"Out Here on My Own" is a ballad from the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', performed by

Irene Cara Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress of Black, Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. Cara rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and f ...

. It was written by sibling songwriting duo

Lesley Gore Lesley Sue Goldstein (May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015), known professionally as Lesley Gore, was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. At the age of 16, she recorded the pop hit " It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She ...

(lyricist) and Michael Gore (composer). The recording was produced by Michael Gore. Cara performed the song at the 1981 Academy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Original Song. The song was released on the ''Fame'' soundtrack, which also contains an instrumental version of the track.

Critical reception

In its original review of the song in August 1980, ''

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'' described Cara's performance as "a sensitive vocal reading with only acoustical keyboard supporting her graceful voice", and noted it was certain to impact "pop and adult contemporary play". A writer in the ''

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'' described the song as "showstopping". Upon the re-release of the soundtrack in 2003, Chuck Taylor of ''

'' wrote that the song "remains as simplistic and memorable a statement of isolation as has ever been written". ''Dance Magazine'' wrote, "The lyrics to “ Fame”, “Out Here on My Own" and “I Sing the Body Electric” became anthems for young performers following their passions". Comparing the 1980 film and 2009 remake,

Today.com ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It wa ...

wrote that

Naturi Naughton Naturi Cora Maria Naughton (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films '' Fame'' and '' Notorious'', in which she played rapp ...

's version is a "gigantic and booming...anthem for careerist kids determined to bulldoze their way into a multi-platform revenue stream deal with ICM", while in the original film, "Cara sings the song, gets told how good she is, then dismisses the entire thing by calling it 'sentimental s---'". In a review of the 2009 film, The Independent Critic wrote "The music in Tancharoen's "Fame" certainly has its moment, most notably Naughton's outstanding version of the original film's "Out Here on My Own," the only left over with the exception of a closing credit Naughton version of "Fame". FilmSchoolRejects wrote "only one scene transcends the façade and evokes genuine feeling: Naughton’s terrific rendition of “Out Here on My Own,” which gets closer to evoking the emotions swelling in an artist struggling to find her place in the world than a thousand heavily choreographed hip-hop dance numbers ever could". The AV Club deemed it a "heartbreaking cover" while FilmScoreClickTrack described the song as a "gorgeous ballad".

Awards and nominations

The song was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed ...

. This was the first time two songs from the same film had both been nominated in this category. ''Fame'' went on to win the prize over ''Out Here on My Own'', though both became hit singles of 1980. ''Out Here on My Own'' became a "multi-platinum soundtrack record". Michael Gore, commenting on the joint nomination for a project a brother/sister team had worked on together, said "I'm not sure if that has ever happened before".

Charts

The song peaked at No. 19 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, No. 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the US, and No. 58 on the UK Singles Chart.

Covers

*Angela Clemmons released a version of the song as a single in 1980 that reached #61 on the US R&B chart. *

Nikka Costa Domenica "Nikka" Costa (born 4 June 1972) is an American singer whose music combines elements of pop, soul, and blues. She also had a career as a child singer starting in the early 1980s. She is the daughter of music producer Don Costa. Early ...

covered the song for her 1981 self-titled debut album. The single reached No. 1 in Italy, No. 72 in Germany, No. 7 in Switzerland, No. 32 in the Netherlands and No. 13 in the Flanders region of Belgium. *The song was recorded by

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

in July 2000, intended for her ''Glitter'' soundtrack project, but was not selected for the ''Glitter'' album in 2001. Her version was eventually released in 2020 as the second single off ''The Rarities''. *Lesley Gore recorded her own version of the song, "understated and moving," for her final album, '' Ever Since'' (2005).

Certifications and sales

References

{{Authority control 1980 songs 1980 singles 2011 singles Irene Cara songs RSO Records singles Songs written for films Songs with music by Michael Gore 1980s ballads Fame (franchise)