"On and On" is a song by the Swedish singer Agnes and the first single from Dance Love Pop. The song was released to radio stations and as a digital download in Sweden on August 11, 2008.[1] The song is written by Anders Hansson and is released by Roxy Recordings.
Just like "Release Me" a French version of the song was recorded for the francophone market called "On se Donne". "On and On" was released in the UK in May, 2010.[2] The song was re-released in the Netherlands on May 24, 2010 as the UK edit.[3]
Background
"On and On" was first heard at the Swedish television show "Sommarkrysset" at TV4 August 16, 2008.[4] It was the song that announced her comeback after leaving Sony Music and being signed to independent label Roxy Recordings, the song was released as a single the same week and after spending a massive 26 weeks on the Swedish Top 60 Singles Chart it was surely considered one of the smash-hits of Sweden the summer of 2008. Since its international release the song has been remade and remixed numerous times, the first remix was the Danish DK Radio Edit which was released as the second single in Denmark. Though it failed to chart, the original edit from the album managed to peak at 16 at the Danish Singles Chart.[5] When to be released all over Europe another edit was made called the "Moonwalker Version". Also this edit managed to enter many charts all over the continent and in France a French version was recorded, "On se Donne".
After "I Need You Now" did not meet the expectations in the UK "On and On" was chosen as the third single. The UK edit was first heard on Friday March 26 on BBC Radio 1's Floorfillers with Scott Mills.[6]
Critical reception
Leanne Durr of "ClickLiverpool" called "On and On" too Europop and that it would fit as Sweden's Eurovision entry, despight this he says that the song have one major good point, Agnes's voice, which is "mature beyond its years". She also said that "if Agnes is looking for any credibility within the dance genre, she should steer clear of this euro-pop sound as it is nowhere near as edgy or as sleek as previous single Release Me."[7]
In contrast, Jessica Pinkett of "Daily Music Guide" stated that with "On and On" Agnes was "back on top form" after "the disappointingly bland 'I Need You Now'". She described On and On as "a catchy, upbeat number which is made all the more anthemic by Agnes' belting diva vocals" and suggested that it could become one of 2010's major summer dance hits.[8]
A similar opinion was brought by "Entertainment-focus.com" who said that "On and On is in a similar vein to Agnes’ previous singles. With Europop beats and dance rhythms the song is aimed squarely at the clubs. A better offering than I Need You Now, the song could catch on in the pre-Summer charts as people get ready for their holidays in the sun or nights out on the town. Agnes’ strong vocals sets the song aside from others in the same genre and we really hope she can find another smash-hit with this track. Though they say that "On and On" probably won't enter the top-ten chart, it is better than other dance pop, such as Cascada.[9]
Music videos
Since the song premiered for the first time in Sweden 2008, three music videos has been filmed.
Original Video
The first one was produced for the Swedish and Dutch market and had premier on MSN Video one week ahead of the singles official release in Sweden. It was directed by Anders Rune, who also directed the video for Agnes first international single "Release Me".[10] The video was the most shown music video on MSN Video ever.[11] The video was recorded in a suburb to Stockholm during the summer of 2008.
International Edition
A new music video was filmed to accompany the international release of "On and On". The video was recorded in Göteborg, Sweden on July 12 and 13, 2009.[citation needed] The video was directed by Torbjörn Martin and produced by Björn Fävremark for STARK production.[12] It premiered on STARK's homepage on September 21, 2009. The video features Agnes alone in numerous different outfits and settings. Most of the video is computer-animated and shows Agnes dancing in front of a light-blue background while confetti or moving white lines surrounds her. Other scenes shows Agnes under water or in front of two giant spotlights.
UK Remake
In January 2010 Agnes's official website confirmed that a third video was to be made for the UK market. Also this one was filmed in Göteborg and produced by "STARK". The video premiered on March 1, 2010 on AllAroundTheWorld's official YouTube-channel, though it was supposed to be released two weeks earlier. The delay has made AATW to postpone the single to late April/Early May following the album release on April 26.
The UK video is mostly a remake of the international edition, but with some major changes. The, in the second video, common white lines and light-blue background is missing, instead a new look is adopted with close-ups of Agnes in a pony-tail and another one dancing in front of a red screen.
Live performances
"On and On" was the single that announced the comeback of Agnes, after two years of silence. Her first performance with "On and On" was at "Sommarkrysset" in the Swedish TV-channel TV4 on August 16, 2008.[4] And it was also during the show that the comeback was officially announced. Other performances in Sweden are in popular kidsshows "Lilla Melodifestivalen" and "Bobster". She has also performed the song on numerous concerts all around Europe during the summer of 2009.
Before releasing the song in the UK, Agnes started doing promotion in May 2010, performing on the morning show "This Morning" on May 6 and later on Nightingales in Birmingham.
The single was released as a digital download and to Swedish radio on August 11 and entered the chart the same week on place 47. Six weeks later it advanced up to its peak position, 8, where it stayed for 4 weeks. On and on was never released as a physical single in Sweden, only as a digital download. Despite that fact, the single managed to sell in 10,000 copies which resulted in a Gold certification.
In January 2009 Roxy Recordings announced that Agnes would receive an international release in 35 countries all over the world. The first single to be broadcast out to the European market was "Release Me" in Denmark. But on February 10, "On and On" was released as the lead single in the Netherlands and later in Poland. It peaked at place fourteen on the Dutch single chart and at thirteen on the Polish single chart. In June "On and On" was released as the second single in Denmark where it entered the chart at thirty-two and peaked one week later at sixteen. In November the song was released in France as the follow-up to "Release Me".
In late October, "On and On" started to climb the charts in the francophone areas of Europe though it had not yet been released. This was only due to download sales from the album released earlier in 2009. It debuted at 27 in the Belgian-Wallonia Singles Chart[16] and at 37 in the French Download Chart.[21]
"On and On" was released in the United Kingdom with a different sound to the original track, and with a new video. However, due to little support from music TV and radio stations, the single became Agnes' lowest charting song in the UK, peaking at #82 on the Singles Chart; although it managed to score a Top 10 hit on the Dance Chart.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201022 into search.
