Don't Say You Love Me (M2M song)

"Don't Say You Love Me"

UK/European single
Single by M2M
from the album Pokémon: The First Movie soundtrack and Shades of Purple
B-side "The Feeling Is Gone"
Released 26 October 1999
Format CD, Compact Cassette
Recorded 1999
Genre Bubblegum pop
Length 3:46
Label Atlantic Records
Writer(s) Marion Raven, Marit Larsen, Peter Zizzo, Jimmy Bralower[1]
Producer(s) Zizzo, Bralower[1]
Certification Gold (RIAA), Gold (ARIA)
M2M singles chronology
"Don't Say You Love Me"
(1999)		 "Mirror Mirror"
(2000)

"Don't Say You Love Me" is the debut single by M2M, a Norwegian pop duo composed of singers Marion Raven and Marit Larsen. The song first appeared on Radio Disney before its official US radio and single release in October 1999. It was released on the soundtrack to the film Pokémon: The First Movie in November 1999 and appears in the film's closing credits. The song was featured on M2M's debut album, Shades of Purple (2000), and also appeared on their compilation album The Day You Went Away: The Best of M2M (2003).

The song received positive reviews: Robert Christgau said it was one of the "impossibly touching" songs on Shades of Purple; Chuck Taylor said it was "absolutely enchanting" and would appeal to both young and mature listeners. It reached number 2 in Norway, number 4 in both Australia and New Zealand, number 16 in the UK and number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold in the US and Australia and remained M2M's biggest hit. M2M performed the song on episodes of the TV series One World, Top of the Pops and Disney Channel in Concert. Two similar music videos were released for the song, with one showing clips from Pokémon: The First Movie.

Background and composition
"Don't Say You Love Me"
The lyrics tell a girl's date she's not ready to hear "he loves her  – after all, 'It's not like we're gonna get married'."[2]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Marion Raven and Marit Larsen were 14 and 15-years-old respectively when the tracks from their debut album Shades of Purple, including "Don't Say You Love Me", were recorded.[3] They had previously released a children's album, Synger Kjente Barnesauger, under the band name Marit & Marion.[4] That album was nominated for a Spellemannprisen award when they were both 12 years old.[5] After taking some time off from recording music, the two began recording under the name M2M, which reflected the initials of both their first names. Atlantic Records received one of their demo recordings and signed them to a worldwide contract in 1998.[6] "Don't Say You Love Me" was M2M's debut single.[4]

The song was written by Raven, Larsen, Peter Zizzo and Jimmy Bralower.[1][7] It was produced by Zizzo and Bralower and was mixed by Tom Lord-Alge.[4] Lyrically, the song is about getting "the rules straight on a budding relationship. Slow down and don't say you love me until you give me some time and get to know me."[1] There is a slight difference in lyrics between the version used in Pokémon: The First Movie version and the version released on Shades of Purple. The Shades of Purple version includes the line "then you start kissing me, what's that about?"[8] In the Pokémon version, the lyric is "then you say you love me, what's that about?"[9] When asked about the lyric change in an interview, M2M replied "the Pokémon people didn't find it appropriate to have kissing in the lyrics, because it was for younger kids. We think [the lyric change] was stupid. The original version is on [Shades of Purple], and that's the one we wanted to go with."[10] M2M had not heard of Pokémon until the song was chosen for the soundtrack, as the franchise was not yet popular in Norway.[10]

Release and appearances

Marion Raven, a young brunette woman, playing a guitar on stage
Raven (pictured in 2007) and Larsen toured the US and Asia to promote the single

"Don't Say You Love Me" appeared in "The List", an episode in the TV series Felicity that aired in the US on 3 October 1999 and reached an audience of 5 million people, helping to generate interest in the song.[1][11] On October 10 it appeared in the Jack & Jill episode "Moving On".[12] The song was already being played on Radio Disney before it made its official US debut on 26 October 1999. The single was released on both CD and Compact Cassette.[11] Within a month, more than 100 US top-40 radio stations were playing the song;[4] by 10 November it was the sixth-most requested song on New York radio stations.[13] The song appeared during the closing credits of the film Pokémon: The First Movie and on the film's soundtrack; both the film and soundtrack were released in the US on 10 November 1999. "Don't Say You Love Me" was the debut single from the album.[4] The single first entered the charts in the US on 20 November,[4] by which time more than 400,000 units had already been shipped to record stores.[4]

Despite the success in the US, in November 1999 it was reported that the single would not be released in the duo's home country of Norway until the following year, as Warner Music Norway wanted to wait until both the Pokémon film and soundtrack were released in Europe to capitalise on the exposure.[4] The single was released in Norway on radio on 24 November,[14] and by 11 January the single was on sale in Norway[15] and 25 other countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. It was expected to be released in the remaining European countries by the end of the month,[16] though European countries where the single had not yet been released were already playing the song on the radio.[17] The song was popular in Southeast Asia, receiving heavy airplay in Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.[18] On 12 January it was featured in the episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, "Tainted Love".[19] The song was released in Japan on 25 January, in Spain on 22 February,[16] and in the UK on 20 March on East West Records.[15] It appeared on Shades of Purple, which was released in Europe in mid-February and the US on 7 March,[15] and in 2003 it appeared on M2M's 'best of' album, The Day You Went Away: The Best of M2M.[20]

Reception

Robert Christgau gave a positive review, calling the song one of the "impossibly touching" tracks on Shades of Purple that "sets the standard" for the rest of the album.[2] Chuck Taylor from Billboard said the song would appeal to both the young and mature listeners as it "neatly walks the line between pure pop and the cusp of the adult top 40". He added the song was "Absolutely enchanting in its youthful vocal and meaty series of hooks".[1] Michael Paoletta, also from Billboard, called the song an "infectious pop rocker" adding "what's most dazzling about the track is the vocal verve of the girls' harmonizing."[7] Heather Phares from AllMusic referred to the song as "sweet yet down-to-earth pop".[21] Marius Lillelien, the director of the Norwegian radio station NRK Petre, said "It's a very well-written, well-produced pop song, they're young and potentially the largest Norwegian pop success ever. The song is best suited to an audience aged 10–16, but in my opinion it won't scare away older listeners".[15] "Don't Say You Love Me" was nominated for the year's best song at the 2000 Spellemannprisen awards, though it lost to Propaganda by Briskeby.[22]

In the US, "Don't Say You Love Me" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 72,[23] later peaking at number 21. It also reached number 40 on both the Latin Pop Airplay and Tropical Songs charts.[24] The single sold 39,000 copies in the week preceding November 27,[4] and had sold 580,000 units by May 2000.[25] It reached number 1 in Thailand, number 2 in Norway and number 4 in both Australia and New Zealand.[26][27][28] It made the top 10 in Finland and Indonesia,[29] the top 20 in Canada,[24] the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands,[30][31] the top 40 in Italy and Belgium[32][33] and the top 80 in Germany,[34] France and Switzerland.[35][36] It was certified gold in the US on 6 December 1999[37] and in Australia in 2000.[38]

"Don't Say You Love Me" was M2M's biggest hit and is their most recognisable song. While their next single, "Mirror Mirror", was a top 40 single in Australia[39] and Canada, and reached number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100,[40] "Don't Say You Love Me" would remain M2M's only top-40 hit in the US, and their only hit at all in many other countries. The song has been called a one-hit wonder.[41] While speaking favourably of the duo, in 2014 Abby Devora from MTV ranked M2M and the song at number 2 on her list "9 Girl Group One-Hit Wonders You Need To Remember Right Now".[42] Jessica Booth from Gurl.com included the duo and song in her 2012 list "Flashback: 15 Old-School Girl Singers We Miss", calling the song "ridiculously catchy".[43] Kaitlin Cubria from Teen.com listed the duo and song in her 2014 list of "12 forgotten girl groups from the '90s/'00s that are worth your time."[44] In 2014 Nathan Jolly from MAX said it was "one of those few pop songs that is happiness incarnate despite being a 'back the fuck off, dude' anthem".[45]

Music video

Raven and Larsen, two young teen girls, singing and playing guitar respectively
Raven and Larsen perform at the drive-in as popcorn falls around them

The video was directed by Nigel Dick and was filmed from 4 to 6 October 1999 at the Mission Tiki drive-in theatre in Montclair, California.[46] In the video, Raven sings the song while she is in a car with a boy, while Larsen sings and plays the guitar in front of another car. This footage is mixed with M2M singing together at the drive-in, people dancing, the projectionist struggling with his malfunctioning equipment, and the concession stand worker who has an overflowing popcorn maker. When the popcorn stand explodes, M2M continue to perform surrounded by people as popcorn rains down. Air cannons were used to fire 200 garbage bin-sized bags of popcorn into the air to create the raining popcorn effect.[46] In the US the music video made its premiere on 24 October on The WB following that nights screening of 7th Heaven.[11] It began airing on The Box and MuchMusic in early November 1999[47] and began airing on MTV on November 15.[4][48][49]

Two similar versions of the video were released. In one, clips from Pokémon: The First Movie are played on the screen at the drive in theatre. In the other version, fewer images of the screen are shown; when they are seen the Pokémon images are replaced with either clips of Raven and Larsen singing the song or words such as "M2M" and "Intermission". The Pokémon version of the video uses the censored lyrics, while the other one uses the album version of the song. The Pokémon version was included on the DVD of the film,[50] while the other version was included on the bonus disc in The Day You Went Away: The Best of M2M.[20]

Live performances and covers

Marit Laren, a young brunette woman, playing a guitar while singing
Larsen (pictured in 2009) is known to perform the song solo

To promote the single Raven and Larsen made a six-stop tour of shopping malls in the Northeastern US[4] between 21 August and 2 October;[51] it was their first tour under the name M2M.[52] On 9 November 1999, the day before Pokémon: The First Movie was released, M2M performed the song live at the Warner Bros. Studio Store on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, in front of fans and a large media presence.[11][13] To promote the single M2M also toured Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan before returning to Norway on 24 November.[14] They performed the song on the episode "Band on the Run" of the TV series One World, which aired on 27 November,[53] and on 31 March 2000 they performed it on Top of the Pops.[16][54][55] M2M performed the song live at Walt Disney Worlds Epcot park on 12 February 2000.[56] This performance was recorded and appeared on an episode of Disney Channel in Concert on 29 April, which focused on both M2M and BBMak.[57] As it was their biggest hit, "Don't Say You Love Me" was a popular song during live performances. In December 2001 the song was performed as an encore, along with "Everything You Do", in front of a crowd of 4,000 at an M2M concert in Kuala Lumpur.[18]

M2M disbanded in 2002, after which Raven and Larsen both pursued solo careers; Larsen is known for performing a country music version of the song during solo performances.[58][59] The Fillipino acoustic pop duo Krissy & Ericka covered the song on their 2009 self-titled album.[60]

Track listings

The European version of the single contained the B-side track The Feeling is Gone, one of three tracks recorded for Shades of Purple which were left off the album.[10] The standard US version featured the Pokémon: The First Movie instrumental score "Mewtwo Strikes Back Suite" as the B-side.[11]

Australian CD single[61]
  1. "Don't Say You Love Me" – 3:46
  2. "If Only Tears Could Bring You Back" by Midnight Sons – 4:03
  3. "Mewtwo Strikes Back Suite" – 4:51
  • Enhanced section
  1. "Don't Say You Love Me" (music video) – 3:38
US single[62]
  1. "Don't Say You Love Me" (film version) – 3:46
  2. "Mewtwo Strikes Back Suite" – 4:51
US Maxi-single[63]
  1. "Don't Say You Love Me" (Tin Tin Out Remix) – 3:33
  2. "Don't Say You Love Me" (Lenny Bertoldo Radio Mix) – 3:01
  3. "Don't Say You Love Me" (acoustic version) – 3:15
  4. "Don't Say You Love Me" (album version) – 3:46
Japanese Maxi-single[64]
  1. "Don't Say You Love Me" (album version) – 3:46
  2. "Don't Say You Love Me" (Tin Tin Out Remix) – 3:33
  3. "Don't Say You Love Me" (acoustic version) – 3:15
  4. "The Feeling Is Gone" – 3:16 (non-album bonus track)
  5. "Don't Say You Love Me" (karaoke version) – 4:06
European Maxi-single[65]
  1. "Don't Say You Love Me" (album version) – 3:46
  2. "The Feeling Is Gone" – 3:16
  3. "Don't Say You Love Me" (acoustic version) – 3:15

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
scope="row"Australia (ARIA)[26] 4
scope="row"Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[32] 31
scope="row"Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[33] 37
Canadian Singles Chart[24] 12
scope="row"Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[30] 16
scope="row"Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[29] 10
scope="row"France (SNEP)[35] 60
scope="row"Germany (Official German Charts)[34] 80
scope="row"New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 4
scope="row"Norway (VG-lista)[27] 2
scope="row"Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 17
scope="row"Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 76
scope="row"UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[66] 16
scope="row"US Billboard Hot 100[67] 21
scope="row"US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard)[68] 40
scope="row"US Tropical Airplay (Billboard)[69] 40

Year-end charts

Chart (2000) Position
Australia[70] 92

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[38] Gold 35,000^
United States (RIAA)[37] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Taylor, Chuck (30 October 1999). "New & noteworthy: M2M: Don't Say You Love Me". Billboard (Nielsen N.V.) 111 (44): 19.
  2. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "M2M". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Storsalg kan gi ny gullkontrakt". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 1 March 2002. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Taylor, Chuck (27 November 1999). "Atlantic's M2M aims for kid, adult appeal". Billboard (Nielsen N.V.) 111 (48): 15, 98.
  5. ↑ "M2Ms favoritt-gutter". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 30 December 1999. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  6. ↑ "Biography". M2M Music. Archived from the original on 3 June 2002. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  7. 1 2 Paoletta, Michael (11 March 2000). "M2M: Shades of Purple". Billboard (Nielsen N.V.): 26.
  8. ↑ M2M (7 March 2000). Shades of Purple (Studio album). Atlantic Records.
  9. ↑ M2M (10 November 1999). Pokémon: The First Movie (Soundtrack). Atlantic Records.
  10. 1 2 3 "M2M chats with fans on AllPop". Canoe.com. 3 April 2000. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "M2M Set to Thrill Fifth Ave. Throngs; NYC Flagship Warner Bros. Studio Store Performance to Mark Pokemon Album Release/Film Opening". Business Wire. 28 October 1999. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ↑ Jack & Jill: Moving On (Television episode). The WB. 10 October 1999. Event occurs at 15:41.
  13. 1 2 "Tar New York med storm". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 10 November 1999. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  14. 1 2 "M2M tilbake i Norge". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 24 November 1999. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Arnesen, Jon (5 February 2000). "M2M make their name via Atlantic". Music & Media 17 (6): 3.
  16. 1 2 3 "2000 News Archive". M2M Music. Archived from the original on 15 April 2002.
  17. ↑ "Hjemme – men ikke lenge". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 13 January 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  18. 1 2 Gerald, Chuah (10 December 2001). "Angels from Norway". New Straits Times (2nd ed.). p. 3.
  19. ↑ Beverly Hills, 90210: Tainted Love (Television episode). Paramount Domestic Television. 12 January 2000. Event occurs at 4:33.
  20. 1 2 Brown, Marisa. "The Day You Went Away: The Best of M2M". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  21. ↑ Phares, Heather. "M2M: Shades of Purple". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  22. ↑ "Herborg ble Årets spellemann". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 2 March 2001. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  23. ↑ Silvio, Pietroluongo (20 November 1999). "Hot 100 Spotlight". Billboard (Nielsen N.V.): 129.
  24. 1 2 3 "M2M: Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  25. ↑ "Nedtur for M2M". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 12 May 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  26. 1 2 "Australian-charts.com – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Norwegiancharts.com – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me". VG-lista. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  28. 1 2 "Charts.org.nz – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  29. 1 2 "M2M: Don't Say You Love Me" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  30. 1 2 "Nederlandse Top 40 – M2M search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  31. 1 2 "Swedishcharts.com – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  32. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  33. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  34. 1 2 "Musicline.de – M2M Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  35. 1 2 "Lescharts.com – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  36. 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  37. 1 2 "American single certifications – M2M – Don't Say You Love Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 September 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  38. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  39. ↑ "M2M". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  40. ↑ "M2M: Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  41. ↑ "One-hit Wonder Wednesday: Don't Say You Love Me – M2M". MetroLyrics. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  42. ↑ Devora, Abby (25 September 2015). "9 Girl Group One-Hit Wonders You Need To Remember Right Now". MTV. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  43. ↑ Booth, Jessica (20 June 2012). "Flashback: 15 Old-School Girl Singers We Miss". Gurl.com. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  44. ↑ Cubria, Kaitlin (2 March 2014). "12 Forgotten Girl Groups From the 1990s/2000s". Teen.com. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  45. ↑ Jolly, Nathan (10 October 2014). "'90s News: Coolio Fought Boyz II Men, M2M Update, Hootie and the What now?". MAX. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  46. 1 2 Nigel, Dick. "DICKFILMS 1". Nigel Dick. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  47. ↑ "The Clip List". Billboard (Nielsen N.V.): 99. 13 November 1999.
  48. ↑ "The Clip List". Billboard (Nielsen N.V.): 120. 20 November 1999.
  49. ↑ "M2M selger hurtigst". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 17 November 1999. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  50. ↑ McCormick, Moira (22 January 2000). "Warner Unleashes Massive Campaign for Pokémon release". Billboard (Nielsen N.V.): 108.
  51. ↑ "North-East Mall Tour". M2M Music. Archived from the original on 4 June 2002. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  52. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". M2M Music. Archived from the original on 14 April 2002. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  53. ↑ One World: Band on the Run (Television episode). Universal Television. 27 November 1999. Event occurs at 3:44.
  54. ↑ "Plateselskap avviser pengekrav". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 27 March 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  55. ↑ Top of the Pops (Television episode). BBC One. 31 March 2000.
  56. ↑ "M2M møtte sine fans". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 14 February 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  57. ↑ Hay, Carla (13 May 2000). "M2M Crosses Atlantic". Billboard (Nielsen N.V.): 149.
  58. ↑ "Festival-prinsessen". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 12 August 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  59. ↑ Elliott, Kevin J. (28 March 2007). "Interview: Marit Larsen". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  60. ↑ "Krissy & Ericka album launched". The Philippine Star. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  61. ↑ "Don't Say You Love Me". Amazon.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  62. ↑ "Don't Say You Love Me / Mewtwo Strikes Back Suite". Amazon.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  63. ↑ M2M (1999). M2M – Don't Say You Love Me (Single). Atlantic Records. PRCD 300019.
  64. ↑ "Don't Say You Love Me". Amazon.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  65. ↑ "Don't Say You Love Me Pt.1". Amazon.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  66. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2000-04-01" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  67. ↑ "M2M – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for M2M. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  68. ↑ "M2M – Chart history" Billboard Latin Pop Songs for M2M. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  69. ↑ "M2M – Chart history" Billboard Tropical Airplay for M2M. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  70. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2000". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 26 September 2015.

External links

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