2001 single by So Solid Crew
"
21 Seconds
" is a song by
UK garage
group
So Solid Crew
. Released as the second single from their 2001 debut album
They Don't Know
, it was the first of five consecutive top-20 hit singles for the group.
Composition and production
[
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]
The song uses fairly stripped back production, utilising a 2-step rhythm which was common in
UK garage
at the time.
Lisa Maffia
's young daughter, Chelsea, can be heard at the beginning of the track, saying "Ha, ha, ha, whatcha laughin at?"
[2]
The song title alludes to the approximate 21 seconds that each of the band members is given to perform their rap. 21 seconds is arrived at as the song's tempo is approximately 140BPM, has a key of
G minor
, and each rapper has 12 bars of 4 beats (48 beats at 140BPM, when worked out to the nearest integer, rounds to 21 seconds).
[2]
Megaman said the crew created the track after their label told them to make a track lasting three and a half minutes. He said "so we worked out that with at least 10 or 11 members, that's eight bars each ? 21 seconds. It was a simple calculation."
[3]
Their label manager Shabs Jobanputra said "they literally took a calculator and divided the time by the number of MCs."
[4]
Music video
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]
The music video for "21 Seconds" was directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini and was released on 2001. It features members from
So Solid Crew
performing during the storm in front of fences full of people dancing. It heavily uses special effects such as the storm, clouds, helicopters, lightning, tornado, etc.
The music video received the award for
British Video of the Year
at the
2002 Brit Awards
.
[5]
Critical reception
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]
In a 2002 review,
Pete Paphides
in
The Guardian
said the track was "a brilliant idea" but that "not a single member of the collective uses their time to say anything remotely insightful."
[6]
In September 2019,
NME
included the song in their "25 essential UK garage anthems" list.
[7]
In a 2020 retrospective review of the single,
The Quietus
said the track "managed to capture the excitement of clubs and
pirate radio
, with
MCs
frantically passing the mic as they try to outdo each other in lyrical prowess, creative aggression bubbling beneath the surface."
[8]
The same year,
The Guardian
placed the song at number 48 on their list of "The 100 Greatest UK No 1 Singles".
[9]
Commercial performance
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]
"21 Seconds" reached number one on the
UK Singles Chart
in August 2001, selling 118,135 copies in its opening week
[10]
and becoming 2001's 19th best-selling single. Its total sales reached 423,000. The single also peaked at number 24 in Ireland.
Track listings
[
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]
UK CD single
[11]
- "21 Seconds" (original So Solid version)
- "21 Seconds" (12-inch version)
- "21 Seconds" (DJ Swiss & Dan Da Man remix vocal)
- "21 Seconds" (video)
UK 12-inch single
[12]
- A1. "21 Seconds" (original So Solid version)
- A2. "21 Seconds" (12-inch version)
- B1. "21 Seconds" (DJ Swiss & Dan Da Man remix vocal)
- B2. "21 Seconds" (DJ Swiss & Dan Da Man remix instrumental)
|
UK cassette single
[13]
- "21 Seconds" (original So Solid version)
- "21 Seconds" (12-inch version)
European CD1
[14]
- "21 Seconds" (Seven Gemini remix)
- "21 Seconds" (radio edit) ? 3:54
European CD2
[15]
- "21 Seconds" (Seven Gemini remix)
- "21 Seconds" (Seven Gemini remix instrumental)
- "21 Seconds" (radio edit)
- "21 Seconds" (Seven Gemini remix video)
|
Charts
[
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]
Weekly charts
[
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]
|
Year-end charts
[
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]
|
Certifications
[
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]
Release history
[
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]
Other versions
[
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]
Romeo reworked "21 Seconds" for car insurance firm
Confused.com
in 2013.
[28]
The same year, Preditah reworked the track.
[29]
On 6 September 2019, So Solid Crew went to the Red Bull Music Studios, London, and remixed "21 Seconds" with
Toddla T
.
[30]
They were joined by
D Double E
,
Ms Banks
and
DJ Q
as they added new verses.
References
[
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]
- ^
a
b
"
So Solid Crew feat. Megaman, Asher-D, Mac, Kaish, G-Man, Lisa Maffia, Face, Scat-D, Harvey, Romeo ? 21 Seconds"
(in Dutch).
Single Top 100
.
- ^
a
b
Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (17 October 2017).
"So Solid Crew: how we made 21 Seconds"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
10 April
2019
.
- ^
"Does Rock 'N' Roll Kill Braincells?! ? Megaman, So Solid Crew"
.
Nme.com
. 23 April 2020
. Retrieved
8 December
2021
.
- ^
"What Made the Songs of So Solid Crew So Special?"
.
Daily.redbullmusicacademy.com
. Retrieved
8 December
2021
.
- ^
Jackson, Jamie (24 April 2005).
"Ready to blow"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
10 April
2019
.
- ^
Paphides, Peter
(5 October 2002).
"Crew's Control"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
8 December
2021
.
- ^
"The best UK garage tracks of all time"
.
NME
. 16 September 2019.
- ^
"The Quietus | Features | Low Culture | Low Culture 5: So Solid Crew's They Don't Know"
.
The Quietus
. Retrieved
8 December
2021
.
- ^
Beaumont-Thomas, Ben;
Petridis, Alexis
; Snapes, Laura (5 June 2020).
"The 100 Greatest UK No 1s: 100?1"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
2 December
2022
.
- ^
"All the Number 1s"
.
Official Charts Company
. Archived from
the original
on 6 May 2006
. Retrieved
9 August
2009
.
- ^
So Solid Crew
(2001).
21 Seconds
(UK CD single liner notes).
Relentless Records
. RELENT16CD.
- ^
So Solid Crew (2001).
21 Seconds
(UK 12-inch single sleeve). Relentless Records. RELENT16T.
- ^
So Solid Crew (2001).
21 Seconds
(UK cassette single sleeve). Relentless Records. RELENT16MC.
- ^
So Solid Crew (2001).
21 Seconds
(European CD1 liner notes). Relentless Records. ISM 672580 1.
- ^
So Solid Crew (2001).
21 Seconds
(European CD2 liner notes). Relentless Records. ISM 672580 2.
- ^
"
Issue 609"
ARIA Top 100 Singles
. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
- ^
"Eurochart Hot 100 Singles"
(PDF)
.
Music & Media
. Vol. 19, no. 35. 25 August 2001. p. 10
. Retrieved
23 August
2020
.
- ^
"
The Irish Charts ? Search Results ? 21 Seconds"
.
Irish Singles Chart
. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^
"Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 23 August 2001"
.
GfK Chart-Track
. Retrieved
2 June
2019
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
.
- ^
"Official Singles Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
.
- ^
"Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40"
.
Official Charts Company
.
- ^
"The Official UK Singles Chart 2001"
(PDF)
.
UKChartsPlus
. Retrieved
21 May
2018
.
- ^
"British single certifications ? So Solid Crew ? 21 Seconds"
.
British Phonographic Industry
. Retrieved
13 October
2020
.
- ^
Hubner, Miriam (25 August 2001).
"Airborne"
(PDF)
.
Music & Media
. Vol. 19, no. 35. p. 13
. Retrieved
29 September
2020
.
- ^
"New Releases ? For Week Starting August 6, 2001: Singles"
(PDF)
.
Music Week
. 4 August 2001. p. 23
. Retrieved
16 August
2021
.
- ^
"The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles ? Week Commencing 22nd October 2001"
(PDF)
.
ARIA
. 22 October 2001. p. 24. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 20 February 2002
. Retrieved
24 April
2021
.
- ^
"So Solid Crew's Romeo re-records '21 Seconds' for car insurance advert; watch here"
.
Factmag.com
. 23 September 2013
. Retrieved
8 December
2021
.
- ^
"Hear Preditah's cover of So Solid Crew's '21 Seconds'
"
.
Factmag.com
. 25 March 2013
. Retrieved
8 December
2021
.
- ^
"So Solid Crew Remix 21 Seconds with D Double E, Ms Banks, Toddla T & DJ Q | Studios Live"
.
YouTube
. Retrieved
8 December
2021
.