Almost Is Never Enough

"Almost Is Never Enough"
Promotional single by Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes from the album The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (Music from the Motion Picture) and Yours Truly
Released	August 19, 2013
Genre	R&B soul
Length	3:30 (soundtrack version) 5:28 (album version)
Label	Republic Island[1]
Writer	Ariana Grande Harmony Samuels Carmen Reece Al Sherrod Lambert Olaniyi-Akinpelu Moses Samuels
Producer	Moses Samuels

"Almost Is Never Enough" is a song recorded as a duet between American singer Ariana Grande and English singer Nathan Sykes. The pop and soul-influenced track was written by Grande, Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece, Al Sherrod Lambert, Olaniyi-Akinpelu, and its producer, Moses Samuels. Two official versions of the song exist. The soundtrack version is included on the official soundtrack for the 2013 fantasy film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and was released August 19, 2013 via Republic Records as a second promotional single from the same, following Colbie Caillat's "When the Darkness Comes" on July 10, and a longer version was remastered for inclusion on Grande's debut studio album, Yours Truly (2013).

Critical reception

	"Almost Is Never Enough" (2013) A 29-second sample of "Almost Is Never Enough", a R&B and soul song.
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The duet received primarily positive reception. Idolator editor Mike Wass called "Almost Is Never Enough" a "glorious" and "soulful" anthem and praised the collaboration between the two artists; "The simple production is timeless and showcases Ariana’s powerful pipes superbly. And who knew Nathan could sing like that? 'Almost Is Never Enough' is a revelation all around and promises very good things for Grande's debut album."^[2] Brent Faulkner of Star Pulse found the duet to be a pleasantly surprising blend of modern and classical elements and noted that the song "should be sappy but isn't".^[3] This sentiment was mirrored by Popdust's Andrew Unterberger, who observed that the song "manages to mostly stay out of the way of its two talented young vocalists... and lets them carry it with the strength of their voices, and of the song itself. The result is a ballad that’s surprisingly mature and classic sounding." Unterberger also drew comparisons to Mariah Carey, and her Boyz II Men duet "One Sweet Day" also Brandy and Wanya Morris's "Brokenhearted" in particular.^[4]

Charts

Chart (2013–16)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)[5]	56
South Korea International Chart (Gaon)[6]	4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[7]	49
US Billboard Hot 100[8]	82

References

1. "CHART LOG UK: NEW ENTRIES UPDATE (31/08/2013)". Retrieved 4 December 2013.
2. Wass, Mike. "Ariana Grande Duets With The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes: Hear A Snippet Of "Almost Is Never Enough"". Idolator. Spin Media. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
3. Faulkner, Brent. "Review: Ariana Grande 'Yours Truly' - Ariana Grande Stuns Vocally Throughout Her Debut Album". Star Pulse. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
4. Unterberger, Andrew. "Ariana Grande’s "Yours Truly" Reviewed: "Almost Is Never Enough"". Popdust. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
5. "Chart Track: Week 34, 2013". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
6. "Gaon Digital Chart – Issue date: 2015.12.27 – 2016.01.02". Gaon Chart. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
7. "Ariana Grande featuring Nathan Sykes: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
8. "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Ariana Grande.