"I'm Not Alone" is a song by Scottish musicianCalvin Harris, released as thelead single from his second studio album,Ready for the Weekend (2009). The track was first played byPete Tong onBBC Radio 1 as his "essential new tune" on 23 January 2009 and has been described as a slice of euphoric dance.
On 12 April 2009, the song debuted at number one on theUK Singles Chart, earning Harris his first solo number-one single on the chart and second overall following his 2008 collaboration withDizzee Rascal and Chrome, "Dance wiv Me".[1][2]
In 2010, Harris received a writing credit onChris Brown's hit single "Yeah 3x", due to the perceived similarities between the two songs.[3]
Background and writing
"I'm Not Alone" was written, produced and recorded by Harris during songwriting and production sessions for his second studio albumReady for the Weekend (2009). He described the song "a big stadium dance tune, somewhere betweenSnow Patrol,Faithless andGrandaddy".[4] He said in a publicity release: "The whole track's a light and shade thing, two styles put together. I find it quite hard to write a happy-happy lyric now, for some reason. I don't know why that is, to be honest with you. Maybe it's staying in a room for a huge amount of time on your own, and that's reflected in the lyrics!"[5] Lyrically, Benjamin Kassel commented that the song "forces the listener to confront the painful truths of the life they live", but highlighted that despite this, a sense of comfort and belief is evident throughout the song in reference to its title.[6]
In 2024, theOfficial Charts Company, the chart compiler in the United Kingdom, placed "I'm Not Alone" as the 19th biggest selling single by Harris, ahead of his collaboration withAlesso andHurts on the single "Under Control".[7]
The song is written in the key ofE minor, and follows a chord progression of Em/D/Am/C.[citation needed]
Track listings
UK CD single
"I'm Not Alone" (Radio Edit) – 3:32
"I'm Not Alone" (Extended Mix) – 4:28
UK 12-inch single
A1. "I'm Not Alone" (Hervé's See You at the Festival Remix) – 5:33
"I'm Not Alone" (Hervé's See You at the Festival Remix) – 5:34
"I'm Not Alone" (Hervé's See You at the Dub Parade) – 3:41
"I'm Not Alone" (Burns Rework) – 6:36
"I'm Not Alone" (Instrumental) – 3:31
Chart performance
"I'm Not Alone" debuted at number one on theUK Singles Chart on 12 April 2009 – for the week ending 18 April 2009 – knockingLady Gaga's "Poker Face" off the top of the chart. It remained at the top position for two weeks, until it was dethroned byTinchy Stryder's "Number 1" featuringN-Dubz. On 3 January 2010, "I'm Not Alone" re-entered the chart at number ninety-nine.
In the Republic of Ireland, the single debuted at number fourteen on theIrish Singles Chart on 9 April 2009, peaking at number four by its third week.
Controversy
WhenChris Brown's 2010 single "Yeah 3x" was released, Harris claimed that "Yeah 3x" plagiarised "I'm Not Alone". He tweeted, "Choked on my cornflakes when I heard [the] new Chris Brown single this morning. Do you know what I mean?"[11] After receiving many abusive messages from Brown's fans after posting the comment,[12] he later tweeted, "I don't care that you call me a nobody. Stealing is still stealing, doesn't matter who you are! ... Because Chris Brown is an international celebrity doesn't make it OK to rip off a guy from [the] UK not many people have heard of."[11]
When asked in an interview with Australia'sHerald Sun if Brown knew him, Harris replied, "Well, he's never heard of me, that's the funniest thing. But the producer he's worked with, DJ Frank E, has definitely heard of me. He's a respected producer, he's worked with Tiësto on a few tracks, perhaps that's where the link is. It's all a bit of fun."[13] Brown later spoke with Harris and upon hearing the similarities between the two songs, had Harris' name added to the songwriting credits, with no legal action taken.[11][14] The two artists reportedly have no hard feelings toward each other since the controversy; Harris even called Brown his "best mate" and said that he enjoys listening to his work.[14]
Music video
Calvin, portrayed as theFrankenstein-like character in the video for "I'm Not Alone"
Themusic video for "I'm Not Alone" was filmed inOslo, Norway, on 6 February 2009. It was directed byChristian Holm-Glad.[15] The clip begins with a small boy (potentially meant to represent a young Harris) found in thick snow wandering the woods dragging asledge with a toy bear on top. He then sets up camp and lights a fire to keep warm whilst cuddling his toy bear. The bear is then found on the sledge again and is then dropped. The scene closes and cuts to a dungeon styled setting that showcases Harris portrayed as a Frankenstein-type character who is seen to perform experiments on numerous female captives, combining their essences to reanimate his "lost" teddy bear.[citation needed]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Harris re-released the single on 5 April 2019, alongside theI'm Not Alone 2019 EP, featuring the re-released 2019 edit, several new remixes and a remastered version.[47] It was included on his firstcompilation album,96 Months (2024).
