Left Outside Alone

"Left Outside Alone"

Single by Anastacia

from the album Anastacia

B-side

"Get Ready"

Released

March 15, 2004

Format

Recorded

December 2003; O'Henry Sound Studios
(Burbank, California)
Record One
(Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California)
The Record Plant
(Hollywood, Los Angeles, California)

Genre

Pop rock

Length

4:17 (album version)
3:35/3:50 (radio edit)

Label

Writer(s)

Producer(s)

Dallas Austin
Glen Ballard

Anastacia singles chronology

"Love Is a Crime"
(2003)

"Left Outside Alone"
(2004)

"Sick and Tired"
(2004)

Music sample
Left Outside Alone

"Left Outside Alone" is a song by American recording artist Anastacia from her third studio album, Anastacia. Written primarily by Anastacia as well as Dallas Austin, and Glen Ballard detailing the singer's strained relationship with her estranged father. The song was released as the album's lead single on March 15, 2004 to both critical and commercial success. The song peaked at number one in Australia, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland; number two in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway; and number three in the United Kingdom and Hungary, while overall it became the 6th biggest selling European single of 2004.

In the United States, "Left Outside Alone" was another success on the Billboard dance charts, where it reached the top position on the Hot Dance Singles Sales, as well as number five on the Hot Dance Club Play. The track received universal acclaim with praise coming from Anastacia's new musical sound as well as her new singing sound found in the opening of the song being compared to Evanescence's Amy Lee.

"Left Outside Alone" received universal acclaim from critics. AllMusic editor Matthew Chisling wrote "Stronger tracks on the album include "Left Outside Alone,"..., on which Anastacia berates the listener with cries of frustration in pop/rock at its finest." Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian wrote "Apparent references pop up: "It's not OK, I don't feel safe," runs the chorus to Left Outside Alone." The Independent editor Andy Gill said that this song is "the source of the vulnerability." Dom Passantino of Stylus Magazine wrote “Left Outside Alone” starts off as if we’re being sang to by the Holy Ghost (assuming Kate Bush is the Father and Tori Amos is the Son), over, yes, exactly the same chords that oversaw “Daredevil”... Then Anastacia switches style back to her normal voice… calling it normal seems a fallacy." He later praised the song with these words "genuinely interesting, genuinely experimental, and genuinely good single." Yahoo Music! editor Dann Ginoe praised the song: "With a high-pitched gothic quiver floating atop ambient brooding, "Left Outside Alone"’s opening strains could easily have her mistaken for Evanescence’s Amy Lee. The familiar air-raid siren wail does kick in eventually, but it’s bellowing to an uncharacteristically snarly, guitar-churning chorus. Yup, that’s right, Anastacia’s gone rock." The songs vocal range spans from D3 to F5.

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Wikipedia