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"The Promise" is a single by British girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth and final studio album '' Out of Control'' (2008). The song was written by
Brian Higgins Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and N ...
and his production team Xenomania. Influenced by
Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
and music of the 1960s, "The Promise" is an upbeat love song. Upon its release in October 2008, the single became Girls Aloud's fourth number one 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 ...
, continuing their six-year streak of top ten hits. The music video is set at a drive-in movie theatre, where Girls Aloud watch themselves performing as a 1960s girl group on screen. "The Promise" was promoted through numerous live appearances, including a high-profile performance on '' The X Factor'', and served as the opening number of 2009's
Out of Control Tour The Out of Control Tour was the fifth concert tour by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud. It supported their fifth studio album '' Out of Control''. Initially, just ten dates in bigger arenas were announced in November 2008. Due to demand, mo ...
. The song was praised and appreciated by most contemporary music critics, who lauded the song despite considering it unusual for Girls Aloud. "The Promise" was awarded Best British Single at the 2009 Brit Awards, the group's first win at the ceremony.


Background and composition

"The Promise" is an
homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...
to 1960s music, particularly
Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
's famous
Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of sessio ...
technique. It has been described as "a 1960s-influenced pop gem given a contemporary Girls Aloud twist". Peter Robinson, however, noted that the song "also hinted at a mellower side of 1970s New York disco, as if it were some sort of long soundtrack from a deleted scene in ''
Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man from the Brooklyn borough of New York. Manero spends h ...
''." The song is written in
A major A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...
with a
time signature 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 va ...
in common time 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 (ofte ...
of 88 beats per minute. The vocal range spans from G♯3 to C5. The chord progression varies throughout the song, but chords include E, Am, C, A, Dm, and D. "The Promise" is composed in rondo form, the chorus serving as the song's only repeated section. A key change takes place before the song's final chorus. Both the radio edit and the album version of the song were edited from the full-length version for release. The radio edit lasts 3:42 and has a cold ending. The album version of "The Promise" is around fifteen seconds longer, opting for a repeat and fade of
Sarah Harding Sarah Nicole Harding (; 17 November 1981 – 5 September 2021) was an English singer, model and actress. Her professional career began in 2002 when she successfully auditioned for the ITV reality series '' Popstars: The Rivals'', during which ...
's first verse following the final chorus. The backing track for the song was composed by two Australian musicians, Jason Resch and Kieran Jones, who would later play the song for
Brian Higgins Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and N ...
. Higgins and Miranda Cooper, afraid they would "ruin the moment", waited weeks to write the song's lyrics; they eventually wrote the song in seven minutes. Higgins said, "We knew that was the piece of music Girls Aloud needed to announce them as a supergroup in this country, so we knew we couldn't drop the ball melodically or lyrically." He elaborated, "Girls Aloud's records were more driving and pumping and innovative then than they are now because that's not what's required .."The Promise" was the sound of a big group, a group about to be huge. They needed the theme tune to the biggest girl group on the planet". As soon as Girls Aloud heard the song, they decided it should be the first single from ''Out of Control''. The group defied their record label's demands for another song to be released as the lead single, with the label claiming that the song would be "pop suicide", and Nadine Coyle, who had just flown out from Los Angeles to do the ''Out of Control'' album photo shoot, threatened to not participate in the photo shoot at all and to immediately fly back to Los Angeles until the label conceded to the group's demands. The day before the song was due to be delivered to
Fascination Records Fascination Records is a United Kingdom-based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as an imprint of Polydor Records. The label was launched in spring of 2006, and is managed by former TOTP Magazine editor Peter Loraine ...
, the entire backing track was ditched and replayed.


Release

Described by the band's website as a "stormer of a track", "The Promise" premièred on Switch on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
on 14 September 2008. During promotion, Girls Aloud announced dates for 2009's
Out of Control Tour The Out of Control Tour was the fifth concert tour by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud. It supported their fifth studio album '' Out of Control''. Initially, just ten dates in bigger arenas were announced in November 2008. Due to demand, mo ...
. The song was released as a physical
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 s ...
in Ireland on 15 October 2008, followed by a
digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals ** Digital camera, which captures and stores digital ...
release in Ireland and the United Kingdom on 19 October. The physical CD was released in the UK a day afterwards. It was originally scheduled for release on 27 October 2008, but the release was brought forward a week. The CD single featured a brand new b-side entitled "She", while an exclusive remix of "The Promise" by Jason Nevins was available as an
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
exclusive. "The Promise" was also remixed by Dave Audé. A limited edition picture disc was made available exclusively through Girls Aloud's official website, featuring a live performance of " Girl Overboard (song)" as the b-side. The song was digitally released in Germany on 16 January 2009 and physically on 27 March. "The Promise" is the opening track on '' Now 71'' and appears on the Brit Awards 2009 nominees album. The Flip & Fill remix appears on ''
Clubland 14 ''Clubland'' are a series of compilation albums from Clubland released by Universal Music TV and All Around the World Productions Xploded Music is a British record label set up by Cris Nuttall and Matt Cadman. The label is a joint ventur ...
''. The song was released Digitally in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
and also was released in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, unusual for an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
label from
Fascination Records Fascination Records is a United Kingdom-based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as an imprint of Polydor Records. The label was launched in spring of 2006, and is managed by former TOTP Magazine editor Peter Loraine ...
, the sub label from
Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United State ...
.


Reception


Critical response

"The Promise" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Although it was said to be "not what you'd necessarily expect from the gorgeous girl group," the song was praised for "its fantastic melody". The song was described as "more interesting than the average retro-pop nugget."
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
referred to the single as "a cute, wistful pop song" with "some nice Spectorish touches in the production and a lovely, classic-sounding melody" that "grows more persuasive with every listen." It was praised for its "heavenly harmonies and a chorus that glides in and scoops you up in its arms." Rebecca Nicholson of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' felt the song was "disappointing" because "Girls Aloud's producers have always been capable of making exciting and innovative pop music". However, Caroline Sullivan of the same publication thought the song was an album highlight - "nothing hits the spot like the Phil Spector-like single The Promise, one of this year's better chart-toppers." John Murphy of musicOMH.com argued that although "it may lack the innovation and attitude of some of their previous work, but if you're looking for sparkling, fresh and sheer bloody fun pop music, then there's nobody better right now than Girls Aloud." "The Promise" received criticism for "too many cooks spoiling the broth. The production is so overegged and the vocals so treacly ..you'll get a sugar rush, but you won't feel good about yourself afterwards." It was also criticised for being "a shameless attempt at trying to cash in on the
Duffy Duffy may refer to: People *Duffy (surname), people with the surname Duffy or Duffey * Duffy (nickname) *Duffy (singer) (born 1984), Welsh singer, born Aimee Ann Duffy Places *Duffy, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Duffy, Ohi ...
and Winehouse favoured 60's femme pop." On the other hand,
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
said that while it "suggests the girls have ..shallowly jumped aboard the retro-soul bandwagon led by Duffy and Amy Winehouse, ..the song's go-for-broke, very modern re-imagining of Spector's ''Wall of Sound'' proves to be more authentic and entertaining than most other recent attempts". It has also received comparisons to Girls Aloud's previous single, "
Can't Speak French "Can't Speak French" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fourth studio album and serving as the third and final single from the album '' Tangled Up'' (2007). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, ...
". It has also claimed, by
Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 week ...
, that the tune features the melody from the theme song of his 1980s British TV quiz show '' Blankety Blank''. "The Promise" was honoured as Best British Single at the 2009 BRIT Awards, Girls Aloud's first win at the ceremony. The song was also nominated for PRS for Music's Most Performed Work at the 2010 Ivor Novello Awards. It was also awarded the Popjustice £20 Music Prize.


Chart performance

"The Promise" entered 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 ...
at number one, knocking off
Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
's " So What" from the top. Early midweek figures suggested that the song was outselling "So What" by nearly two to one. "The Promise" was Girls Aloud's first original number one single since their debut " Sound of the Underground" (although the charity singles " I'll Stand by You" and " Walk This Way" both peaked at number one). "The Promise" sold 77,110 copies in its first week, making it Girls Aloud's second best first week, beaten only by " Sound of the Underground" back in 2002. The single became the fastest selling single of 2008 until "
Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
" - a charity single by the finalists on '' The X Factor'' - sold in excess of 100,000 copies two days after release, and 313,244 copies overall. Cheryl Cole, who was also on ''The X Factor'', joked, "I don't mind being knocked off number one - for this cause only!" On 28 December 2008, 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 ...
listed "The Promise" as the number 17 best-selling single in their year-end countdown. It was certified gold 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 ...
in January 2009. PRS for Music named "The Promise" as the sixth-most played song of 2009 in the UK, using data taken from the count of plays and performances online, live, and on TV and radio. Additionally, the song entered 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 four, their first time in the top four since 2004's "I'll Stand by You". In its second week on the Irish Chart, "The Promise" had risen two places to number two only being kept off by ''The X Factor'' finalists who were at number one. Following Sarah Harding's death in September 2021, the song had a resurgence in popularity with streams spiking at 340%.


Music video

Filming for "The Promise" music video was on 15 September 2008. The video premièred on
AOL AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
's website on 25 September 2008. The music video was filmed by Trudy Bellinger for Merge @ Crossroads Films, and produced by Golden Square. They had just over three days to produce an open-air drive-in movie theatre using
Flame A flame (from Latin '' flamma'') is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction taking place in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density the ...
and studio footage of five cars. Girls Aloud also reportedly auditioned the male actors/musicians in the music video, one of whom was guitarist Rene Woollard. In the music video, the group members are at a drive-in movie theatre which is playing a
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. ...
film of their performance of the song. The video - in both the drive-in cinema and the film being shown - pays homage to the '50s and '60s and
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 att ...
acts of the time such as the Supremes. The film features flickering and flashes to emulate films of the time, in parallel to the cinema and attending group members. Harding gets out of her car and walks in front of the screen to sing her "Here I am... walking primrose..." verse.


Live performances

Girls Aloud first performed "The Promise" on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
's Live Lounge on 25 September, as well as a cover of Timbaland and
OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. It consists of lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Tedder, lead guitarist and violist Zach Filkins, rhythm guitarist Drew Brown (musician), Drew Bro ...
's " Apologize". Nadine Coyle was not present, for she was ill with
shingles Shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or fac ...
. The first televised performance occurred on 18 October 2008, on '' The X Factor'', on which Cheryl Cole served as a member of the judging panel at the time. The group wore their hair in big bouffant style with sparkling gold dresses, similar to those in the music video. Positioned in front of a lit-up frame, they sang live and performed simple, synchronized
choreography Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...
. As the song's key change occurred,
pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition ...
exploded from the ceiling and a shower of sparks fell behind Girls Aloud. At the song's end, a second explosion of pyrotechnics occurred at the front of the stage. The group also performed the song on '' Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', ''
GMTV GMTV (an acronym for Good Morning Television), now legally known as ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited, was the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 ...
'', '' T4'', and '' This Morning'' throughout promotion. Girls Aloud performed the song at the annual '' Children in Need'' telethon, as well as year-end shows like
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
' Christmas and New Year's Eve specials and
4Music 4Music is a British music television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. The original incarnation was launched on 15 August 2008, and until 29 June 2022, showed a mix of music and entertainment programming. I ...
's Top Tunes of 2008. For their
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...
'' The Girls Aloud Party'', which aired between ''The X Factor''s finale and its results show on 13 December, Girls Aloud wore tight silver fishtail dresses. At the 2009 BRIT Awards, Girls Aloud performed in sleeveless sequined leotards. Accompanied by male dancers in white suits, the group performed a routine involving pink feather fans, giving the illusion of nudity until they emerged from behind the fans. The performance was nominated for Most Memorable Performance the following year at the 2010 BRIT Awards. "The Promise" served as the opening song for Girls Aloud's 2009
Out of Control Tour The Out of Control Tour was the fifth concert tour by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud. It supported their fifth studio album '' Out of Control''. Initially, just ten dates in bigger arenas were announced in November 2008. Due to demand, mo ...
. Girls Aloud "first appeared rising up through the floor on podiums in a haze of silver sparkle" for the opening, in which they are "wearing long, spangly dresses which they whipped off to reveal short mini skirts." The dresses, described as "angelic, shimmering, full-length gowns", were designed by Welsh fashion designer Julien MacDonald, along with the rest of the costumes. A dance-beat reprise of the song ended the show. Girls Aloud performed "The Promise" at the 2012
Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal ...
in London in November 2012 to celebrate their tenth anniversary and promote their greatest hits album '' Ten''. It was televised on 3 December 2012 to over 8 million viewers. It was also performed at Capital FM's
Jingle Bell Ball The Jingle Bell Ball is a concert held annually in December since 2008 (except for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), by the radio station Capital FM at The O2. Artists that have headlined the concert include Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, ...
as part of a headlining set.


Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "The Promise". UK CD (Fascination / 1788035) # "The Promise" (radio edit) – 3:43 # "She" (Cooper, Higgins, Lisa Cowling, Tim Larcombe, Shawn Lee, Paul Woods) – 3:24 UK 7" picture disc (Fascination) # "The Promise" (radio edit) – 3:43 # "Girl Overboard" (Live at The O2) – 4:31 iTunes exclusive digital download # "The Promise" (radio edit) – 3:43 # "The Promise" (Jason Nevins Remix) – 6:51 ''The Singles Boxset'' (CD19) # "The Promise" (radio edit) – 3:43 # "She" – 3:24 # "Girl Overboard" (Live at The O2) – 4:31 # "The Promise" (Jason Nevins Extended Mix) – 6:51 # "The Promise" (Jason Nevins Radio Edit) – 3:57 # "The Promise" (Jason Nevins Dub Mix) – 6:07 # "The Promise" (Dave Audé Radio Edit) – 3:50 # "The Promise" (Dave Audé Club Mix) – 7:08 # "The Promise" (Dave Audé Dub Mix) – 7:12 # "The Promise" (Flip & Fill Remix) – 6:10


Credits and personnel

*Drums: Florrie Arnold *Engineering: Toby Scott, Dan Aslet *Guitars: Nick Coler, Jason Resch, Kieran Jones, Owen Parker *Mixing: Jeremy Wheatley *Programming and keyboards:
Tim Powell Tim Powell (born 14 April 1968) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond and Carlton in the Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australia ...
,
Brian Higgins Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and N ...
, Matt Gray, Toby Scott, Nick Coler, Miranda Cooper, Jason Resch, Owen Parker *Songwriting: Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Jason Resch, Kieran Jones, Carla Marie Williams *Strings and woodwind: Mark C. Brown, Mike Kearsey, Jo Auckland, Nick Squires, Stefan Defiletm, Susan Early, Adrian Smith


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end chart


Certifications


Release history


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Promise, The 2008 singles Brit Award for British Single Fascination Records singles Girls Aloud songs Music videos directed by Trudy Bellinger Song recordings produced by Xenomania Songs written by Brian Higgins (producer) Songs written by Miranda Cooper UK Singles Chart number-one singles 2008 songs Songs written by Carla Marie Williams bg:The Promise (песен на Гърлс Алауд) pl:The Promise pt:The Promise