Swear It Again

"Swear It Again"

Standard European artwork
Single by Westlife
from the album Westlife
B-side "Forever"
Released April 12, 1999 (UK)
February 25, 2000 (US)
Format
Recorded
Genre Pop
Length 4:07
Label BMG, RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Steve Mac
Westlife singles chronology
"Swear It Again"
(1999)		 "If I Let You Go"
(1999)

"Swear It Again"
(1999)		 "If I Let You Go"
(1999)
"Swear It Again" CD2
Music video
"Swear It Again" on YouTube
Music video
"Swear It Again (Car Wash Version)" on YouTube

"Swear It Again" is a song by Irish boy band Westlife and it was released on April 1999 as the first single from their self-titled debut album Westlife. It peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in May 1999.[1] It moved to 182,000 units in the first two weeks of its release and spent 13 weeks on the charts.[2] This made it the first of fourteen UK number-one singles. To date, "Swear It Again" is Westlife's only single to have charted in the U.S., peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranking number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 Year End Charts, in 2000. The song was performed live on Miss Teen USA 2000. The single has sold over 600,000 copies to date in the UK and the US and also achieved gold status there.[3][4]

Background

"Swear It Again" is notable for being, along with "Flying Without Wings", one of the first two songs that Steve Mac wrote for both Westlife and Simon Cowell. The success of the two tracks led to Mac becoming Cowell's first choice producer and songwriter.[5] The song's B-side, "Forever", was a significant choice because it was the song - as originally recorded by Damage - that first alerted Cowell to the talent of Steve Mac and then led to the producer working with Westlife.[5]

Music video

There are two music videos for Westlife's song "Swear It Again".

The British music video features the band members in a mini theatre and singing on a stage fitted with lighting panel flooring while they face a screen with black & white videos of their studio recording process. This version was directed by Wayne Isham and aired in May 1999. The video was shot at Pinewood Studios in March 1999.[6]

The American music video features the band members at a car wash and subsequently washing a white car as they're singing the song. This version was directed by Nigel Dick and aired in June 2000.[6]

Tours performed at

Track listing

CD1
  1. "Swear It Again" (Radio Edit) - 4:04
  2. "Forever" - 5:05
  3. "Interview" (Video)
CD2
  1. "Swear It Again" (Radio Edit) - 4:04
  2. "Swear It Again" (Rokstone Mix) - 4:07
  3. "Interview" (Audio) - 3:36
  1. "Swear It Again" (Radio Edit) - 4:04
  2. "Until The End Of Time" - 3:12
  3. "Forever" - 5:05
  4. "Everybody Knows" (Demo Version) - 4:09
  5. "Let's Make Tonight Special" - 4:57
  6. "Don't Calm The Storm" - 3:47
  7. "Interview" (Audio) - 3:36
  1. "Swear It Again" (Radio Edit) - 4:04
  2. "Album Snippet Medley" - 4:55

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 10
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 28
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[10] 6
Ireland (IRMA) 1
Hong Kong (HKC) 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 27
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 1
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[13] 2
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[14] 20
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 12
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] 25
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[17] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 20
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[19] 22
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[20] 21
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[21] 83

Year-end charts

Chart Peak
position
Australia 79
Belgium (Flanders) 62
United Kingdom 46
United States 75

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[22] Gold 35,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[23] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Platinum 600,000^
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 600,000[26]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone


Chart successions

Preceded by
"...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears		 Irish IRMA number one single
3 April 1999 - 8 May 1999 (5 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"No Scrubs" by TLC
Preceded by
"Sometimes" by Britney Spears		 New Zealand Singles Chart
25 July 1999 to 1 August 1999 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
"If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez
Preceded by
"Perfect Moment" by Martine McCutcheon		 UK Singles Chart
25 April 1999 - 9 May 1999 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys

Personnel

Song credits

Swear It Again
Written By : Steve Mac, Wayne Hector
Forever
Written By : Alistair Tennant, Marcus Johnson, Steve Mac, Wayne Hector

CD production

Arranged By (Strings) : Richard Niles
Arranged By (Vocals) : Steve Mac, Wayne Hector
Engineer, Programmed By : Chris Laws

Cover versions

American boyband, WoW, has a remake of the song which became the band's single in mid-2010. The band also supported Westlife on their 2010 world tour, Where We Are.

References

  1. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 633. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ↑ "WESTLIFE | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  3. ↑ Archived November 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Westlife | Official Top 20 | MTV UK". Mtv.co.uk. 2009-10-28. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  5. 1 2 "Interview With Steve Mac". HitQuarters. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Westlife artist videography". mvdbase.com. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  7. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Westlife – Swear It Again". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Westlife – Swear It Again" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  9. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7187." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  10. ↑ Billboard - Google Books. 1999-05-22. Retrieved 2014-02-01 – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Westlife – Swear It Again" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  12. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Westlife – Swear It Again". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  13. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1999-04-25". Scottish Singles Top 40. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  14. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Westlife – Swear It Again" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  15. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Westlife – Swear It Again". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  16. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Westlife – Swear It Again". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  17. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1999-04-25" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  18. ↑ "Westlife – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Westlife. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  19. ↑ "Westlife – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Westlife. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  20. ↑ "Westlife – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Westlife. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  21. ↑ "Westlife – Chart history" Billboard Radio Songs for Westlife. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  22. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  23. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Westlife – Swear It Again". Recorded Music NZ.
  24. ↑ "British single certifications – Westlife – Swear It Again". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Swear It Again in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  25. ↑ "American single certifications – Westlife – Swear It Again". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  26. ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 2000". Billboard. BPI Communications Inc. 113 (6): 64. February 10, 2001. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
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