"Don't Worry" is the debut solo single of English musician

Kim Appleby Kim Loraine Appleby (born 28 August 1961) is a pop singer and songwriter. She participated in the duo Mel and Kim with her sister Melanie Appleby. Career Solo music career Kim released her first solo album '' Kim Appleby'', in November 1 ...

from her self-titled debut solo album (1990). This was Appleby's first solo-single after the death of her sister Mel. The song addresses the process of getting over being heartbroken. With the aid of her then boyfriend, ex- Bros bassist

Craig Logan Craig Logan (born 22 April 1969) is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and manager. He began his career as bassist in the pop band Bros. Career In early 1989, Logan left Bros after developing ME/CFS to focus on songwriting and producing. Kim A ...

, Kim launched a solo career with much of her debut solo album composed of songs co-written with Mel, for what was intended to be the next

Mel and Kim Mel and Kim (stylized as MӗL & KIM) were an English pop duo, consisting of sisters Melanie Appleby, Melanie and Kim Appleby. Originally managed by Alan Whitehead (drummer), Alan Whitehead, they achieved success between 1986 and 1988, before Me ...

album. The new album showed Appleby in a more prominent, soulful role, although the tongue-in-cheek humour of Mel & Kim still remained. Released on 22 October 1990 by

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...

, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in November 1990 and entered the top 40 throughout Europe. The single was also one of the best played singles on both IR stations and the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

for a month. Additionally it peaked within the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. 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 f ...

, "Don't Worry" reached number seven in December 1990. Outside Europe, the single charted in Zimbabwe, peaking at number one in January 1991.

Critical reception

Pan-European magazine ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...

'' declared the song as a "hit-bound record with a strong

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

(

Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

) feel. Co-written by Appleby and former Bros member

, this is an up-tempo, cheerful and well produced song." Selina Webb 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 We ...

'' felt that this release "is tinged with considerable sadness, as it should have been performed by a duo." She added that it "lacks the

SAW A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, Wire saw, wire, or Chainsaw, chain with a hard toothed edge used to cut through material. Various terms are used to describe toothed and abrasive saws. Saws began as serrated materials, and when man ...

magic but stands up as an easily-consumed pop song which should bop its way easily into the charts." R.S. Murthi from ''

New Straits Times The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as a local offshoot of Singapore-based ''The Straits Ti ...

'' said it "sounds so much like Stock/Aitken/Waterman that you're disappointed to discover that it's not their work." Tom Doyle from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...

'' wrote that the song is "something of a bouncy singalong SAW-type affair", and complimented Appleby's voice as "consistently strong and tuneful".

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Liam Kan. It received

heavy rotation In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time. However, they are not completely sh ...

MTV Europe MTV Global (formerly MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV as 24-hour music video and entertainment pay television network officially launched on 1 August 1987 as part of the worldwide MTV network. Initia ...

Track listings

* CD single # "Don't Worry" – 3:33 # "Don't Worry" (The Phil Chill mix) – 4:37 # "Don't Worry" (The Stressed Out mix) – 7:51 * 7-inch single # "Don't Worry" – 3:31 # "Don't Worry" (instrumental) – 3:50 * 12-inch single # "Don't Worry" (The Stressed Out mix) – 7:52 # "Don't Worry" (The Phil Chill mix) – 4:36 # "Don't Worry" (Crypt mix) – 4:54

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1990 debut singles 1990 songs Kim Appleby songs Music videos directed by Liam Kan Number-one singles in Zimbabwe Parlophone singles Songs written by Craig Logan