"Life Is a Flower" is a song by the Swedish group Ace of Base, released in Europe on 6 April 1998 by Mega Records as the first single from the group's third album, Flowers (1998). The song peaked at number one in Hungary and was a top-10 hit in Denmark, Finland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was released with different lyrics, titled "Whenever You're Near Me", and in a different key. Jonas Berggren, writer of the song, described it as is his greatest Ace of Base song in a 2015 interview.
Critical reception AllMusic editor Bryan Buss described the song as acoustic. A reviewer from Irish Evening Herald called it a gem, adding that "more of the same can often be a good thing".Evening Herald. 19 August 1998. p. 32. Sweden's Expressen viewed it as a "safe card",Expressen. 28 March 1998. while Göteborgsposten wrote that it is "almost religiously positive".Göteborgsposten. 12 June 1998. David Brinn from Jerusalem Post noted that the single is a staple on local radio, "with its optimistic melody and pop psychology message so full of the power of positive thinking that the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale should have received co-writing credit."Brinn, David (14 July 1998). "Summer sounds target pre-teens". Jerusalem Post. Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Although the sound and style on the latest single remains unmistakably that of Ace of Base, the Swedish outfit have still been able to reinvent themselves enough to stay relevant and keep pace with dance scene developments."
Bernhard Hiller, head of music at AC/CHR outlet 104.6 RTL/Berlin said, "It is a great comeback for them. The good thing is that they have managed to change their sound while still sounding like Ace of Base." He added, "Of course, this record is an absolute blessing for radio; we added it as soon as it got in, and currently we are playing it 15–20 times a week. At first audience response was less than overwhelming-but then again it is still early days; and besides, how can an audience like records when you don't allow the listeners to get to know the tracks?"
Chart performance "Life Is a Flower" peaked at number one in Hungary and entered the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the UK, the single debuted at its peak of number five on the UK Singles Chart, on 19 July 1998. It was also a top-20 hit in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Switzerland, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, peaking at number 19 in August 1998. In Iceland and the Netherlands, "Life Is a Flower" entered the top 30. Outside Europe, it was a hit in New Zealand, where it peaked at number 29. It earned a gold record in the band's native Sweden, with shipments of 15,000 units, and a silver record in the UK, after 200,000 units were shipped there.
Music video Two music videos for "Life Is a Flower" were shot, but the first was unfinished and never released. The second video, which became the official release, was created by Jenny Berggren. The video includes members of Ace of Base against a green screen background with limited elements of scenography, including a washing machine and bathtub. The video was later made available on YouTube in 2015, and it has had more than 9.2 million views on the platform as of December 2023.
Track listings
Scandinavian maxi-CD single "Life Is a Flower" (original version) — 3:45 "Life Is a Flower" (reggae version) — 3:32 "Life Is a Flower" (extended version) — 5:44 "Life Is a Flower" (Soul Poets night club mix) — 5:19 "No Good Lover" — 3:53
European CD single "Life Is a Flower" (original version) — 3:45 "Life Is a Flower" (extended version) — 5:49
UK CD1 "Life Is a Flower" (original version) "Life Is a Flower" (extended version) "Life Is a Flower" (Soul Poets' night club mix) "Life Is a Flower" (Milk Inc. long edit)
UK CD2 "Life Is a Flower" "The Sign" (radio edit) "All That She Wants"
Charts
Weekly charts +Chart (1998)PeakpositionCroatia (HRT)3Denmark (IFPI)3Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)19Hungary (Mahasz)1Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)22Italy (Musica e dischi)18Italy Airplay (Music & Media)2Spain (AFYVE)7UK Airplay (Media Monitor)3
Year-end charts +Chart (1998)PositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)88Europe Border Breakers (Music & Media)2Sweden (Hitlistan)63UK Singles (OCC)61
Sales and certifications
Release history + Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Europe 23 March 1998 Radio Germany 6 April 1998 CD United Kingdom 13 July 1998 Japan 21 August 1998 CD
References