Can Helene Fischer now land a number one hit?
Is it an attempt to make it this time: to reach the top of the German charts with her biggest hit after all? Helene Fischer is re-releasing her hit "Atemlos durch die Nacht", which was released almost exactly ten years ago, together with rapper Shirin David. The track was released on Friday night. Can the new edition make it to number one in the charts?
A look back at 2013: Helene Fischer's single "Atemlos durch die Nacht" was released on November 29. However, like many a big hit that seems to fit the performer perfectly, this song was not written for Fischer.
117 weeks in the charts
The pop singer Kristina Bach had actually written it for herself. Fischer asked her for material and Bach gave her a German version of "Atemlos" - and incidentally will also include an English version entitled "Take A Breath" on her own album "Leben ist Liebe!" in 2014.
But only the version with Fischer is a huge success. "The song was like a train on which the brakes are released and which speeds along the track faster and faster," said Kristina Bach in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung in 2014.
According to market research company GfK Entertainment, which compiles the official German charts, "Atemlos" is the most successful song of 2014 in Germany. It will be in the top list for a total of 117 weeks: Taken together, that's two years, three months and one week. That is the second-longest ranking ever achieved by a German-language song - only "Roller" by Apache has been in the list for longer, at 198 weeks.
And according to GfK Entertainment, "Atemlos" is still a record holder today: as of 2023, Fischer's original recording is the song with the most downloads of all time in Germany - and also the only one with more than one million downloads.
Hit from a World Cup win
It is now an Oktoberfest classic and was a World Cup hit - in 2014, when the national soccer team won the title and Fischer celebrated with the world champions at the Brandenburg Gate. Looking back, the 39-year-old recently said in an interview: This World Cup was a very special moment in her career. "I never thought this song would go through the roof like this," Fischer told Hit Radio FFH.
But one thing has so far eluded her: the top position in the German charts. "Atemlos" only made it to third place. In Switzerland, she did reach second place, and only in Austria did she reach the coveted number one spot. Now, a decade later, can the new edition with a rap interlude by Shirin David top that?
New message: no shaming
The "10 Year Anniversary Version" was released at exactly 11.59 pm on Thursday. It's still the "Atemlos" that fans love, with a fast tempo and dance beats. But according to Fischer in an announcement video, it takes on "a new meaning through the words" of Shirin David. She raps: "Together we're bigger than we think. Have within us what we need" or "There's no shaming, no comparisons, no competition." It's about cohesion, respect, self-confidence and self-realization.
"She stands up for herself, she does things, she is also a pioneer in German rap," says Fischer. "She motivates young girls and is also such a great advocate for women." According to a making-of video for the recordings, it was important to Fischer that David was not just an accessory, but that it was "a joint duet".
If you want to see the two of them together like this, Helene Fischer and Shirin David will be performing their duet "Atemlos durch die Nacht" live on Thomas Gottschalk's last edition of "Wetten, dass...?" on Saturday.
Many people are excited to see if the new version of "Atemlos durch die Nacht" by Helene Fischer and Shirin David can top the charts, following Helene's previous success with the song in 2014. In her announcement video, Helene mentioned that Shirin's rap adds a new meaning to the song, promoting messages of cohesion, respect, self-confidence, and self-realization.
With Helene's original recording still holding the record for the most downloaded song in Germany, and Shirin being a pioneer in German rap, the duet has the potential to resonate with a wide range of listeners. The two artists will perform their duet live on Thomas Gottschalk's last edition of "Wetten, dass..." on Saturday.
Source: www.dpa.com
