"Run to the Sun" is a song by British

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 ...

duo

Erasure Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...

, released in July 1994 as the second single from their sixth studio album, '' I Say I Say I Say'' (1994). It is written by

Vince Clarke Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously ...

with fellow Erasure member Andy Bell and is an uptempo

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

track that displays signature

synthesizer 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 ...

programming by Clarke. The UK 7-inch single of "Run to the Sun" was issued on yellow-coloured vinyl and featured a fold-out poster of the single's cover artwork. The single's

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

, a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

entitled "Tenderest Moments", was later re-recorded by Erasure in an acoustic version for their 2006 album '' Union Street''. Released on 18 July, "Run to the Sun" peaked 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 ...

, becoming Erasure's 15th UK top-10 hit. In the US, the song reached number 24 on the ''

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 ...

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart and number 14 on the ''Billboard''

Hot Dance Music/Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart. Elsewhere, the song reached number five in Finland, number 19 in Ireland and Sweden, and number 49 in Germany.

Critical reception

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 ...

editor Ned Raggett viewed the song as "strident" and "full-on pep".

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 ''

'' declared it as a "

rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...

-happy pop/dance ditty", noting that "as always, singer Andy Bell is a delight, while synthmaster

offers a racing beat and tweaking computer noises. Layered between the two is a sweet, contagious hook that sticks to the brain upon impact." A reviewer from '' Cashbox'' named it "one of the best tracks from the excellent new

album", calling it a "quickly-paced, freestyle synth romp." The reviewer added, "Vince Clark flicks his snappy keyboard stings throughout, while Andy Bell’s songbird voice and longing-for-thou lyrics shoot right for the heart. Top-40 potential here, with alternative and modern rockers again laying the foundation for the band." Chris Willman from ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' felt that the song, "which may or may not be a paean to a departed loved one, should score big at the clubs." Alan Jones 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 ...

'' wrote, "Too much bluster and too little substance here, as Erasure switch to automatic pilot on a song that lacks melodic substance. Not one of their bigger hits, though it should make a brief appearance in the

Top 20 A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include rec ...

." Darren Lee from ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quiet ...

'' declared it a "surefooted day-glo" pop anthem, "which fitted seamlessly into the canon". James Hamilton from the '' RM'' Dance Update described it as "old fashioned galloping 133.9bpm

Hi-NRG Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a music genre, typified by fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the ...

". Sal Cinquemani from ''

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'' remarked that Bell explores lower voice registers on "inventive and ornate overdubs pad songs", like "the sci-fi/

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

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 ...

" number "Run to the Sun". Dardy Chang from American independent newspaper '' Stanford Daily'' stated that its "bouncy, relentless" beat "makes it an instant dance hit."

Music video

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 ...

was produced to promote the single, directed by German director

Nico Beyer Nico Beyer (born 15 June 1964) is a German film director and producer. He is noted for his unique visual style and wide array of different techniques and formats. His commercial work has won him numerous, international awards, such as gold an ...

. It was shot at the World Clock in

Alexanderplatz () ( en, Alexander Square) is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin. The square is named after the Russian Tsar Alexander I, which also denotes the larger neighbourhood stretching from in the nort ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and features an early appearance by

Jason Statham Jason Statham (; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor. He is known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films who are typically tough, hardboiled, gritty, or violent. Statham began practising Chinese martial arts, kickboxing ...

as a silver-painted background dancer.

Track listings

* UK CD1 # "Run to the Sun" – 4:13 # "Tenderest Moments" – 5:29 # "Run to the Sun" ( Beatmasters' Galactic mix) – 7:19 * UK CD2 # "Run to the Sun" (Beatmasters' Outergalactic mix) – 5:37 # "Run to the Sun" (The Simon & Diamond Bhangra remix) – 4:25 # "Run to the Sun" (

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, appearing on their second album, '' A Saucerful of Secrets'' (1968). It was written by Roger Waters, taking lyrics from a Chinese poetry book, and featu ...

mix) – 6:20 # "Run to the Sun" (Amber Solaire) – 10:11 * UK 12-inch single :A1. "Run to the Sun" :A2. "Run to the Sun" (Beatmasters' Galactic mix) :A3. "Run to the Sun" (Amber Solaire) :B1. "Run to the Sun" (Beatmasters' Outergalactic mix) :B2. "Run to the Sun" (The Simon & Diamond Bhangra remix) :B3. "Run to the Sun" (Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun mix) :B4. "Run to the Sun" (Diss-Cuss mix) * UK 7-inch and cassette single; Japanese mini-CD single # "Run to the Sun" # "Tenderest Moments" # "Run to the Sun" (Beatmasters' Intergalactic mix) * US, Canadian, and Australian maxi-CD single # "Run to the Sun" (7-inch version) – 4:14 # "Run to the Sun" (Beatmasters' Galactic mix) – 7:22 # "Run to the Sun" (Amber Solaire mix) – 10:14 # "Run to the Sun" (Beatmasters' Outergalactic mix) – 5:38 # "Run to the Sun" (The Simon & Diamond Bhangra remix) – 4:27 # "Run to the Sun" (Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun mix) – 6:20 * US cassette single # "Run to the Sun" (7-inch mix) # "Run to the Sun" (Beatmasters' Intergalactic mix) # "Tenderest Moments"

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Run To The Sun 1994 singles 1994 songs Elektra Records singles Erasure songs Music videos directed by Nico Beyer Mute Records singles Songs written by Andy Bell (singer) Songs written by Vince Clarke