Only Love Survives

Only Love Survives
Ryan Dolan
publication	February 8, 2013
length	3:00
Genre (s)	Dance pop , pop
Author (s)	Ryan Dolan , Wez Devine
Label	JM13
album	Frequency

Only Love Survives is a dance-pop - song of the Irish singer, composer, songwriter and producer Ryan Dolan . The song represented Ireland at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest . It was released worldwide as a CD single and download on February 8, 2013 and is also the announcement for the album Frequency, which was released on May 13, 2013 .

Music and lyrics

music

Ryan Dolan in the semifinals of the ESC 2013

The song begins with a drum beat. Then Ryan begins the first verse. At the end of this, the beating stops and there is only a faint rush to hear chorus 1. Then it starts with chorus 2 and you can hear a beat with electronic tones. Two background singers can be heard in the background. After chorus 2 the drums begin again and Dolan sings the second verse. After this one hears refrain 1 again mixed with dubstep- like tones. Then refrain 2 starts again with the electronic tones, background singers and towards the end another drum beat.

text

The song is mostly about love . Ryan sings in the first verse that we live our lives in fear and that whenever the sun goes down the old world dies and a new day is born. In chorus 1 he asks to live every night as if it were the last night and to dance all night until the first ray of sunshine, because in the end only love will survive. Refrain 2 is all about the desire to be love, because only this will survive in the end and should therefore make it his main idea.

Contributors

Only Love Survives was written, composed and produced by Ryan Dolan himself. He was co-authored by the Irish author Wez Devine. Dolan was the only one who entered the Eurovision Song Contest with a self-written song.

reception

Bernadette Hirschfelder from the “ NDR Songcheck” for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 described the song as “A love song wrapped in poppy dance rhythms,” and figured Ireland and the song had a good chance.

Antoine Farugia from “EurovisionFamily.tv” gave the song a mediocre to good rating. He wrote:

“[…] The song is quite nice, but I think it's a little high for him! He did not achieve all grades! The performance is always the same: absolutely not interesting! Musically it's a very good song! [...]! • Singer: 7/10 • Song: 7/10 • Performance: 5/10 • First impression: 6/10 • Overall: 6.25 / 10 “

Track list

Play media file

Ryan Dolan presents Only Love Survives

Standard Edition

#	title	length
1.	Only Love Survives (Radio Edit)	3:00

Remix single

#	title	length
1.	Only Love Survives (Radio Edit)	3:00
2.	Only Love Survives (Timothy Allan & Mark Loverush Remix)	3:37
3.	Only Love Survives (Zenemy DJz Electro Remix)	4:21
4th	Only Love Survives (Zenemy DJz House Remix)	3:34

Music video

The official music video for Only Love Survives was first released on February 7, 2013. A second version was released on May 6, 2013 under the title European Promo . With various new special effects and lyrics passages in the video. The production company Zenemy Music was responsible for the direction .

It starts with Ryan Dolan. He kneels on the floor with his hands on his chest and sings the first verse. He slowly lifts his arms and drops them again at the beginning of chorus 1. Then there are several changes of scene. In one of them he stands in front of the camera with sunglasses and a leather jacket. In another the rotating earth, Dolan in front of a kind of starry sky and once as a shadow in front of a large pixelated heart. Refrain 2 starts with the lyrics, followed by several fans who sing the lyrics and show a heart with their hands. In the second stanza you see him again in front of a microphone, in front of the big heart or the earth. This is followed by the first chorus, in which you see Ryan again with sunglasses or as a shadow in front of several color boxes, with the earth in the background. Refrain 2 also consists of him in different scenes and fans.

Eurovision Song Contest

The drummers at Dolan's performance at the ESC

Ryan Dolan appeared with Only Love Survives on May 14, 2013 in the 1st semi-finals. There he reached eighth place and thus made it into the final. The choreographer Stuart O'Connor was at his side for the performance.

He was seen by many fans and critics, not as a favorite, but still in a place in the top field. Ryan Dolan was the last to recite the title. Several men with drums were standing next to him on the stage. However, the title only got 5 points from three countries (2 points from Sweden , 2 points from Cyprus and one point from Great Britain ) and came last out of a total of 26 participants.

The NDR's entertainment coordinator, Thomas Schreiber, said that Ryan Dolan drowned under the wild beating of the drums.

Chart placements

Only Love Survives reached its highest place to date in Ireland after a new entry after his ESC appearance.

Charts	Top position	Weeks
Ireland	13	...

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Only Love Survives on iTunes
2. ↑ Frequency at Amazon
3. ↑ Article about the song
4. ↑ ESC song check
5. ↑ Only Love Survives European Promo on YouTube
6. ↑ Only Love Survives Official Video on YouTube
7. ↑ Commentary after his appearance
8. ↑ Chart sources: IE BE ^F

predecessor	chronology	successor
Waterline ( Jedward )	Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013	Heartbeat ( Can-Linn feat. Kasey Smith )