"The Time Is Now" is a song by Irish-English

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

- pop duo

Moloko Moloko () were an Irish-English electronic music duo formed in Sheffield, England, consisting of vocalist Róisín Murphy and producer Mark Brydon. Blending elements of electronica and dance music, they are best known for their UK top 10 sin ...

, released as 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 their third album, ''

Things to Make and Do ''Things to Make and Do'' is the third album by the electronic/ dance duo Moloko, released in the UK by Echo Records in 2000. It was a sonic departure for Moloko, with tracks less reliant on electronics and more on live musicians. In addition to ...

'' (2000). Members

Mark Brydon Mark Errington Brydon is an English bassist, guitarist, composer, arranger, recording engineer, remix artist and producer best known as a member of the group Moloko. Previous work He comes from Sunderland, England, but established himself in ...

and

Róisín Murphy Róisín Marie Murphy ( , ; born 5 July 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and record producer. She first became known in the 1990s as one half of the pop duo Moloko alongside English musician Mark Brydon. After the breakup of Moloko, she em ...

conceived the song as an acoustic dance recording, not wanting to turn it into a loud, drum-heavy track, unlike much of their earlier work. Characterised as a "

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 ...

anthem", "The Time Is Now" has been described as one of Moloko's least electronic efforts and a musical standout of the

3rd millennium In contemporary history, the third millennium of the anno Domini or Common Era in the Gregorian calendar is the current millennium spanning the years 2001 to 3000 ( 21st to 30th centuries). Ongoing futures studies seek to understand what is l ...

's outset, receiving positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. The song's multiple cover artworks were designed by Lizzie Finn and photographed by Barnaby & Scott. "The Time Is Now" was released on 20 March 2000 and charted at number two 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 ...

the same month, outpeaking the band's previous single, " Sing It Back", which reached number four. In May 2000, the song was certified silver by 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 ...

for shipments greater than 200,000. It found success in several other European countries as well, becoming a top-20 hit in four of them. It received a nomination for the "Best British Single" at the

2001 BRIT Awards Brit Awards 2001 was the 21st edition of the annual pop music Brit Awards awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are run by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 26 February 2001 at Earls Court in London. Performances Winne ...

, as did its music video for "Best British Video".

Background and release

Moloko producer

recalled, "It's probably the closest we've come to sitting down with a guitar and writing a song. We thought we'd try and make a track with the same structure as a dance record but keep it acoustic. There was this temptation to put on a big

snare SNARE proteins – " SNAP REceptor" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 24 members in yeasts, more than 60 members in mammalian cells, and some numbers in plants. The primary role of SNARE proteins is to mediate vesicle fu ...

or something, but every time we did that it upset the balance. Being constrained by budget, we couldn't really afford the full-on disco strings, so it's not exactly

Love Unlimited Orchestra The Love Unlimited Orchestra was a 40-piece string-laden orchestra formed by American singer Barry White, and serving as a backing unit for White and for female vocal trio Love Unlimited. From the early 1970s on, they also recorded several sing ...

. We got this quartet in to do more of a

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

thing. We think of them as 'street' strings."

Echo Records The Echo Label was a British record label started by Chrysalis Group in 1994, and linked with Pony Canyon in Japan. The Chrysalis Group were the original owners of Chrysalis Records, which they sold to EMI. In 2005, The Echo Label recorded a ...

released "The Time Is Now" in the United Kingdom on 20 March 2000 as the

from ''

'' across three formats: two

CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...

s and a 12-inch vinyl single.

Composition

"The Time Is Now" had been described as a "

anthem", containing a varied blend of

string instruments String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the Str ...

, an

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

that opens the song, and high-pitched vocals similar to the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

. The track ends with a fade, accompanied a looping, "chilling" piano. According to the digital sheet music published at Musicnotes, the record is set in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

with a

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...

and a

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 ...

of 124 beats per minute.

Critical reception

"The Time Is Now" received favourable reviews from music critics. Andy Hinds of

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 ...

, in a review for ''

'', said "check out the nylon-string guitar in the flamenco-flavored 'The Time Is Now,' which faintly recalls

Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first rose to popularity in the underground house scene ...

's '

Rendez-Vu "Rendez-Vu" is a song by English electronic music duo Basement Jaxx. It was released on 2 August 1999 as the second single from their debut album, '' Remedy'' (1999). "Rendez-Vu" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the US ...

' and it adds a timeless quality to the music overall". Swiss radio station director Sacha Horovitz lauded, "'The Time Is Now' is the best song we have at the moment! ... They love it and we love it, so everyone's happy!" Jo Heuston of

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

radio station Juice 107.7 also praised the song, calling Moloko an "exciting" band. James Keith of

Complex UK Complex Networks is an American media and entertainment company for youth culture, based in New York City. It was founded as a bi-monthly magazine, ''Complex'', by fashion designer Marc (Ecko) Milecofsky. Complex Networks reports on popular a ...

referred to "The Time Is Now" as "beyond ubiquitous", going on to say that it has become a paragon of the

new millennium In contemporary history, the third millennium of the anno Domini or Common Era in the Gregorian calendar is the current millennium spanning the years 2001 to 3000 (21st to 30th centuries). Ongoing futures studies seek to understand what is li ...

. Pop culture website ''

Freaky Trigger ''Freaky Trigger'' is an Internet publication and e-zine that focuses on popular culture with topics varying from music to cinema. It was founded by the music critic Tom Ewing in 1999 and features Pete Baran and Mark Sinker as editors. From 2000 ...

'' compared the "shimmering" acoustic intro of the song to

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel are a British glam rock band from the early 1970s from London. Their music covers a range of styles from pop to progressive rock. Over the years they have had five albums in the UK Albums Chart and twelve singles in ...

's 1975 single "

Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released in 1975 by EMI as the lead single from the band's third studio album ''The Best Years of Our Lives''. The song was written b ...

" and called the string arrangement "perfect", referring to the track as "one of the most emotionally affecting Top 10 hits for years". The song was nominated for "Best British Single" at the

but lost to

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

's "

Rock DJ "Rock DJ" is a song by English singer and songwriter Robbie Williams, featured on his third studio album, ''Sing When You're Winning'' (2000). The song was released on 31 July 2000 as the lead single from the album. It samples Barry White's so ...

". The same circumstance occurred with its music video, which was nominated for "Best British Video" but also lost out to "

"'s clip.

Commercial performance

In the duo's native United Kingdom, "The Time Is Now" debuted at number two on the

on 26 March 2000, unable to outsell

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...

's debut collaboration with

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Lisa Nicole Lopes (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper and singer. She was a member of the R&B girl group TLC, alongside Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Besid ...

, "

Never Be the Same Again "Never Be the Same Again" is a song by British singer-songwriter Melanie C from the British girl group Spice Girls, featuring American rapper Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of American girl group TLC. It was released on 20 March 2000 as the third sing ...

". To date, it is Moloko's highest-charting single in the UK, as well as their joint-longest-charting single alongside " Sing It Back", spending 13 weeks in the top 100. On 19 May 2000, the

awarded the song a silver disc for shipping over 200,000 units; it was the 73rd-highest-selling song of the UK in 2000. In Ireland, the single first appeared on the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

at number 43 on 23 March 2000, climbing to its peak of number 10 three weeks later. Like in the UK, it spent a total of 13 weeks on the Irish chart. At the end of 2000, the song was ranked at number 84 on Ireland's year-end chart. In mainland Europe, the song reached number three in Greece. It was a top-20 success in the

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

region of Belgium and in Finland, achieving peaks of number 15 and number 12, respectively. It entered the top 40 Iceland and Italy, falling shy of the mark in Switzerland, where it settled at number 41. It found moderate chart success in Germany and the Netherlands, peaking within the top 50, and it also appeared on Ultratip Bubbling Under listing of Belgium's

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...

region. Overall, it peaked at number 14 on the

Eurochart Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

. In Australia, "The Time Is Now" debuted at number 50 on 21 May 2000 and climbed to number 36, its highest position, two weeks later, staying three more weeks in the top 50 before dropping out.

Track listings

* UK CD and cassette single # "The Time Is Now" (edit) – 4:32 # "The Time Is Now" (Can 7 Soulfood mix) – 3:59 # "The Time Is Now" (Francois K vocal edit) – 9:00 * UK and Dutch 12-inch single :A1. "The Time Is Now" (Francois K vocal mix) – 8:58 :B1. "The Time Is Now" (Can 7 Jungle Boogie) – 7:15 :B2. "The Time Is Now" (Matt Darey vocal edit) – 3:55 * Dutch CD single # "The Time Is Now" (edit) – 3:44 # "The Time Is Now" (Can 7 Soulfood mix) – 3:58 * Dutch maxi-CD single # "The Time Is Now (edit) – 3:44 # "The Time Is Now (Can 7 Soulfood mix) – 4:00 # "The Time Is Now (Francois K Main vocal mix) – 9:03 # "The Time Is Now (full length) – 5:21 * Australian and New Zealand CD single # "The Time Is Now" (radio edit) # "The Time Is Now" (DJ Plankton mix) # "The Time Is Now" (François K main vocal) # "The Time Is Now" (Matt Darey vocal) # "The Time Is Now" (full length) # "The Time Is Now" (Can 7 Soulfood edit)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

In popular culture

In 2014, the song was featured in the Enhanced Version of ''

Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...

s Non-Stop-Pop radio station. It was also featured on

Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...

' Saturday night

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

highlights show, ''

Football First ''Football First – Match Choice'' is an interactive television programme on Sky Sports that shows extended highlights of every Premier League match played on the day, except matches shown live on BT Sport BT Sport is a group of pay televis ...

'', since 2004.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Time Is Now, The 2000 singles 2000 songs British disco songs The Echo Label singles Electronic songs Moloko songs Mushroom Records singles Roadrunner Records singles Songs written by Róisín Murphy UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles Songs written by Mark Brydon