Released February 14, 1990 Genre Electronica, soul | Recorded 1990 Label EMI | |
Format 7" single, 12" maxi single Length 5:44 (Original Version)
4:55 (Remix Version) | ||
"Livin' in the Light" is a song from British singer Caron Wheeler's debut solo album UK Blak (1990). Wheeler wrote the song with N. P. Hail, and produced it with Afrika Baby Bam and Blacksmith. "Livin' in the Light" is a soul song that incorporates elements of neo soul, electronica, and 1970s-style funk music. Its lyrics describe people being dragged away from their culture and having to survive within a new surrounding. The song references slavery and reparations.
Contents
Background
EMI Records released "Livin' in the Light" on February 14, 1990, as the lead single from UK Blak. The song spent a total of six weeks on the chart and peaked number 14 on the UK Singles chart. It was a number-one hit on Billboard's dance chart, and achieved top-twenty peaks on several other countries' record charts. The song went on to sell over thirty-thousand copies worldwide. The success of the song invited Wheeler to perform on Top of the Pops in mid-1990.
Music video
A music video was shot for both the original version and the remix version of the song. The video for the original version of song features Wheeler performing the song in close-up frame shots. The imagery of the video showcases many African people in a new surrounding. As they learning to adapt to the new surrounding, many of them are shown on a beach with the sun shining on them. The video also features many different men in the water. Wheeler is also shown wearing a traditional reddish-orange outfit. The video for the remix version of the song features a similar video with the same settings and imagery.