C'est la Vie (Always 21)

"C'est la Vie (Always 21)"
Single by Ace of Base
from the album Singles of the 90's
Released	25 October 1999
Genre	Europop Synth-pop
Length	3:24
Label	Mega
Songwriter(s)	Jonas Berggren
Producer(s)	Jimmy James S. Pettersen Sig Rossby
Ace of Base singles chronology
"Cecilia" (1999) "C'est la Vie (Always 21)" (1999) "Hallo Hallo" (2000)
Music video
"C'est la Vie (Always 21)" on YouTube

"C'est la Vie (Always 21)" is the first new single released from Ace of Base's first greatest hits album, Singles of the 90s. It was produced by Jimmy James Ekgren, Sonny Peterson and Sigurd Rosnes of JPR Productions. It was released in Europe on 25 October 1999. A planned UK release with additional remixes for 6 December was cancelled, but the remixes were finally released commercially in 2020 as part of the boxset All That She Wants: The Classic Collection. A music video was produced to promote the single. The video was directed by Patric Ullaeus and charted #1 in Spain.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Bryan Buss described the song as "young-at-heart" in his review of the band's Greatest Hits album.[1] Swedish newspaper Expressen wrote that it "sounds as if Ace Of Base has gone into childhood again". They added that "the group's charm comes out best" on a song like "C'est la Vie (Always 21)".[2]

Track listing

Scandinavia/Germany maxi single

1. Radio Version - 3:26
2. Megamix (Short Version) - 3:24
3. Cecilia (Ole Evenrude Version) - 4:35
4. Megamix (Long Version) - 7:19
5. Discomatic Remix - 3:56

UK maxi single (unreleased)

1. Radio Edit - 3:29
2. Megamix (Long Version) - 7:19
3. All That She Wants (12" Version) - 6:46

Official versions/remixes

• Album Version
• Discomatic Remix (also simply titled "Remix" on some releases)
• Shaft Radio Edit
• Shaft Club Mix
• Skeewiff's Full Bitter
• Sleaze Sisters Anthem
• Tuff Twins Mix

Release history

Region	Date	Label
Germany	25 October 1999	Polydor
Sweden	8 November 1999	Mega
Spain	10 January 2000	Polydor

Charts

Chart (1999–2000)	Peak position
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[3]	11
Germany (GfK)[4]	64
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[5]	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[6]	38
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[7]	100

References

1. "Ace of Base - Greatest Hits [Arista]". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
2. "ACE OF BASE: C'est la vie (always 21)". Expressen. 30 October 1999.
3. "Ace of Base: C'est la vie (Always 21)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
4. "Ace of Base – C'est la Vie - Always 21" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
5. "Ace of Base – C'est la Vie - Always 21" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
6. "Ace of Base – C'est la Vie - Always 21". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
7. "Ace of Base – C'est la Vie - Always 21". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 April 2018.