One Strike
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"One Strike" is a song recorded by English-Canadian girl group All Saints for their fourth studio album, '' Red Flag'' (2016). The track was written by group member
Shaznay Lewis Tricia Marie "Shaznay" Lewis (born 14 October 1975) is an English singer, songwriter and a member of the girl group All Saints. She has co-written most of the group's songs, including number one singles: "Bootie Call", "Pure Shores" and internat ...
and its producer Hutch, inspired by the breakdown of group member
Nicole Appleton Nicole Marie Appleton (born 7 December 1974) is a Canadian singer and television presenter. She is a member of the British girl group All Saints and Canadian duo Appleton with her elder sister Natalie Appleton. Early life Appleton was born ...
's highly publicised marriage to
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
and
Beady Eye Beady Eye were an English rock band formed in London in 2009 by former Oasis members Liam Gallagher (vocals), Gem Archer (guitar), Andy Bell (guitar), and Chris Sharrock (drums). In 2013, former Kasabian guitarist Jay Mehler joined the band as ...
frontman
Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starti ...
. "One Strike" is a
mid-tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
, R&B,
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
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
song that lyrically deals with the protagonist's emotions immediately after breaking up with their significant other. "One Strike" was released for digital download by
London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
on 23 February 2016 as All Saints' comeback single, and the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from the ''Red Flag''. Upon release, the song was met with critical acclaim; critics praised the group's dreamlike harmonies and the understated lyrics, likening it to that of their 2000 single "
Pure Shores "Pure Shores" is a song by English-Canadian girl group All Saints, released by London Records on 14 February 2000 as the lead single from '' The Beach: Motion Picture Soundtrack'' and the group's second studio album, '' Saints & Sinners'' (2000 ...
". An accompanying music video was directed by Tom Beard and released on 4 March 2016; the
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
and low fidelity music video features the group singing and dancing in moody fashion. All Saints promoted "One Strike" with a live performance on '' Alan Carr: Chatty Man''.


Writing and inspiration

All Saints member
Nicole Appleton Nicole Marie Appleton (born 7 December 1974) is a Canadian singer and television presenter. She is a member of the British girl group All Saints and Canadian duo Appleton with her elder sister Natalie Appleton. Early life Appleton was born ...
and
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
frontman
Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starti ...
were extensively portrayed in the British media as "the golden couple" of the 1990s music scene. Having been dating since 2000, the couple married in 2008, when their son, Gene, was six. However, in 2013, it was revealed to Nicole by the media that Gallagher had an affair and was expecting a child with American journalist Liza Ghorbani. Upon finding out about the affair, Nicole phoned fellow All Saints member
Shaznay Lewis Tricia Marie "Shaznay" Lewis (born 14 October 1975) is an English singer, songwriter and a member of the girl group All Saints. She has co-written most of the group's songs, including number one singles: "Bootie Call", "Pure Shores" and internat ...
; the two spoke for several hours. Nicole's tribulation was at the forefront of Lewis' mind, being "the heaviest thing going on" at the time. Lewis, herself, was feeling the emotions Nicole was going through and was inspired to write about it as a friend in "One Strike". The track also resonated with the other All Saints members;
Natalie Appleton Natalie Jane Appleton Howlett (born 14 May 1973) is a Canadian singer. She is a member of the British girl group All Saints and the duo Appleton with her younger sister Nicole Appleton. Appleton joined All Saints in 1996, becoming the fourth ...
admitted to crying during her first few listens of the song, while
Melanie Blatt Melanie Ruth Blatt (born 25 March 1975) is an English singer. She rose to fame in 1997 as a member of the girl group All Saints. The group have gained five number one singles, two multi-platinum albums, two BRIT Awards and have sold over 10 mil ...
described it as a "fire analogy". Lewis wrote "One Strike" with Hutch, a new producer who she had taken notice of prior to the development of the song's parent album, '' Red Flag''. The song stemmed from the breakdown of Nicole's marriage and the phone call Nicole had with Lewis. It was the first track recorded for the album. Only months later did Lewis inform Nicole of the lyrical meaning; "I didn't even know and I was singing along to it, months later, and she went 'You know when you spoke to me and told me…' and I just went 'Oh my god'", Nicole recalled. Further inspiration came from the group's experiences where "things really come along and change just like that". In an interview for '' i-D'' magazine, Nicole explained: "It's not about the divorce, it's about the moment I found out what allagherdid to me. It's pretty much that." While Lewis clarified:
The phrase 'one strike' is about how your life can just change in one instant. You can be walking down the road, you've just left your family at home and everything's hunky dory, then when you go back home they're gone. On one side of the door your life's amazing, on the other side it changes just like that.


Composition and lyrical interpretation

"One Strike" is a R&B,
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
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
song. It is
mid-tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
and features production that is more minimal than most of All Saints' previous singles. A melodic and laid-back sound is aided by the group using composed and intimate vocals, complemented with electronic
reverberation Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
. The group's harmonies throughout have a smooth and dreamlike quality. The track opens with a mellow,
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-indebted instrumental which comprises a progressive
synth A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
line and is later accompanied by rattling percussion instruments. Leading into the first verse, the production becomes less prominent, putting emphasis on the group's vocals and the lyrics which in this segment specifically detail the very moment Nicole found out about Gallagher's affair: "Stone cold / You wake me when the phone vibrates / Your voice sounds dulled, but loud enough to hear you." Guitar accompanies the instrumental in the chorus which begins with the
refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...
, "And with one strike..." A break-up song, the lyrics of "One Strike" have been widely interpreted as a "direct response" to Nicole's marriage dissolving, and as a
diss track A diss track, diss record or diss song (diss – abbr. from ''disrespect'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feud between the ...
about Gallagher. Alec Soames of ''
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'' magazine viewed it as a "f*ck you track to Liam Gallagher". While
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of ''
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'' referred to it as a "divorce-court single", and Harriet Gibsone from the same publication called it "a shrug of a shoulders, a nail-polish
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". Anna Gaca of ''
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'' magazine found the lyrics to be understated yet candid; "I don't want to be in this home / Broken promises, time to leave / I had everything that you need d.


Release

On 27 January 2016, All Saints announced "One Strike" as their comeback single and the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from ''Red Flag''. It was premiered on
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
's ''
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show ''The Chris Evans Breakfast Show'' (currently referred to on-air due to sponsorship reasons as ''The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky'') is the name given to two versions of a radio programme hosted by broadcaster Chris Evans in the United ...
'' on 23 February 2016, and subsequently released three days ahead of schedule as an "instant grat" from digital
pre-order A pre-order is an order placed for an item that has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came because people found it hard to get popular items in stores because of their popularity. Companies then had the idea to allow customers to r ...
s of the album. A four-track remixes EP was released for digital download on 25 March 2016.


Critical response

Upon release, "One Strike" was met with critical acclaim. Owen Myers of ''
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'' regarded it as "up there with the best" of the group's discography and "exactly the song you need for when days are getting longer". Myers likened the guitar melody to
Blood Orange The blood orange is a variety of orange ( ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'') (also referred to as raspberry orange) with crimson, almost blood-colored flesh. The distinctive dark flesh color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of polyp ...
productions and felt the group's harmonies "still sound so good". Lewis Corner and Amy Davidson from
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said the track is "as emotionally personal as it is a slice of absolute pop perfection". Stefan Kyriazis of the ''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
'' hailed the song as "a powerful return to form", deeming it "timeless" and "classic All Saints". Similarly, Sarah Deen of ''
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'' wrote: "It's classic All Saints – chilled out and melodic, but with feisty, meaningful lyrics and lovely harmonies. These ladies have still got it – not that they ever lost it."
Popjustice Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', ''Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael Cra ...
said the track "sounds completely like All Saints without seeming dated", concluding: "Perhaps they were always more ahead of their time than we realised." Gibsone wrote that the song lived up to the group's legacy and likened it to their 2000 collaborations with producer
William Orbit William Mark Wainwright (born 15 December 1956),"William Orbit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 30. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2000. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 7 May 2017. Available onlinvia ''Encyclopedia.com'' known ...
, explaining: "Next to
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and
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
, it suits the current casual climate of pop in 2016. Their veil of mystery, their aloof cool remains." Gibsone highlighted a lack of melodrama in the lyrics and considered "One Strike" to be "as elegant as a song about ivorcecan sound". Soames considered the "catchy" chorus and "energetic" refrain highlights. Caitlin McBride of the ''
Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...
'' commented that the track was "actually pretty good". Several critics likened the song to the group's 2000 single "
Pure Shores "Pure Shores" is a song by English-Canadian girl group All Saints, released by London Records on 14 February 2000 as the lead single from '' The Beach: Motion Picture Soundtrack'' and the group's second studio album, '' Saints & Sinners'' (2000 ...
". Robbie Daw from
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viewed "One Strike" as "easily one of 2016's best pop songs so far" and noted that All Saints were "in fine form". Daw opined that the track shared the "musical magic" and "enthralling" qualities of "Pure Shores". Mark Savage, music reporter for
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, echoed Daw's view saying the song featured "sun-kissed harmonies that instantly recall the band's 'Pure Shores' heyday".
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said the track "ebbs and flows like ..'Pure Shores', with harmonies on point once more". Noisey called the song "glorious" and a "triumphant comeback single", and claimed that the group's harmonies and dreamlike sound were what pop music had missed. The website went on to describe the track as "what
Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
couldn't pull off at all with ''
A Head Full of Dreams ''A Head Full of Dreams'' is the seventh studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 4 December 2015, by Parlophone in the United Kingdom, and by Atlantic Records in the United States. Coldplay recorded the album from early to mid 20 ...
''", "the chill out session to
Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British ver ...
's stomping workout" and "quite possibly, 2016's answer to 'Pure Shores'". Eleanor Margolis of the ''
New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' commented, "You can pretty much smell the CK1 wafting off 'One Strike'", and described the song as "sort of like someone shook 'Pure Shores' out of the coma it went into when it did a dodgy E at Glasto". Conversely, ''
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'' magazine found the track "pretty good .. not 'Pure Shores' good, but definitely alright".


Music video

The accompanying music video for "One Strike" was directed by Tom Beard, and shot in
monochrome A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, monochrom ...
and low fidelity. It was released on 4 March 2016. The visual strays from artifice and manipulation, instead focusing on the characters of All Saints. It is entirely in
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
and features glitches throughout, and the group singing and dancing in front of a white backdrop. Near the end, a burning candle is shown. The video ends with one group member dropping a
parka A parka or anorak is a type of coat with a hood, often lined with fur or faux fur. This kind of garment is a staple of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from caribou or seal skin, for hunting and kayaking in the frigid Arctic. Some Inuit ano ...
on the floor – a reference to Gallagher who is known for wearing parkas. Katy Forrester of the ''
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'' said the video "takes us back to the days of ' Black Coffee'" and described it as "cool" and "artsy", adding: "It's a moody video and really matches the feel of the song." Similarly, Justin Myers from the
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 ...
opined, "The moody, atmospheric clip matches the vibe of the song", and concluded that it proved All Saints "still know where it's at". Lauren Murphy from
Entertainment.ie ''Entertainment.ie'' is an Irish web company based in Dublin. The company provides news and reviews of programs and films for TV and the cinema. It also provides information on upcoming comedies, festivals, theater shows and music in Ireland, a ...
deemed the clip "mean 'n' moody". The ''
Irish Examiner The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country. ...
'' wrote that the video had a "definite 90s vibe", while Jennifer Ruby of the ''
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'' regarded it as "sticking with their trademark 90s style". Rishma Dosani of '' OK!'' found it "pretty emotional".


Live performances

All Saints first performed "One Strike" during an acoustic set for ''The Chris Evans Breakfast Show'' on 26 February 2016. They performed the track on '' Alan Carr: Chatty Man'' on 17 March 2016. "One Strike" was included as the encore on the setlist for their first headlining show in over a decade at London's KOKO, on 4 April 2016. The group also sang the song along with past single "
Pure Shores "Pure Shores" is a song by English-Canadian girl group All Saints, released by London Records on 14 February 2000 as the lead single from '' The Beach: Motion Picture Soundtrack'' and the group's second studio album, '' Saints & Sinners'' (2000 ...
" at Starnacht am Neusiedler See on 30 April 2016 in Austria. All Saints also performed the song with "Pure Shores" on the Energy Fashion Night event, which took place on 7 May 2016. "One Strike" was performed as part of the setlist of their 2016
Red Flag Tour The Red Flag Tour was the second headlining concert tour by British girl group All Saints. Supporting their fourth studio album '' Red Flag'' (2016), the tour ran from 6 October 2016 to 18 October 2016. It marked the group's first headlining t ...
, and as an opening act for
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singe ...
's 2017 tour, Wonderland Live.


Track listings

*;Digital download # "One Strike"  – 3:33 *;Digital download (Remixes) # "One Strike" (
K-Gee Karl Clive Gordon, known by the stage name K-Gee, is a British DJ, producer, rapper and songwriter and former member of the Outlaw Posse. Gordon was brought up listening to reggae by his father and was inspired to become a DJ after listenin ...
Big Tings Refix)  – 4:14 # "One Strike" (Sunhatch Remix)  – 4:35 # "One Strike" (Ogre Remix)  – 3:13 # "One Strike" (Beatnik Remix)  – 3:31


Charts


References


External links

* {{All Saints 2016 singles 2016 songs All Saints (group) songs Black-and-white music videos London Records singles Songs written by Shaznay Lewis Synth-pop songs