2 Times

"2 Times"
Single by Ann Lee
from the album Dreams
Released	December 1998[1]
Length	3:46
Label	X-Energy[2]
Songwriter(s)	Alfredo Larry Pignagnoli Daniela Galli Paul Sears Annerley Gordon
Producer(s)	Marco Sorcini Alfredo Larry Pignagnoli
Ann Lee singles chronology
"2 Times" (1998) "Voices" (1999)
Music video
"2 Times" on YouTube

"2 Times" is the debut single of British singer Ann Lee.[3] It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, Dreams (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, reached number one in Flanders, and entered the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and New Zealand.

Background and composition

Ann Lee's previous work on a large number of Eurodance projects would help her receive a contract with Alfredo Larry Pignagnoli, with whom she had already worked with on many projects such as Whigfield, Ally & Jo, amongst others. He worked on a track with Marco Sorcini called "Two Times".[4] The song is played in a F major key in common time at a BPM of 132, and throughout follows chord progression F-C7.[5]

Critical reception

A reviewer from Daily Record wrote, "This sounds like a line-dancing song reworked for the techno market, but it's worked for Ann Lee who has already topped the charts across Europe."[6] The Guardian described it as "giddy".[7]

Commercial performance

The song achieved success in many European countries where it was a top-10 hit, particularly in Denmark, Scotland, and the Flanders region of Belgium, where it reached number one.[8][9][10] It peaked number two in Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom;[11][9][12] it has sold over 500,000 copies in the UK as of 2014.[13] It was also a top-10 hit in Australia after initially receiving frequent airplay on Melbourne radio station KIX FM.[9][14]

Music video

The song's accompanying music video was released in 1999 by Energy Productions.[15] It sees Ann Lee performing the song during a day in her life, beginning with her waking up in the morning in her hut. She cooks, plays with her doll, takes a stroll on the beach and has a bath in her bathtub. The video ends with Lee sleeping in her bed. The singer has noted that the structure and cinematography of the video was very similar to that of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"; "The two videos were similar! I remember perfectly the 'sledge video' (love Peter Gabriel!) and my movements are in fact very similar - but I think the similarity ends there".[16] Parts of the music video were filmed in Whitstable, Kent.

Track listings

Italian 12-inch single[17] A1. "2 Times" (original extended mix) – 6:32 A2. "2 Times" (G. side) – 5:32 B1. "2 Times" (GambaClub) – 5:14 B2. "2 Times" (GambaDub) – 4:15 B3. "2 Times" (original edit mix) – 3:46 Italian and Australian CD single[18][19] "2 Times" (original edit mix) – 3:46 "2 Times" (original extended mix) – 6:32 "2 Times" (G. side) – 5:32 "2 Times" (GambaClub) – 5:14 "2 Times" (GambaDub) – 4:15 German maxi-CD single[20] "2 Times" (original edit mix/radio edit) – 3:46 "2 Times" (Gamba club) – 5:14 "2 Times" (original extended mix) – 6:32 "2 Times" (Gamba dub) – 4:15 "2 Times" (G. Side) – 5:32

German and Dutch CD single[21][22] "2 Times" (original edit mix) – 3:46 "2 Times" (original extended mix) – 6:32 UK CD single[23] "2 Times" (original radio edit) "2 Times" (Gamba club) "2 Times" (Bulletproof Euro mix) UK 12-inch single[24] A1. "2 Times" (original extended mix) B1. "2 Times" (Gamba club mix) B2. "2 Times" (Bulletproof Euro mix) UK cassette single[25] "2 Times" (original radio edit) "2 Times" (Gamba club)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1999–2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[9] 4 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[26] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[28] 6 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[29] 14 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[30] 13 Denmark (IFPI)[8] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[31] 5 France (SNEP)[32] 9 Germany (GfK)[33] 5 Hungary (Mahasz)[34] 10 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[35] 7 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 2 Italy (FIMI)[36] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[37] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[38] 4 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[39] 2 Norway (VG-lista)[40] 4 Scotland (OCC)[10] 1 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[41] 13 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[42] 14 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] 10 UK Singles (OCC)[12] 2 UK Dance (OCC)[44] 7

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Australia (ARIA)[45] 20 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[46] 15 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[47] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[48] 33 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[49] 23 France (SNEP)[50] 28 Germany (Official German Charts)[51] 28 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[52] 28 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[53] 28 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[54] 32 UK Singles (OCC)[55] 21 UK Pop (Music Week)[56] 5

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[57]	Platinum	70,000^^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[58]	Gold	25,000^*
Belgium (BEA)[59]	Platinum	50,000^*
France (SNEP)[60]	Gold	250,000^*
Germany (BVMI)[61]	Gold	250,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[62]	Gold	5,000^*
Sweden (GLF)[63]	Gold	15,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[64]	Gold	500,000[13]
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Italy	December 1998	12-inch vinyl	X-Energy	[1]
	March 1999	CD
Netherlands	24 April 1999		High Fashion	[33]
Germany	28 April 1999	CD maxi-CD	ZYX Music	[33]
United Kingdom	4 October 1999	12-inch vinyl CD cassette	Systematic	[65]

References

1. "News". X-Energy Records. Archived from the original on 10 January 2001. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
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3. "Italy: For Italo Dance Pop Business Isn't Great, It's Huge". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 26. 24 June 2000. p. 86. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
4. Ann Lee. Eurodance Encyclopedia. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
5. Ann Lee – 2 Times Sheet Music (Print Instantly). Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
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7. "Music: Pop CD Releases". The Guardian. 26 November 1999.
8. "Top National Sellers: Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 29. 17 July 1999. p. 11. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
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13. Myers, Justin (12 October 2014). "Christina Aguilera's Official Top 20 Biggest Selling Singles Revealed". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
14. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 39. 25 September 1999. p. 74. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
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50. "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1999" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
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56. "Most Broadcast of 1999: Pop Top 20 Tracks of 1999" (PDF). Music Week. 22 January 2000. p. 32. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
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60. "French single certifications – Ann Lee – 2 Times" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
61. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Ann Lee; '2 Times')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
62. "New Zealand single certifications – Ann Lee – 2 Times". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
63. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
64. "British single certifications – Ann Lee – 2 Times". British Phonographic Industry.
65. "New Releases – For Week Starting 4 October, 1999: Singles". Music Week. 2 October 1999. p. 27.