In Love Today

"In Love Today" is a song by British recording artist Alesha. The song was written and produced by Alesha for her tenth studio album afterhours (2015), released as the first single from the collection. After scoring worldwide hits with contemporary R&B–inspired pop tracks like "Opulence" and "Number One" in 2014, "In Love Today" favours a kitschier, more synthpop sound.

Musically the song is influenced by 1980s pop. Drawing inspiration from English duo the Pet Shop Boys, "In Love Today" features overblown, cinematic production with synthesizers and orchestra hits. Lyrically the song is written as "an ode to the freedom to love," celebrating the advancements that the LGBTQ rights movement has made in recent decades. Its chorus asks the listener, "How does it feel to be in love today?" The song also mourns those who did not live to see the changes, an allusion to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that shook the queer community.

Days ahead of the single's premiere, Alesha called the song "naff." It officially premiered on May 23, a month before its release as a single – and, coincidentally, the same day that Ireland publicly voted in favor of same-sex marriage. #InLoveToday became a trending topic on Twitter, as it had become attached to the celebratory news. The song broke streaming records. The single was released on June 22; on June 26, the United States Supreme Court declared there is a constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry.

"In Love Today" shifted over 142,000 copies in its first week, the highest first week sales frame of Alesha's career. The single spent two weeks at the top of the singles and airplay charts. Critically, "In Love Today" has been met with appreciation ever since its release; reviewers have praised its production, catchiness and club-friendly nature, and listed it as one of the singer's career highlights. The song ultimately became the best-selling single of Alesha's decade-plus career, shifting over 900,000 units.

The music video for "In Love Today" was inspired by films like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and cultural icons like the Village People. Alesha is seen traveling through the United States on a bus with a group of drag queens, their final destination being New York Pride. "In Love Today" was promoted by the Black Leather Festival Tour, which saw Alesha make a string of high-profile festival appearances around the world. Fellow artists such as Ashley!, Jean-Luc and Mark Charlie Wilson have covered the song.

Background
Alesha began recording music in 2003, releasing eight studio albums with fourteen number one singles before putting her career on hold in 2011. In 2014, Alesha returned to the spotlight with the release of her eponymous ninth studio album. Upon its release in May 2014, Alesha wasted no time in working on her next studio set. Having strived for commerciality with the contemporary pop and R&B sound of her self-titled release, Alesha wanted to challenge herself creatively by recording an album inspired by the music and culture of the late 1980s and early '90s. The album, afterhours, ultimately became an '80s-influenced synthpop album laced in queer counterculture.

"In Love Today" was the first song written for the collection, in the same early sessions as "M4M" and "Keeping Me Alive". It was inspired by the English synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys, taking on their theatrical style. Its overblown, cinematic production was composed in homage to the duo, loaded with synthesizers and orchestra hits. Alesha had envisioned "In Love Today" as the lead single from the album since its conception.

Music and lyrics
Musically, "In Love Today" is a synthpop and dance song. It follows traditional verse-chorus form with a bridge before the final chorus. The song's outro is a reprise of the bridge and an amended chorus, layering the two parts. According to The New York Times, the song "exemplifies the most theatrical extremes of the Pet Shop Boys' musical style." Billboard described the music as joyous. Rolling Stone compared the song to Shell Ruin's 2009 single "Love Inc", which was about love during the recession.

Lyrically, the song is written from the perspective of an older member of the LGBTQ community who looks at the advancements made in LGBTQ rights during recent decades whilst mourning the loss of loved ones who did not live to see the changes. The song directly references the HIV/AIDS epidemic that shook the LGBTQ community in the 1980s with lines like "Sitting silent as thousands die" and its middle–8: "We said it couldn't happen here, But so quickly you disappeared. We said it couldn't happen here, But silent med shed silent tears. We said it couldn't happen here, Said life didn't seem that queer. We said it couldn't happen here, Now look where we are, my dear."

The theme centers around love. In its chorus, the song asks the listener, "How does it feel to be in love today?" It calls out examples of modern love, like "holding hands on Oxford Street and kissing by the River Thames." Alesha chose London landmarks because, despite being born and raised in Manchester, she considers London her home and wanted a globally-known English city to represent her own heritage as well as that of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.

Promotion and release
A countdown to Alesha's new single appeared on her official website, marking 60 days until release and 30 days until premiere. "In Love Today" was formally announced and premiered on May 23, 2015. Within fifteen minutes, #InLoveToday was trending worldwide on social networking platform Twitter. Coincidentally, Ireland became the first nation in the world to approve same-sex marriage by public vote. Due to the song's lyrical nature, #InLoveToday also became attached to news of Ireland's LGBTQ rights victory on social media.

"In Love Today" was sent to mainstream radio in the United States on June 9 and released globally. In the United Kingdom, "In Love Today" was released on June 22 via CD and digital EP. On June 26, just days after its UK release, the United States Supreme Court declared there is a constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges, which saw a surge in the song's popularity in the United States and drove sales internationally. June is also typically Pride Month, commemorating the anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Alesha promoted the release with a series of high-profile festival appearances, dubbed the Black Leather Festival Tour. On June 5, Alesha headlined the first night of New York City's Governors Ball Music Festival. In addition to "In Love Today", Alesha played a set of her biggest hits as well as new material from her then-upcoming album. At her Bonnaroo appearance, Alesha unusually chose not to perform "In Love Today", instead performing more alternative material from her earlier albums – Bigger Than God (2009), Last Judgment (2010) and The Martyr (2011). Alesha also appeared at Firefly Music Festival in Delaware.

At Glastonbury, Alesha drew in a crowd of more than 100,000, performing some of her most successful singles as well as new tracks. Shell Ruin made a special guest appearance, in a nod to their 2008 appearance at the festival together. They performed a shortened version of "Power Power". Ruin performed her new single "Feel Alive", which Alesha wrote.

B-sides
Alesha recorded a cover of "Why Can't I Be Your Husband" by the band Curriculum. The song initially appeared on their Flunking Out EP (2014), which was later re-issued as Remedial in the same year. Like "In Love Today", the track is inspired by the Pet Shop Boys. It samples "What Have I Done To Deserve This?", their collaboration with Dusty Springfield. The song's lyrics are a profession of love to a woman who married another man. Alesha chose not to change any gendered pronouns. Alesha stated that "Why Can't I Be Your Husband" is one of her favorite Curriculum songs.

A previously unreleased track entitled "Crucified" was also included as a B-side to the single. Written in early sessions for afterhours, "Crucified" is based around Swedish group Army of Lovers' 1991 dance hit of the same name. Alesha samples its chorus and loosely bases the verses on the original track's own. During the song's spoken middle-8, Alesha recites the chorus to her 2008 single "Crucify". The track was compared to Alesha's earlier material with religious themes (e.g. The Second Coming, Bigger Than God).

Critical reception
Billboard gave the song a positive review, saying that the song is "the most herself that Alesha has sounded in years." Alan Braidwood of the BBC, noted of the track: "full-on dance, dark, disco, fun, big" and compared it to other Alesha songs like "Fashion Kills", "Original Sin" and "Renaissance". Michael Cragg from The Guardian called the song a "disco anthem", and said the chorus "crashes in with the weight of a double-decker bus." He also felt that the "campness" of the music made the lyrics sound less serious than it is. Rick Florino of Artistdirect gave the song five out of five stars and labeled it as "an immediate pop classic", complimenting the hook and the chorus. Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song five out of five stars, describing it as a "life-affirming equality anthem, a straight-up club pumper and a flat-out fantastic pop song." Writing for Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani understood that Alesha "has tapped into something truly special, maybe even important." He also complimented the song's underlying message of equality. Music critic Joe Viglione called the song a "pop masterpiece, one of the few songs to be able to break through the impenetrable wall of fragmented radio to permeate the consciousness of the world at large." In a review of afterhours, Mark Coleman from Rolling Stone wrote that, whilst the song initially sounded "lackluster", within the album's context, it "gains a startling resonance".

On October 25, 2015, "In Love Today" was the recipient of the Urapopstar Award for Best Single at the 27th Urapopstar Awards, hosted by Alesha and Aurora Reed. It marked Alesha's third win in the Best Single category. "In Love Today" was named the best pop song of the year by Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian and Popjustice. Rolling Stone ranked it as number three on their year-end list, while Pitchfork Media placed it at number six. Furthermore, Pitchfork Media placed it at number ten on their "Best Songs of the 2010s – So Far" list, published in December 2015.

Commercial response
"In Love Today" was a worldwide commercial success. In the United Kingdom, the song charted at number one on the official singles chart. It shifted 142,563 copies in its first week of release, the highest first week sales frame of Alesha's extensive career. Alesha'a Gianni EP was still in the top twenty, eighteen weeks after first charting. In its second week of sale, "In Love Today" remained at number one with an additional 103,272 copies sold. It spent two further weeks at number two, behind the James Moss single "Savior" (whose video Alesha starred in) and then Syd Wolfe's "I Must Not Chase The Boys". In its fourth week, "In Love Today" sold over 99,000 copies, a higher number than the previous week. By then, sales figures had surpassed 400,000 copies. The following week, "In Love Today" slipped out of the top five before rebounding to number four. The single was certified platinum in its sixth week on the chart with total sales of 573,538. After spending nine weeks in the top ten, "In Love Today" began to descend along the singles chart, having sold 700,000 copies. In its 14th week, the song ascended from number 28 to number 12. Two weeks later, sales reached 809,000 copies, becoming Alesha's second single to sell over 800,000 copies after "Number One". The song showed great longevity on the charts, shifting a total of 978,232 units in 38 weeks.

"In Love Today" also peaked at number one on the official digital and airplay charts. On the Urapopstar Top 40 Airplay chart, "In Love Today" peaked at number one in its fifth week on the chart, the same week it topped the singles and digital charts. It spent two weeks on top of the airplay charts as the most played song across radio stations in the United Kingdom.

Background
The music video for "In Love Today" was directed by Vaughan Arnell with artistic input from Alesha. Alesha was inspired by LGBTQ films like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and ''To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar''. Both are road trip films with drag queens as central characters. Alesha also incorporated gay cultural icons like disco group the Village People. Alesha clarified that the video was a tribute to the drag queens who led the gay rights movement following the Stonewall riots in 1969, and to gay culture in general. She also said the video "shouldn't be taken seriously. It's just a light-hearted, fun moment."

Synopsis
The video begins with a wide shot of a Southwestern U.S. desert. A camper van comes speeding down the road, dust blowing behind it. The first dramatic synths of "In Love Today" play. The verse begins with a close–up of Alesha's face – hair slicked back, heavy brow, thick eyeliner and a nude lip – as she begins to sing. The camera pulls back on Alesha and rotates to reveal someone standing back-to-back with Alesha: a black man dressed as a highway cop a la the Village People. He continues lip syncing as the camera pans back to Alesha. Meanwhile, the camper van stops at a run-down gas station along the desert highway. Alesha exits the van, wearing a dress made of glittering fringe – like cheap Easter basket liner – and drag make-up. She is followed by a parade of drag queens and gay men in heels. The video cuts to a shot of the gas station attendee through the store window, an old white man who shakes his head in disgust. Alesha and her flamboyant pals laugh and dance as they fill the van with gas.

The chorus begins with another man lip syncing, wearing a white hard hat and aviators, before cutting back to Alesha. Alesha and her pals (dangerously) standing on top of the van, dancing and singing as they drive. Interspersed throughout is footage of modern queer love around the world, coinciding with the lyrics. A close-up of Alesha starts off the second verse; this time, as the camera reveals a twinky cowboy (again, a la the Village People) lip syncing. Inside the van, Alesha stands in front of a mirror primping herself. She fixes her hair, but her eyes look misty as she sings "I wanted to live my life with you / And dancing in the heavens just won't do." She stands up straight and stares at herself in the mirror. As the verse climaxes, Alesha punches the mirror. A black man dressed as a G.I./soldier takes us into the second chorus, before showing more footage of Alesha and her crew partying as well as queer love.

The song's middle-eight features further close-ups of Alesha, the cop, the construction worker, the cowboy and the G.I. against a white backdrop, except this time they are splattered with color (reminiscent of India's Holi Festival). A brown man dressed as a Native American also joins in (although not covered in paint). A single tear falls down his face (a nod to the Crying Indian in the infamous "Keep America Beautiful" commercial) as he lip syncs "But silent men shed silent tears." The middle-8 continues with Alesha and the men singing/lip syncing (the Native American also being splattered with colour), and celebratory shots from gay weddings – kissing, confetti, guests cheering. Last but not least, a man dressed as a leather daddy lip syncs the beginning of the final chorus.

The van is seen cruising down a busy U.S. highway, with Alesha and her friends leaning out of the windows, dancing and waving to passing cars. Other drivers shoot dirty looks. The outro sees Alesha and the men dressed as the Village People all together, as opposed to being shown in separate close-ups. They stand in a row, similar to a police line-up, and sing together. From inside the van, we see Alesha and her friends looking out of the windows excitedly as skyscrapers crop up around them. Shots of New York City's skyline accompany this. The van eventually joins the back of a gay pride parade, where Alesha and Co. again climb on the roof of the van, dancing and being applauded by paradegoers as extravagant floats and bands of people precede them.

Reception
The music video received positive reviews from critics, who thought the video was "campy and fun." Some critics were less appreciative, with one reviewer calling it "a bad cross between RuPaul's Drag Race and S Club 7's 'Reach'." It was nominated for Best Video at the 27th Urapopstar Awards. The video was nominated for four awards at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards including Best Female Video, Dance Video, Pop Video and the Video of the Year award although it did not win any of them.

Live performances and other versions
In the run up to its release, Alesha performed the song at Governors Ball, Firefly and Glastonbury as part of her Black Leather Festival Tour. Following its release, it was performed at Roskilde, Eurockéenes, Latitude, Paléo, Lollapalooza, V and Reading & Leeds. Alesha also performed an intimate concert exclusively streamed through Fusion-owned streaming service Bloc, beginning the set with "In Love Today".

American pop singer Ashley! performed a live cover of "In Love Today" during a set recorded especially for MTV. Country singer Mark Charlie Wilson covered the song in a performance at a gay wedding, alongside his cover of Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love". The clip went viral on YouTube, gaining 3 million views in 24 hours. In October 2015, Jean-Luc Bareilles, who collaborated with Alesha on his number one hit "Black Hole Supernova", released a covers EP to Blacklight Records streaming service EDGE. His version of "In Love Today" served as the closing number.

Track listing and formats

 * CD / Digital EP
 * 1) "In Love Today"
 * 2) "Crucified"
 * 3) "Why Can't I Be Your Husband"
 * 4) "In Love Today" (Stuart Price remix)