Against The World

"Against The World" is a song by English pop singer Calvin Hawthorne. Written and produced by Cerise + Victor member Stephanie Kesh, the song was released as a single on May 27, 2013 via Next Generation Records. It is the lead single from his upcoming sophomore album, despite initial plans to keep the track off the album.

Upon release, the single was critically successful with many praising the song's structure and lyrical content and also Hawthorne's vocals which they stated was an "improvement" when compared to his previous material.

In June 2013, the single debuted at #11 and peaked at #10 the following week on the UK Singles Chart. The single also peaked at #2 in Sweden, becoming his second #2 and top three single there.

Background and writing
Working on his sophomore album since November 2012, just only a couple to a few weeks after the release of his debut album Kelvin, Hawthorne wrapped production on the album in early June 2013. "Against The World" was one of the last songs recorded during these sessions and, despite earlier plans, Hawthorne decided not to put the track on his sophomore album after all.

The song was written and produced by Stephanie Kesh. The single is a dance-pop song with a lyrical message about a protagonist and his love interest or friend standing together as the face and fight the world should it become an obstacle in their way. The song is about how two people (whether their friends or lovers) decide to stick together as a team and face the people who doubt them or put them down, showing that they will not give in into their negativity. The song was inspired by Hawthorne ignoring the negative press and publicity he's received since the beginning of his career.

Release and promotion
The single was released in the countries that Hawthorne usually releases his material in on May 27, 2013. It was released in two CD single formats that can also be found digitally as well. The single was Hawthorne's second release in Sweden, after he released "The Thought of You (Brings Me To Life)" earlier in the spring of 2013.

In the UK, promotion of the single was undermined by Hawthorne's numerous controversies in the press though he still tried to promote the single as best as he could and tried not to focus on the negativity he was getting from the press. In Sweden, where he heavily promoted the single, promotion there went on without any problems or incidents.

Critical reaction
The single received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Many critics praised the song's melodic structure, production, and lyrical content. For once, Hawthorne's vocals were also praised with many stating that they were an "improvement" than his previous material. However, they were also criticized for "slightly over-utilizing" pitch correction software but were praised for not heavily using it when compared to his previous material.

Commercial performance
In June 2013, the single debuted at #11 on the UK Singles Chart, selling 26,703 copies in its first week. It initially became Hawthorne's first single to miss the top ten, prompting many of his detractors and critics to mock and taunt him over this fact.

The following week, however, the single peaked at #10 on the UK Singles Chart, continuing Hawthorne's top ten streak and silencing his critics. It is the lowest peaking single released by Next Generation. It also peaked at #10 on the last edition of the UK Downloads Chart and #15 on the UK Top 40 airplay chart. To date, it has sold more than 96,000 copies in the UK.

The single did not chart elsewhere it was released except in Sweden, where it peaked at #2, becoming Hawthorne's second top three hit on the Sverigetopplistan.

Live performances
On May 21, 2013, Hawthorne performed "Against The World" and his single "The Thought of You (Brings Me To Life)" as a medley at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards in the US. The performance was ill-received after Hawthorne forgot the words to both song while people commented that his live vocals were "off-key, pitchy, and off-beat" though he did receive praise for singing live. The audience booed him off the stage, prompting Hawthorne to immediately leave the show and head to Sweden to continue promoting the single there.

On May 25, 2013, Hawthorne returned to the UK to perform his set at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend festival, closing out with "Against The World". Though his performance and even his live vocals were, for once, praised and applauded, it ended in controversy after he ripped up a photo of popular singer Taylor on stage, causing the audience to boo at him and sparking major controversy and outrage on various social networking sites.

Track listing

 * CD single/digital download #1
 * 1) "Against The World"
 * 2) "Against The World" (Instrumental)


 * CD single/digital download #2
 * 1) "Against The World" (Extended Mix)
 * 2) "Against The World" (The Alias Remix)