Back to Black (song)

{{Short description|2007 single by Amy Winehouse}}

{{Distinguish|Back in Black (song)}}

{{Use British English|date=September 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Back to Black

| cover = Amy Winehouse - Back To Black.jpg

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Amy Winehouse

| album = Back to Black

| B-side = * "Valerie"

| released = 26 April 2007

| recorded =

| studio = * Daptone

| genre = {{hlist|Soul{{cite magazine|first= Natalie |last= Maher |title= 50 of the Best Songs from the 2000s |magazine= Harper's Bazaar |url= https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a33004381/best-2000s-songs/|date= 2 June 2022|access-date= 4 November 2022|quote= “Back To Black” was one of her best showcases...via Mark Ronson’s signature retro funk production.}}}}

| length = 4:00

| label = Island

| writer = {{hlist|Amy Winehouse|Mark Ronson}}

| producer = Mark Ronson

| prev_title = You Know I'm No Good

| prev_year = 2007

| next_title = Tears Dry on Their Own

| next_year = 2007

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = single

| file = Amy Winehouse - Back to Black sample.ogg

}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|TJAfLE39ZZ8|"Back to Black"}}}}

}}

"Back to Black" is a song by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 26 April 2007 by Island Records as the third single from her second and final studio album of the same name (2006). The song was written by Winehouse and Mark Ronson, and produced by the latter. "Back to Black" was inspired by Winehouse's relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, who had left her for an ex-girlfriend.

"Back to Black" received widespread acclaim from music critics, who generally praised its throwback sound to girl groups from the 1960s. It was included on several compiled year and decade-end lists of the best in music and was further considered to be one of Winehouse's signature songs. The single peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom and is Winehouse's third best-selling single in that country. Many artists recorded covers of the song; most notably, Beyoncé and André 3000 covered it for the soundtrack of the 2013 film adaptation of the novel The Great Gatsby (1925).

A documentary film based on the life and death of Winehouse, Amy (2015) features a videoed tape of Winehouse recording the song with Mark Ronson, in March 2006 and an a cappella melody was featured on the film's soundtrack.

Background and composition

"Back to Black" was written by Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson with the latter also serving as its producer. The track was recorded in three studios – Chung King Studios and Daptone Studios located in New York City and Metropolis Studios in London.{{cite AV media notes|title=Back to Black|others=Amy Winehouse|year=2007|publisher=Island Records}}

"Back to Black" was inspired by her relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil. He had left Winehouse for an ex-girlfriend, leaving her going to "black," which the listener may take to be drinking and depression. "Black" has sometimes been considered as a reference to heroin, but this is inaccurate as Winehouse's heroin use did not begin until after her later marriage to Fielder-Civil (May 2007), as confirmed in the Asif Kapadia documentary.

"Back to Black" is written in the key of D minor.{{Cite web|last1=Amy|first1=Winehouse|last2=Mark|first2=Ronson|last3=Amy|first3=Winehouse|date=21 April 2014|title=Back to Black|url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0133482|access-date=1 July 2021|website=Musicnotes.com}} The song explores elements of old school soul music. Its sound and beat have been described as similar to girl groups from the 1960s. Its production was noted for its Wall of Sound. Winehouse expresses feelings of hurt and bitterness for a boyfriend who has left her; however, throughout the lyrics she "remains strong" exemplified in the opening lines, "He left no time to regret, Kept his dick wet, With his same old safe bet, Me and my head high, And my tears dry, Get on without my guy".{{cite web|url=http://randb.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/BackToBlack.htm|title=Review: Amy Winehouse - "Back to Black"|website=About.com|first=Mark|last=Edward Nero|access-date=20 September 2014|archive-date=11 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411194835/http://randb.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/BackToBlack.htm|url-status=dead}} The song's lyrical content consists of a sad goodbye to a relationship with the lyrics being frank. Slant Magazine writer Sal Cinquemani suggested that the protagonist's lover may be committed to cocaine instead of another woman. John Murphy of musicOMH compared the song's introduction to the 1967 Martha and the Vandellas song Jimmy Mack – noting, though, that it goes to a "much darker place" than the 1967 song.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/amy-winehouse-back-to-black|title=Amy Winehouse – Back To Black - Album Reviews|website=musicOMH|first=John|last=Murphy|date=30 October 2006|access-date=26 September 2014}}

Critical reception

"Back to Black" received universal critical acclaim. A writer from the website 4Music awarded the song ten stars out of ten in a review saying it was as good as the 1960s girl group classics that influenced it. The writer praised the "thoroughly modern Amy, who writes her own songs about love and sex and drugs and knows her own mind, but still gets hurt in a way only grown-ups can get hurt".{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/music/singles/300407/amywinehouse.html|title=Amy Winehouse - Back to Black - Single Review|publisher=4Music|date=30 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209050139/http://www.channel4.com/music/singles/300407/amywinehouse.html |archive-date=9 December 2008 |access-date=29 August 2016}} Matt Harvey from BBC felt that the song owed to the "sonic heritage" of singers Phil Spector and Scott Walker and called it "a tortured monster of a track - Amy displaying the sort of vocal depth that Marc Almond has always dreamed of".{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/89vr|title= Amy Winehouse Back To Black Review|year=2006|first=Matt|last=Harvey|publisher=BBC Music|access-date=20 September 2014}} AllMusic writer John Bush found universality in the song and opined that even Joss Stone could take it to the top of the music charts.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/back-to-black-mw0000736522|title=Amy Winehouse - Back to Black|website=AllMusic|first=John|last=Bush|access-date=20 September 2014}} Alex Denney from the website Drowned in Sound found "grit and gravitas" in Back to Black best shown in its title song with a "heart-stopping shuffle" and lyrics about a man's philander.{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/10846/reviews/2207929-|title=Album Review: Amy Winehouse - Back to Black|website=Drowned in Sound|first=Alex|last=Denney|date=20 July 2007|access-date=2 October 2014|archive-date=20 September 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140920190140/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/10846/reviews/2207929-|url-status=dead}}

In 2007, the song was ranked number 39 on Popjustice's list of the year's best in music.{{cite web|url=http://www.popjustice.com/interviewsandfeatures/the-greatest-singles-of-2007/49720/|title=The Greatest Singles of 2007|website=Popjustice|date=20 December 2007|access-date=20 September 2014}} Slant Magazine also mentioned it in their respective list of the best singles of the year, with Sal Cinquemani writing, "[It] is not only the singer's finest moment but producer Mark Ronson's as well".{{cite magazine|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/2007-year-in-music|title=The Best Albums & Singles of 2007|magazine=Slant Magazine|date=15 December 2007|access-date=20 September 2014}} Writers of Rolling Stone magazine placed "Back to Black" at number 98 on their list of the 100 best songs of the '00s, praising Winehouse's trademark "stormily soulful" vocals and the updated sensibility,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-songs-of-the-aughts-20110617/amy-winehouse-back-to-black-19691231|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708074225/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-songs-of-the-aughts-20110617/amy-winehouse-back-to-black-19691231|title=100 Best Songs of the 2000s: Amy Winehouse, 'Back to Black'|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=17 June 2011|access-date=20 September 2014|archive-date=8 July 2012}} and prior to its 2021 article, the track is placed at number 79 on their lists of "500 Greatest Songs Of All Time."{{Cite magazine|date=15 September 2021|title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/|access-date=28 November 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}} NME editors listed it at 61 on an eponomyous list for the magazine, writing that the song proved the album's real depth and added, "Hard faced and broken-souled, its knowing wallowing spoke to anyone who'd ever had a bunnyboiler moment".{{cite news|url=http://www.nme.com/list/100-best-tracks-of-the-00s/269740/article/270030|title=100 Best Songs of The 00s - 61. Amy Winehouse - 'Back to Black'|work=NME|access-date=20 September 2014}} "Back to Black" was further considered one of Winehouse's signature songs. Justin Myers wrote for the Official Charts Company that it was the singer's most "anguished" song while also being "[h]eartbreakingly autobiographical".{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/features/official-charts-pop-gem-72-amy-winehouse-back-to-black-3099/|title=Official Charts Pop Gem #72: Amy Winehouse – Back To Black|publisher=Official Charts Company|first=Justin|last=Myers|date=6 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119074619/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-charts-pop-gem-72-amy-winehouse-back-to-black__6066/|archive-date=19 Jan 2016|access-date=19 March 2023}} Tim Chester of NME also wrote that "Back to Black" was a song by which the singer should be remembered following her death, with Motown influence in her trademark vocal performance along with its powerful lyrics.{{cite news|url=http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/amy-winehouse-10-songs-to-remember-her-by|title=Amy Winehouse - 10 Songs To Remember Her By|work=NME|date=23 July 2011|access-date=2 October 2014}}

In July 2019 the song was the subject of the BBC Radio 4 programme Soul Music. The episode included contributions from Donald Brackett, the author of Back to Black: Amy Winehouse's Only Masterpiece.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006lr8|title = BBC Radio 4 - Soul Music, Series 28, Back to Black}}

Commercial performance

Pre-release, the song charted in the UK Singles Chart on downloads alone for five consecutive weeks, peaking at number 40.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml BBC Radio 1, 2/5/07] The single charted at number 25 in 2007 once it had been released in physical format, which became its peak position in that country.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml BBC Radio 1, 5/5/07] The song has spent 34 non-consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart to date. It has re-entered with "Rehab" together on the chart. The song featured on BBC Radio 1's The B List Playlist during the week commencing 2 May.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/playlist.shtml |title=BBC Radio 1 Playlist |access-date=24 July 2015 |archive-date=7 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407113716/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/playlist.shtml |url-status=dead }} With sales of 96,000, "Back to Black" finished as the UK's 85th biggest-selling single of 2007. On 31 July 2011, following her death, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart at 8, also giving the song a new peak position and second top ten hit in UK. As of September 2014, "Back to Black" has sold 340.000 copies in the UK and is Winehouse's third best-selling single in that country. In America, due to strong digital sales of the single over the years, "Back to Black" was certified platinum for over one million digital sales by the RIAA in January 2015.[https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database# RIAA Certified Amy Winehouse Released]

Music video

The music video was directed by Phil Griffin and features a funeral procession in which Winehouse mourns over a grave that reads "R.I.P. the Heart of Amy Winehouse". The shot of the headstone was edited out after the singer's death in 2011. The video was primarily shot near Gibson Gardens and Chesholm Road in Stoke Newington, London. The graveyard scenes were filmed at Abney Park Cemetery in northeast London. According to the official Winehouse website, "Amy's sultry new video for Back in Black {{sic}} is both beautifully and artistically shot in black-and-white and compares in imagery a doomed love affair with that of a funeral."{{cite web|url=http://www.amywinehouse.com/ |title=Back in Black – watch a clip |access-date=17 February 2008 |work=AmyWinehouse.com |date=12 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217090706/http://www.amywinehouse.com/ |archive-date=17 February 2008 |url-status = dead}} At the 2007 Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO), the music video was nominated for Best Video but lost to Kanye West's "Stronger" (2007).{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6959835.stm|work=BBC News|title=Mobo Awards: Nominations in full|date=28 August 2007|access-date=22 April 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7003572.stm|title=Mobo Awards 2007: Winners in full|work=BBC News|date=19 July 2007|access-date=22 April 2012}} Myers of the Official Charts Company deemed the clip "super-sad" and felt it went further on the song's main theme of goodbye. As of May 2025, the video has over more than 1.2 billion views on YouTube.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/TJAfLE39ZZ8 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20100121182448/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJAfLE39ZZ8 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJAfLE39ZZ8| title = Amy Winehouse - Back To Black | website=YouTube| date = 23 December 2009 }}{{cbignore}}

Track listings and formats

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

;UK CD single[http://www.discogs.com/release/962639 Discogs.com - CD single]

  1. "Back to Black" – 4:00
  2. "Valerie" {{small|(Jo Whiley Live Lounge)}} – 3:53
  3. "Hey, Little Rich Girl" – 3:33
  4. "Back to Black" {{small|(Video)}}

;UK limited edition white 7" single[http://www.discogs.com/release/977155 Discogs.com - 7" White Vinyl]

  • Side A:
  1. "Back to Black" – 4:00
  • Side B:
  1. "Back to Black" {{small|(The Rumble Strips Remix)}} – 3:48

{{col-2}}

;UK 12" maxi single[http://www.discogs.com/release/1099061 Discogs.com - 12" single]

  • Side A:
  1. "Back to Black" {{small|(Steve Mac Vocal)}} – 6:12
  2. "Back to Black" {{small|(Steve Mac Smack Dub)}} – 6:15
  • Side B:
  1. "Back to Black" – 4:00
  2. "Back to Black" {{small|(Mushtaq Vocal Remix)}} – 4:03

;Digital single{{Cite web |url=http://www.7digital.com/artists/amy-winehouse/back-to-black-original-demo/ |title=7 Digital |access-date=17 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031111441/http://www.7digital.com/artists/amy-winehouse/back-to-black-original-demo/ |archive-date=31 October 2007 |url-status = dead}}

  1. "Back to Black" {{small|(Original Demo)}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

;Digital download – Remixes & B-Sides EP {{nobold|(2015)}}{{cite web|url=https://itun.es/gb/YS7U8|title=iTunes - Music - Back To Black (Remixes & B Sides) - EP by Amy Winehouse|publisher=iTunes Store|location=United Kingdom}}

  1. "Back to Black" {{small|(The Rumble Strips Remix)}} – 3:49
  2. "Back to Black" {{small|(Mushtaq Vocal Remix)}} – 4:03
  3. "Back to Black" {{small|(Original Demo)}} – 3:01
  4. "Back to Black" {{small|(Vodafone Live at TBA)}} – 3:53
  5. "Back to Black" {{small|(Steve Mac Vocal)}} – 6:03

Credits

  • Amy Winehouse – vocals
  • Mark Ronson – tambourine, band arrangements, production, recording
  • Nick Movshon – bass guitar
  • Homer Steinweiss – drums
  • Thomas Brenneck – guitar
  • Binky Gripite – guitar
  • Victor Axelrod – piano
  • Vaughan Merrick – claps, recording
  • Perry Montague-Mason – violin, orchestra leader
  • Chris Elliot – orchestral arrangements, orchestra conducting
  • Isobel Griffiths – orchestra contractor
  • Chris Tombling, Mark Berrow, Warren Zielenski, Liz Edwards, Boguslaw Kostecki, Peter Hanson, Jonathan Rees, Tom Pigott Smith, Everton Nelson – violin
  • Jon Thorne, Katie Wilkinson, Bruce White, Rachel Bolt – viola
  • Anthony Pleeth, Joely Koos, John Heley – cello
  • Andy Macintosh – alto saxophone
  • Chris Davies – alto saxophone
  • Jamie Talbot – tenor saxophone
  • Dave Bishop – baritone saxophone
  • Frank Ricotti – percussion
  • Gabriel Roth – band arrangements
  • Tom Elmhirst – mixing
  • Dom Morley – recording engineering assistance
  • Jesse Gladstone – recording assistance
  • Mike Malowski – recording assistance
  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2007–2008 weekly chart performance for "Back to Black"

! scope="col"| Chart (2007–2008)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Austria|3|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020|refname="aut"}}
{{single chart|Flanders|32|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Wallonia Tip|12|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Czech Republic|79|year=2008|week=19|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Denmark|38|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
scope="row"| European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=349&cfgn=Singles&cfn=European+Hot+100+Singles&ci=3090398&cdi=9619209&cid=05%2F19%2F2007 |title=European Hot 100 Singles – Chart Listing For The Week Of May 19 2007 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=19 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206170045/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=349&cfgn=Singles&cfn=European+Hot+100+Singles&ci=3090398&cdi=9619209&cid=05%2F19%2F2007 |archive-date=6 February 2009 |url-status=dead }}

| 69

{{single chart|Germany|8|songid=263742|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020|refname="ger"}}
scope="row"| Greece (IFPI){{cite web|url=http://www.ifpi.gr/chart03.htm |title=Top 50 Singles – Εβδομάδα 19/2008 |publisher=IFPI Greece |date=4 April 2010 |access-date=15 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404055427/http://www.ifpi.gr/chart03.htm |archive-date=4 April 2010}}

| 1

scope="row"| Ireland (IRMA){{cite web |url=http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240001&arch=t&lyr=2007&year=2007&week=46 |title=Top 50 Singles, Week Ending 15 November 2007 |publisher=Chart-Track |access-date=12 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229151943/http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240001&arch=t&lyr=2007&year=2007&week=46 |archive-date=29 February 2012}}

| 33

{{single chart|Italy|12|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Scotland|20|date=20070506|rowheader=true|access-date=12 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Spain|49|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|refname=Spain-49|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|10|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|UK|25|date=20070506|rowheader=true|access-date=12 February 2020}}
{{single chart|UKrandb|5|date=20070506|rowheader=true|access-date=12 February 2020}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2011–2024 weekly chart performance for "Back to Black"

! scope="col"| Chart (2011–2024)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Australiapandora|56|url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20110729140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20110730-0000/Issue1118.pdf|urltitle=Chartifacts|rowheader=true|access-date=29 November 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
{{single chart|Austria|23|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
scope="row"| Canadian Digital Song Sales (Billboard){{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/amy-winehouse/chart-history/cns/|title=Amy Winehouse Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=8 October 2023}}

| 59

{{single chart|Billboardeurodigital|8|artist=Amy Winehouse|rowheader=true|access-date=12 February 2020}}
{{single chart|France|15|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Germany|18|songid=263742|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Billboardglobal200|171|artist=Amy Winehouse|rowheader=true|access-date=14 May 2024}}
scope="row"| Greece International (IFPI){{cite web |title=Official IFPI Charts — Digital Singles Chart (International) — Εβδομάδα: 47/2023 |url=https://www.ifpi.gr/digital_iel.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203162746/https://www.ifpi.gr/digital_iel.html |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |access-date=December 3, 2023 |publisher=IFPI Greece |language=el}}

| 60

{{single chart|Hungarysingle|33|year=2021|week=30|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2021}}
{{single chart|Ireland2|11|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=12 February 2020}}
scope="row"| Israel International Airplay (Media Forest){{cite web |url=http://www.mediaforest.biz/WeeklyCharts/HistoryWeeklyCharts.aspx?year=2011&week=30 |script-title=he:המצעד השבועי – 10 הגדולים |trans-title=Weekly Parade – Top 10 |language=he |publisher=Media Forest |date=30 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200043/http://www.mediaforest.biz/WeeklyCharts/HistoryWeeklyCharts.aspx?year=2011&week=30 |archive-date=29 October 2013}}

| 6

{{single chart|Italy|3|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Dutch40|18|artist=Amy Winehouse|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|18|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
scope="row"| Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100){{cite web|url=https://www.olis.pl/charts/oficjalna-lista-sprzedazy/single-w-streamie|title=OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie|publisher=OLiS|language=pl|access-date=9 May 2024|type=Select week 26.04.2024–02.05.2024.}}

| 91

{{single chart|Portugal|171|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=15 May 2024}}
{{single chart|Scotland|13|date=20110731|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020|refname="SCO-2011"}}
{{single chart|Spain|10|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|refname=Spain-10|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|8|artist=Amy Winehouse|song=Back to Black|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020}}
{{single chart|UK|8|date=20110731|rowheader=true|access-date=12 February 2020|refname="UK-2011"}}
{{single chart|UKrandb|4|date=20110731|rowheader=true|access-date=4 February 2020|refname="UKR&B-2011"}}
{{single chart|Billboarddigitalsongs|55|artist=Amy Winehouse|rowheader=true|access-date=12 July 2015}}
scope="row"| US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/amy-winehouse/chart-history/rbt/ |title=Amy Winehouse Chart History (R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales) |magazine=Billboard |access-date=16 February 2020}}

| 19

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2007 year-end chart performance for "Back to Black"

! scope="col"| Chart (2007)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC){{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-singles-chart/20070107/37501/ |title=End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007 |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=4 February 2020}}

| 85

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2008 year-end chart performance for "Back to Black"

! scope="col"| Chart (2008)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40){{cite web |url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=s&id=2008 |title=Jahreshitparade Singles 2008 |website=austriancharts.at |language=de |access-date=4 February 2020}}

| 13

scope="row"| European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2008/european-hot-100-singles |title=Year End Charts – European Hot 100 Singles |magazine=Billboard |year=2008 |access-date=14 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004235856/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2008/european-hot-100-singles |archive-date=4 October 2012}}

| 97

scope="row"| Germany (Official German Charts){{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-2008 |title=Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 2008 |language=de |publisher=Offizielle Deutsche Charts |access-date=4 February 2020}}

| 48

scope="row"| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade){{cite web |url=http://swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/2008 |title=Swiss Year-End Charts 2008 |website=swisscharts.com |access-date=4 February 2020}}

| 33

scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC){{cite web |url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2008.pdf |title=UK Year-End Charts 2008 |work=UKChartsPlus |page=3 |access-date=4 February 2020}}

| 165

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2024 year-end chart performance for "Back to Black"

! scope="col"| Chart (2024)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| France (SNEP){{cite web|url=https://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-lannee/top-singles-annee/?annee=2024|title=Top de l'année – Top Singles – 2024|publisher=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|language=fr|access-date=11 January 2025}}

| 118

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Back to Black"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|type=single|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black|award=Diamond|relyear=2007|certyear=2023|access-date=29 November 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=single|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black|award=Platinum|id=11838|relyear=2007|certyear=2022|access-date=16 November 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black|award=Gold|number=3|type=single|relyear=2007|certyear=2023|access-date=25 April 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=Amy Winehouse|salesamount=65,000|salesref={{cite web|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/mdonline/7267.pdf |title=Music in Italy |publisher=Federation of the Italian Music Industry |access-date=11 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125084131/http://www.musicaedischi.it/mdonline/7267.pdf |archive-date=25 January 2016 }}|title=Back to Black|relyear=2007|nocert=true|note=sales in 2007|access-date=August 16, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black|relyear=2007|certyear=2018|award=Platinum|number=2|id=1923|note=sales since 2009|access-date=16 August 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black |type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2007|certyear=2024|id=file_2024-05-22-10-52-14.pdf|access-date=24 May 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|certyear=2025|certmonth=2|relyear=2007|type=single|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black|award=Platinum|number=3|access-date=11 February 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|certyear=2007|relyear=2008|type=ringtone|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black|award=Gold|certweek=45|access-date=17 June 2022|note=Ringtone}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|relyear=2007|certyear=2007|type=single|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black|award=Platinum}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|relyear=2007|certyear=2024|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back to Black|id=663-1483-1|access-date=28 July 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2007|certyear=2015|certref={{cite news|url=http://riaa.com/media/34F32E7E-E368-F10E-CF8E-3C0971C45702.pdf|title=RIAA Gold, Platinum and Multi- Platinum Awards from 1/1/2015 to 1/31/2015|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213145037/http://riaa.com/media/34F32E7E-E368-F10E-CF8E-3C0971C45702.pdf|archive-date=13 February 2015 }}}}

{{Certification Table Separator|title=Streaming}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Greece|artist=Amy Winehouse|title=Back To Black|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear=2007|certyear=2024|certweek=28|id=20240718193633|access-date=July 21, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|streamsonly=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Release dates and formats for "Back to Black"

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format(s)

! scope="col"| Label(s)

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"| United Kingdom

| 26 April 2007

| 7-inch vinyl

| rowspan="2"| Island

| {{center|}}

30 April 2007

| {{hlist|12-inch vinyl|maxi CD}}

| {{center|{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/2007/Music-Week-2007-04-28.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|date=28 April 2007|magazine=Music Week|page=31|accessdate=8 October 2023|via=World Radio History}}}}

scope="row"| United States

| 27 November 2007

| Rhythmic contemporary radio

| Universal Republic

| {{center|{{cite web|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239|title=Available For Airplay|website=FMQB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091101141712/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239#2007|archive-date=1 November 2009|accessdate=8 October 2023}}}}

scope="row"| Germany

| 7 March 2008

| CD

| Universal Music

| {{center|}}

Other versions

  • Lightspeed Champion included a cover of this song as a B-side to their 2008 single "Tell Me What It's Worth". His version was a stripped-down rendition, from a different gender perspective. Priya Elan of NME considered his cover to be one of the best covers by a song by Winehouse classifiying it as "suitably distraught and heartbroken".{{cite news|url=http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/from-arctic-monkeys-to-elbow-the-5-best-amy-winehouse-cover-versions|title=From Arctic Monkeys To Elbow, The 5 Best Amy Winehouse Cover Versions|work=NME|first=Priya|last=Elan|date=25 July 2011|access-date=20 September 2014}}
  • "Back to Black" was covered thrice on the Live Lounge segment of BBC Radio 1's The Jo Whiley Show, first by Elbow on 5 June 2008 and later by both Glasvegas on 1 September 2008 and Sam Fender on 13 February 2020.{{cite web |title=Sam Fender - Back To Black in the Live Lounge |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0TNRBI8ZaM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/H0TNRBI8ZaM |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|website=YouTube | date=13 February 2020 |access-date=9 October 2021}}{{cbignore}} Elbow's version contained a string accompaniment which backed the lead singer's vocals. Fender's rendition was later released digitally to music streaming services on 26 March 2020.{{cite web |title=Back To Black (BBC Radio 1 Live Session) - Single by Sam Fender |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/1502779143?app=itunes&cId=EM&ign-itscg=30440&ign-itsct=catchall_p5&ign-mpt=uo%3D4&lId=1844317&sr=5&src=Linkfire |website=Apple Music |date = 26 March 2020|access-date=9 October 2021}}
  • The song appeared on French singer Amanda Lear's 2009 album, Brief Encounters.{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/brief-encounters-vol.-1/id411469877|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027034314/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/brief-encounters-vol.-1/id411469877|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 October 2014|title=Music - Brief Encounters, Vol. 1 by Amanda Lear|website=iTunes Store|location=United States|access-date=22 April 2013}} The cover was also released as a single on 13 December 2012 containing three versions of the song; the album version, an acoustic version and a "Dance Amanda's Vino Della Casa Mix".{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/amy-winehouse-sung-by-amanda/id585015419|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028103939/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/amy-winehouse-sung-by-amanda/id585015419|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 October 2014|title=Music - Amy Winehouse Sung By Amanda Lear (Chanté Par Amanda Lear) - Single|website=iTunes Store|location=United States|access-date=22 April 2013}} The writers of the website Idolator, described her cover as "one of the strangest Amy Winehouse covers".{{cite web|url=http://idolator.com/5949142/who-covered-amy-winehouse-best-a-tribute|title=Who Covered Amy Winehouse Best? A Tribute|website=Idolator|date=23 July 2011|access-date=22 April 2013}}
  • On 29 July 2011, during a performance at I Want My MTV Ibiza, Mark Ronson covered "Back to Black" with Charlie Waller as a tribute to Winehouse, several days after her death. He revealed that the song was one of the first songs they had written together. He also told the crowd that Waller's inclusion for the performance was due to Winehouse's positive reaction after hearing his cover of "Back to Black" with the Rumble Strips.{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.co.uk/news/gfuybi/mark-ronson-remembers-amy-winehouse|title=Mark Ronson Remembers Amy Winehouse|publisher=MTV UK|date=5 August 2011|access-date=20 September 2014}} A writer of MTV UK praised his performance, saying that it was sending "a tingle down the spine and causing the hairs on the back of your neck to stand on end".{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.co.uk/news/j9mehy/mark-ronson-i-want-my-mtv-ibiza-review|title=Mark Ronson 'I Want My MTV Ibiza' Review|publisher=MTV UK|date=30 July 2011|access-date=20 September 2014}}
  • Ronnie Spector, who was a major influence on Winehouse, began covering "Back to Black" during concerts in 2008 and released her cover as a single in tribute to Winehouse in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/news/amy-winehouse-ronnie-spector-similarities|title=Amy Winehouse and Ronnie Spector: The Uncanny Parallels Between the Two Singers|publisher=Biography|date=4 June 2020|access-date=8 June 2021}}
  • "Back to Black" was performed by English singer Florence Welch during the VH1 Divas concert at Hammerstein Ballroom on 18 December 2011 in New York City. Welch performed the song as a tribute to Winehouse after her death.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/41660/vh1-divas-florence-welch-leads-amy-winehouse-tribute|title=VH1 Divas: Florence Welch Leads Amy Winehouse Tribute|magazine=Billboard|date=December 2011|access-date=9 April 2013}} Mark Graham of VH1 praised Welch's performance of the song, noting that thanks to it Winehouse's musical legacy was cemented.{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2011-12-19/vh1-divas-florence-the-machine-back-to-black/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202014908/http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2011-12-19/vh1-divas-florence-the-machine-back-to-black|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 February 2012|title=VH1 DIVAS Celebrates Soul: Florence Welch's Haunting, Otherworldly Take on Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black"|publisher=VH1|first=Mark|last=Graham|date=19 December 2011|access-date=20 September 2014}}
  • On 25 June 2012, Ronson played a previously unheard and unmastered version of the song on BBC Radio 6.{{cite magazine|url=https://consequence.net/2012/06/new-music-amy-winehouse-back-to-black-unreleased-demo/|title=New Music: Amy Winehouse – "Back to Black" (Unreleased demo)|magazine=Consequence of Sound|first=Chris|last=Coplan|date=26 June 2012|access-date=2 October 2014}}
  • "Back to Black" was performed by Ronson and Miley Cyrus during the Glastonbury Festival 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.popsugar.co.uk/entertainment/Miley-Cyrus-Sings-Back-Black-Glastonbury-2019-Video-46333185|title = Miley Cyrus Brings Passion and Power to Her Cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black"|date = July 2019}}
  • In 2020, New Zealand singer Benee covered the song as part of Deezer's InVersions compilation album.{{cite web|last=Rettig|first=James|date=6 October 2020|title=Fontaines D.C., Ela Minus, & More Contribute New Covers To Deezer Compilation|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2101325/deezer-covers-compilation-fontaines-dc-ela-minus-benee/music/|access-date=21 November 2020|website=Stereogum}}

Beyoncé and André 3000 version

{{Infobox song

| name = Back to Black

| cover =

| alt =

| type =

| artist = Beyoncé featuring André 3000

| album = The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film

| released =

| recorded = 2012–2013

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Alternative R&B

| length = 3:21

| label = Interscope

| writer = {{hlist|Amy Winehouse|Mark Ronson}}

| producer = Hollywood Holt

}}

"Back to Black" was covered by American singer Beyoncé and American rapper André 3000 for the soundtrack of the 2013 film The Great Gatsby. Jay Z, who served as an executive producer for the soundtrack, suggested the song to its producer Baz Luhrmann. It was the final song recorded for the album and was included after the producers wanted a darker moment on The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film. The song premiered in April 2013 after several snippets of it appeared online and it was used in the trailer for the film.

Amy Winehouse's father Mitchell Winehouse reported that Beyoncé had not informed him about covering the song, and requested that the income coming from it should be donated to his Amy Winehouse Foundation. When the song was released, Winehouse criticized André 3000's singing, saying that it should have been covered only by Beyoncé. However, Mark Ronson, the original producer of the song, revealed that he was flattered and honored by the cover version.

Beyoncé and André 3000's cover is slower than the original with several lyrical modifications. It features a darker production with heavier instrumentation complete with a guitar and synthesizers, chopped and screwed elements and electronic beats. Upon its release, the song received mixed reviews from music critics who noted that the original version was already perfect to be further reworked; several critics praised its reworked arrangement while others criticized the singers' vocal performance, calling it the most controversial song on the soundtrack.

=Background and development=

On 1 April 2013 E! Online announced that American singer Beyoncé would cover the song with André 3000 for The Great Gatsby soundtrack, set to be released on 7 May 2013.{{cite web|last=Malkin|first=Marc|title=Beyoncé Covering Amy Winehouse for The Great Gatsby|url=http://uk.eonline.com/news/403523/beyonc-covering-amy-winehouse-for-the-great-gatsby|publisher=E! News|date=1 April 2013|access-date=8 April 2013}} Baz Luhrmann, the director of the film, revealed that "Back to Black" was the final song to be included on the album. The song was suggested for the soundtrack by Beyoncé's husband and rapper Jay Z, who also served as its executive producer. "We were looking for, 'How do we have a darker moment?' and he said have a listen to this and he played it", commented Luhrmann, who, after a few spins, confirmed it should appear on the album.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706513/beyonce-back-to-black-great-gatsby-soundtrack.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502001142/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706513/beyonce-back-to-black-great-gatsby-soundtrack.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 May 2013|title=Beyonce's 'Back To Black' Helps Make 'The Great Gatsby' A Bit 'Darker'|publisher=MTV News|first1=Jocelyn|last1=Vena|first2=Josh|last2=Horowitz|date=29 April 2013|access-date=30 April 2013}} Anton Monsted, who served as a producer for the soundtrack, talked about the placement of the cover of "Back to Black" on the track listing during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

We have to thank Jay Z for bringing this into the overall thinking. He worked with us on the second party in the movie. The first party is a gaudy, rich, Venus flytrap of a celebration designed to attract Daisy's interest by physically bringing the entire city of New York to Long Island. The second party is one that Daisy does attend, but at this point in the story, we were looking for a musical direction that alluded to darker things beneath the surface. We were looking for a song that would speak to the almost 'Sid and Nancy' addictive love that Gatsby and Daisy have found themselves re-engaging in. Everybody knows the Amy Winehouse version of this song, and I think this is a very interesting interpretation. It plunges you further into this particular kind of lovesickness. I think it works very well in the film, where it blends between a jazz recording that The Bryan Ferry Orchestra did and the version on the album with Beyoncé and André 3000. That combination helps to deepen the resonance of what the song is telling us.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/great-gatsby-soundtrack-track-by-track-521092|title=From Flappers to Rappers: 'The Great Gatsby' Music Supervisor Breaks Down the Film's Soundtrack|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Roy|last=Trakin|date=11 May 2013|access-date=21 August 2013}}

On 2 April 2013, Amy Winehouse's father, Mitchell Winehouse, used his Twitter profile to reveal that Beyoncé had not informed him of her plans to cover the song and that he wanted income from the song to go to his Amy Winehouse Foundation. He wrote, "I don't know about this but what if Beyoncé gave £100,000 to the foundation? Do you know how many kids that would help? Just putting it out there."{{Cite news|title=Amy Winehouse's father calls for Beyonce to hand over cash for Back to Black cover|url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/04/03/amy-winehouses-father-calls-for-beyonce-to-hand-over-cash-for-back-to-black-cover-3581839/|date=3 April 2013|access-date=8 April 2013|work=Metro|location=London|issn=1469-6215|oclc=225917520}} He later added, "Let me repeat. This is the first I have heard of Beyoncé doing Amy's {{sic}} song."{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/04/mitch-winehouse-beyonce-back-to-black_n_3016723.html|title=Mitch Winehouse on Beyonce's 'Back to Black' Cover: 'First I Have Heard' Of It|work=HuffPost|first=Kia|last=Makarechi|date=4 April 2013|access-date=8 April 2013}} Kia Makarechi of The Huffington Post noted that Beyoncé did not use the song as a personal record and thus it was "slightly curious" for Winehouse to request for her to pay out. Winehouse later tweeted, "I like Beyoncé's cover and have no probs."{{cite web|url=http://uk.eonline.com/news/410506/amy-winehouse-s-father-talks-alleged-song-diss-i-like-beyonc-s-cover-of-back-to-black|title=NEWS/Amy Winehouse's Father Talks Alleged Song Diss: "I Like Beyoncé's Cover" of "Back to Black|publisher=E! News|first=Lily|last=Harrison|date=22 April 2013|access-date=22 April 2013}} However, upon hearing the full-length track, he wrote on his Twitter profile, "I just heard the André part of 'Back to Black'. Terrible. He should have let Beyoncé do it all."{{cite news|url=http://www.nme.com/news/beyonce/69989|title=Mitch Winehouse: 'Andre 3000's part in the cover of 'Back To Black' is terrible'|work=NME|date=28 April 2013|access-date=28 April 2013}}

=Release=

{{multiple image

| align = left

| image1 = Beyoncé Army.mil cropped-2.jpg

| width1 = 160

| alt1 =

| caption1 =

| image2 = Andre Benjamin.jpg

| width2 = 160

| alt2 =

| caption2 =

| footer = In 2013, "Back to Black" was covered by Beyoncé (left) and André 3000 (right) for The Great Gatsby soundtrack.

}}

On 4 April 2013 a new trailer for the film featured previews of three songs from the soundtrack; a thirty-second preview of the cover of "Back to Black" was among those songs.{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2013/04/the-great-gatsby-soundtrack-features-new-jay-z-the-xx-florence-the-machine/|title=The Great Gatsby soundtrack features new Jay-Z, The xx, Florence & the Machine |first=Alex|last=Young|work=Consequence of Sound|date=4 April 2013|access-date=8 April 2013}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/new-gatsby-trailer-now-with-back-to-black.html|title=The New Gatsby Trailer Has 30 Seconds of Beyoncé's 'Back to Black'|website=Vulture|first=Amanda|last=Dobbins|date=4 April 2013|access-date=21 April 2013}} Chris Payne of Billboard magazine praised the cover, which according to him was made unique with the downtempo and EDM wobble.{{cite magazine|last=Payne|first=Chris|title=Beyonce, Lana Del Rey, Florence Music Featured in New 'Great Gatsby' Trailer|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1556334/beyonce-lana-del-rey-florence-music-featured-in-new-great-gatsby-trailer|magazine=Billboard|access-date=7 April 2013|location=New York|date=4 April 2013}} A ninety-second snippet of the song also appeared online on 21 April 2013{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/article/listen-beyonce-andre-3000-cover-amy-winehouses-back-black-snippet|title=Listen: Beyonce, Andre 3000 Cover Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" (Snippet)|work=Vibe|first=Charley|last=Rogulewski|date=21 April 2013|access-date=22 April 2013}} and was made available for streaming through the iTunes Store.{{cite magazine|url=https://consequence.net/2013/04/preview-jay-zs-new-song-100-bill-beyonce-and-andre-3000s-cover-of-amy-winehouse/|title=Preview Jay-Z's new song "100$ Bill", Beyoncé and André 3000's cover of Amy Winehouse|magazine=Consequence of Sound|first=Alex|last=Young|date=21 April 2013|access-date=22 April 2013}} A writer of Rap-Up magazine described it as a "dark and haunting collaboration" adding that it features "[André 3000] rapping his verse, while Queen B[eyoncé] burns slow with her seductive vocals."{{cite web|url=http://www.rap-up.com/2013/04/22/new-music-beyonce-andre-3000-back-to-black-snippet/|title=New Music: Beyoncé & André 3000 – 'Back to Black' [Snippet]|work=Rap-Up|date=22 April 2013|access-date=22 April 2013}} Sam Lansky of the website Idolator wrote that the cover was "a fairly sinister, gloomy affair" because of the lyrics, which according to him were connected with Amy Winehouse's death, and the film's noirish bent. He further commented that "it strikes us as an unusually dark side of King Bey[oncé], who's supposed to be literally the most poised human being alive". Speaking about the modification of the lyrics, he noted that it was "but a little odd" and concluded the review by saying, "It's eerie but cool, and a fitting tribute to Winehouse's legacy."{{cite web|url=http://idolator.com/7453914/beyonce-andre-3000-back-to-black-amy-winehouse-great-gatsby|title=Beyonce & Andre 3000's "Back To Black": Preview Their Dark Amy Winehouse Cover|website=Idolator|first=Sam|last=Lansky|date=22 April 2013|access-date=22 April 2013}} The full version of the song premiered on Mark Ronson's East Village Radio show on 26 April 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/beyonce/69980|title=Listen to Beyonce and Andre 3000's cover of 'Back To Black' in full|work=NME|date=27 April 2013|access-date=27 April 2013}} Upon its release, Ronson, who co-wrote the original song, commented that it was a "wonderful take on our song" and added: "I'm flattered and honoured, I know Amy would be too."

=Composition=

The cover version of "Back to Black" has a slower tempo than the original.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-great-gatsby-music-from-baz-luhrmann-s-film-20130503|title=The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Jody|last=Rosen|author-link=Jody Rosen|date=3 May 2013|access-date=6 May 2013|archive-date=24 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724021105/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-great-gatsby-music-from-baz-luhrmann-s-film-20130503|url-status=dead}} It features a darker production and chopped and screwed elements with a dark, twisted mood and a hypnotizing dub beat.{{cite web|url=http://www.rap-up.com/2013/04/26/new-music-beyonce-andre-3000-back-to-black/|title=New Music: Beyoncé and André 3000 - 'Back to Black'|work=Rap-Up|date=26 April 2013|access-date=8 August 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/great-gatsby-soundtrack-review-film-music_n_3224005.html|title='Great Gatsby' Soundtrack Review: Film's Music Is 'Sexy' And 'Dangerous'|work=Associated Press via The Huffington Post|first=Cristina|last=Jaleru|date=6 May 2013|access-date=16 August 2013}} Charley Rogulewski of Vibe magazine commented that the cover version was like a heroin-laced outtake off of the Trainspotting soundtrack. Eschewing the 1960s Wall of Sound style of the original, the remake takes a minimalist, synth-heavy approach, with an occasional, echoing guitar twang.{{cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/05/03/beyonc_andr_3000_cover_amy_winehouse_hear_back_to_black_from_the_great_gatsby.html|title=Hear Beyoncé and André 3000's "Back to Black"|work=Slate|first=Aisha|last=Harris|date=3 May 2013|access-date=8 August 2013}} Melinda Newman of the website HitFix noted that the cover version was more solemn than the original, with the guitar in the song "adding to the loneliness". Logan Smithson of the online magazine PopMatters commented that it also features heavier instrumentation. The 1960s pop string orchestration of the first version is exchanged for a "meatier, keyboard-fueled, big beat groove", as stated by Keith Murphy of Vibe magazine. Glenn Gamboa of Newsday noted that the cover was stripped down practically to an electronic pulse which he further compared with the "sweeping, dramatic, icy electronic music" that Luhrmann used in his film Romeo + Juliet.{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/backstage-pass-1.811987/hear-the-great-gatsby-soundtrack-now-1.5190401|title=Hear 'The Great Gatsby' soundtrack now|work=Newsday|first=Glenn|last=Gamboa|date=3 May 2013|access-date=16 August 2013}}

The lyrics of the song were modified; they were reversed so it could function better as a duet. It opens with André 3000 rapping his verses on a scratchy, bare beat and dissonant instrumentation further playing with the rhythm of the lyrical phrasing. Beyoncé continues singing her part at the first minute and thirty seconds of the song.{{cite web|url=http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/beyonce-andre-3000-amy-winehouse-great-gatsby.html|title=Beyoncé and André 3000's Amy Winehouse Cover Is Here|website=Vulture|first=Zach|last=Dionne|date=28 April 2013|access-date=29 April 2013}} Instead of belting her verse out, she whispers with seductive and sultry vocals, while André 3000 "buzzes" and raps over a nostalgic Aquemini leaky faucet beat as stated by Rogulewski from Vibe. Newman of the website HitFix commented that Beyoncé's vocal performance contrasted André 3000's spoken lyrics.

=Critical reception=

Upon its release, the collaboration of "Back to Black" received mixed reviews by music critics. Critics discussed that the song was already "perfect" to be further reworked.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/10057018/Bryan-Ferry-is-the-backbone-of-The-Great-Gatsby-soundtrack.html|title=Bryan Ferry is the backbone of The Great Gatsby soundtrack|work=The Daily Telegraph|first= Alice|last=Vincent|date=15 May 2013|access-date=9 August 2013}} A writer of Consequence commented that the cover was "an intriguing take on the sultry number, featuring a soft pulse of dub underneath the syrupy sing-talk of André and breathy croon a la Marilyn Monroe/Betty Boop from Queen B."{{cite magazine|url=https://consequence.net/2013/04/listen-to-beyonce-and-andre-3000-cover-amy-winehouses-back-to-black/|title=Listen to Beyoncé and André 3000 cover Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black"|magazine=Consequence of Sound|date=26 April 2013}} Paula Mejía of the same website listed the song as a highlight on the album, adding that the singers "take an unsettling postmortem stab": "Oozing womps from the latter [Beyoncé] trickle into the ear slowly, mimicking that feeling when you're walking alone at night and have the suspicion you're being followed, but you're too freaked-out and cool to look behind you."{{cite magazine|url=https://consequence.net/2013/05/album-review-music-from-baz-luhrmanns-film-the-great-gatsby/|title=Album Review: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film The Great Gatsby|magazine=Consequence of Sound|first=Paula|last=Mejia|date=9 May 2013|access-date=9 May 2013}} Christina Lee of the website Idolator wrote in her review of the song that it was "a gloomier take on Southern hip-hop's codeine effect", comparing it with OutKast's album Aquemini (1998) reinterpreted for contemporary times.{{cite web|url=http://idolator.com/7455128/beyonce-andre-3000-amy-winehouse-back-to-black-cover|title=Beyonce & Andre 3000's "Back To Black": Hear The Full Track|website=Idolator|first=Christina|last=Lee|date=27 April 2013|access-date=27 April 2013}} Charley Rogulewski of Vibe magazine commented that the cover was "a drugged-out slow burner in comparison to the doo-wop original, which boasted Winehouse's robust vocals".{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/article/new-music-beyonce-andre-3000-back-black|title=New Music: Beyonce, Andre 3000 -- "Back to Black"|work=Vibe|first=Charley|last=Rogulewski|date=27 April 2013|access-date=27 April 2013}} C. Vernon Coleman of XXL magazine simply described it as "dope".{{cite web|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/bangers/2013/04/beyonce-ft-andre-3000-back-to-black/|title=Beyonce ft Andre 3000 "Back To Black"|work=XXL|first=C.|last=Vernon Coleman|date=27 April 2013|access-date=28 April 2013}} Describing it as a shift in Beyoncé's usual approach, Ann Powers of NPR noted that "[she] gets stuck in the 1950s, sounding far more like a torch singer than a blues queen" but added that it was not a problem since "{{sic|Lur|hmann's|nolink=y}} postmodernism has plenty of room for the juxtaposition of historic and current styles."{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/04/30/180098344/first-listen-music-from-baz-luhrmanns-film-the-great-gatsby|title=First Listen: Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film 'The Great Gatsby'|publisher=NPR|first=Ann|last=Powers|author-link=Ann Powers|date=2 May 2013|access-date=9 August 2013}} She further added that André 3000 sings in a "dandyish snarl that's been off-putting to some, but his radical rearrangement of the song comes closer than anything else here to {{sic|Lur|hmann's|nolink=y}} own nearly surrealist aesthetic". Describing the cover as "distinguishable", Logan Smithson of PopMatters further commented, "Though the cover doesn't top Winehouse's original, it is good in its own right and feels right at home on Gatsby. Besides, who doesn't love hearing André 3000's voice?".{{cite magazine|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/171152-various-artists-the-great-gatsby/|title=Various Artists: The Great Gatsby Soundtrack|magazine=PopMatters|first=Logan|last=Smithson|date=9 May 2013|access-date=16 August 2013}} Kelly Dearmore from the American Songwriter described the cover as "synthy [and] trippy", writing that the singers turn it into a "wondrously hypnotic effect, and in turn, setting the tone for the entire album by blending brash audacity with dark surrealism".{{cite web|url=http://www.americansongwriter.com/2013/05/various-artists-the-great-gatsby-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/|title=Various Artists: The Great Gatsby Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|work=American Songwriter|first=Kelly|last=Dearmore|date=12 May 2013|access-date=17 May 2013}}

In a more mixed review, AllMusic's David Jeffries called the song an "icy cold reading" of the original.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-great-gatsby-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0002541283|title=The Great Gatsby (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)|access-date=8 August 2013|website=AllMusic|first=David|last=Jeffries}} Noting that it had a "lavish-yet-empty feeling", Aisha Harris from Slate magazine wrote in her review: "The song has the feel of a blurry stupor—fitting... for the dark undertones of The Great Gatsby, but not terribly satisfying outside that context. Winehouse's vocals had a visceral, emotional punch, whereas here, there's little connection between the sound of the voices and the meaning of the lyrics. 'Life is like a pipe/ And I'm a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside' doesn't feel as meaningful coming from Beyoncé as it did from Winehouse." {{interlanguage link|Thomas Conner (journalist)|lt=Thomas Conner|de|Thomas Conner}} from the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that Beyoncé surprises by downshifting into "indie-chanteuse mode" for the cover, which he noted was sung "with a sad sexual tension that approaches torch song but never ignites it".{{cite web|url=http://blogs.suntimes.com/music/2013/05/review_the_great_gatsby_soundtrack_jay-z_beyonce.html |title=Review: 'The Great Gatsby' soundtrack |first=Thomas |last=Corner |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=5 May 2013 |access-date=8 August 2013 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119074618/http://blogs.suntimes.com/music/2013/05/review_the_great_gatsby_soundtrack_jay-z_beyonce.html |archive-date=19 January 2016 }} Newman from the website HitFix wrote in her review that the original version was stronger than the cover and added that it felt like it was a song by André 3000 featuring Beyoncé as the song mainly featured his vocals. She finished her review by grading the cover with a B-side and wrote, "André 3000 and Beyoncé aren't afraid to rework the track and make it their own, for which they deserve credit, but their remake won't make anyone forget Amy's version."{{cite news|url=http://www.hitfix.com/news/great-gatsby-soundtrack-listen-to-beyonces-amy-winehouse-cover|title='Great Gatsby' soundtrack: Listen to Beyonce's Amy Winehouse cover|website=HitFix|first=Melinda|last=Newman|date=29 April 2013|access-date=16 August 2013|archive-date=28 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628181411/http://www.hitfix.com/news/great-gatsby-soundtrack-listen-to-beyonces-amy-winehouse-cover|url-status=dead}} Jim Farber of New York Daily News wrote in his review that "unfortunately" Beyoncé only makes a cameo appearance in the song while André 3000 dominates with a "rank rap and a woeful vocal".{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/great-gatsby-music-review-article-1.1336310|title='The Great Gatsby,' music review|work=New York Daily News|first=Jim|last=Farber|date=7 May 2013|access-date=17 August 2013}} Writing that it sounded "dull", Cameron Adams of Herald Sun added "it's got nice guitar work but the minimal remake is worth it only to hear Bey sing, 'I love blow and you love puff'".{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/album-of-the-week-and-latest-releases/story-fn7oonq8-1226638487658|title=Album of the week and latest releases|work=Herald Sun|first=Cameron|last=Adams|date=9 May 2013|access-date=21 August 2013}} Paste magazine's Philip Cosores wrote that "'Back to Black' sees Jay Z sticking his wife with a pretty raw deal, with the male half of the duet getting the opening verse and the chorus virtually to himself, leaving Bey with scraps at the end."{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/05/various-artists-music-from-baz-luhrmanns-film-the.html|title=Various Artists: Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film The Great Gatsby|work=Paste|first=Philip|last=Cosores|date=7 May 2013|access-date=9 May 2013}}

Mark Beech from Bloomberg L.P. gave a negative review of the cover, writing that Beyoncé and André 3000 "murdered" the original version and noted that F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of the novel The Great Gatsby on which the film was based, would be "baffled" by it.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-08/jay-z-ruins-gatsby-with-rap-as-lana-del-rey-craves-love.html|title=Jay-Z Ruins 'Gatsby' Soundtrack as Lana Del Rey Begs Love|publisher=Bloomberg|first=Mark|last=Beech|date=8 May 2013|access-date=16 August 2013}} Kathy McCabe from The Daily Telegraph wrote that the song was the most controversial musical moment from the soundtrack and added that it seemed "unrecognisable from the original, darker and so cut and pasted, it gives you the jitters after a couple of minutes".{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/the-great-gatsby-by-baz-luhrmann-delivers-audacious-soundtrack/story-e6frexl9-1226634388506|title=The Great Gatsby by Baz Luhrmann delivers audacious soundtrack|work=The Daily Telegraph|first=Kathy|last=McCabe|date=3 May 2013|access-date=16 August 2013}} Keith Murphy of Vibe magazine described the cover version as the soundtrack's "weakest link", although he called it "credible". He added that Beyoncé sounds "way too pristine" on it and wrote, "Please avoid covering the late Amy Winehouse if you are unable to project her heartbreaking anguish."{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/photo-gallery/15-thoughts-on-great-gatsby-soundtrack/?page=2|title=15 Thoughts On 'The Great Gatsby' Soundtrack|work=Vibe|first=Keith|last=Murphy|page=2|date=7 May 2013|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-date=25 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025170801/http://www.vibe.com/photo-gallery/15-thoughts-on-great-gatsby-soundtrack/?page=2|url-status=dead}} Stacy Lambe of VH1 panned the cover of "Back to Black" as "the biggest disappointment on the soundtrack". Another writer of the same website also gave it a negative review, saying "I think the arrangement of this is sleepy and practically smothers the angst out of the song. Also, Beyoncé lives such a perfect life that she can't convey the same bitter pain in her voice that Amy could."{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-05-07/ranking-the-great-gatsby-soundtrack/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509225049/http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-05-07/ranking-the-great-gatsby-soundtrack/|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 May 2013|title=Ranking Every Track on the Great Gatsby Soundtrack|publisher=VH1|first=Stacy|last=Lambe|date=7 May 2013|access-date=21 August 2013}}

References

{{Reflist}}

=Bibliography=

  • {{cite book|last=Winehouse|first=Mitch|title=Amy, My Daughter|year=2012|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=9780062191397}}