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Everywhere (Michelle Branch song)
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Wikipedia article
"'Everywhere'" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michelle Branch. It was written by Branch and its producer, John Shanks, for her second album and major-label debut, 'The Spirit Room' (2001). The song was released in July 2001 by Maverick Records as Branch's debut single. "Everywhere" is an upbeat pop rock song with lyrics describing the early stages of love wherein the narrator is constantly reminded of their partner. The song's chorus was named the 77th greatest of the 21st century by 'Billboard' in 2017.
The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised its lyrical content and Branch's vocal performance. "Everywhere" attained moderate success, reaching the top 20 in Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The song's music video was directed by Liz Friedlander and won the Viewer's Choice award at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
Background and release
Living with her parents in Sedona, Arizona, Michelle Branch wrote "Everywhere" when she was 15 years old, originally composing it as an acoustic love song. After she turned 17, Danny Strick, the executive A&R manager of Maverick Records, saw her performing as an opening act for pop rock band Hanson. Noticing that the crowd responded well to her music, he decided to sign her to the label in July 2000. She then played the song for John Shanks, who agreed to produce the track, and they recorded it from January to February 2001. Once it was finished, Maverick promoted the track at hot adult contemporary and contemporary hit radio, where it was officially serviced on July 10, 2001, eight days after Branch's 18th birthday.
Composition
"Everywhere" was written by Branch and Shanks, who also produced the track. A vocally fervent love song, the track is written in common time with a moderate tempo of 98 beats per minute and was composed in the key of D major. "Everywhere" begins with a brisk acoustic riff that soon introduces electronic drums and eventually gives way to the complete instrumentation. According to Branch, she wrote the chorus a half step lower than the album version with falsetto vocals, but Shanks convinced her to raise the tone and sing as vigorously as she could. Stephanie Garr of online magazine 'The Dowsers' described the song's essence as a combination of "moody post-grunge rock and breezy Y2K pop" while likening Branch's vocals to an optimistic Alanis Morissette.
The lyrical content of the song, described by 'Billboard' as "ultra-romantic", was left intentionally ambiguous by Branch, who did not write the song from personal experience. In 2001, Branch told MTV, "I like to keep my songs open-ended so people can listen to it and say, 'Oh, I think it means this. I've been through that.' Instead of having it be about" anything specific. Throughout the song, the narrator implies that she has been spending time with the person she likes, but the track's final line, "Do you see me?", jeopardizes this claim, insinuating that she has been observing her crush from afar. The song's hook was described by Patrick Crowley of 'Billboard' magazine as a "beast of a glossy pop-rock hook" and is attributed with the song's catchiness. Branch later commented that the she had written better refrains since then but remains proud of her work. In retrospective comments, Branch said that the material of her first two albums, including "Everywhere", is "hopelessly romantic" compared with her later work and composed of "a lot of [...] teenage rhyme".
Critical reception
"Everywhere" received high praise from music critics. 'Billboard' editor Chuck Taylor likened the song to a "shot of tequila" when compared with other pop music of the time, praising its mood, lyrics, and production. Chris Edge of Raleigh-Durham radio station WDCG said that the track conveys Branch's passion through its "incredible hook" and lyrics and praised its relatability. In Hasselt, Belgium, FM Limburg head of music Sandra Boussu labeled the track "cool and hip", comparing Branch to Morissette and Dutch singer Sita. AllMusic's Liana Jonas described the song "a lively and heartfelt song with electric-guitar power chords, spirited vocal delivery, and catchy chorus". Sputnikmusic reviewed the song, calling it the album's standout track. IGN Music called the song "definitely catchy". Sean Richardson of the 'Boston Phoenix' described the song's intro as "glossy", going on to label the chorus as "unforgettable dream-pop" and comparing the track to Vanessa Carlton's debut single, "A Thousand Miles".
British chart commentator James Masterton wrote that the song charted in the UK on its own merits and noted Branch's "tremendous" voice as well as the "uplifting" lyrics. Post Grad Problems writer Charlie labeled "Everywhere" the perfect song, citing its attention-grabbing instrumental disparity and noting that changing anything in the chorus would have downgraded the song's quality, despite calling the rhyming scheme "sloppy". In 2017, 'Billboard' ranked the song's chorus as the 77th-best of 21st century, referring to the second half as a "testament" to the entire refrain. Garr noted that "Everywhere" marked the end of the "'90s angst" era and served as an influence for future female pop stars such as Kelly Clarkson, KT Tunstall, Sara Bareilles, and Hayley Williams of Paramore.
Chart performance
"Everywhere" peaked at number 12 on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100 on the week ending November 10, 2001. The song stayed on the charts for 20 weeks. The song became Branch's first top-40 hit, as well as her third-highest-peaking single, after "The Game of Love" and "All You Wanted".
"Everywhere" remains Branch's most successful single worldwide. It charted the highest in New Zealand, where it peaked at number two in December 2001, behind Alicia Keys' "Fallin'". "Everywhere" also reached the top 20 in United Kingdom and Australia, where it was her only single to peak within the top 20.
Music video
The music video for "Everywhere" was directed by Liz Friedlander. The video shows Branch stalking a man in the opposite apartment building while she takes several photographs of him and plays her guitar in an empty room. He also appears to be spying on her, and at the end of the video the two finally meet. Branch was involved in selected the actor portraying her love interest; she told MTV in a 2001 interview that when the producers showed her a photo of Jake Muxworthy, she told them, "This is it. He 'has' to be in it." Playing opposite Muxworthy proved to be difficult for Branch, who reportedly had a "little crush" on him, and she admitted in 2017 that she was a "peeping Tom" in the video. The video received airings on Fox Family, Nickelodeon, and VH1 before its intended release date, and it was also popular on MTV's 'Total Request Live' ('TRL'), where Branch performed the song live on August 24, 2001.
An alternate video features Branch singing the song inside a rundown building and shows Branch posing for 'The Spirit Room' photoshoot. This video was exclusively available via enhanced CDs until it was later made available on iTunes in select countries. "Everywhere" won "Viewer's Choice Award" in the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.[http://www.michellebranch.com/awards Michelle Branch Awards] 'michellebranch.com' April 17, 2010
Track listings
'US promo CD'
# "Everywhere" 3:37
'UK CD single'
# "Everywhere" 3:36
# "All You Wanted" (unplugged version) 3:36
# "Goodbye to You" (unplugged version) 4:09
# "Everywhere" (promotional video)
'European CD and cassette single'
# "Everywhere" 3:36
# "Goodbye to You" (unplugged version) 4:09
'Australian maxi-CD single'
# "Everywhere" 3:36
# "All You Wanted" (unplugged version) 3:36
# "Goodbye to You" (unplugged version) 4:09
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
Category:2001 debut singles
Category:2001 songs
Category:Maverick Records singles
Category:Michelle Branch songs
Category:Music videos directed by Liz Friedlander
Category:Song recordings produced by John Shanks
Category:Songs written by John Shanks
Category:Songs written by Michelle Branch
Category:Warner Music Group singles
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