"Lighters (The One)" (originally called "The One"), is a song by British singer Ash Gray, released as his debut single on 30 June 2013 in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

under his previous name "Gabz". Gray wrote the song and was produced by Graham Stack. The song entered 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 ...

Background

Gray, aged 14 at the time, premiered the self-written song at his audition for the 2013 series of '' Britain's Got Talent'', in front of judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden,

Alesha Dixon Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She gained recognition in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B, garage and hip hop group Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded in ...

and

David Walliams David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series '' Little B ...

. He explained that the song is about heartbreak, but as he had not experienced it personally, he took inspiration from films. Gray performed the song at a piano, and it was praised by Cowell who said, "I think that's a cute little song, great chorus, you know, produced properly, that song, you may have something there." Gray performed the song again during the live semi-finals, this time with a backing track and choir. Walliams urged Cowell to make the song available for purchase, predicting it could make number one in the

. In the live final, Gray performed a medley of "Lighters (The One)" with another self-written song, "Lie There". Each verse contains a rap. On 19 June 2013, it was announced that "The One", now renamed to "Lighters (The One)", would be released as a single on 30 June, on 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 ...

record label. He recorded it in London and it was produced by Graham Stack. Gray said, "I'm really excited about my single being released, I'm so happy, it's a dream come true!" It was reported that the rush release of the single was due to "exceptional demand".

Music video

The music video for "Lighters (The One)" was released on 27 June 2013. It was directed by Greg Francis, who explained that the video focuses on Gray and shows the feelings of first love and heartbreak. He said he was trying to make the video look "cool" and "arty", with an "edge to it". Gray kept his own style for the video, wearing a variety of

onesies An infant bodysuit or onesie (American English) is a garment designed to be worn by babies much like a T-shirt; they are distinguished from T-shirts by an extension below the waist, with snaps that allow it to be closed over the crotch. The purp ...

, trainers and caps with clashing colours.

Track listing

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{authority control 2013 singles 2013 songs Song recordings produced by Graham Stack (record producer) Songs about heartache