I Miss One Week Ago
{{short description|Song by Oh Land}}
{{Infobox song
| name = I Miss One Week Ago
| artist = Oh Land
| type = single
| cover = Oh Land "I Miss One Week Ago".jpg
| border = yes
| alt = A colored photograph of Oh Land sitting at a piano in a dark studio room.
| caption =
| album =
| released = {{Start date|2020|03|20|df=yes}}
| recorded = March 2020
| studio =
| genre =
| length = {{duration|m=2|s=54}}
| label =
- Tusk or Tooth
| writer = Nanna Øland Fabricius
| producer = Adnan Zukanovic
| tracks =
| prev_title = Wishes
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = Julefeber
| next_year = 2020
| misc =
}}
"I Miss One Week Ago" is a song by Danish singer and songwriter Oh Land. It was written, recorded, and released during the month of March 2020, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic began internationally, resulting in lockdowns and the promotion of social distancing. The concept for "I Miss One Week Ago" originated as she spent lockdown in her home with boyfriend Adnan Zukanovic, the song's producer. In the lyrics, Oh Land discusses how, prior to the pandemic, the difficulty of her daily struggles paled in comparison to the current day.
When Oh Land digitally released "I Miss One Week Ago", she paired it with its instrumental version so fans could create their own versions of the song. Its live music video features the singer at home performing on the piano. She also performed the song on the Danish television special Danmark står sammen (2020).
Background and release
The song's development began following announcements from the Danish government regarding protocol for lockdowns and social distancing. In the early stages of pregnancy, she took up residence with her boyfriend Adnan Zukanovic and son. To combat feelings of isolation, she found songwriting and the opportunity to "put [..] abstract emotions into sounds" to help.{{cite news |last1=Manuelry |first1=Martin |title=Staying at Home with... |url=https://www.irkmagazine.com/post/staying-at-home-with |access-date=16 July 2023 |work=Irk Magazine |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127201451/https://www.irkmagazine.com/post/staying-at-home-with |url-status=live }} She ultimately wrote "I Miss One Week Ago" the night of the government's first statement. Oh Land's musical endeavors leading up to the release of "I Miss One Week Ago" included her fifth studio album, Family Tree, in 2019, and the holiday-themed single "Wishes".
The song was then sent to digital retailers on 20 March through Tusk or Tooth Records.{{cite web |title=Single – I Miss One Week Ago By Oh Land |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/3S9YUJvP4oDnVuC1GHeKkF?si=_dD9tRdPT1qYPg6g35vwEQ |publisher=Spotify (US) |access-date=20 March 2020 |date=20 March 2020 |archive-date=14 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414195045/https://open.spotify.com/album/3S9YUJvP4oDnVuC1GHeKkF?si=_dD9tRdPT1qYPg6g35vwEQ |url-status=live }} The single was packaged with its instrumental version so fans could extend the lyrics to "I Miss One Week Ago" and create their own versions. She also intended to repost any cover videos submitted by fans. Oh Land is credited with writing and performing piano on the song, while Zukanovic handled production, mastering, mixing, and performed Casio synths.
Composition and lyrics
"I Miss One Week Ago" primarily features Oh Land layered vocals over a piano. Her lyrics reflect her feelings of isolation and lonesomeness amidst Denmark's response to the COVID-19 pandemic; elaborating, she said that writing the song's lyrics helped her cope with struggles during quarantine.{{cite news |title=Oh Land'in yeni sarkisi bir açık çagriyla birlikte geldi |url=https://bantmag.com/oh-landin-yeni-sarkisi-bir-acik-cagriyla-birlikte-geldi/ |access-date=16 July 2023 |work=Bant Mag |date=21 March 2020 |language=Turkish |archive-date=24 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524082636/https://bantmag.com/oh-landin-yeni-sarkisi-bir-acik-cagriyla-birlikte-geldi/ |url-status=live }} She added: "Every day this past week has felt unreal, and it's been hard to deal with the massive changes. The only way I could cope emotionally was by writing this song. I miss normal. I love normal. And I can't wait for everything to be over."{{cite web |title=22 New Songs Out Today |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/22-new-songs-out-today-24/ |website=BrooklynVegan |access-date=16 July 2023 |date=20 March 2020 |archive-date=25 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325042012/https://www.brooklynvegan.com/22-new-songs-out-today-24/ |url-status=live }} One of her lyrics describes worrying over losing a cell phone, and another about missing an exit while driving.{{cite news |title=Weekly Music Roundup: Oh Land, Juana Molina, and Beat Circus |url=https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/soundcheck/articles/weekly-music-roundup-oh-land-juana-molina-and-beat-circus |access-date=16 July 2023 |publisher=WNYC Studios |date=23 March 2020 |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716065327/https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/soundcheck/articles/weekly-music-roundup-oh-land-juana-molina-and-beat-circus |url-status=live }} In Jon Pareles' inclusion of the song in a The New York Times article, he remarked: "Cooped-up songwriters are going to write songs, and they're thinking about the same topic as nearly everyone else."{{cite news |last1=Pareles |first1=Jon |last2=Caramanica |first2=Jon |last3=Russonello |first3=Giovanni |title=Bob Dylan's 17-Minute Surprise, and 8 More New Songs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/arts/music/playlist-bob-dylan-rihanna-partynextdoor.html |access-date=16 July 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=27 March 2020 |archive-date=15 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215212144/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/arts/music/playlist-bob-dylan-rihanna-partynextdoor.html |url-status=live }} He also described her vocals as poised and highlighted its "luminous final ascent". A contributor to WNYC Studios felt that the song did not have her typical "sophisticated arrangements", but wrote: "but here, she chooses, wisely, to go small."
Reception and promotion
Brett Callwood from LA Weekly selected "I Miss One Week Ago" as his "Music Pick" of the week and predicted its then-unreleased live video would be a "delicate treat" for fans.{{cite news |last1=Callwood |first1=Brent |title=Music Pick (Live Streaming): Oh Land |url=https://www.laweekly.com/music-pick-live-streaming-oh-land/ |access-date=22 July 2023 |work=LA Weekly |date=10 April 2020}}
The same day as the single's release, a live music video for "I Miss One Week Ago" was uploaded to Oh Land's official YouTube channel. She also performed the song on the Danish television special Danmark står sammen the following week.{{cite news |last1=Ørregaard Andersen |first1=Stina |title=Sangerinden Oh Land: Musikken er mit anker, når jeg oplever usikkerhed |url=https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/kultur/musikken-er-mit-anker-naar-jeg-oplever-usikkerhed |access-date=16 July 2023 |work=Kristeligt Dagblad |date=1 April 2020 |language=Danish |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701140950/https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/kultur/musikken-er-mit-anker-naar-jeg-oplever-usikkerhed |url-status=live }} For further promotion, she announced a live streaming event, via YouTube, where she would perform an acoustic version of "I Miss One Week Ago", beginning on 11 April 2020 at 10:00 AM (PT).
Track listing
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the live video description of "I Miss One Week Ago".{{cite web |title=I Miss One Week Ago (written and recorded during COVID-19 lockdown) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6oXY5PCSrE |publisher=Oh Land |access-date=16 July 2023 |date=19 March 2020 |via=YouTube |archive-date=29 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221029054557/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6oXY5PCSrE |url-status=live }}
- Nanna Øland Fabricius{{spaced ndash}}writing, piano, choir
- Adnan Zukanovic{{spaced ndash}}production, mastering, mixing, Casio synths
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release dates and formats for "I Miss One Week Ago" ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format(s) ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}} |
| scope="row" | Various
| 20 March 2020 | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} | Tusk or Tooth | style="text-align:center;"| References regarding the release of "I Miss One Week Ago" by Oh Land on Apple Music:
|
|---|
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{YouTube|M6oXY5PCSrE|"I Miss One Week Ago" (Live video)}}
{{Oh Land}}
Category:Song recordings produced by Adnan Zukanovic