Relax (Deetah song)

"Relax" is a song by Chilean-Swedish singer-songwriter Deetah, co-written by Deetah and Anders Bagge. The song contains a prominent sample of "Why Worry" by British rock band Dire Straits, so Mark Knopfler also received a writing credit. Produced by Bagge and Bloodshy, "Relax" was included on Deetah's first studio album, Deadly Cha Cha (1999), and was released through FFRR Records as her debut single on 14 September 1998. Upon its release, the song became a top-20 hit in Iceland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In the UK, it entered the top 10 on both the Scottish Singles Chart and the UK R&B Singles Chart.

"Relax"
Single by Deetah
from the album Deadly Cha Cha
B-side	"Take Mines"
Released	14 September 1998 (1998-09-14)
Genre	UK garage
Length	3:48
Label	FFRR
Songwriter(s)	Mark Knopfler Anders Bagge Claudia Ogalde
Producer(s)	Bag Bloodshy
Deetah singles chronology
"Relax" (1998) "El Paraiso Rico" (1999)
Audio
"Relax" on YouTube

Background and release

"Relax" was written by Anders Bagge and Deetah under her real name, Claudia Ogalde. The track's composition heavily samples the Dire Straits' 1985 song "Why Worry", so Mark Knopfler is also credited as a writer. Bagge, as "Bag", produced the song alongside Swedish DJ Bloodshy. Additional personnel who worked on the song include Mark "Spike" Stent, who mixed the track, and Arnthor, who engineered it.^[1] FFRR Records issued "Relax" as a single in the United Kingdom on 14 September 1998 across various formats.^[2] These releases contain "Take Mines" and various remixes of "Relax" as B-sides.^[3][4][5] CD singles were also issued in Sweden, Germany, South Africa, and Australasia.^[1][6][7][8] The song was included as the fourth track on Deetah's 1999 debut album, Deadly Cha Cha, and also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 slasher film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.^[9][10]

Critical reception

Before the song's release, British trade paper Music Week reviewed "Relax" on 29 August 1998, giving the song a "side-thumb" rating and noting that the "Why Worry" sample caused an "ill effect".^[11] Ziad from Record Mirror gave a positive review for the song's Bump 'n' Flex and M-Dub remixes, calling them "excellent" and giving them a five-out-of-five rating.^[12] British columnist James Masterton wrote that the song is a "great example of commercial garage with enough hooks to help it cross over to a pop audience", retrospectively calling its "Why Worry" sample "groundbreaking".^[13]

Chart performance

"Relax" debuted at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart on the week beginning 20 September 1998, which would become its peak.^[14] It is Deetah's highest- and longest-charting UK single, spending eight weeks in the top 100.^[15] On the Scottish Singles Chart, the single entered the top 10, peaking at number 10 on 4 October.^[16] It was also a top-10 hit on the UK R&B Singles Chart, reaching number four for two weeks.^[17] The single's UK sales alone registered on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it debuted and peaked at number 47 on the chart dated 3 October.^[18]

Outside the UK, "Relax" became a top-20 hit in Sweden and Iceland. In Sweden, it debuted at number 39 on the Hitlistan chart on 15 October 1998. Over the next three weeks, the song rose and fell within the top 30, then it jumped to its peak of number 20 on 12 November, becoming Deetah's first of three top-50 hits in Sweden. It remained on the ranking for five more weeks, logging 10 weeks in the top 60 altogether.^[19] On Iceland's Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 chart, "Relax" first appeared at number 37 on 9 October 1998.^[20] The following week, it rose to its peak of number 13, where it spent two weeks.^[21][22] It remained on the listing for five weeks in total, making its last appearance on 6 November.^[23]

Track listings

Swedish CD single^[1] "Relax" – 3:48 "Relax" (Blacksmith R&B rub—12-inch mix) – 5:11 German and South African CD single^[6]^[7] "Relax" "Relax" (Blacksmith R&B rub—radio mix) "Relax" (Stargate remix) "Relax" (Bloodshy remix) "Relax" (Blacksmith club mix) UK 12-inch single 1^[4] A1. "Relax" – 3:48 A2. "Relax" (Bump 'n' Flex mix) – 5:17 B1. "Relax" (Blacksmith R&B rub—12-inch mix) – 5:11 B2. "Relax" (Blacksmith club mix) – 5:37

UK 12-inch single 2^[24] A. "Relax" (Bump 'n' Flex Full Flava Groove) B. "Relax" (M-Dub Breakbeat mix) UK CD1 and Australasian CD single^[3]^[8] "Relax" – 3:48 "Relax" (Blacksmith R&B rub—radio mix) – 4:50 "Take Mines" – 3:34 UK CD2^[25] "Relax" – 3:48 "Relax" (Bump 'n' Flex mix) – 5:17 "Relax" (Blacksmith club mix) – 5:37 UK cassette single^[5] "Relax" – 3:48 "Take Mines" – 3:34

Charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[18]	47
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[21]	13
Scotland (OCC)^[16]	10
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[19]	20
UK Singles (OCC)^[14]	11
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)^[17]	4

References

1. Relax (Swedish CD single liner notes). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. 570 348-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
2. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 12 September 1998. p. 45.
3. Relax (UK CD1 liner notes). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. FCD 345, 570 287-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
4. Relax (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. FX 345, 570 287-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. Relax (UK cassette single sleeve). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. FCS 345, 570 286-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. Relax (German CD single liner notes). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. 570 349-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Relax (South African CD single liner notes). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. MAXCD 132.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. Relax (Australasian CD single liner notes). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. 570 287-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. "Deadly Cha Cha: Deetah". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
10. "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer: Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
11. "Reviews: Single Reviews". Music Week. 29 August 1998. p. 11.
12. Ziad (19 September 1998). "Hot Vinyl". Record Mirror. p. 4 – via Music Week.
13. Masterton, James (20 September 1998). "Week Ending September 26th 1998". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
15. "Deetah". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
16. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
17. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
18. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 40. 3 October 1998. p. 13.
19. "Deetah – Relax". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
20. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (8.10–15.10. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 9 October 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
21. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (15.10–22.10. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 16 October 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
22. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (22.10–29.10. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 23 October 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
23. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (5.11–12.11. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 6 November 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
24. Relax (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. FXX 345.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
25. Relax (UK CD2 liner notes). Deetah. FFRR Records. 1998. FCDP 345, 570 311-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)