"Fastlove" is a song by English singer-songwriter

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

, released on 22 April 1996 by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...

in the United Kingdom and

DreamWorks Records DreamWorks Records (often referred in copyright notices as SKG Music, LLC) was an American record label founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures. The label operated until 200 ...

in the United States as the second single from his third album, '' Older'' (1996). Written by Michael, Patrice Rushen, Freddie Washington and Terri McFaddin and produced by Michael and Jon Douglas, the song interpolates the 1982 single "

Forget Me Nots "Forget Me Nots" is a 1982 song co-written and performed by American R&B musician Patrice Rushen. It appears on her seventh album, '' Straight from the Heart''. Making a radical shift in her music, Rushen would continue to harness the particular ...

" by Patrice Rushen. The song received positive reviews from music critics. Commercially, the song topped the charts in six countries: Australia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and it also reached number one on the Canadian ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Adult Contemporary chart. It was Michael's seventh and final number-one single in the UK during his lifetime and is his seventh-most downloaded track there, earning him a Gold

certification Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

from the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

. It has sold 465,504 copies in the UK and was nominated for Best Single at the

1997 Brit Awards Brit Awards 1997 was the 17th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 24 February 1997 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in Lon ...

. In the United States it peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, giving Michael his fifteenth top-ten hit and final single to reach the top 100. The song's accompanying

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 ...

and

Anthea Benton Anthea Benton is a British television commercial and music video director, best known for her adverts for Stella Artois and Levi's. Career Benton began her career as a Fashion Designer and moved into directing in 1982 as half of the directing du ...

, was nominated for the video category at the Brit Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards in 1996, eventually winning the International Viewer's Choice Award—MTV Europe.

Recording

In an interview of 2022, Jon Douglas talked about the making of the song. While working on production of

Lisa Moorish Lisa Moorish (born 16 January 1972)A life on the edge
(Miranda Sawyer, ''

's album, he asked George to sing with her on the Wham! cover "''I'm Your Man"''. After that, George asked Jon to work with him on the album. The initial concept of the song was a latin and bossa nova song. While writing the song, George changed his idea, and wanted a more energetic vibe. He changed his composition and asked Jon to help him to make a more energetic song. While he changed his composition, the two used his vocal performance and the sax played by Andy Hamilton in reference to help re-construct the song. Jon created a new musical arrangement to complete the sax part and the vocal performance. The "

" sample was a change that George added at the last minute, as he wanted to change the end of the song. Jon didn't like the idea at first and before working to the transition, he listened the song over and over for two weeks to work on the transition at the end of the song.

Release

An energetic tune about needing gratification and fulfillment without concern for commitment, "Fastlove" was the second single taken from Michael's third studio album, '' Older'', which was his first studio album in six years and only the third of his solo career. For the single's B-side, a remake of the Wham! song " I'm Your Man" was used. Entitled "I'm Your Man '96", it was an update of one of their last singles, a decade earlier. Jon Kutner from ''1000 UK Number One Hits'' said the line "Stupid Cupid keeps on calling me and I see lovin' in his eyes" had a dual interpretation which could imply Michael's homosexuality.

Critical reception

While reviewing '' Older'',

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

said although "Fastlove" is the album's only

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

track, it still "lacks the carefree spark of his earlier work." He later still chose the song as his one of his "track picks."

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' described it as a "sleek groove that is a direct descendant of "

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...

" by

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick. Etymology ''Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English dictiona ...

." He noted that Michael "deftly cruises between breathy sensuality and full-bodied belting", adding that the "icing on the cake is a

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

and refrain that are immediate sing-along fodder." Daina Darzin from ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' wrote that "Fastlove" "pumps up both the volume and the velocity for a terminally danceable, happy-feet track that's sure to become a staple in discos across the U.S." She also said that it features "the sort of ultra-lush, opulent

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 ...

vibe that's been Michael's hallmark throughout his career." The Daily Vault's Melanie Love called it a "plea for noncommittal, one-night stands as a way to avoid the pain of relationships". She noted further, "It's got a silky-smooth groove with touches of brass, and Michael's voice is as stellar as ever, slick and teasing yet somehow revelatory, giving this track a hookiness despite lacking an actual chorus." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

s Jim Farber gave the song an "A". He stated, "It took real guts to release a salute to a one-night stand in this, the era of abstinence," also praising its "devilishly seductive bass" and "sleekly probing horns". Farber concluded his review by calling the track "best slow-groove dance record since

Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...

's ' All Around the World'." Irish newspaper '' Evening Herald'' said it is "very like" his 1992 hit "

Too Funky "Too Funky" is a song written and performed by English singer and songwriter George Michael and released by Columbia Records in the United States and Epic Records elsewhere in 1992. The song was Michael's final single for his recording contr ...

", adding that it "restores George to his rightful place as purveyor of whiteboy R&B to a middle-class audience." Hans-Petter Kjøge from Norwegian newspaper ''

Fredrikstad Blad Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad. The city of Fredrikstad was founded in 1 ...

'' described it as "quality

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

of the best brand." Swedish newspaper '' Göteborgs-Tidningen'' said it is "nicely funky". A reviewer from ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' called it a "uncomplicated, good-time funky dance track in which the repetition of the title has a lasting effect." They also commented that the production and atmosphere is "owing much to late-'70s disco grooves". ''

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 ...

'' rated it five out of five, adding that "it's got all the right ingredients for Top 10 success — Michael's crooning vocals over an uptempo dancey beat. Radio play is already substantial." Victoria Segal 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 ...

'' noted "the thrill-stalking emptiness" of the song. Writing about the album for ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'',

Al Weisel Al Weisel (July 18, 1963 – February 27, 2010) was a freelance writer who lived in New York City. Weisel graduated from Columbia University in 1987. He wrote for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Washington Post'', ''New York Newsday'', and Us Weekly, ''Us ...

called it a "bouncy

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 ...

concoction", that is "flavored with

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

-style whistling synths." Michael E. Ross from '' Salon Magazine'' said that Michael "gets back to bold, bumptious funk, the singer clearly reveling in those buoyant rhythms of the not-too-distant past." In 2014, Brendon Veevers from British webzine '' Renowned for Sound'' ranked the song at number 4 on his "Top 10 George Michael Hits" list, stating: "

he song He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

is a slick, ultra-modern dance-pop track that sits quite contrasting to the rest of the ''Older'' tracks but has held up exceptionally well over the past almost-20 years since it was offered to us." In 2017, Dave Fawbert of ''ShortList'' Magazine called Fastlove "one of the greatest songs ever made", noting that, at a time when Britpop was at its height "George Michael decided to completely ignore it and release a truly slinky R&B/soul number which announced, with the utmost style, that he would be just as relevant in the '90s as he had been in the '80s." He was also full of praise for Fastlove Part II, although criticized the " Summer Mix" of the song as lacking "the fruity bass of the original". Fawbert later produced a half-hour version of Fastlove as a homage. This song was featured in and a part of the soundtrack for the 2019 film '' Last Christmas''.

Chart performance

The song reached the number one spot in United Kingdom, where it stayed for three weeks. It also reached number one in Australia, Hungary, Italy and Spain. "Fastlove" later became Michael's seventh-most downloaded track in the United Kingdom, according to

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

in 2014. In the United States, "Fastlove" peaked at number eight and has since become a classic in George Michael's catalogue. It finished at number 62 on the US ''

'' year-end chart. To date, this is the final George Michael single to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Additionally, it peaked at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Rhythmic chart and number 14 on the ''Billboard''

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

. In Canada, "Fastlove" peaked at number four on the ''

'' Top Singles chart and number one on the ''RPM'' Adult Contemporary chart.

Music video

Directed by

and

, the

begins with a flickering virtual reality image of a woman on a bed followed by a man sitting in a black chair using a high-tech

remote control In electronics, a remote control (also known as a remote or clicker) is an electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operate devices such as ...

device to "flip" through a variety of sexual virtual reality characters. Michael appears in the black chair, which is equipped with speakers. At one point, one of the dancers is shown wearing headphones displaying the word 'FONY' in the style of the

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

corporate logo, a reference to the contractual dispute Michael was having at the time with

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

(formerly CBS Records). Throughout the video, various men and women who display a wide spectrum of characteristics, including one who is shy, another who is lustful, and another who is a complete emotional wreck (played by

Rachel Williams Rachel Williams (born April 29, 1967) is an American model, TV presenter, and landscape designer. Early life Williams is the daughter of architect Tod Williams and Patricia Agnes Jones, a dancer. Her parents divorced when she was five years ...

), sit in the chair and use the remote control to summon more sexual characters. As the video ends, Michael is seen dancing while water rains down on him. The video ends with the same flickering virtual reality image that introduces to the video. It was published on

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 ...

in September 2010. By November 2020, the video has been viewed over 33.7 million times. The music video was nominated for three

1996 MTV Video Music Awards The 1996 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 4, 1996, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1995, to June 14, 1996. The show was hosted by Dennis Miller at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The show centered on The Smashin ...

, including:

Best Dance Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video was first awarded in 1989, and it was one of the original four genre categories that were added to the MTV Video Music Awards that year. With a revamp of the awards in 2007, the category was cut out ...

, Best Choreography in a Video and International Viewer's Choice Award—MTV Europe — which it won.

Live performances

Michael performed the song on his '' MTV Unplugged'' segment on 11 October 1996 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, the taping later premiered on the network on 11 December. Barry Walters in a review for ''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * ''The Advocate'' (LGBT magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States *''The Harvard Advocate'', a literary magazin ...

'', describing the performance: "During 'Fastlove' he changes the melody considerably, and a huge mass of background singers drops all sorts of gospel-influenced vocal doodads." The live audio of the song was then uploaded onto Michael's official

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...

. "Fastlove" was the opening song for his first leg for

25 Live 25 Live (also known as the 25th-Anniversary Tour) was a concert tour by English singer/songwriter George Michael. The tour was the most commercially successful tour of 2006–2007 in Europe, grossing over $200 million, with positive reviews fr ...

with graphics flowed behind and beneath him on a curved, cascading screen. Adele performed the song during the

59th Annual Grammy Awards The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, ...

, in tribute to Michael. She restarted her slow, mournful arrangement of it at one point because she was not satisfied with how it was going and saying that Michael was too important to her for her to not get it right.

Track listings

* UK, Australasian, and Japanese CD single # "Fastlove Part I" – 5:27 # " I'm Your Man" – 4:06 # "Fastlove Part II" (fully extended mix) – 9:28 * UK 12-inch single :A1. "Fastlove Part II" (fully extended mix) :B1. "I'm Your Man" :B2. "Fastlove Part I" * UK cassette single and European CD single # "Fastlove Part I" – 5:27 # "I'm Your Man" – 4:06 * US CD single # "Fastlove" (full version) # "I'm Your Man '96" # "Fastlove" (summer mix) * US 7-inch and cassette single # "Fastlove" (full version) – 5:24 # "I'm Your Man '96" – 4:10 * US 12-inch single :A2. "Fastlove" (extended version) – 9:29 :A2. "Fastlove" (full version) – 5:25 :B1. "I'm Your Man '96" – 4:06 :B2. "Fastlove" (summer mix) – 4:42

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1996 singles 1996 songs DreamWorks Records singles George Michael songs Music videos directed by Vaughan Arnell Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Hungary Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in Spain Songs about casual sex Songs written by George Michael Songs written by Patrice Rushen Song recordings produced by George Michael UK Singles Chart number-one singles Virgin Records singles