"It's My Life" is a song by Nigerian-Swedish recording artist Dr. Alban. It was released by SweMix in February 1992 in Sweden as the first

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

from his second studio album, '' One Love'' (1992). Produced by

Denniz PoP Dag Krister Volle (26 April 1963 – 30 August 1998), better known as Denniz Pop (stylized ''Denniz PoP''), was a Swedish DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He was a member of the DJ collective SweMix and later co-founded the recording studio ...

, who also co-wrote the song with Alban, it was a hit in most of the European countries where it was released, peaking at number one in Sweden, Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium and number two in the British countries. In France, the song was marketed twice: first in 1992, then in 1993 because the song was used in a TV advert for

Tampax Tampax (a portmanteau of tampon and packs) is a brand of tampons currently owned by Procter & Gamble. It was based in White Plains, New York, US until its sale to Procter & Gamble in 1997. It is a subsidiary of P&G's Always brand and is sold ...

tampon A tampon is a menstrual product designed to absorb blood and vaginal secretions by insertion into the vagina during menstruation. Unlike a pad, it is placed internally, inside of the vaginal canal. Once inserted correctly, a tampon is held ...

s (as it was in the British countries, and other countries in Europe in 1992), thus giving to the single a second career.Elia Habib (2002), ''Muz hit. tubes'', Alinéa Bis, p. 252 () The song had enough airplay on US college radio stations to chart on the ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks in 1992. "It's My Life" was re-released in 1994 in Australia, following the success of " Sing Hallelujah!".

Background

Dr. Alban has stated that the song took five hours to record. In the 2017 book ''Stars of 90's Dance Pop: 29 Hitmakers Discuss Their Careers'' by James Arena, he explained on the new sound of the song: "'It's My Life' and another hit off the second album, 'Sing Hallelujah!', had totally different sounds

Hello Afrika ''Hello Afrika (The Album)'' is the debut studio album from Swedish-based Nigerian artist Dr. Alban, released in 1990. The album was produced by Denniz Pop and released through the label SweMix Records. The album was also released as a second e ...

"], which I wanted to explore at the time. I left the 'Hello Afrika' sound and did 'It's My Life', which had more of a pop, catchy style. Keeping things fresh was very natural for us."

Chart performance

"It's My Life" made a huge impact on the charts in Europe, becoming one of Dr. Alban's most successful songs to date. It peaked at number-one in Austria, Belgian

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-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, la ...

, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, as well as 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 ...

, where it peaked in October 1992. In addition, the single entered the top 10 in Denmark (3), Finland (5), Greece (2), Ireland (2), Norway (6), Portugal (9), Switzerland (2) and the United Kingdom. In the latter, it peaked at number two on 20 September 1992, in its fourth week on the UK Singles Chart. It was held off reaching the top spot by

The Shamen The Shamen ( ) were a Scottish psychedelic band, formed in 1985 in Aberdeen, who became a chart-topping electronic dance music act on the UK Singles Chart by the early 1990s. The founding members were Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie and Keith Mc ...

's "

Ebeneezer Goode "Ebeneezer Goode" is a song by Scottish electronic music group the Shamen. Remixed by the Beatmasters, the song became their biggest hit when released as a single on 24 August 1992 by One Little Indian, topping the UK Singles Chart for four ...

". Outside Europe, "It's My Life" reached number two on the Canadian ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...

'' Dance/Urban chart, number three on the US ''

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 advertis ...

Hot Dance Club Play The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...

chart and number 10 in Zimbabwe. In Australia and New Zealand, it was a top 50 hit, peaking at number 43 and 49, respectively. The song was awarded with a

silver record Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

in France, after 125,000 units were sold, and a

platinum record Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music Sound recording and reproduction, recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video ...

in Austria and Germany, with a sale of 30,000 and 500,000 singles.

Critical reception

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 musi ...

from ''

'' magazine called "It's My Life" "a fast'n'furious cut". He explained that the European rapper/toaster has previously been heralded for his sturdy

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

releases. "This time, however, he aims for mainstream approval with a gem of a jam that carefully skirts the line dividing

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

and

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 ...

sectors. Anthemic chants are placed within a percolating vat of keyboard and percussion effects that will kick during peak-hour sets." Linda Ryan from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The ...

'' viewed it as a "mad creation". ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'' declared it as a "veiled gay-anthem" which "made an ace

ad." 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 We ...

'' commented, "A highly commercial

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

track, recorded in Sweden, it's basically a West Indian accented rap punctuated at regular intervals by a catchy chorus. Probable Top 10 hit." 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 ...

'' described the song as "a righteous declaration of independence" and added that it shows "a genuine attempt at depth." ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' ranked "It's My Life" number five in their list of "Top Five Euro-Hits of All Time" in December 1993, writing, ""''Stop bugging me!''" Dr. Alban's finest moment, as he decides that his life, after all is his own, and asks whether the world's producers can kindly leave him alone. The ultimate plea for

Europop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...

autonomy. And a half."

Mark Frith Mark Frith (born 22 May 1970, in Sheffield) is a British journalist, music critic, and editor. He has been a writer and editor for magazines such as ''Smash Hits'', '' Time Out'' and ''Heat''. He has since branched into TV and radio presenting, ...

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 ...

'' complimented it as "a half-decent Euro-pop tune" that "will be remembered as an essential part of the music of summer '92."

Track listings

* 7-inch and CD single #"It's My Life" (radio edit) – 4:00 #"It's My Life" (club edit) – 4:10 * 12-inch single #"It's My Life" (extended club mix) – 7:45 #"It's My Life" (extended radio edit) – 7:05 #"It's My Life" (radio edit) – 4:00 * CD maxi # "It's My Life" (radio edit) – 4:00 # "It's My Life" (extended radio edit) – 7:05 # "It's My Life" (extended club mix) – 7:45

Personnel

Composers *John Amatiello – composer *Chuck Anthony – composer, backing vocals * Dr. Alban – composer *

Jörgen Elofsson Kjell Åke Jörgen Elofsson (born 14 January 1962) is a Swedish songwriter. He was one of the writers of the songwriter-team at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm (along with Denniz PoP, Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, Andreas Carlsson, Rami Yacoub, Pe ...

– composer *Peo Haggstrom – composer *

Kristian Lundin Kristian Lundin (born 7 May 1973) is a Swedish composer, music producer and songwriter. Biography Kristian's worked on the song "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)" which he co-produced with Max Martin for the Backstreet Boys. He co-wrote & pro ...

– composer *

Sonny Okosun Sonny Okosun (1 January 1947 – 24 May 2008) was a Nigerian musician, who was known as the leader of the Ozzidi band. He named his band Ozzidi after a renowned Ijaw languages, Ijaw river god, but to Okosun the meaning was "there is a message". ...

– composer *

Todd Terry Todd Norton Terry (born April 18, 1967) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer in the genre of house music. His productions helped define the New York house scene in the 1990s and used extensive samples that blend the sounds of classi ...

– composer * Errol Thompson – composer *Jorge Vasconcelo – composer Vocals *Dr. Alban – primary artist *Chuck Anthony – background vocals *Atari *Kofi Benitez & The Girls – background vocals *Anneli Berg – background vocals *Marilyn Bergman – background vocals *Giovanna Bragazza – background vocals *

Gladys del Pilar Eva Gladys del Pilar Werner (born 11 October 1967) is an Ecuadorian-born Swedish singer and dancer. She is best known for being a member of the pop group Afro-dite, with which she represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002. Career Gl ...

– background vocals *Toro Paola Choir – background vocals *Poe & The Afrikan Conga Association – background vocals *Rico – background vocals *Bjorn Strom – background vocals Technical *Douglas Carr – engineer, producer *Björn Engelmann – mastering *Anders Hansson – arranger *Rene "JM Fax" Hedemyr – producer *

Denniz Pop Dag Krister Volle (26 April 1963 – 30 August 1998), better known as Denniz Pop (stylized ''Denniz PoP''), was a Swedish DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He was a member of the DJ collective SweMix and later co-founded the recording studio ...

– producer *Gundars Rullis – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

"It's My Life (Don't Worry)"

In 2014, a remake of the song was released by Moroccan singer Chawki featuring vocals by Dr. Alban. The song with amended lyrics also known as "It's My Life (Don't Worry)" was produced by

RedOne Nadir Khayat (, Latn, ar, Nādir Ḵayyāṭ; born 9 April 1972), also known as RedOne, is a Moroccan-Swedish record producer, record executive, singer and songwriter. He has worked in production for high-profile recording artists including La ...

and released on RedOne Records. A music video was also shot for the release. The single charted in the French

SNEP SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...

official Singles Chart. Chawki also released a bilingual English/French version of the song titled "It's My Life (C'est Ma Vie)".

Charts

References

{{Authority control It's My Life (Don't Worry) It's My Life (Don't Worry) 1992 singles 1992 songs 1993 singles Dr. Alban songs Electro songs House music songs Reggae fusion songs Ariola Records singles Arista Records singles Logic Records singles Number-one singles in Austria Dutch Top 40 number-one singles European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Number-one singles in Israel Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in Sweden Songs written by Denniz Pop Song recordings produced by Denniz Pop Songs written by Dr. Alban English-language Swedish songs Ahmed Chawki songs Eurodance songs Songs in French Songs in Arabic Macaronic songs Song recordings produced by RedOne