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''Our Version of Events'' is the debut studio album by Scottish singer
Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé ( ; previously Gouraguine; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sandé rose t ...
. The album was released on 13 February 2012 by
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
, following Sandé's winning of the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards 2012. Though ''Our Version of Events'' is her first album release, Sandé has been active in the industry since 2009, most notably appearing on singles by
Chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of subtribe Tamiina. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks are classified as four genera: '' ...
(" Diamond Rings") and Wiley (" Never Be Your Woman"). The album features R&B,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
and pop music. Sandé began working with
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
for the album, and for Keys' upcoming album. She also expressed interest in working with
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
on the album. Naughty Boy was a major collaboration with Sandé from the day she began creating music professionally. She wrote every track on the album, saying that the key to a good song when writing is using "honesty" and "raw emotion". Upon release of the album, Sandé's vocal ability was compared to the likes of
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
,
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
,
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, ...
,
Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...
,
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, widely known for her hit singles " Fast Car" (1988) and " Give Me One Reason" (1995). She was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she rel ...
,
Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...
,
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
and
Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...
.
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
also expressed interest in Sandé's music. "
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
" was released in August 2011 as the first single from the album, charting at number two on the UK Singles Chart and later became an international success, charting within the top ten in many European countries. Sandé released " Read All About It" with Professor Green in November 2011, which resulted in her writing " Read All About It, Pt. III". " Daddy" was released in November 2011, charting at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart and also becoming an international success. "Easier in Bed", a non-album
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
was released onto
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
in December 2011. " Next to Me" was the third single released, and became a global hit, entering the UK Singles Chart at number two and the
Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are ...
at number one. " My Kind of Love" was released as the fourth single from the album in June 2012, with Sandé appearing on ''
The Voice UK ''The Voice UK'' is a British singing reality competition television series. Created by John de Mol and Roel van Velzen, it premiered on BBC One on 24 March 2012. Based on the original Dutch singing competition '' The Voice of Holland'', and ...
'' to promote the single. Upon release, the album debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and remained at the top spot for five non-consecutive weeks. The
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
certified the album 2× Platinum, making it the fastest selling album by a British recording artist since
Susan Boyle Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of '' Britain's Got Talent'', singing " I Dreamed a Dream" from '. As of 2021, Boyle has sold 25 ...
's '' I Dreamed a Dream'' (2009). It was later certified 8× Platinum. The album also peaked at number one on the
Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). The charts were previously compiled on behalf of IRMA by Chart-Track, and have been compiled by t ...
. A re-release of the album occurred on 22 October 2012. It included three new tracks, a remix and a cover of " Imagine" (originally by John Lennon), replacing Sandé's version of "
Abide with Me "Abide with Me" is a Christian hymn by Scottish Anglican cleric Henry Francis Lyte (1793–1847). A prayer for God to stay with the speaker throughout life and in death, it was written by Lyte in 1847 as he was dying from tuberculosis. It is m ...
". " Wonder" (a song credited as Naughty Boy featuring Emeli Sandé featured on the US version of the album) was released as the lead single from the re-release. It also serves as the lead single from collaborator Naughty Boy's album '' Hotel Cabana''. In September 2012, ''Our Version of Events'' became the best-selling album of 2012 in the UK, overtaking
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, ...
's '' 21''. It was also the second best-selling album of 2013 in the UK.


Background

Sandé first appeared in public when she sent a video into
Trevor Nelson Trevor Ricardo Nelson, MBE (born 7 January 1964) is an English DJ and radio presenter. He is best known for presenting a range of shows across BBC Radio. Early life Born in Hackney to a family of St Lucian heritage, Nelson attended Centra ...
's
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
urban music competition, where she played piano while singing one of her favourite songs, "Nasty Little Man". It was later announced that she had won the competition and Sandé was offered a record deal. However, once she met the management to finalise the contract for the recording contract, the management decided against giving Sandé a deal.Emeli Sande information, BRIT Awards 2012
Her parents later sent
BBC Radio 1Xtra BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts Black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been ...
a CD of her songs and
Ras Kwame Ras Kwame is a British musician, record producer, radio DJ and presenter of Ghanaian heritage."'We ...
played the songs on his "Homegrown Sessions", and four artists that year were asked to do a show in
Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...
in the United States. She later met Shahid Khan, who has previously worked with Ms Dynamite and Bashy. Khan said "When we started together it took the music to something completely original. It took me out of my jazz piano niche, and it took him out of his urban scene. Then we started writing for pop people." Sandé began by writing tracks for artists such as Alesha Dixon,
Chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of subtribe Tamiina. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks are classified as four genera: '' ...
, Professor Green, Devlin, Preeya Kalidas,
Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, a Pop music, pop girl group created through ITV (TV network), ITV's reality competition show ''Popstars: The R ...
, and
Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie (formerly Tinie Tempah), is a British rapper and singer. He has been signed to Parlophone since 2009, now a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his ...
. While trying to get into the
music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...
she was studying medicine at the
University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
, but she decided to stop in her fourth year. Sandé always said that her education was the most important thing to her, stating if her music career was to fail, she would have her education to fall back on. Sandé said that her manager, Adrian Sykes, waited patiently since she was 16, saying "Adrian really respects that I want to get an education behind me. He also knows my parents are keen that I finish university." Sandé first performed publicly when she provided guest vocals on
Chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of subtribe Tamiina. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks are classified as four genera: '' ...
's hit single, " Diamond Rings" which she also wrote in 2009. A year later she returned again to the public's attention when she teamed up with Wiley on his comeback single, " Never Be Your Woman", the song became Sandé second top-ten single on the UK Singles Chart. It was later announced that "Never Be Your Woman" was a trail for Sandé with
EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a British multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company EMI in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succes ...
to see how well the song charted, with the success the song had, Sandé later signed a record deal with
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
.


Development

Sandé took her middle name Emeli on professionally two years before she hit the limelight as
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, ...
had just risen to prominence. "I changed it as soon as Adele came out. I just thought, 'You've kind of taken the amenow', so I went with my middle name. She was just getting bigger and bigger, so I thought I just really need it." Sandé said that once she won the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards she said she was more excited for her album to come out and that her confidence has grown, as her album was not out at time of the awards, but she said no matter how happy she was with the record there will always be doubts lurking somewhere. "I'd spent so long behind the scenes writing for other people and featuring on other people's records so it just felt so good to get the acknowledgement for me as an artist in my own right." She spoke on the relief she had once she had signed a record deal with Virgin Records in 2010 as she spoke it was a "long journey to get signed" as she said "once you get established as a songwriter it's quite hard to get people to recognise you as an artist in your own right. It felt like a long battle to get people to see me and believe in my music. Lots of Record labels didn't want to sign me. So it was great to prove people wrong in that sense."
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, widely known for her hit singles " Fast Car" (1988) and " Give Me One Reason" (1995). She was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she rel ...
was later added to the name of people she wanted to work with.
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, ...
and
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
both said they wanted to work with Sandé. She said that while they assume that she is currently busy, knowing Wonder would like to work with her was a dream come true. She said she would continue to collaborate with Alicia Keys on her upcoming album, and she would be flattered to work with Beyoncé as her voice is unparalleled.
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
was also someone who she would like to collaborate with on the album, but did not get the chance. Her vocal ability is often compared to
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
,
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys,
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
and
Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...
.


Recording

Sandé said, as much as she would like, she would never play the piano as well as Simone, but she would give it her best shot. She loves the songs Simone produced, including " I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" and Simone's version of " I Think It's Going to Rain Today". She said that Simone's original songs are very poetic and she said "So when I listen to commercial stuff at the moment, I'm just thinking 'haven't you heard Nina Simone, haven't you heard how a song should be written?" Sandé began working in the studio with Naughty Boy in 2009, where the pair first worked together on
Chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of subtribe Tamiina. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks are classified as four genera: '' ...
's debut album '' I Am Chipmunk''. She said that she wanted the songs on her debut album to be fresh and she wanted to try and take it back how she wrote songs at the beginning of her career. Sandé had classical music training as a songwriter in her teens and learnt to play the piano at an early age, and getting across that she played, made and wrote her own music was very important to her. She said on the album, she wanted people to see every side of her as an artist, so it was important to have songs there where there could be a real connection with the
lyric Lyric may refer to: * Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song * Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view * Lyric, from t ...
, rather than there just be throwaway
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
.
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
and
Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...
were also major influences for the album. She began working with Professor Green on the album. The pair had previously worked together on the
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
's albums '' Alive Till I'm Dead'' in 2010 on the track "Kids That Love to Dance" and '' At Your Inconvenience'' in 2011, on the track " Read All About It". This became Sandé's and Professor Green's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart. The singer pointed out that she has set the song out like a story of her life. She said that the album is very different from the first two singles which she released from the album "
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
" and " Daddy" and "Read All About It" with Professor Green and that fans should expect something a little different. Sandé also met
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
after they were both guests on ''
The Graham Norton Show ''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton ...
'', and Madonna expressed interest in working with Sandé in the future. Madonna also spoke about her love for her track " Next to Me". She said that there will be moments on the album that are a lot more intimate and a lot more stripped back to other tracks on the album, but these tracks show and stand out. Sandé said people didn't know what do with her, it was just her and her piano, which was very stripped, it was completely different from what everyone was used to and different from everything that was currently out. However, she stressed that it is good to be different and not predictable.
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
has spoken about his support her Sandé and her music, saying that she has spent a lot of time on the record and that it could be as big as
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, ...
's second album, '' 21'', which has sold over 27 million records worldwide. Sandé revealed that she wanted to bring poetry back into music, as it has been lost. The songs which are currently being released are for the "moment" as they make us feel good and we can dance to them, Sandé said. She said that ''Our Version of Events'' will see poetry lyrics, as she intends to bring them back into fashion. She said; Great songwriters come along quite rarely, but when I listen to
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, widely known for her hit singles " Fast Car" (1988) and " Give Me One Reason" (1995). She was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she rel ...
or
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
, these are people who pay attention to the lyric and are precise about it. I feel that has been put second to having a cool producer or whether the kids will like it. She said that the music industry is hard to get into, but once you are in, it is very loyal. In the recording studio,
Syco Music Syco Music, originally S Records, was a division of Syco Entertainment which operated from 2002 until 2020. The label was founded by British entrepreneur, record executive and media personality Simon Cowell, who was formerly employed at Bertels ...
heard some of Sandé's songs which they wanted, but she refused and told them she wanted to keep them for her own album. They later asked her to write for some of their artists, and
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 ...
went into the studio with her and Naughty Boy to record for a couple of weeks, and she said that her and Lewis had a lot in common. She also said that Lewis has a phenomenal voice and she was lovely. "Boys" which was
Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, a Pop music, pop girl group created through ITV (TV network), ITV's reality competition show ''Popstars: The R ...
's
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
track to " 3 Words" was originally for Sandé's album. However, she said when she heard Cole sing it, she loved how what the lyrics meant to Cole was different from what they meant to her when she wrote it, so Sandé decided to give the track to Cole.Madonna meets Sandé and tells her she loves her track, "Next to Me"
/ref>


Musical style

Sandé said the key to a successful song was simplicity. The singer pointed out that she could never have used songs which she wrote when she was 17 because she made the songs too complicated; saying there were too many words and parts to the track. She stated that the key feature to a classical song was keeping the "melody simple" and having big "lyric effective", which was much easier said than actually done. Sandé said that another important key to a good song when songwriting is using "honesty" and "raw emotion" as the best way to write. She said that if she attempts to write something which is "too smart" the creative process will not work for her. "Kill the Boy" was one of the first ideas that came to Sandé's head. If she has to work on a song longer than a day, she will not go back to it because it won't work. She went on to say if it was to work, the idea for the song would be almost instant. Sandé said that all her songs are about
world peace World peace is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would come about. Various relig ...
and political issues. She is the same person since gaining the record deal with
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
, and they are the same songs which she planned for the album before gaining the deal. She said that a lot of people didn't see the potential in the songs or in her, but once she gained the record deal, she gained more confidence. "When you get knocked back so much you kind of learn to believe in yourself, stand up for yourself, because you can bet that nobody else is going to do it."


Songs and lyrics

Sandé said that the first track on the album, "
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
" was a huge "epic pop song" which had sweeping strings. It came about when she was having a late night conversation with Naughty Boy, the song's producer with whom she worked throughout the whole album. She said that Naughty Boy had a beat running in the background, and then she got the first line of the song and the song began to write itself from there. She said; "I love how songs like that develop: before we knew it, we were putting strings on with a synth, Naughty Boy suggested the
Funky Drummer "Funky Drummer" is a song by James Brown recorded in 1969 and released as a single in 1970. Its drum break, Musical improvisation, improvised by Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampling (music), sampled music recordings. Recor ...
loop and it came together really organically." The song was heavily compared to
Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol, England, by Robert Del Naja, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Daddy G, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, Tricky (musician), Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and Andrew Vowles, Andrew "Mushroom" ...
's "
Unfinished Sympathy "Unfinished Sympathy" is a song by the English trip hop group Massive Attack. It was released on 11 February 1991 under the temporary group name Massive. The song was written by the three band members Robert "3D" Del Naja, Andrew "Mushroom" Vow ...
"; however, Sandé said that she takes it as a compliment as she is a big fan of Massive Attack. However, she said lyrically or melodically the songs are not similar, but the Funky Drummer loop has been used so much and it has strings on people and that is why the connection is made between the two songs. She said she was glad if people get the same vibe from the song, as she loves the song and said the song was "really exciting". Sandé said she also "designed" the song for a night club moment, where everyone can put their hands in the air. The song's genre featured a
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
pop. Sandé said that the song was based on the fact that she believes in God and
heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
, although she does not follow a religion. She said that what inspired her the most to write the track was her idea of heaven, which was being surrounded by music and somewhere which is very calm, and she wrote about that in "Heaven". " My Kind of Love" is the second track on the album, which shows Sandé's soulful and powerful vocals and is the first of many power ballad inspired moments and it is said that it one of the moments when Sandé's strength shines through. "My Kind of Love" was also the last track which Sandé had written for the album, and she wrote the song in her kitchen. The song is about her
fiancé An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''f ...
, Adam's unconditional love for her, and she said that he supported her whatever she wanted to do, be a musician or a doctor. "Where I Sleep" is the third track from the album, and Sandé said she wanted to keep the track "open" and let people connect to the song in their own way, as she pointed out that the song does not necessarily have to be romantic. The singer said she didn't intend to make any of her tracks romantic, though you can apply the tracks to romance and love. She said the song means; "this is it, when I am with you I could be anywhere and I feel at home". "Mountains" is a gentle, acoustic, and heartfelt track. It is also one of the first tracks she and Naughty Boy (the producer of the song) wrote three years before the album was released. The song is about Sandé's parents and their journey in life. Her father taught her that every generation should try to improve on where the last one came from. In 1980, her father and her mother got together in
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
where Sandé was born. She wanted the track to have a "grand feeling" while describing a very ordinary situation. "
Clown A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an Improvisational theatre#Comedy, open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct cosmetics, makeup or costume, costuming and reversing social norm, folkway-norms. The art of ...
" has been compared to the music of
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, ...
and her track " Rolling in the Deep". " Daddy" is the second single released from the album. It was the first song that she and Naughty Boy had worked together on and she pointed out that the song has nothing to do with her father. It has the sound of an early 1990s dance hit, and the song has been compared to the music by
Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...
and Adamski. The track is about her struggle while trying to get into the
music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...
and how people can get fanatical about money, drugs, fame or religion. "Daddy" also represents how that one thing you can keep returning to, like how
drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...
in the music industry and how easy it is to turn to. However, at the same time as she wrote the song she was thinking about '' The Jeremy Kyle Show'', and the fact that people laugh at the people on that show, and that they are desperate enough to go on the show and talk about their problems. She also said that the song was written very quickly in two or three hours. "Maybe" is the album's seventh song, which was also written three years before the album was released and before she met all the people who worked on the album with her and herself and Paul Herman, who has previously worked with
Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (located ...
and Jessie J wrote the track. The song is about confusion, and the fact that you don't know for sure when you break up with someone in a relationship if this person was not the love of your life and there is a question whether you have made the right decision. "Suitcase" is the eighth song on the album. She was singing the line "he's got a blue face" and Sandé thought it sounded like the word "suitcase". Then at that moment, a whole story came out, and said at that moment she was trying to express how she was feeling, subconsciously almost. About a month ago (when the song was written) she and her fiancé had a falling out and it was a very hard time for her. She just wrote how she felt about that. The ninth track on the album, "Breaking the Law" was written for her sister, to whom she is very close. She is one of the only individuals she would do anything for, Sandé said. And at the same time, she had just graduated in law and had always played her songs to her sister first. Track number ten, " Next to Me", is the third single released from the album. Sandé wanted the old soulful feel to the track. The song is about the love and loyalty about "good men", meaning that the song could be about your partner or about your god. "River", the eleventh song on the album, was written when she was sitting down alone at the piano and the lines just came, although she does not know where they came from. She said; "It's about the strong quiet type. I find that the louder people are, the less they have to say." "Lifetime" the third last track on the album is about the fact that Sandé can never find a link between science and music. "When I studied medicine, my brain was in a whole other gear. This is about how nothing really lasts forever, but in my life, the music and ideas I have will last." "Hope" is the thirteenth track on the album and was written with
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
. Sandé said she was very nervous to be meeting and writing with her, but she went on to say that Keys was a very warm hearted person who knew how to make people feel at ease. The pair sat and played the piano, which for Sandé is a really "rare thing" to do with another singer. They have kept in touch and Sandé wrote for Keys' '' Girl on Fire''. " Read All About It, Pt. III" is the last track on the album. It came after the original version with Professor Green. She said that after she and Professor Green had done so many shows together, she heard and saw how personal the song was for him. It started to make her think, "what does the song mean to me, and what's my interpretation of it?" which is why she wrote it.


Release and reissue

Sandé's debut album was released on 13 February 2012. She said that it is very hard to imagine that she is releasing an album with
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
. She said that she was always going to "definitely" release an album, if she was signed or not. However, she stated that she did not think there would be "this much anticipation, or acknowledgement of what I was doing". She said she loves to be in the limelight and that people are talking about her so much. She said she only loves the attention because she has experienced the other side, when no one cares. She said that the title of the album came about when one morning while she was having breakfast with Naughty Boy, one of the producers of the album, and her Artistic Adviser and said "I think I have the perfect title" as they were having a conversation about politics. The album title was announced by Sandé through her official Twitter account. The title was also mentioned on " Read All About It (Pt. III), which she wrote after she decided upon a title, she wrote the song with producer, Naughty Boy and Professor Green. In August 2012, it was announced that Sandé would be re-releasing ''Our Version of Events'' with several brand new tracks. The collection was preceded by the release of two singles where Sandé is credited as the featured artist. Firstly on 21 October, Naughty Boy released " Wonder" which features Sandé on lead vocals. "Wonder" is the first single from Naughty Boy's debut album '' Hotel Cabana''. Another single, "
Beneath Your Beautiful "Beneath Your Beautiful" is a song by British musicians Labrinth and Emeli Sandé. Written by Labrinth, Mike Posner and Sandé, it was promoted as the sixth single from Labrinth's debut album, '' Electronic Earth'' (2012), and is included a ...
" which is a duet between
Labrinth Timothy Lee McKenzie (born 4 January 1989), better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Labrinth signed as a recording artist with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music in 2010, ini ...
and Sandé, was released as Labrinth's sixth single from his debut album '' Electronic Earth'' on 18 October 2012 and became his first solo number-one and Sandé's second featured number-one single after it rose to the top of the UK Singles Chart, following its success "Beneath Your Beautiful" replaced Sandé's cover of "
Abide with Me "Abide with Me" is a Christian hymn by Scottish Anglican cleric Henry Francis Lyte (1793–1847). A prayer for God to stay with the speaker throughout life and in death, it was written by Lyte in 1847 as he was dying from tuberculosis. It is m ...
" on the repackage.


Singles

The first single to be released from ''Our Version of Events'' is the Mike Spencer-produced "
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
", a ballad with
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
beats, mellow strings and a horns section that resembled productions by DJ
Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album '' Back to Black'' (2006), as well as two for Record ...
. The single garnered early airplay on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's playlists, with daytime DJ Fearne Cotton crowning the song her "record of the week" in the second week of July 2011. "Heaven" was released on 12 August 2011, accompanied by a number of live performance recordings as its
b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
s, in addition to a remixes EP which was released simultaneously with the single. Upon release, "Heaven" debuted on the UK Dance Singles Chart at number one and number two on the main singles chart. It also reached top-ten in Scotland, Denmark, and Italy. " Daddy" was released as the album's second single on 27 November 2011, a month after Sandé's featured on UK Grime artist Professor Green's number one single " Read All About It" It is credited as featuring Naughty Boy (songwriter and producer Shahid Khan), who also produced the song and the majority of Sandé's album. "Daddy" is built around "haunting church bell chimes" with a mainly acoustic melody. "Daddy" peaked at number five in Finland, number twenty in Scotland and number twenty-one in the UK proving slightly less successful than "Heaven". It did however break the top-ten of 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 ...
, managing to reach number six. Soon after, it was announced that critics had named Sandé the coveted Critics Choice for the
2012 BRIT Awards Brit Awards 2012 was held on 21 February 2012. This was the 32nd edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at The O2 Arena in London for the second time. The ceremony was presented by Jam ...
. Sandé's Critics Choice Award was followed with the release of the album's third single, " Next to Me", produced by Harry "Craze" & Hugo "Hoax" Chegwin and Mojam Music. The single is built around "head-nodding beats" and " gospel choir" harmonies in the chorus. "Next to Me" was released digitally on 12 February 2012 and unlike previous singles, the song was not packaged with any remixes or B-sides. Despite this, "Next to Me" would go on to become the most successful release from the album. It was the first to receive major recognition in the United States, where it was played on the Adult R&B radio format and reached number thirty-four on the Hot Adult R&B Songs chart, and charted at number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 "Next to Me" became Sandé's first number-one as a solo artist, reach the top of the charts in Ireland and Scotland. In the UK, it narrowly missed out to DJ Fresh and
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...
's
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
collaboration " Hot Right Now", as well as reaching top-ten in Belgium, Finland and New Zealand. On 10 June 2012, almost a year since "Heaven" debuted, Sandé released the fourth single " My Kind of Love" as part of a remix EP. The
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
-tinged "My Kind of Love" is another Craze & Hoax production, this time aided by Danny Keyz and
Emile Haynie Emile Haynie (born July 13, 1980), often credited simply as Emile, is an American record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, his range of production includes alternative rock, hip hop, indie and pop music. Haynie has worked with seve ...
. Sandé performed the song live during the
first series First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
of ''
The Voice UK ''The Voice UK'' is a British singing reality competition television series. Created by John de Mol and Roel van Velzen, it premiered on BBC One on 24 March 2012. Based on the original Dutch singing competition '' The Voice of Holland'', and ...
'' ahead of its release. "My Kind of Love" peaked at number seventeen on the UK singles chart, top-thirty in Scotland, and top-forty in Belgium and Ireland. "
Clown A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an Improvisational theatre#Comedy, open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct cosmetics, makeup or costume, costuming and reversing social norm, folkway-norms. The art of ...
" was released as the fifth single from the album. Sandé performed the ballad live on ''
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 ...
'' final in Manchester. It was included on the original release of the album, and the re-issue. An acoustic version of "Easier in Bed" was released as a promotional single in December 2011. " Read All About It, Pt. III" was released as a single in some countries.


Tour

The Our Version of Events Tour started in November 2011. In December 2011, Sandé supported
Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
on their Mylo Xyloto Tour and supported them again in July 2012 for the North America dates. Sandé performed special concerts in Cardiff, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh as part of Olympic Torch Relay Celebrations Concerts as well as perform at Opening and Closing Ceremonies of 2012 London Olympics as well as some of major festivals of 2012 at T in the Park and
V Festival V Festival, often referred to as V Fest or simply V, was an annual music festival held in the United Kingdom during the third weekend in August. The event was held at two parks simultaneously which shared the same bill; artists performed at one ...
. As the summer music festival season winded down, Sandé toured in November 2012 with five special dates in Dublin, Glasgow, Birmingham, London and Manchester. The tour started in Dublin on 5 November and finished at The Bridgewater in Manchester on 11 November. After which, Sande performed two dates in Toronto and Montreal on 23 and 24 November 2012. Two more nights at the Manchester Central and the
Hammersmith Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...
on 9 and 19 December 2012 rounded off the year. From January 2013 to February 2013, Sandé toured majority of States in the United States as part of her headlining shows in North America. It kicked off in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
on 12 January 2013 and finished in
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
on 7 February 2013. Sandé will then return to Europe to start her last Europe leg. It was confirmed during a webchat at her
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
concert on 28 February, that she'll be touring U.S. in May/June and Australia in June 2013.


Critical reception

The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Hattie Collins, editor of '' RWD Magazine'' gave ''Our Version of Events'' a positive review stating, "This is an album that deserves all the success it will no doubt receive."
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
said that they expected the album to be very poppy as she has written for pop acts like
Sugababes The Sugababes are an English girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by Ron Tom, the manager of All Saints, ...
,
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 ...
and Alesha Dixon. However, they pointed out that this does not arrive as they said; "we do have a charming and occasionally moving record full of care and polish, effort and grace." They also pointed out that the album reflects
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
,
Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...
and
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
. ''
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 ...
'' said that the album gives off a passion, desire and an overcoming-the-odds messages in ''Our Version of Events''. They said; "it's hard to imagine Sandé was destined to do anything else in life. Better yet, it sounds like she's only just got started." ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' gave it a positive review.


Commercial performance

Upon the release of the album, ''Our Version of Events'' debuted at number one on 19 February 2012 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. During the first week of the release of her debut album, it sold 113,319 copies. This made the album the second fastest-selling album of 2012, coming in behind
Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...
's debut album, '' Born to Die''. It then became the best selling first week sales for a debut album by a British female solo artist since
Susan Boyle Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of '' Britain's Got Talent'', singing " I Dreamed a Dream" from '. As of 2021, Boyle has sold 25 ...
released '' I Dreamed a Dream'' in 2009, which also debuted at number one with first week sales of 411,820 copies. During the second week of the album, ''Our Version of Events'' dropped one place to number two after
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, ...
's second album '' 21'' sold just over 1,000 more copies than Sandé. By the album's third week, it pushed ''21'' off the top spot and returned to number one again for the second time. On the fourth week in the chart, the album dropped to number three, after
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
's ''
Wrecking Ball A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a Crane (machine), crane, that is used for Demolition, demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1940s and 1950s. Several wrecking companies claim to have inve ...
'' debuted at number one and the Military Wives's '' In My Dreams'' charted at number two. Despite the album on aim to chart at number one on the Irish Album Chart, the album debuted at number two. Fifteen weeks after the album was first released, the album reclaimed the number one spot on sales of only 13,430 copies, the lowest sales for a number-one album since
Ace of Base Ace of Base is a Swedish pop group formed in 1987, originally consisting of siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, with Ulf Ekberg. They achieved worldwide success following the release of their debut album, '' Happy Nation'', in 1992. L ...
's '' Happy Nation'' sold 12,042 copies at number one in June 1994. On 23 December 2012 the album reclaimed the number 1 spot yet again on sales of 178,000 besting the opening sales. By the end of 2012, the album had sold 1,393,000 copies in the UK alone, making it the biggest selling album of the year. In April 2013, the
Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...
confirmed that Sandé had broken
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' '' Please Please Me'' chart record of spending the most consecutive weeks in the UK's Official Albums Chart Top 10 of any debut album. On 26 May 2013, the album dropped out of the Top 10 for the first time ever after spending 66 consecutive weeks in the top 10. On 24 November 2013, the album dropped out of the top 40 for the first time ever. In addition to being the best-selling album of 2012 in the UK, it was also the best-selling album throughout 2013, until
One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, were an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group consisted of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik (until his departure in 2015), Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson. The group sold o ...
's third album '' Midnight Memories'' surged ahead of the album during the final week of 2013, with 685,000 copies sold as opposed to Sandé's 683,000. As of June 2015, ''Our Version of Events'' has sold over 2,260,000 copies in the UK and is the fourth best-selling album of the 2010s there. As of 5 October 2016, the album has sold 278,000 copies in the US.


Track listing

;International version Notes * * co-producer or additional production by * ^ vocal producer US version Notes * * co-producer or additional production by * ^ vocal producer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


All-time charts


Certifications


Release history


References


External links

* {{Authority control Emeli Sandé albums 2012 debut albums Albums produced by Alicia Keys Albums produced by Emile Haynie Albums produced by Naughty Boy Virgin Records albums Brit Award for British Album of the Year Breakbeat albums Albums produced by TMS (production team) European Border Breakers Award–winning albums