"Anywhere Is" is a song by Irish singer Enya, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album, The Memory of Trees on 20 November 1995. The lyrics of the song are in English. It peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart and became a Top 10 hit also in Austria, Iceland, Ireland and Scotland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the song peaked at number 36.
Background
"Anywhere Is" is developed from a staccato line that Enya has described had a "march feel". Initially it was a track that she and producer Nicky Ryan wanted to reject for the album The Memory of Trees. But it was developed further after Rob Dickins, then chairman of Warner Music UK who had signed Enya, was invited to Ireland in August 1995 to listen to the album, roughly one year-and-a-half into the recording process.[2] It was only its backing tracks that had been put down, but Dickins sensed the song had the makings of a hit single and encouraged them to complete it; it was the final track of the new album to be worked on. Enya's melody for the song inspired Roma Ryan to write lyrics about, as Billboard magazine put it, "the search for the temporal heaven all cultures call 'home'", a subject that Enya felt was important as she only writes and rehearses her songs in Ireland. Dickins received a dedication on the album's sleeve in Gaelic.[3]
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Rick Anderson said that Enya "has a truly lovely voice", and "there's no point trying to resist the incantatory power of "Anywhere Is"". Larry Flick from Billboard called the song "an exhilarating uptempo pop waltz that will turn any car, den, or front stoop into an otherworldly tabernacle of sound." He complimented Enya for her "remarkable ability to inspire listeners is undiminished on this richly layered feast of melody-a throbbing secular hymn about life's search for fulfillment."[4]Crawley News wrote that the song "sounds fabulous".[5] Terje Carlsen from Fredriksstad Blad described it as "something different" from the other songs of the album. He also noted the "staccato" expression of the song.[6] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that "it's often easy to compare one artist to another, but Enya has developed a truly distinctive style. Those of us who became fans early on love to convert the unitiated, and this song is bound to bring many more into the flock. Count on another magnificent video to accompany this very commercial track."[7] Michelle Boucher from The Observer complimented the song for having "a nice rhythm".[8] Steven Johnson from The Record noted that it is a "spirited melody" that is the furthest away from her usual "tried-and-true" musical formula.[9]Toledo Blade called it "positively upbeat" in their review of The Memory of Trees.[10]
Chart performance
The song enteres the UK Singles Chart at number 12 in November 19, 1995 and peaked at number 7 the next week. It was also a Top 10 hit in Austria, Iceland, Ireland and Scotland, with number 3 in Iceland as the single's best chart position. Additionally, it also was a Top 20 hit in Poland and the Netherlands. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Anywhere Is" reached number 36 on December 16. Outside Europe, the song peaked at number 34 in Australia and number 62 in Canada. It received a silver record in the United Kingdom, with a sale of 200,000 singles.
Music video
The music video for "Anywhere Is" was directed by David Scheinmann.[11] It was uploaded to YouTube in October 2008. In August 2020, the video has got more than 7,500,000 views.[12]
^Johnson, Steven C. (21 January 1996). "ENYA". The Record (Bergen County, New Jersey). Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
