A Year Without Rain (song)

Background and composition

In early 2010, a demo of the song, performed by singer RaVaughn leaked online. Becky Bain of Idolator called the song a "mature dance track" and said that it "wouldn’t entirely be out of place on a Sophie Ellis-Bextor album." It seems that it was first made for Leona Lewis. In an interview with MTV News, Gomez said that "A Year Without Rain" was the first song she recorded for the album. She also explained why she named the album for the song, commenting, "I feel like that song has a lot of meaning, and it also kind of was the start of what I wanted to base all the other songs around." A Spanish-language version of the song titled "Un Año Sin Ver Lluvia" was released through the iTunes Store on October 26, 2010.

"A Year Without Rain" is a dance ballad, written by Toby Gad and Lindy Robbins, with a length of three minutes and twenty-nine seconds. It was also produced by Gad. Musically, the track uses a standard pop structure and derives from the genre of dance-pop, backed with a disco beat. According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, "A Year Without Rain" is set in common time and has a tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is written in the key of C major and follows the chord progression of C–Gm–Dm–F. Gomez's vocals in the song span from F₃ to E₅. Lyrically, the song sees Gomez longing for the object of her affection and compares it to a year without rain: "I need you by my side/ Don't know how I'll survive/A day without you is like a year without rain." According to Megan Vick of Billboard, the sound of the song contrasts with its "tender" lyrics.

Critical reception

Allmusic's Tim Sendra also named the song a standout on the album, calling it "catchy" and "well-sung". Megan Vick of Billboard said that while Gomez did not have the vocal power of Demi Lovato, she "makes a strong effort to attack the high notes as she croons the chorus". Vick stated that the song "is compelling enough to separate the singer from other Disney-groomed pop stars." Wairarapa Times-Age writer Kim Gillespie named "A Year Without Rain" one of the album's highlights. David Welsh of musicOMH noted Gomez' mature performance and wrote that the song "reaps rewards with an impressively heartbroken stab at euro-dance". In contrast, The Washington Post critic Allison Stewart was unfavorable of the lyrical content of the song, commenting that it was "the sort of exercise in teenage co-dependence...that should be long extinct."

Chart performance

Propelled by its debut at number fourteen on the Hot Digital Songs chart, "A Year Without Rain" debuted at number thirty-five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's third consecutive top forty single. It remained on the chart for four weeks. On the week dated January 1, 2011, the song debuted at number thirty-six on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. As of August 2014, the song has sold 1,002,000 downloads in the US.

The song achieved greater success in Canada, peaking at thirty on the Canadian Hot 100. The song also appeared on numerous European charts, peaking at seventy-eight in the United Kingdom, fifty-six in Germany, and forty-one in Slovakia. It also reached number three on the Belgian Flanders Tip chart.

Music video

The music video, directed by Chris Dooley, was shot on location in Lucerne Valley, California. It premiered on September 3, 2010 on Disney Channel, following the premiere of Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam and a sneak peek of Fish Hooks. The video starts off with the band driving through the desert in a red convertible. Gomez removes a photograph from the sun visor, which is subsequently blown away by the wind. The chorus commences as the band disappears and Gomez steps out of the vehicle, wearing a dress and begins to sing. As the video progresses, a multitude of photographs of her relationship fall from the sky, as Gomez travels elegantly through the desert. During the bridge, it starts to rain as Gomez spots her love interest (Niko Pepaj) in the distance. The two begin to walk towards each other, and the video ends as they meet and hold hands.

Nadine Cheung of AOL JSYK said "She sings: 'I'm missing you so much / Can't help it, I'm in love / A day without you is like a year without rain' and that's really what's depicted in a simple and sweet way."

Live performances

The band first performed the song on September 22, 2010 on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The band performed the song on Good Morning America on September 23, 2010. On November 16, 2010, the band performed the song on Lopez Tonight, and they performed it on Live with Regis and Kelly on December 1, 2010. They performed the song at the 2011 People's Choice Awards on January 5, 2011, and afterwards were awarded the Choice award for Favorite Breakout Artist. Gomez appeared on stage accompanied by low lights and fog. Kara Warner of MTV News commented, "Although it wasn't a stadium-rocking performance à la Lady Gaga or Katy Perry, Gomez powered through her pop song with a sense of earnestness and commitment. She didn't even miss a beat when her earpiece appeared to fall out mid-song." The song was also performed during the We Own the Night Tour.

Formats and track listings

1. "A Year Without Rain" – 3:54
2. "A Year Without Rain" (Starlab Radio Edit) – 3:41

1. "A Year Without Rain" – 3:55

1. "A Year Without Rain" – 3:54
2. "A Year Without Rain" (Instrumental) – 3:54