"
A Year Without Rain" is a song by American band
Selena Gomez & the SceneSelena Gomez & the Scene is an American pop band formed in Hollywood, California in 2009. Along with lead singer and founder Selena Gomez, the band consists of bassist Joey Clement, guitarist Ethan Roberts, drummist Greg Garman and keyboardist Dane Forrest. Selena Gomez & the Scene have released...
. It was written by
Lindy RobbinsLindy Robbins is a songwriter from Los Angeles. She has contributed many recognizable songs to popular culture.-Career:She started singing with her late, gifted musician father Walter Wissman when she was three-years-old, and was an acclaimed performer in NYC and LA before becoming a full-time...
and
Toby GadTobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
, with the latter also producing the song. The song was released on September 7, 2010 as the second and final single from the band's
second album of the same nameA Year Without Rain is the second studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The album was released on September 17, 2010 via Hollywood Records. The band once again worked with writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell such as Rock Mafia duo Tim James, and Antonina Armato, as...
. A Spanish-language version of the song was also recorded, entitled, "Un Año Sin Lluvia". Gomez titled the album for the song because she wanted to base all the other songs around it. Musically, the song is a
EurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
ballad with a
technoTechno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
beat. In its lyrics, the song's protagonist compares yearning for her love to a year without rain.
Music critics gave the song positive reviews, complimenting it as a dance ballad and noting Gomez's vocal maturity. "A Year Without Rain" became the band's third consecutive top forty single in the United States and Canada. It also charted in the lower regions of numerous European charts. The song's accompanying music video, directed by Chris Dooley and shot on-site in
Lucerne Valley, CaliforniaLucerne Valley is a census-designated place located in the Mojave Desert of western San Bernardino County, California. It lies east of the Victor Valley, whose population nexus includes Victorville, Apple Valley, and Hesperia...
features Gomez frolicking in the desert surrounded by a swarm of photographs of her and her love interest, before they meet during a rainstorm. The band performed the song a number of times via live performances, including on televised programs such as
Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
,
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, and the
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.
Background and composition
In August 2010, a demo of the song, sung by singer Selin Alexa leaked online. Becky Bain of Idolator called the song a "mature dance track" and said that it "wouldn’t entirely be out of place on a
Sophie Ellis-BextorSophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer, songwriter, model and occasional DJ. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s...
album." In an interview with
MTV NewsMTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, Gomez said that "A Year Without Rain" was the first song she recorded for the album. She also explained why she named the album for the song, commenting, "I feel like that song has a lot of meaning, and it also kind of was the start of what I wanted to base all the other songs around." A Spanish-language version of the song titled "Un Año Sin Ver Lluvia" was released through the
iTunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on October 26, 2010.
"A Year Without Rain" is a
danceDance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
ballad, written by
Toby GadTobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
and
Lindy RobbinsLindy Robbins is a songwriter from Los Angeles. She has contributed many recognizable songs to popular culture.-Career:She started singing with her late, gifted musician father Walter Wissman when she was three-years-old, and was an acclaimed performer in NYC and LA before becoming a full-time...
, with a length of three minutes and fifty-four seconds. It was also produced by Gad. Musically, the track uses a standard
popPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
structure and derives from the genre of
EurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
, backed with a
technoTechno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
beat. According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, "A Year Without Rain" is set in
common time"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
and has a tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is written in the
keyIn music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of
D minorD minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
and follows the
chord progressionA chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of C–Gm–Dm–F. Gomez's vocals in the song span from F
3 to E
5. Lyrically, the song sees Gomez longing for the object of her affection and compares it to a year without rain: "I need you by my side/ Don't know how I'll survive/A day without you is like a year without rain." According to Megan Vick of
BillboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, the sound of the song contrasts with its "tender" lyrics.
Critical reception
Although he called it one of the album's "pensive moments", Bill Lamb of
About.comAbout.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
noted the track as one of the top songs on the album, calling it a "beautiful dance ballad." Lamb also said the song shows "Selena Gomez is clearly growing up as an artist." Stating that it showed her "maturation as an artist", Lamb later ranked the song number thirty-nine on the site's list of "Top 100 Pop Songs of 2010". Allmusic's Tim Sendra also named the song a standout on the album, calling it "catchy" and "well-sung." Megan Vick of
Billboard said that while Gomez did not have the vocal power of
Demi Lovato"She’s got the range, the full emotional spectrum, incredible control… Vocally, she’s the best thing Disney’s had since Christina Aguilera."—Producer Toby Gad on Demi Lovato's vocals...
, she "makes a strong effort to attack the high notes as she croons the chorus." Vick stated that the song "is compelling enough to separate the singer from other Disney-groomed pop stars."
Wairarapa Times-AgeThe Wairarapa Times-Age is the regional daily paper for the Wairarapa, including Masterton.-History:Of the first newspapers published in the region, the Wairarapa Mercury , the Wairarapa News, the Wairarapa Register and the Newsletter, all, except the Newsletter were forced to close down by fires...
writer Kim Gillespie named "A Year Without Rain" one of the album's highlights. David Welsh of
musicOMHmusicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
noted Gomez' mature performance and wrote that the song "reaps rewards with an impressively heartbroken stab at euro-dance". In contrast,
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critic Allison Stewart was unfavorable of the lyrical content of the song, commenting that it was "the sort of exercise in teenage co-dependence...that should be long extinct."
Chart performance
Propelled by its debut at number fourteen on the
Hot Digital SongsThe Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart, "A Year Without Rain" debuted at number thirty-five on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming the group's third consecutive top forty single. It remained on the chart for four weeks. On the week dated January 1, 2011, the song debuted at number thirty-six on the US
Hot Dance Club PlayThe Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart. It achieved greater success in Canada, peaking at thirty on the
Canadian Hot 100The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. The song appeared on numerous European charts, peaking at seventy-eight in the
United KingdomThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, fifty-six in Germany, and forty-one in
SlovakiaThe International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
. It also reached number three on the
Belgian Flanders TipUltratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
chart.
Music video
The music video, directed by Chris Dooley, was shot on location in
Lucerne Valley, CaliforniaLucerne Valley is a census-designated place located in the Mojave Desert of western San Bernardino County, California. It lies east of the Victor Valley, whose population nexus includes Victorville, Apple Valley, and Hesperia...
. It premiered on September 3, 2010 on
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, following the premiere of
Camp Rock 2: The Final JamCamp Rock 2: The Final Jam is a 2010 Disney Channel Original Movie and sequel to the 2008 film Camp Rock. Production commenced in August 2009 in Toronto, Ontario and at area summer camps. The movie premiered on on Disney Channel in the USA, along with a live simulcast on Radio Disney...
and a sneak peek of
Fish HooksFish Hooks is an American animated television series created by Noah Z. Jones. Twenty-one episodes have been ordered for the first season. It premiered on September 24, 2010. An 11-minute preview was shown on September 3, 2010, following the Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam...
. The video starts off with the band driving through the desert in a red convertible. Gomez removes a photograph from the sun visor, which is subsequently blown away by the wind. The chorus commences as the band disappears and Gomez steps out of the vehicle and begins to sing. As the video progresses, a multitude of photographs of her relationship fall from the sky, as Gomez travels elegantly through the desert. During the bridge, it starts to rain as Gomez spots her love interest (
Brant DaughertyBrant Daugherty , is an American actor.He is best known for his role as Noel Kahn on the series Pretty Little Liars. He has also acted for some minor roles in television series and has written a book....
) in the distance. The two begin to walk towards each other, and the video ends as they meet.
Bill Lamb of About.com gave the video a positive review, stating "the video's desert imagery matches the song perfectly." Nadine Cheung of
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said "She sings: 'I'm missing you so much / Can't help it, I'm in love / A day without you is like a year without rain' and that's really what's depicted in a simple and sweet way." Becky Bain of
IdolatorIdolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
said, "This is a beautifully shot clip that matches the elegance of the song perfectly—not to mention, that drop-dead-gorgeous gown is making our style-minded mouths water."
Live performances
The band first performed the song on September 22, 2010 on
The Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
. The band performed the song on
Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
on September 23, 2010. On November 16, 2010, the band performed the song on
Lopez TonightLopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
, and they performed it on
Live with Regis and KellyLive! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
on December 1, 2010. They performed the song at the 2011
People's Choice AwardsThe People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
on January 5, 2011, and afterwards were awarded the Choice award for Favorite Breakout Artist. Gomez appeared on stage accompanied by low lights and fog. Kara Warner of
MTV NewsMTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
commented, "Although it wasn't a stadium-rocking performance à la Lady Gaga or Katy Perry, Gomez powered through her pop song with a sense of earnestness and commitment. She didn't even miss a beat when her earpiece appeared to fall out mid-song."
Formats and track listings
- "A Year Without Rain" – 3:54
- "A Year Without Rain" (Starlab Radio Edit) – 3:41
- "A Year Without Rain" – 3:55
Charts
| Chart (2010-11) |
Peak
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Release history
| Region |
Date |
Format |
| Canada |
September 7, 2010 |
Digital download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
|
| United States |
| Australia |
September 17, 2010 |
| Belgium |
| Denmark |
| Finland |
| France |
| New Zealand |
| Portugal |
| Spain |
| Sweden |
| Switzerland |
| Germany |
November 12, 2010 |
CD single |
| United Kingdom |
November 22, 2010 |