Why Not Us
2008 single by Monrose
"Why Not Us" is a song recorded by German pop trio Monrose. It was written by English songwriters Alexis Strum and Guy Chambers and produced by the latter along with frequent Monrose collaborator Pete Kirtley for the band's third studio album I Am (2008). A midtempo contemporary R&B-pop ballad with soft electro pop elements, "Why Not Us" is about a tumbling relationship which ultimately breaks up.
The song was released by Starwatch Music as the album's third and final single on 28 November 2008. It debuted and peaked at number 27 in Germany, becoming the group's lowest-charting single up to then, and failed to reach the upper half of the Austrian Singles Chart. An accompanying music video, directed by Markus Gerwinat, was filmed at the Orangery Palace in the Sanssouci Park of Potsdam.
01Background
"Why Not Us" was written by British songwriters Guy Chambers and Alexis Strum, and produced by the former, with frequent Monrose collaborator Pete Kirtley credited as a co-producer. Recorded by Mandy Capristo, Senna Gammour, and Bahar Kızıl for the band's third studio album I Am (2008), "Why Not Us" is a midtempo contemporary R&B-pop ballad that is about a tumbling relationship which ultimately breaks up. Band member Bahar Kizil called "Why Not Us" a "winter song." In 2025, Gammour and Kızıl disclosed that the band did not favor the song and had originally opposed its release as a single.
02Chart performance
"Why Not Us" was released by Starwatch Music as the album's third and final single on 28 November 2008. Initially selected by the label as the album's second single, Monrose reportedly disliked the idea of issuing the song as a single and only agreed to release it after Starwatch offered to release "Hit 'N' Run" as the album's second single beforehand. "Why Not Us" eventually debuted and peaked at number 27 on the German Singles Chart in the week of 12 December 2008, becoming Monrose's first single to miss the top 20. It also failed to reach the top 50 in Austria.
03Music video
A music video for "Why Not Us" was directed by frequent Monrose collaborator Oliver Sommer and produced by AVA Studios. It was released online and through television channels on 14 November 2008. The visuals show the trio in black dresses in an autumn set, featuring visual elements from the Baroque age. Portions of the video were filmed at the Orangery Palace in the Sanssouci Park of Potsdam, with Westlicher Eckpavillion and Jubiläumsterrasse serving as main filming locations. Intercut are solo performances and group scenes that were filmed in front of a green screen and depict Capristo, Gammour, and Kızıl in various settings.
04Track listings
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Why Not Us" |
| 3:29 | |
| 2. | "Why Not Us" (Beathoavenz Cut) |
| 3:34 | |
| 3. | "Why Not Us" (Electrasonic RMX) |
| 3:15 | |
| 4. | "Strike the Match" (fArHOt Remix) | 2:58 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Why Not Us" |
|
| 3:29 |
| 4. | "Strike the Match" (fArHOt Remix) |
| 2:58 |
Notes
05Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Strictly Physical.
|
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06Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 53 |
| Germany (GfK) | 27 |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Why Not Us”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Why Not Us.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
- Westlicher Eckpavillon, Orangerieschloss Sanssouci, Potsdam-7583.jpg by Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0
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