Runaway Love (En Vogue song) explained

Runaway Love
Cover:Runaway love.jpg
Type:single
Artist:En Vogue
Album:Runaway Love
Genre:
Length:4:59
Label:EastWest
Producer:
  • Thomas McElroy
  • Denzil Foster
Prev Title:Love Don't Love You
Prev Year:1993
Next Title:What Is Love
Next Year:1993

"Runaway Love" is a song by American R&B/pop group En Vogue, released in September 1993 by Eastwest Records as the first single from the group's extended play (EP) Runaway Love. After the huge success of their second album, Funky Divas (1992), the single was released. It was written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster. Group members Cindy Herron and Terry Ellis share lead vocals, Dawn Robinson leads on the bridge, and spoken intro is by Maxine Jones. Elroy and Foster contributed vocals and spoken rap, their known as the alias FMob group. In the US, the song reached numbers 51 and 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100.

Reception

Commercial reception

The single was released to radio in late August 1993 and was immediately added to airplay rotation, debuting on the US Hot 100 Airplay at #31 the week of September 4, 1993. The physical single was not released until almost two months later, after maximum airplay had been reached, resulting in the failure of the single to peak within the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. In Europe, it debuted and peaked at number 83 in its first week on the Eurochart Hot 100 on 16 October 1993,[1] after charting in the UK, where it peaked at number 36. On the Music Week Dance Singles chart, it was more successful, reaching number ten,[2] as well as peaking at number nine on the Music & Media European Dance Radio Chart.[3] "Runaway Love" was also a top-30 hit in Canada, a top-50 hit in the Netherlands, and a top-70 hit in Australia.[4]

Failure of the single to chart higher was possibly due to "Runaway Love" initially being available only on the EP. The EP had been released shortly after the single was issued and was considered an album not a single. However, the single manage to peak within the Top 20 on US Pop and US R&B airplay.[5]

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic complimented the song as "great".[6] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that here, the group are "stretching out nicely over a cool midtempo groove, juiced with the same quasi-hip-hop/funk flavors that fueled 'Hold On' and 'My Lovin''." He felt that those "warm and distinctive harmonies feel like a welcome visit from an old friend, while multiple lead vocals are appropriately diva-like, without an overload of hype."[7] Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box said it's a "comfortably groovin' song, seemingly familiar the first time you hear it, features all four Vogue'rs doing what they do best—melting hearts." He added, "Super confident vocals, En Vogue's bread and butter, will propel "Runaway Love" to the top of all the appropriate charts and playlists. Don't miss this one."[8] James Earl Hardy from Entertainment Weekly found that the song "prove [that] these divas have more in common with the Emotions and the Sweet Inspirations than with the Supremes."[9]

Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report complimented the writers for continuing to "demonstrate their production genius".[10] Another Gavin Report editor, Kelly Woo, called the song "a masterpiece of harmony and tight production that captures the energy of their earlier works. Their vocal performance is incomparable and uncompromising-perfection!"[11] Push from Melody Maker wrote, "The limp swingbeat swivel of "Runaway Love" [...] is drearier than watching Skelmersdale United take on Glossop Town on a wet Wednesday evening."[12] Pan-European magazine Music & Media remarked that, with "one foot in history and the other one in the swingbeat era, these girls are moving closer to becoming the Pointer Sisters of our time."[13] Ralph Tee from Music Weeks RM Dance Update stated that the group "have never sounded sweeter than on this stylish, lilting two stepper with harmonies to send shivers down the spine."[14] Another RM editor, James Hamilton, described it as a "funkily wukka-wukked mumbling and cooing slinky roller".[15] James Hunter from Vibe complimented the groove's "gorgeus skating harmonies".[16]

Formats and track listings

  1. "Runaway Love" (hip hop vocal remix edit) – 4:10
  2. "Runaway Love" (hip hop vocal remix edit w/o rap) – 4:10
  3. "Runaway Love" (hip hop vocal remix) – 5:02
  4. "Runaway Love" (Theo's Bad Intentions radio edit) – 4:48
  5. "Runaway Love" (Theo's Bad Intentions club mix) – 7:06
  1. "Runaway Love" (radio edit) – 4:06
  2. "Runaway Love" (E.P. version) – 4:55
  3. "Runaway Love" (extended version) – 5:35
  4. "Runaway Love" (Hype mix) – 4:57
  5. "Runaway Love" (FMob instrumental) – 4:51
  1. "Runaway Love" (radio edit) – 4:16
  2. "Runaway Love" (Hype mix) – 4:57
  1. "Runaway Love" (radio edit) – 4:06
  2. "Runaway Love" (extended version) – 5:36
  3. "What Is Love" (club mix) – 5:36
  4. "Desire" (Dancehall remix) – 3:56

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1993–1994)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)62
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)83
Europe (European Dance Radio)9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[18] 11
UK Airplay (ERA)[19] 65
UK Dance (Music Week)10
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[20] 27
US Cash Box Top 100[21] 43

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United KingdomSeptember 27, 1993EastWest[22]
JapanOctober 25, 1993Mini-CD[23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Eurochart Hot 100. Music & Media. 10. 42. October 16, 1993. 21. March 24, 2024.
  2. Dance Singles. Music Week. 28. October 9, 1993. April 9, 2021.
  3. European Dance Radio. Music & Media. 10. 47. November 20, 1993. 26. November 6, 2021.
  4. Book: Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. 2011. Moonlight Publishing. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia.
  5. http://www.billboard.com/artist/301747/en-vogue/chart?f=364 En Vogue > US Airplay Chart history
  6. Web site: Stephen Thomas . Erlewine . En Vogue – Runaway Love . . November 5, 2020 . Stephen Thomas Erlewine.
  7. Larry. Flick. Single Reviews. Billboard. August 28, 1993. February 1, 2020. 63. Larry Flick.
  8. Troy J. . Augusto . Pop Singles: Reviews . . September 4, 1993 . 11 . November 3, 2020 .
  9. James Earl. Hardy. Runaway Love. Entertainment Weekly. September 24, 1993. February 27, 2020. James Earl Hardy.
  10. Dave . Sholin . Singles . . April 15, 2018 .
  11. Kelly . Woo . Urban: New Releases . . August 20, 1993 . 18 . October 16, 2020 .
  12. Push. Singles. Melody Maker. September 25, 1993. 31. June 17, 2023.
  13. New Releases: Singles. Music & Media. 10. 41. October 9, 1993. 10. April 23, 2018.
  14. Ralph . Tee . Hot Vinyl . Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert) . October 2, 1993 . 6 . April 4, 2021 .
  15. James . Hamilton . Dj directory . Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert) . October 2, 1993 . 7 . April 4, 2021 . James Hamilton (DJ and journalist).
  16. James. Hunter. Single File. Vibe. October 1, 1993. March 2, 2020.
  17. http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=33236 En Vogue Runaway Love UK CD Single
  18. Web site: En Vogue – Runaway Love. Dutch Top 40. nl. January 14, 2020.
  19. Airplay 100. Hit Music. October 16, 1993. 21. May 6, 2024.
  20. The RM Club Chart. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). October 9, 1993. 4. May 12, 2023.
  21. Top 100 Pop Singles. Cash Box. LVII. 9. October 23, 1993. 8. April 22, 2024.
  22. Single Releases. Music Week. 25. September 25, 1993. Misprinted as September 20.
  23. Web site: ランナウェイ・ラブ アン・ヴォーグ. Runaway Love En Vogue. Oricon. ja. December 12, 2023.