Impossible (Shontelle Song)
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"Impossible" is a song by Barbadian singer
Shontelle Shontelle Delia Layne (born 4 October 1985), known mononymously as Shontelle, is a Barbadian singer and songwriter. She released her debut album '' Shontelligence'' in 2008. Her second album, '' No Gravity'', was released in 2010. Her singles " ...
. It is the lead single from her second studio album, '' No Gravity'' (2010). The song was written by Arnthor Birgisson and Ina Wroldsen, and produced by Birgisson. It was released digitally on February 9, 2010. "Impossible" peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States, number 33 in Canada, number nine in the United Kingdom and number five in Denmark. ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' winner
James Arthur James Andrew Arthur (born 2 March 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after winning the ninth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2012. His debut single, a cover of Shontelle's " Impossible", was released by Syco Music aft ...
released a cover version of the song after winning the ninth series of the talent competition in December 2012. It was released shortly after his win and reached number one in the UK and Ireland, as well as charting in the top ten in 20 other countries. As of 2021, it has sold 1,940,010 copies in the UK. The international symphonic metal band Exit Eden released their cover version of the song in 2017 for their album ''Rhapsodies in Black'' via Starwatch Entertainment and
Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal, hard rock and folk/folk rock/folk metal. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach a ...
. The song was accompanied by an official music video and a live video.


Inspiration and composition

"Impossible" is a midtempo R&B
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
written by Arnthor Birgisson and Ina Wroldsen, in the musical key of
A major A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The A major scale is: Changes needed for the ...
with a
time signature A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...
in
common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...
and a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 92 beats per minute. The melody is to be played in a moderate tone and tempo. The song's backing track consists of a simple
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural, or simply changes) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from ...
of Fm7AED. It was conceived after Shontelle stated that she felt that radio was currently missing a "heartbreak ballad". In an interview with '' J-14'' magazine she said "I knew that there was no song out there for heartbroken people. I just wanted to put a song out that gave people hope – things may not work out the way you want them to, but you can move past it and everything is gonna be okay... want to help listenersdraw the strength to carry on past a break up where you're the one in the embarrassing position." Shontelle uses a vocal range from E3 to D5 in the song. ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s Michael Menachem described her vocal precision as similar to that of
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
's in " Irreplaceable". Meanwhile, the production, helmed by Birgisson, was compared to Norwegian production team,
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who are, coincidentally, the team responsible for producing "Irreplaceable".


Reception


Critical response

Michael Menachem of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' loved the song. He said "Shontelle shines on 'Impossible', giving one of the year's standout female vocal performances and recalling the poignancy and technical precision of
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
's " Irreplaceable". The 24-year-old's vulnerable delivery demands attention ... releasing the pain of a broken heart... Nothing is impossible when a vocal sounds as effortless and anthemic as this." Ryan Love of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
gave the song five out of five stars, writing: " Arnthor Birgisson's
StarGate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
-style production is appealingly restrained, Ina Wroldsen's lyrics are blunt and utterly relatable, and Shontelle gives her strongest vocal performance yet without ever overdoing it. The result? A treat for everyone except the people at Greenpeace, who might not approve of a song that requires at least two Kleenex mansize every time you play it." Financial website
MarketWatch ''MarketWatch'' is a website that provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. It is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, a property of News Corp, along with ''The Wall Street Journal'' and '' Barron's.'' ...
branded the song a "passionate ballad" and Shontelle's vocals "soulful". Carmen Castro of ''The Canadian Press'' said "Shontelle hits the right notes on "Impossible", the album's only standout track." A reviewer from Entertainment Focus said "'Impossible' showcases undeniably strong vocals from the 24-year-old. ... It's easily a contender for breakup song of 2010 and Shontelle sings with such passion that you can't help but hold back the tears. Things are about to turn around for Shontelle. 'Impossible' is the strongest release we've had from the young singer yet and it's a sign of bigger things to come." Meanwhile Bill Lamb of about.com said "Shontelle delivers a strong, emotional R&B ballad. This smooth soul sound provides a valuable counterpart to the dominant uptempo
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...
on current
pop radio Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
."


Chart performance

"Impossible" made its US
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
chart debut at number 40 on 1 May 2010, two months after the song was first released. The following week it debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, at number 88. It continued to rise up both charts, before eventually peaking at number nine on the US Pop Songs chart, number eleven on the Hot Digital Songs chart and number thirteen on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Consequently, it is Shontelle's most successful single in the United States. On 27 August 2010, "Impossible" was
certified Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), for selling one million copies. "Impossible" equalled its US success in the United Kingdom, peaking at number three on the
UK R&B Chart Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, and previously the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and ...
and number nine on the UK Singles Chart. It became Shontelle's second top-ten hit and her best chart peak since her 2009 debut single " T-Shirt" which reached number six. It was also the only newly released track to reach the top-twenty that week, selling 22,292 copies according to
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
. Additionally it achieved some success in Europe too, reaching number five in Denmark, fifteen on the Slovakia Airplay chart and number twenty in Norway. It also peaked in Canada at number 33. It was certified gold by the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
(IFPI) in Denmark, for selling 15,000 copies. On 16 December 2012, "Impossible" re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 22 after James Arthur won ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' and released the song as his winner's single.


Music video

The official video was directed by Taj Stansberry, Represented by Leah Harmony and Ciarra Pardo. It premiered on 14 April 2010 and according to 92.3 Now FM's Ed Easton, the video is "a great visualization of her struggles, professionally and personally." In the video, singer Steph Jones plays Shontelle's love interest. The video opens with Shontelle entering an apartment at 12:14 p.m. The video is a reflection of the past. During the first chorus, Shontelle is talking to her boyfriend and they start caressing. In the second chorus, Shontelle and her boyfriend are arguing while Shontelle is also shown writing a song and scribbling off words. Later, her boyfriend is having a beer at a party. He is celebrating his platinum success. Afterwards, Shontelle receives a letter from a recording studio, and realizes her own dreams are coming second to her boyfriends. Later, she is putting away glasses and bottles. At the end, a reflection is shown in black and white. The final scene is kissing her boyfriend on the head, taking the demo CD he made for her and leaving him. It then goes back to the present, where Shontelle is getting into a taxi while her boyfriend sleeps on the sofa.


Live performances

Shontelle performed the song at the NewNowNext Awards televised on digital cable television channel
Logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
. The event marked her first live performance on television.


Track listing

*;Digital download # "Impossible" – 3:46 # "Impossible" (Jonas Jeberg Remix) – 3:11 # "Impossible" (Smasher Remix) – 4:36 # "Impossible" (Superdef & Jecto Remix) – 7:18


Credits

"Impossible" was recorded at Chalice Recording Studios in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
and The Vault in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. *
Songwriting A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
Arnthor Birgisson, Ina Wroldsen *
Record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
and programmer – Arnthor Birgisson *Recording engineer – Chris Kesychs *Mixing – Phil Tan, Damien Lewis (assistant) *
Guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
s – Esbjörn Öhrwall *Lead vocals – Shontelle Layne *
Background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
Ina Wroldsen


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Radio and release history


Radio adds


Release history


James Arthur version

James Arthur James Andrew Arthur (born 2 March 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after winning the ninth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2012. His debut single, a cover of Shontelle's " Impossible", was released by Syco Music aft ...
, the winner of the ninth series of ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', released a cover version of "Impossible" digitally on 9 December 2012, immediately after winning the show. The CD single was released on 12 December 2012. Profits from each download were expected to be at least £0.25 and all profits from CD and download sales were to be donated to the charity Together for Short Lives. The charity works with "children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions." Speaking on the decision to support Together for Short Lives,
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...
creator and executive producer of ''The X Factor'' said, " tis such an inspiring and important charity for so many kids and their families who really need help and support. I'm delighted that ''The X Factor''s winner single sales will go directly to helping them." In its first week, the single sold 489,560 copies, making it the UK's fastest-selling single of 2012. The song also peaked at number one in Ireland, number two in both Australia and Switzerland, and number one in Slovakia. As of 2023, the single has sold over 2 million copies in the UK, becoming the biggest-selling single by an X Factor winner.


Critical reception

Robert Copsey of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
gave the song a positive review stating, "of course, making such a decision based on his victory single – a cover of Shontelle's 2010 hit 'Impossible' – is a futile exercise. The track, which was once sidelined for former finalist
Cher Lloyd Cher Lloyd (born 28 July 1993) is an English singer. She participated on the The X Factor (UK series 7), seventh series of the television talent show ''The X Factor (UK TV series), The X Factor'' in 2010, where she finished in fourth place. F ...
, has been drained of its R&B sassiness and re-worked into a swooping ballad, saved only by Arthur's quivering and gutsy vocal. Fortunately for him, at this stage that's the only bit that matters." He gave the song three out of five stars. The song was nominated for "British Single of the Year" at the 2013 BRIT Awards, but lost out to "
Skyfall ''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy thriller film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, ...
" by
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
.


Chart performance and sales

In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, "Impossible" sold over 187,000 downloads during its first 24 hours on sale; making Arthur the fastest-selling winner in ''X Factor'' history. By the end of the week, the track had sold over 490,000 copies, enough to debut at number-one on the UK Singles Chart; achieving the largest first week sales of the year. After eleven days, "Impossible" had become the seventh biggest-selling debut single from any ''X Factor'' contestant, with sales of over 622,000; enough to overtake the lifetime sales of the debut singles of series 8 winners
Little Mix Little Mix are an English girl group that formed on the eighth series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor.'' They are the first group and the only girl group to win the original UK series. The lineup consisted of Leigh-Anne Pin ...
("
Cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
"), series 5 runners-up JLS (" Beat Again") and series 4 winner Leon Jackson ("
When You Believe "When You Believe" is a song made for the 1998 DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks musical animated feature ''The Prince of Egypt'', with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. A pop single version of "When You Believe" performed by American singers ...
"). In its second charting week, sales of "Impossible" fell to 233,770 copies as it dropped to number two behind "
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is a Sentimental ballad, ballad written by Bobby Scott (musician), Bobby Scott and Bob Russell (songwriter), Bob Russell. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for the Ho ...
" from The Justice Collective, the Christmas number one single of 2012. In its third charting week, "Impossible" reclaimed the number-one position; with sales of 183,660 copies. As of 29 December, "Impossible" had sold 896,990 copies, enough to overtake series 3 winner
Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model, and activist. Born and raised in Islington, Inner London, she later attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieve ...
("
A Moment Like This "A Moment Like This" is the debut single by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was written by Jörgen Elofsson and John Reid from British house music project Nightcrawlers and produced by Stephen Ferrera and Steve Mac. It was released a ...
") and make it the fourth highest-selling single of the nine ''The X Factor'' winners; behind series 7 winner Matt Cardle (" When We Collide"), series 2 winner
Shayne Ward Shayne Thomas Ward (born 16 October 1984) is an English singer and actor. He rose to fame as the winner of the second series of ''The X Factor''. His debut single, "That's My Goal", was released in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2005 a ...
("
That's My Goal "That's My Goal" is the debut single by British singer Shayne Ward, the winner of the second series of ''The X Factor''. It was released as his winner's single on 21 December 2005. Ward was the first ''X Factor'' winner to release an origina ...
") and series 5 winner Alexandra Burke (" Hallelujah"). On 31 December, it was announced that the track had finished 2012 as the fifth highest-selling single. By February 2013, it had become the second best selling ''The X Factor'' winner's single with 1.25 million copies sold. In 2015, it overtook Alexandra Burke's "Hallelujah" to become the best-selling winners single ever. Arthur's version of "Impossible" was also the best-selling single of 2012 in the Republic of Ireland, where it became the 2012 Christmas number one, with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" peaking at number four. The track also became a huge success worldwide, topping the charts in the Czech Republic, Greece, Luxembourg and Slovakia. It also reached number two in Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland, number three in Belgium, number four in Austria, number five in Germany and number six in France and Hungary.


Track listing


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References


External links

* {{authority control 2010 songs 2010 singles 2012 debut singles Shontelle songs James Arthur songs Contemporary R&B ballads Pop ballads Synth-pop ballads Songs written by Arnthor Birgisson Songs written by Ina Wroldsen The X Factor (British TV series) Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Greece Number-one singles in Scotland UK singles chart number-one singles Motown singles Syco Music singles SRC Records singles Sony Music UK singles