"Black Hole" is a song by British singer-songwriter Griff, from her mixtape One Foot in Front of the Other. The song is written by Griff, Peter Rycroft, and Frederik Castenschiold Eichen and produced by Lostboy. The song was released on 18 January 2021 on the Warner Records label.[1]
| "Black Hole" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Griff | ||||
| from the album One Foot in Front of the Other | ||||
| Released | 18 January 2021 | |||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | Warner | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Lostboy | |||
| Griff singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Black Hole" on YouTube | ||||
Background and production
editAfter a string of releases in 2020 from "Good Stuff" to "Love Is a Compass" which provided Griff with her first UK chart entry, "Black Hole" serves as Griff's first and only release in 2021 thus far. Being penned by Griff herself, when talking about the song with media company "The Forty-Five" Griff stated “Some people might listen to it and think, ‘Oh, these lyrics are quite deep, but I think I was trying to make them so melodramatic that there’s humor about them, It’s finding the humor in your own heartbreak. There’s obviously not a big black hole where my heart used to be.”[2]
Critical reception and performance
editRachael Jansky of "Ones to Watch" stated "Griff personifies the emptiness of losing someone, relating it to an all-consuming black hole. While a bit melodramatic, it perfectly captures just how overwhelming it can be to process a break-up and put yourself back together. The song's production is flooded with a bouncy synth and punchy drum beat, a darker twist on Griff's typical bright poppy sound. Showcasing her versatility and lyrical maturity, "Black Hole" alludes to Griff's inevitable stardom."[3] Robin Murray of "CLASH" wrote a few words about the track stating "The songwriter opened January with a bang, landing a prime spot in the BBC Sound Of 2021 poll. New single 'Black Hole' builds on this, and it might well be Griff's finest moment to date."[4]
To Date "Black Hole" is Griff's best performing song on the charts marking her first Irish chart entry and highest-peaking UK single peaking at 25 on the Irish Singles Chart and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart as well as 5 on the UK Top 100 Singles Downloads Chart.[5] Griff performed the song on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” which served as the first televised live performance of the song on March 22, 2021. The performance was later posted to Griff’s YouTube channel on May 19.[6][7] She also performed the song for the second time on live television on May 11, at the 2021 Brit Awards, where she was nominated for and won the Brit Award for Rising Star.[8]
Personnel
editCredits adapted from YouTube Music.[9]
- Sarah Faith Griffiths – vocals, songwriting
- Jez Coad – production, Keyboards, Bass Programmer, Drum Programmer
- Frederik Castenschiold Eichen – songwriting
- Peter Rycroft – songwriting
- Dan Grech-Marguerat – mixing
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
Charts
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[10] | 28 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 25 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[12] | 16 |
| Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[13] | 63 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[14] | 18 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[15] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 18 January 2021 |
|
Warner |
References
edit- ^ Lim, Eddy (19 January 2021). "Griff shares new dark pop anthem 'Black Hole'". NME. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Griff Cover Story". Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ "Griff Seeks Escapism and Fantasy in "Black Hole" Music Video". Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ "Griff Embraces Melodrama On Superb New Single 'Black Hole'". Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ "Official Chart Company Top 100 Downloads". Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Griff - Black Hole (Live Performance from Late Night with Seth Meyers)". Retrieved 25 May 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Watch Late Night with Seth Meyers Highlight: Griff: Black Hole". Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ Mamo, Heran (11 May 2021). "Griff Performs 'Black Hole' & Accepts Rising Star Award at 2021 Brit Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Black Hole / Griff". Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Griff – Black Hole" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 28 June 2021. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "British single certifications – Griff – Black Hole". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 July 2022.