"Alright" is a song by British

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

and acid jazz band

Jamiroquai Jamiroquai () are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in the ...

, released as the third single from their third studio album, ''

Travelling Without Moving ''Travelling Without Moving'' is the third studio album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 28 August 1996 in Japan, then on 9 September 1996 in the United Kingdom under Sony Soho Square. Front-man Jay Kay intended for t ...

'' (1996). The song, written by Jamiroquai, contains samples from

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

' "It's All Right Now" and

Idris Muhammad Idris Muhammad ( ar, إدريس محمد; born Leo Morris; November 13, 1939 – July 29, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, R&B, and soul music and recorded with musicians such a ...

's "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This". "Alright" was released on 28 April 1997 via

Sony Soho Square Sony S2 Records, formerly named as S2 Records and Sony Soho Square (typeset as Sony Soho2), was a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (SME), which operated as a record label in the 1990s and early 2000s. Sony Soho Square was named after its ...

in the United Kingdom, peaking at number six on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and at number two in Iceland. It is the group's only single to chart on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 78. The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

, directed by

Vaughan Arnell Vaughan Arnell (born 31 May 1961, in Chertsey, Surrey) is a British music video and television commercial director. Although having done films for high-profile clients in the TV commercial field, including Nestlé and Levi's, he is best known for ...

, features the band performing the song at a party.

Critical reception

In an retrospective review, Justin Chadwick from Albumism named "Alright" the "strongest song" on ''

'', describing it as "headnod-inducing" and a "bass-fueled reverie that celebrates the myriad possibilities of newfound love", with a "refreshingly optimistic"

Jay Kay Jay Kay (born Jason Luís Cheetham; 30 December 1969) is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the acid jazz and funk band Jamiroquai, which was formed in 1992. Early life Jay Kay was bo ...

proclaiming to the object of his affection". He added, "Without question, it's still my personal favorite, not just from ''Travelling'', but across the band's entire recorded repertoire." Dennis Kelly from ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...

'' felt the band's "mimicking of '70s

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

and

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

is well executed" on tracks like "Alright". A reviewer from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' gave it four out of five, constating that "with its delicious retro funky grooves and pleasing chorus, this latest gem from ''Travelling Without Moving'' will land Jay Kay and co with one of their biggest hits to date." Ted Kessler from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' declared it as a "bittersweet" gem, with Kay's "fairy-lit disco". He added further that "We'll spend the night together/Wake up and live forever" is "the epitome of Jay's romantic lyrical vision." Sam Taylor from ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' remarked its "effortless swank". Aidin Viziri from ''

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

'' said the singer "keeps the party alive with unbridled enthusiasm" exploring lust.

Music video

The accompanying

for "Alright" was directed by British director

, and takes place at a luxury party. Jay Kay is filmed singing in an elevator with the rest of Jamiroquai. Then, they perform the song, and at the end of the clip, the crowd were singing the chorus taken from live footage in Argentina. The video starts as a sequel of " Cosmic Girl", with Jamiroquai appearing in sports cars, and Kay was driving the same Lamborghini while parking it at the entrance of the party. It was later published on Jamiroquai's official

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel in 2009, and had generated more than 23 million views as of January 2023.

Track listings

* UK CD1 # "Alright" (radio edit) – 3:40 # "Alright" (version – vocal) – 6:04 # "Alright" (dub – vocal) – 5:34 # "Alright" (D.J. – Version Excursion) – 6:47 * UK CD2 # "Alright" (full-length version) – 4:23 # "Alright" (

Tee A tee is a stand used in sport to support and elevate a stationary ball prior to striking with a foot, club or bat. Tees are used extensively in golf, tee-ball, baseball, American football, and rugby. Etymology The word tee is derived from the ...

's in House Mix) – 7:20 # "Alright" (Tee's Digital Club) – 7:15 # "Alright" (Tee's Radio Jay) – 3:27 * 2006 digital EP # "Alright" (

Fred Falke Frédérick Falke () (born 7 January 1973), known professionally as Fred Falke, is a French house and dance music producer and DJ. Biography Falke started out as a bass player before moving to production work. His first record, a collaboratio ...

Alan Braxe Alain Quême (), professionally known as Alan Braxe (born 9 July 1971), is a French electronic music artist. Braxe is most widely known for his collaborative work with electronic bassist Fred Falke and Kris Menace, and for being part of the musi ...

Remix) – 6:10 # "Alright" (

Todd Terry Todd Norton Terry (born April 18, 1967) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer in the genre of house music. Musical career Todd Terry was influential in moving House music beyond the early Chicago house sound of 1984–86. He crossed ...

's in House Remix) – 7:20

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alright (Jamiroquai Song) 1996 songs 1997 singles Jamiroquai songs Music videos directed by Vaughan Arnell S2 Records singles Songs written by Jason Kay Songs written by Toby Smith