mike" from the 1711 Production Group. The second video was shot in Miami for Republic and Universal.[17] The second version is interspersed with desert scenes from the original, but with added scenes where Judith Pronk, Mila Levesque and Angelique Versnel are dancing in a room with Moroccan decor. Sometimes just Pronk alone, wearing a blue dress with a veil.

Critical reception

The song was initially received with passiveness by some critics. J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun wrote in his review of Who Needs Guitars Anyway?: "Alice Deejay's sound is synth-driven and slightly retro, owing more to the frothy fun of '80s electropop than to the relentless thump of modern techno, and the songwriting is tuneful and hook-driven, lending an engaging, Ace of Base charm to the likes of "Better Off Alone"."[18] Entertainment Weekly gave the song a B rating, describing it as having "catchy, throwaway results" with "barely there lyrics".[10] Scottish Daily Record complimented its "great vocal and a pounding techno beat".[19]

In retrospect the song garnered acclaim. Vibe magazine considering the song "a timeless track" in their 30 Dance Tracks from The '90s That Changed the Game.[20] Complex magazine stated the song, "perfectly embodies the 1990s Eurodance/euro trance sound that took over clubs, and today we're hearing the big room house scene build upon what was started here" in their 10 Essential Eurodance Classics. Complex also stated that Sebastiaan Molijn and Eelke Kalberg's production of trance music project Dash Berlin, is directly reflective of the song's influence on the modern day electronic music scene.[21] In 2017, BuzzFeed listed the song at number 24 in their list of The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s.[22] Dash Berlin honorarily included the song in their top 5 greatest trance classics.[2] Critic George McCarthy has described the song as being 'full of life: displaying an extensive range of raw emotional vulnerabilities that are unmatched by any other modern dance track, is a banger'.

Meagan Garvey of MTV referenced the song as an example of "Eurodance Nostalgia" and that the cult status of the song is "mostly retroactive". Garvey stated that songs such as "Better Off Alone", "left you with an aching sensation, as if something had been left unsaid. The undercurrent of melancholy seemed more akin to mid-'90s tracks like La Bouche's "Where Do You Go" or Haddaway's "What Is Love," dance tracks built around unanswerable questions."[23]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Better Off Alone"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[74] Gold 35,000^
France (SNEP)[75] Gold 250,000*
Italy (FIMI)[76] Gold 50,000
Sweden (GLF)[77] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[78] Platinum 600,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates for "Better Off Alone"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
Netherlands 1999
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
Violent [1]
Europe 4 June 1999 CD
[44]
United Kingdom 19 July 1999
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[79]
United States 29 February 2000 [80][81]

Cover versions and samples

In 2007, New Jersey rock group Paulson released a rock cover of the song on their Calling on You EP.[82]

In 2008, the main melody of the song was sampled by producer Johnny Juliano in "Say Yeah" by Wiz Khalifa, which added the Roland TR-808 as well as drum machine claps to the existing melody.[83] Hip hop and trap producer AraabMuzik stated that sampling the song was initially what led him to sampling "trance and really upbeat dance music". The song was sampled by him in "South Beach" by 40 Cal featuring Duke Da God.[84]

In 2011, Dutch DJ and producer Laidback Luke introduced an electro house remix of the song in the compilation Cream Ibiza: Super You & Me, marketed as a 2011 "Summer anthem".[85]

In 2011, Witch house group Salem covered the song on their EP I'm Still in the Night.[86]

French producer David Guetta was authorized to use the main melody (or "hook") of the song.[87] The main melody of the song was sampled in Guetta's 2013 song "Play Hard" featuring Ne-Yo and Akon. The recording was later included in the reboot album Nothing but the Beat 2.0. Some sources have described this "heavy" sampling as an example of the "gray area in the world of music plagiarism". Despite the authorized use of the melody, some sources have stated that this poses the question of "How much sampling is too much sampling?".[88]

In 2017, Janieck Devy released "Does It Matter", featuring a sample of the song.[89]

Lindsay Lohan's 2019 track "Xanax" is built around a slowed-down sample of the song.[90][91]

Canadian pop band Purity Ring also released a cover of the song on 29 September 2020.[92]

The main beat of Save Me, made in February 2020 by Bruno Martini, Avian Grays and TRIXL, Feat. Mayra, is also taken from this song.[93]

Dutch DJ San Holo recorded a guitar version of the song, and published it on his Twitter feed on 2 August 2021.[94]

In 2021, Trevor Daniel interpolated the chorus on his song "Alone". That same year, Farruko interpolated it on his song "El Incomprendido", from his album La 167.

Døves and Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, of the rap collective GothBoiClique, remixed the song for the closing track of their Trance inspired SoundCloud DJ set ULTRACLUB4k.

In 2022, Darwin Núñez joined Liverpool F.C. from S.L. Benfica. Soon after his signing, a chant about him set to the tune of "Better Off Alone" was popularised on social media.[95]

In 2023, Sam Feldt and Jonas Blue released "Crying on the Dancefloor", featuring a sample of the song.[96]

In 2023, Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj released "Alone", featuring a sample of the song.[97]

In 2023, Alan Walker, Dash Berlin and Vikkstar123 released "Better Off (Alone, Pt. III)", featuring a sample of the song.[98]

References

  1. "DJ Jurgen – Better Off Alone" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  2. Jarvis, Nick (23 January 2014). "Dash Berlin's top five trance classics". Archived from the original on 4 June 2016.
  3. Alice Deejay (1999). Better Off Alone (Compact disc). Scandinavia: Jive Records; Violent Records. 0523562.
  4. "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. DJ Ron Slomowicz. "Pronti & Kalmani Interview". Archived from the original on 18 September 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  6. "Pronti & Kalmani". 9 August 2004. Archived from the original (URL masked index page) on 9 August 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2017..
  7. "ALICE DEEJAY - "BETTER OFF ALONE" | SPIN | Animal Collective Centipedia". SPIN. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  8. "Better Off Alone". www.musicnotes.com. 3 August 2000. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  9. "A History of Trance". Ministry of Sound Australia. 15 February 2015. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  10. Johnson, Beth (23 June 2000). "Better Off Alone". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  11. "Better Off Alone". Violent Records. 2001. Archived from the original on 7 February 2001. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  12. "Alice Deejay". Hypergirl Entertainment Magazine. 1 May 2001.
  13. Better Off Alone at AllMusic
  14. "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2000". Archived from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2006.
  15. "Alice Deejay". Orbit Records. 2001. Archived from the original on 15 February 2001. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  16. "Alice Deejay Video". Orbit Records. 2001. Archived from the original on 18 October 2000. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  17. "Music Videos". 1711 Production Group. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  18. Considine, J.D. (21 April 2000). "New On Record". The Baltimore Sun. p. 16 Scene. Retrieved 8 January 2023 via Gainesville Sun.
  19. "Charts Lot". Daily Record. 10 September 1999.
  20. "Before EDM: 30 Dance Tracks From The '90s That Changed The Game". Vibe. 22 July 2013.
  21. "10 Essential Eurodance Classics". Complex. 5 July 2013.
  22. Stopera, Matt; Galindo, Brian (11 March 2017). "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  23. Garvey, Meagan (29 September 2016). "BETTER OFF ALONE: MINING THE DEPTHS OF EURODANCE NOSTALGIA". MTV.com. MTV. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  24. Better Off Alone (Dutch maxi-CD single liner notes). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. Violent Records. 1999. 0523562.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. Better Off Alone (Canadian maxi-CD single liner notes). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. ISBA Music Entertainment Inc., Violent Records. 1999. ISB-SI-7021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. Better Off Alone (Australian & New Zealand maxi-CD single liner notes). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. X-Over Recordings. 1999. XOVER017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. Better Off Alone (European maxi-CD single liner notes). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. Orbit Records, Virgin Records. 1999. 8959402.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. Better Off Alone (Scandinavian CD single liner notes). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. Jive Records, Violent Records. 1999. 0580292.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. Better Off Alone (UK CD single liner notes). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. Positiva Records, Violent Records. 1999. CDTIV-113, 7243 8 87322 2 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. Better Off Alone (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. Positiva Records, Violent Records. 1999. 12TIV-113, 7243 8 87322 6 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. Better Off Alone (UK cassette single sleeve). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. Positiva Records, Violent Records. 1999. TCTIV-113, 7243 8 87322 4 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. Better Off Alone (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. Universal Records, Republic Records. 2000. 012 156 798-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  33. Better Off Alone (Canadian 12-inch single vinyl disc). DJ Jurgen, Alice Deejay. ISBA Music Entertainment Inc. 1999. ISB-12-7015.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. "Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  35. "DJ Jurgen – Better Off Alone" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  36. "DJ Jurgen – Better Off Alone" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  37. "Alice Deejay: Canadian Singles Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  38. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9908." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  39. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 9987." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  40. Danish Singles Chart 14 January 2000
  41. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 34. 21 August 1999. p. 11. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  42. "Alice Deejay: Better Off Alone" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  43. "Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone" (in French). Les classement single.
  44. "Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  45. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 30. 24 July 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  46. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 338 Vikuna 26.8. – 2.9. 1999)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 27 August 1999. p. 8. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  47. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Better Off Alone". Irish Singles Chart.
  48. "Hits of the World: Italy". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 39. 25 September 1999. p. 74.
  49. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 16, 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  50. "Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone". Top 40 Singles.
  51. "Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone". VG-lista.
  52. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  53. "Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone". Singles Top 100.
  54. "Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone". Swiss Singles Chart.
  55. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  56. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  57. "Alice Deejay Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  58. "Alice Deejay Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  59. "Alice Deejay Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  60. "Alice Deejay Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  61. "Jaaroverzichten 1999" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  62. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1999" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 11. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  63. "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1999" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  64. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1999". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  65. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1999" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  66. "Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 1999" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  67. "Årslista Singlar, 1999" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  68. "Yearly Best Selling Singles" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  69. "Most Broadcast of 1999: Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music Week. 22 January 2000. p. 31. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  70. "Most Broadcast of 1999: Pop Top 20 Tracks of 1999" (PDF). Music Week. 22 January 2000. p. 32. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  71. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000". ARIA. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  72. "Billboard Top 100 – 2000". Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  73. "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on 26 July 2002. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  74. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  75. "French single certifications – Alice DeeJay – Better Off Alone" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  76. "Italian single certifications – Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 21 August 2023. Select "2023" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Better Off Alone" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  77. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  78. "British single certifications – Alice DeeJay – Better Off Alone". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  79. "New Releases – For Week Starting 19 July, 1999: Singles". Music Week. 17 July 1999. p. 23.
  80. "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1339. 25 February 2000. pp. 71, 77.
  81. "Gavin Top 40/Rhythm Crossover: Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2293. 25 February 2000. p. 8.
  82. "iTunes Store". Phobos.apple.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  83. "The 10 Most Well-Known Techno Samples in Rap Tracks". Complex. 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  84. "AraabMuzik | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  85. "Cream Ibiza 2011 - Laidback Luke - Super You&Me - Win Cds". Ibiza-Voice.com. 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  86. "Salem: I'm Still in the Night EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  87. "Alice DJ". Alice DJ. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  88. Sprankles, Julie (2016). "31 songs you didn't know were (allegedly) plagiarized". SheKnows. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  89. "CLIPPRIMEUR: Janieck - Does It Matter". Shownieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  90. Looks Like That Lindsay Lohan Music-Career Comeback Is Legit New York Magazine. 21 August 2019
  91. Lindsay Lohan Set to Make Music Return With New Single 'Xanax' Billboard. 30 August 2019
  92. "Purity Ring release cover of Alice DJ's 'Better Off Alone' | NME Australia". NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  93. alltimedance. "11 proofs that the return to the past is on the rise in today's music" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  94. Guttridge-Hewitt, Martin (5 August 2021). "San Holo covers Alice Deejay's "Better Off Alone": Watch". DJ Mag. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  95. "What is the Darwin Núñez Song?". 12 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  96. "Crying on the Dancefloor by Sam Feldt, Jonas Blue, Endless Summer and Violet Days - Samples, Covers and Remixes | WhoSampled". WhoSampled.
  97. "Kim Petras Teases New Collab 'Alone' with Nicki Minaj: Find Out when It Drops". Billboard.
  98. Sani, Niko (29 September 2023). "Alan Walker and Dash Berlin Collide With Gaming Phenom Vikkstar For "Better Off (Alone, Pt. III)"". EDM. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.