"Close to You" is a Eurodance song by German band Fun Factory. It was released in March 1994 as the second single from their debut-album, NonStop and peaked at number-one on the Canadian RPM dance chart and at number 22 on the BillboardHot Dance Club Play chart in the US. Additionally, it peaked at number 46 on the BillboardHot 100. In Europe, it reached number 19 in Germany and number 97 in the UK. It uses the same melody as the 1993 hit single "Hold On" by German group Loft.[1]
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "taking a cue from Snap, this European-flavored dance anthem mixes soaring vocals with house beats and a snazzy rap. Multiple synthesizer riffs, a booming bass, and an amorous melody should keep the dance floor jumpin'."[2] In 1995, "Close to You" was described as a "slick dance/pop ditty" and a "unabashedly gleeful twirler". Flick complimented the song's "contagious energy" and noted that "by the end of this toe-tapper, you will be singing along with the chorus as if it were second nature-the mark of a real hit."[3] Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated that "at 120+ bpm, Fun Factory's hard-edged techno experience is among the faster house tracks now storming charts everywhere." They added that "thanks to a convincing chorus and a strong hook, its quick jump to number 22 in the German sales charts doesn't come as a surprise."[4] Alan Jones from Music Week commented, "Marie-Annette sings, Rod D raps and the hugely commercial chorus surfaces at frequent intervals to reinforce the message that this is yet another continental inavder that is bound for UK glory."[5]James Hamilton from the magazine's RM Dance Update called it a "typical girl cooed and guy rapped cheesy German galloper".[6] Stephen Meade from The Network Forty declared it as a "high-energy dance track guaranteed to put a smile on your face."[7]
Music video[]
The music video of "Close to You" was directed by Swedish director Stefan Berg.[8]
