"Anywhere" is a song by British singer Rita Ora from her second studio album, Phoenix (2018). The song was written by Ora, Ali Tamposi, Brian Lee, Nick Gale and its producers Alesso, Watt and Sir Nolan. It was released as a single on 20 October 2017 through Atlantic Records UK. A wistful, dance-pop and electropop love song about escapism, it features a breakdown of stuttering vocal loops. The song has received positive reviews from music critics, and it was chosen as The Guardians track of the week.
Commercially, the song reached the top-10 in 15 countries, including Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom where it peaked at number two, becoming Ora's eleventh UK top-10 single. "Anywhere" has since been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). An accompanying music video, directed by Declan Whitebloom, shows Ora in various locations throughout New York City. Ora performed the song at the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Background and release
Ora said that the story behind the song came from Avicii's single "Lonely Together" (2017), which she featured on, as both were "cut from the same cloth", being developed from a similar guitar line by some of the songwriters who worked with her on "Anywhere". Ora co-wrote "Anywhere" with Ali Tamposi, Andrew Watt, Brian Lee, Alesso, Digital Farm Animals and Sir Nolan. The core of the track was written in Los Angeles in early 2017 and stemmed from the initial hook, "Take me anywhere, anywhere away from here", which then became "...anywhere away with you". It was inspired by Ora wanting to go on a road trip with her friends to escape Los Angeles.
"Anywhere" was first made available for pre-order on 13 October 2017. The song was released by Atlantic Records UK as the album's second single on 20 October 2017. The same day, Ora appeared on The Radio 1 Breakfast Show as a host alongside Nick Grimshaw to premiere "Anywhere". Remixes by R3hab and Willy William were released on 24 November 2017. The following day, "Anywhere" was promoted with its own filter on Snapchat.
Composition and lyrics
Musically, "Anywhere" is a wistful, dance-pop and electropop song. Featuring dream-like production, the track has a firm electronic beat which acts as a metronome for Ora's vocal. Having a moderate tempo of 107 beats per minute, the song is written in the key of B minor and follows the chord progression of Em–A–D–Bm in the first refrain. Instrumentation is provided by keyboards and guitar. The song has two refrains; the first begins with Ora singing "Over the hills and far away, a million miles from L.A, just anywhere away with you," while the second is a breakdown of stuttering vocal loops. Interviewed about the song in November 2017, Ora said, "I actually have no idea what I'm saying... My voice was just chopped up, so I actually am not saying anything."
As interpreted by the singer, "Anywhere" is a love song about escapism and "having a desperation of wanting to break free from whatever it is you're going through". Ora also felt the song's message of breaking free was relevant to what British citizens had experienced in 2017. Andrew R. Chow of The New York Times wrote that the lyrics are driven by wanderlust. Due to the processed vocal loops, the second chorus is lyrically inaudible and has no meaning. Ora said lyrics to it can be made up.
Reception
Critical reception
"Anywhere" was chosen by The Guardian as their track of the week. Journalist Peter Robinson deemed the song a "well-judged electropop romp" and "the modern answer" to ABBA's "Super Trouper" (1980), adding that it "sounds like something that sparks minor online controversy when it only comes third in Sweden's annual Eurovision heats – and Melodifestivalen followers will know there is no higher compliment". Laurence Day of The Line of Best Fit regarded it as "a glittering return". Rolling Stones Sarah Grant opined that unlike on "Lonely Together", Ora "sounds refreshingly unadorned". A critic from The Observer wrote, "Pensive, poised and ludicrously catchy, Rita Ora continues her patient rebirth with this delicate banger." Writing for Billboard magazine, Jon Ali called "Anywhere" Ora's "finest single to date", noting, "it sounds like Rita's finally found her footing in the pop musical landscape, and it's on the dancefloor".