Where Are We Now?
"Where Are We Now?" is a song by English musician David Bowie. Recorded in secret between September and October 2011 at the Magic Shop in New York City, it was released by ISO and Columbia Records as the lead single of his 25th studio album The Next Day on iTunes on 8 January 2013, Bowie's 66th birthday. It was accompanied by a music video directed by Tony Oursler, which was posted on Bowie's website.[1] According to producer Tony Visconti, the timing of the release was Bowie's idea, and the single was simply "dropped" in iTunes for fans to discover, with no prior warning or fanfare.[2]
"Where Are We Now?"
8 January 2013
September–October 2011
Magic Shop, New York City
4:08
- ISO
- Columbia
David Bowie
- David Bowie
- Tony Visconti
Upon its release, "Where Are We Now?" received significant news coverage; it was Bowie's first release of new material since Reality (2003). It garnered acclaim from music critics, many of whom praised the song's reflective lyrics and somber quality, and deemed it a welcome return for the artist after a decade-long hiatus. It topped the iTunes charts in numerous countries and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, making it Bowie's biggest hit since "Absolute Beginners" in 1986 and his last top ten hit before his death in January 2016. The success of the song also meant that Bowie has had a top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart in five different decades (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2010s), something which few other artists have managed to achieve.
Composition and recording[edit]
The backing track for "Where Are We Now?" was recorded on 13 September 2011 at the Magic Shop in New York City,[3] with overdubs recorded later. Pianist Henry Hay said of the recording: "'Where Are We Now?' is the very first track that I played on, on my first day of working with [Bowie]. [He] had played a good bit of the body of the song on piano, and so what ended up on the album was a combination of his playing and my playing – bits and pieces. I believe that I played the entirety of the ending portion. The whole process was very organic." Bowie recorded his lead vocal on 22 October 2011.[4]
Musically, "Where Are We Now?" is an art rock song.[5] The lyrics are simple and repetitive, an older person reminiscing about time spent and time wasted: "Had to get the train / from Potsdamer Platz / you never knew that / that I could do that / just walking the dead", the last line of which, in the video, produces a grimace in the singer. He grimaces again just after: "A man lost in time near KaDeWe / just walking the dead", which precedes the refrain: "Where are we now / where are we now?"[6] Chris Roberts called it a "spectral, frail yearning without chest-beating, candid in its few, clipped phrases and sighs concerning the heart's filthy lessons."[7]
Graphic designer Jonathan Barnbrook, who created the cover for The Next Day, wrote that the song is a "comparison between Berlin when the wall fell and Berlin today".[8]
Producer Tony Visconti said "I think it's a very reflective track for David. He certainly is looking back on his Berlin period and it evokes this feeling... it's very melancholy, I think. It's the only track on the album that goes this much inward for him".[9]
Artwork[edit]
The single's cover artwork, like its parent album, was designed by Jonathan Barnbrook. In Pegg's words, the monochrome upside-down image depicts "a stick-thin [Bowie] leaning at a 45-degree angle with his microphone stand," performing at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City in the fall of 1974. It was originally intended to be the artwork for The Next Day but was passed over in favour of a modified version of the "Heroes" artwork.[10]
Critical reception[edit]
Upon its release, "Where Are We Now?" received critical acclaim. Lucy Jones of NME gave unanimous praise to the single, complimenting its songwriting, calling it an "earworm", and describing it as one of Bowie's best: "You'll see this on greatest hits compilations in a couple of years."[18] Annie Zalenski of Ultimate Classic Rock similarly called the song an earworm, praising the somber quality of the music and Bowie's voice. Zalenski further noted that the song doesn't portray Bowie in a persona like his prior work, but simply as himself – "Human Bowie" – writing, "It's perhaps an odd place for the untouchable icon to be – but, somehow, the persona suits him well."[19] Writing for Pitchfork, Mark Richardson voted "Where Are We Now?" as the magazine's "Best New Track". He noted the age in Bowie's voice, writing: "his voice is weary and wise...it's a little disconcerting at first...but the scotch-soaked after-hours musical backing gives it the perfect context." Regarding the title, Richardson states: "'Where are we now?' is a question Bowie wouldn't have asked in the same way in the 1970s; back then he might have expected an answer but now he's old enough to understand that you never really figure it out."[20]
Many critics praised the song as a welcoming return for the artist after a decade long hiatus.[21] In a positive review, Gary Graff of Billboard described the song's sound as reminiscent of his "Berlin Trilogy" and ultimately called it "a gentle but certainly welcome return of the Thin White Duke."[22] Andy Gill of The Independent similarly noted the "reflective" lyrics about the artist's time living in Berlin and the "melancholy" sound. Giving the song and its accompanying video a positive review, Gill praised the "subtle touches of auto-tuning" in the chorus that add to the feeling of fragility and concluded, "like many Bowie songs, the evanescent but beautiful melody comes to haunt you the more you hear it".[23] David Hajdu of The New Republic praised the song as a welcome return to the spotlight and similarly complimented the reflectiveness in the lyrics, writing: "With 'Where Are We Now,' Bowie makes clear that where he wants to be is a place in his creative past."[24] Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick further praised "Where Are We Now?"'s unexpected release, calling it "the most surprising, perfect and welcome comeback in rock history."[25] The magazine later placed it at number 19 in a list of Bowie's 20 greatest songs in 2021.[26] In a 2016 list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best, Ultimate Classic Rock placed "Where Are We Now?" at number 57, noting that the song's impact is stronger on the album.[27]
Commercial performance[edit]
The single made it to the top of the charts in eight countries on the day of its release.[28] It was number one on the British iTunes chart by 3 pm that day.[29] It was at first deemed ineligible for placement on other British singles charts because, in addition to being sold separately, the song was also free to those who pre-purchased The Next Day on iTunes, making the sales difficult to separate.[30] The Official Charts Company resolved the issue, and on 13 January the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number six, Bowie's highest charting single there since "Absolute Beginners" reached number two in 1986. It is his first UK top-ten single since "Jump They Say" in 1993. His first top-ten hit was in the UK in 1969 with "Space Oddity."[31][32]
The Next Day was number one on the iTunes charts in 17 countries on 8 January: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It made the top 10 in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and the United States on the same day.[28]
According to biographer Chris O'Leary:[37]