"Promises"
Single by Nero
from the album Welcome Reality
Released5 August 2011
Genre
Length4:17
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Daniel Stephens
  • Joe Ray
  • Holly Jervis
  • Alana Watson
Producer(s)Nero
Nero singles chronology
"Guilt"
(2011) 		"Promises"
(2011) 		"Crush on You"
(2011)

"Promises" is a song by British EDM trio Nero that appears on their debut studio album, Welcome Reality (track No. 4) on 5 August 2011. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's first chart-topping single.[1] It sold 46,700 copies in its first week, the lowest first-week sales for a number one in 97 weeks.[2] In 2013, the Skrillex and Nero remix of the song, won the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. "Promises" was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award in the category of Best Contemporary Song. The song was featured on a Hewlett-Packard TV commercial in the United Kingdom, France, United States and Latin America, giving it a broader audience and more recognition. It was also featured in trailers from the video game Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. It also featured in the 2013 video game Saints Row IV.

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Promises", directed by Ben Newman, was uploaded to YouTube on 7 July 2011 at a total length of four minutes and sixteen seconds.[3] It shows a woman in a dystopian regimented future society with mandatory drug consumption, similar in style to the film Equilibrium. By April 2022, it had surpassed 43 million YouTube views.

Critical reception

Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song a positive review, stating:

"Promises, and they still feel oh so wasted on myself," she admits with her high-wired vocals over a thick, head-banging melody, fuzzy synths and pulsating basslines wobblier than our man's dodgy left knee. The result is the sharpest, most head-spinning of their releases to date – and given that we're in the year of dubstep-goes-pop, should leave fans fully equipped to handle the g-force levels of their first long player. [4]

Impact and legacy

In 2022, American magazine Rolling Stone ranked "Promises" number 42 in their list of 200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time.[5]

Track listing

Digital download EP
No.TitleLength
1."Promises"4:17
2."Promises" (Skrillex and Nero remix)4:28
3."Promises" (Calvin Harris remix)5:59
4."New Life"4:33

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Promises"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[20] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[21] Platinum 80,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[22] Gold 7,500*
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[24] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for "Promises"
Region Date Format Label
Ireland[25] 5 August 2011 Digital download
Spain[26]
United Kingdom[27]

References

  1. ^ "Nero delivers Promises". Official Charts Company. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  2. ^ Jones, Alan (15 August 2011). "Nero continue UK domination with Promises". Music Week. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  3. ^ "Nero – Promises – Official Video". 7 July 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Robert Copsey (26 July 2011). "Nero: 'Promises'". Digital Spy.
  5. ^ Dolan, Jon; Lopez, Julyssa; Matos, Michaelangelo; Shaffer, Claire (22 July 2022). "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Nero – Promises". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  7. ^ "Top 20 Dance Chart – Australian Record Industry Association". ariacharts.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008.
  8. ^ "Nero – Promises" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  9. ^ "Nero – Promises" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. ^ "Nero – Promises" (in French). Ultratip.
  11. ^ "Nero – Promises" (in French). Les classement single.
  12. ^ "Nero – Promises" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Nero – Promises". Top 40 Singles.
  14. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  15. ^ "Nero – Promises". Swiss Singles Chart.
  16. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  17. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  18. ^ "Nero Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  19. ^ "End of Year Chart 2011" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  20. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Nero – Promises". Music Canada. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  22. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Nero – Promises". Recorded Music NZ.
  23. ^ "British single certifications – Nero – Promises". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  24. ^ "American single certifications – Nero – Promises". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  25. ^ Promises – EP by Nero iTunes
  26. ^ "Promises – EP by Nero iTunes". iTunes Store. January 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  27. ^ "Promises – EP by Nero iTunes". iTunes Store. January 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.

External links

Nero
Authority control databases
Categories