I Can Change (Brandon Flowers song)

"I Can Change" is the fourth single by American singer-songwriter Brandon Flowers from his second studio album, The Desired Effect.[3]

"I Can Change"
Single by Brandon Flowers
from the album The Desired Effect
ReleasedMay 5, 2015 (2015-05-05)
Recorded2014
StudioBattle Born Studios, Winchester, Nevada
Genre
Length4:19
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ariel Rechtshaid
Brandon Flowers singles chronology
"Lonely Town"
(2015)		 "I Can Change"
(2015)
Music video
Official Lyric Video on YouTube

Background and composition

The song contains elements from "Smalltown Boy" (1984) by Bronski Beat. Brandon Flowers wrote "I Can Change" upon request from Swedish house duo Axwell and Ingrosso, who asked if Flowers would collaborate with them for their upcoming album. Because Axwell and Ingrosso were unable to finish the song, Flowers decided to record it himself. He noticed similarities between the song he had been given by Axwell and Ingrosso and Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy" and thus decided to sample the melody from it. Coincidentally, Flowers later learned that Axwell and Ingrosso previously sampled "Smalltown Boy" for their 2006 single "Tell Me Why".[4][5]

"I Can Change" features a vocal recording by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys, taken via a cell phone answering machine. Flowers has said of the recording: "We just talked about it, and we just had this gap in a verse and we needed to stick something in there. We were talking about it being a speaking part, and the greatest musical 'speaker' is Neil Tennant! His voice is like no other. I texted him if he would — he didn't even hear the song or the tempo or anything, I just texted him this line. I asked, will you send us a voicemail of yourself saying, 'When you're looking for a change'? And that was it. He sent us a voice memo, and we stuck it onto the track, from the phone. It was done within 20 seconds."[2]

Reception

Billboard listed it as one of "20 Summer Pop Songs You Need for Your Summer Playlist".[6]

Flowers performed this track on The Graham Norton Show and at the Royal Variety Performance (2015) at Royal Albert Hall.[7][8]

Track listing
Digital download
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."I Can Change"Brandon Flowers, Steve Bronski, Lawrence Cole, James Somerville, Axel Hedfors, Sebastian IngrossoAriel Rechtshaid4:19
Digital download – remix
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."I Can Change" (Michael Brun remix)Ariel Rechtshaid3:44
Digital download – remix
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."I Can Change" (Kill Them With Colour remix)Ariel Rechtshaid3:50

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from The Desired Effect liner notes.[9]

Charts
Chart (2015) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] 45
Ireland (IRMA)[11] 70
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 52

Accolades
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
NPR United States The Complete List: NPR Music's Favorite Songs Of 2015 (So Far)[13] 2015
N/A
411 Mania United States 411's Top 200 Tracks Of 2015[14] 2015
86

References
  1. Beaumont, Mark (May 1, 2016). "Brandon Flowers – 'The Desired Effect'". NME. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  2. Lipshutz, Jason (March 26, 2015). "Brandon Flowers Used a Voicemail Message from Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant on a New Song". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  3. "Brandon Flowers reveals new song 'I Can Change'". NME. May 1, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  4. Adams, Cameron (May 14, 2015). "Brandon Flowers says new solo album The Desired Effect is eighties pop rock". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  5. Nunstedt, Anders (June 8, 2015). "Brandon Flowers sågning av Avicii". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  6. Jason Lipshutz (November 6, 2015). "20 Summer Pop Songs You Need For Your 2015 Playlist: Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Brandon Flowers & More". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  7. "BBC One – The Graham Norton Show, Series 17, Episode 6". BBC.
  8. Vale, Paul. "Royal Variety Performance 2015 review at Royal Albert Hall, London – 'the biggest night in showbiz'". The Stage. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  9. The Desired Effect (album liner notes). Brandon Flowers. Island Records. 2015.CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. "Ultratop.be – Brandon Flowers – I Can Change" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  11. "Chart Track: Week 7, 2015". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  13. "The Complete List: NPR Music's Favorite Songs Of 2015 (So Far)". NPR. June 3, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  14. "411's Top 200 Tracks Of 2015". 411MANIA.COM. January 2, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
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