"My Heart Is Refusing Me" is the debut single by Swedish pop singer and songwriter

Loreen Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui (born 16 October 1983), known professionally as Loreen (), is a Swedish singer and songwriter. Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, Representing Sweden, she won the Eurovision Song Contest in Eurovision Song Conte ...

, released as a

digital download Digital download may refer to: *Downloading, the processing of copying data to a computer from an external source *Digital distribution, a method of downloading software or audio-visual media as opposed to buying it at a traditional point of sale * ...

on 27 February 2011 in Sweden. The song peaked to number 9 on the

Swedish singles chart Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from IFPI Sverige. It was formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and has been known by its current name s ...

. She co-wrote the song with Moh Denebi and Björn Djupström. The version that appears on her debut studio album '' Heal'' is the 2012 re-release, which was the second international single after "

Euphoria Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...

Background and release

After Loreen's win in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2012 The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the 57th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, following the country's victory at the with the song "Running Scared (Ell & Nikki song), Running Scared" by Ell & Nikki, El ...

with "

", "My Heart Is Refusing Me" was released as her second international single from '' Heal''. The single was released internationally on October 8, 2012, in a remixed version that is different from the original version that was released in 2011.

Composition

There are two versions of the single. The first was the original release version, which was a more lowtempo

dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...

song, while the album version (known as the re-release) is a more uptempo and has slightly different production. According to

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

, the song is influenced by

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

pop 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 ...

, house and

Europop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...

styles. According to Brian O'Reilly from ''

The Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...

'', he said the song "has its similarities to its predecessor ("

") – the pulsing club beat, the drama of the interplay between light and dark and of course Loreen’s fantastic powerful vocals." He also said "There is a unique dynamic to the song when the ancient chant-like backing vocals help give it an authenticity beyond the usual in the dance genre." The song features instrumentation of

synthesizers A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

, and other keyboards. He noted the lyrical content as being "quite dark yet very relatable" and said there was the "melancholy in the verses is fully explained by the chorus." Higher Plain Music described the song "more classic dance with huge tom drums and a huge soaring chorus complete raving synths and catchy ad-lib hooks."

Critical reception

"My Heart is Refusing Me" received critical acclaim from music critics upon release, with most critics noting similarities to her previous single, "

". ''ScandiPop.co.uk'' gave it a positive review, saying "The words “even better than the original” spring to mind. Seriously. As kicks up the arse go, this is at hospitalisation level." ''Samesame.co.au'' called the song one of the highlights of the album, saying "is a showcase of pedigree dance balladry – just like ‘Euphoria’ – it comes complete with a chorus that formulaically expands after periods of restraint verses." He also stated that along with the other singles on the album; "make sense as the shining ambassadors of Loreen‘s album but they’re not necessarily indicative of its scope." Brian O'Reilly from ''

'' was very positive, awarding the song 9 stars out of 10, stating "‘My heart is refusing me’ really does what really great dance music should do – it teases the listener throughout, leaving them in anticipation for a big final chorus where all the elements introduced throughout the song come together." Loreentalhaoui

EscXtra critic added that this song was "a strong view on which way the album was going in."

Commercial performance

"My Heart Is Refusing Me" first entered in 2011 on the

Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from IFPI Sverige. It was formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and has been known by its current name s ...

at number nine, where it ultimately peaked. The song descended the way out, staying for 19 weeks on the chart. When it was re-released in mid-2012, the song re-entered at sixty, and peaked at number twenty-two and ultimately stayed in the charts for eleven weeks. The song managed to chart in other European markets. The song debuted at seventy-nine on the

Dutch Singles chart The Dutch Top 40 () is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, w ...

, and peaked at number forty-six. The song spent at sole week at number forty-one on the

Spanish Singles Chart Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine ** Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and a sole week on the Belgium Singles Chart at forty-four. The song debuted at #44 in Belgium, #41 in Spain, #79 in the Netherlands and #10 in Finland.

Promotion and nominations

On 12 February 2011, Loreen competed in the second semi-final of

Melodifestivalen 2011 Melodifestivalen 2011 was a Sweden, Swedish song contest held in February and March 2011. It selected Sweden's 51st song to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the 50th edition of Melodifestivalen. Eric Saade, with the song ...

with ''My Heart Is Refusing Me'' placing fourth in

Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...

, she competed in the Second Chance round, but failed to qualify to the final after a sing-off with

Sara Varga Sara Varga Madeleine Jonsson (born 14 April 1982), known professionally as Sara Varga, is a Swedish vispop singer, songwriter, author, and DJ. In Summer 2010, Varga went on concert tour together with Swedish boy band Rebound!. In Autumn 2010 she ...

. In 2012, "My Heart Is Refusing Me" won the "Tredje Chansen" (Third Chance) contest promoted by SVT. The Tredje Chansen gathered the 32 most memorable songs in the past 10 years of Melodifestivalen which never reached the final and gave them one more chance to compete for a place in it. All votes were cast online by internet viewers. Loreen won in the Heat (7281 votes) and in the Final (9416 votes). The official music video premiered on June 28, 2013, on Loreen's official YouTube channel, with the video directed by Liza Minou Morberg.

Track listing

;Digital download # "My Heart Is Refusing Me" - 3:07 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me" (Singback) - 3:08 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me" (Instrumental) - 3:06 ;International digital download # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Alex P & Victory Version)" - 3:42 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (SeventyEight Version)" - 3:34 ;Official Promo Remixes # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (SeventyEight Version) 3:34 # "My Heart is Refusing Me (Ali Payami Remix) 4:40 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (PJ Harmony Remix) 3:14 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Amarillo & Finer Remix Radio Version) 3:37 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Amarillo & Finer Remix Long Version) 7:20 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Acoustic Version) 3:33 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Electro Acoustic Version) 3:38 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Light Acoustic Version) 4:04 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Anders Nyman Radio Edit) 3:28 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Anders Nyman Remix) 6:46 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Promise Land Remix) 5:20 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Disfunktion Remix) 7:21 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Sam Skilz Remix) 6:27 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Benassi Extended Version) 5:12 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Benassi Radio Edit) 3:1 # "My Heart Is Refusing Me (Benassi Instrumental Version) 5:12

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2010 songs 2011 debut singles 2012 singles Loreen songs Songs written by Björn Djupström Warner Music Group singles Songs written by Moh Denebi Songs written by Loreen