Kingdom Hearts

"Kingdom Hearts" is the second single lifted from bassist/producer James Moss' debut solo album "Jameson Dominic". The single was released on April 2nd, 2012, entering the UK charts at #2 which it held for two weeks. Despite not topping the chart it has become the most successful single by any Phoenix Rising member, well surpassing the sales of even Victor Strong's duet with Ben Johnston from 2010. In 12 weeks so far the song has sold more than 471k to date.

Background
"Kingdom Hearts" was the last song James wrote for his solo album, with its lyrics drawing from James' love life and his negative history with men. The title was borrowed from the Disney/Square Enix game series but otherwise bears no relation to the games whatsoever. While previous single "Going Under" was a more pop-dance leaning song, "Kingdom Hearts" was a clubbier and darker underground track in a progressive trance style. The song has very mellow verses which build up into an extended pre-chorus before exploding into the hook. The song was an instant fan favourite, with many wishing for it to be the second single. They got their wish when James announced the single upon the charting of "Going Under". This proved to be the right choice given the ongoing massive success of the single.

Reception
"Kingdom Hearts" had an even stronger positive reaction than its predecessor, with many desperate for the song to be released as the follow-up to "Going Under". James was greatly encouraged by the praise, and gave fans exactly what they wanted by announcing it as the second single. The single has had massive success with the general buying public, selling over 458k over 10 weeks in the top 40, making it the fourth-biggest single not to top the chart. It is one of the biggest digital sellers of the year, and has also received greater airplay than "Going Under". The single was not released in America until May, as they were slow to catch on to "Going Under", but once "Kingdom Hearts" gained traction it has blown up to epic proportions in a short time. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, a feat Phoenix Rising has never achieved despite several top 10 hits.

Promo CD

 * 1) Kingdom Hearts (Album Version)
 * 2) Kingdom Hearts (Instrumental)
 * 3) Kingdom Hearts (Justin Cognito Edit)

CD1

 * 1) Kingdom Hearts (Album Version)
 * 2) Barricades
 * 3) Kingdom Hearts (Acoustic Version)

CD2

 * 1) Kingdom Hearts (Album Version)
 * 2) Simple & Clean
 * 3) Kingdom Hearts (Justin Cognito Extended Mix)
 * 4) Kingdom Hearts (Benny Benassi Extended Remix)
 * 5) Kingdom Hearts (Video)

Digital EP

 * 1) Kingdom Hearts (Album Version)
 * 2) Barricades
 * 3) Kingdom Hearts (DJ Tiesto Vocal Mix)
 * 4) Kingdom Hearts (Monkman & Somerset Remix)
 * 5) Kingdom Hearts (Hott 22 Club Mix)

Music Video
The video opens with a title-card announcing the director; the set has a cold blue wash as we’re shown various objects decorating the room. We also get our first look at James, decked out in black with a leather duster on over the top. He is pacing around the room restlessly as he sings the first verse, taking shots of alcohol randomly and checking himself over in the mirror. James is also seen throwing objects around the room. The scene crosses over to another room; the two rooms are side-by-side and separated by a large sheet of glass. The second room is warm and sunny, in contrast to the first room – and this room has a second James, one who seems happy and comfortable. We see this James sitting and writing as he sings, then setting his book and pen down so he can meditate on the floor. We see oxygen tanks in the background, and a close-up of a digital read-out displaying oxygen levels.

The ‘light’ James gets up and looks through the glass at the ‘dark’ James who is trying to get the ‘light’ James’ attention. Light James only looks on for a moment before turning his attention elsewhere. This upsets dark James who begins throwing more objects around the room trying to reclaim the other James’ attention, but it doesn’t work beyond a cursory glance while light James sits and reads a book. Before long, dark James gives up, dejected and clutching himself as if he feels cold. Dark James kicks over a chair in frustration, then picks up a beating heart from the table. He holds it out so light James can see it, then crushes the heart in his hands, throwing the remains on the floor. Light James looks disappointed then lies down on his bed. We see a dual-screen shot of them both singing; light James lying on the bed and dark James running his fingers through a lighter flame. Dark James then gets up and drops the lighter onto the chair, which catches fire.

Light James gets up and walks over to the glass window, looking on in confusion at the other James, who is crowing about his reckless behaviour. The dark James doesn’t seem to realise what he’s done though, as smoke begins to fill light James’ room, and light James begins to choke on the smoke as the oxygen levels in the room begin to deplete. Light James collapses to the floor, dying, while dark James begins to realise with dread what he’s done. Dark James panics as he watches the other James coughing and spluttering as the smoke in the room grows thicker. Dark James stares at his reflection in the mirror, smearing his guyliner. He then makes a quick decision, turning around and rushing for the glass. He kicks at the glass, smashing it, and reaches his hand out to the other James. The screen fades to white as the two James make contact.

Chart Performance
At first James was only predicted to hit top 3, due to the presence of Kleo as competition on the release schedule, but after Kleo moved he became a #1 contender. He was even projected for #1 when Ruby & The Gems switched dates for her single "Guy Like You" featuring Coral Harris. However, Ruby and Coral pulled a major upset by slipping past on just a handful of sales, leaving James to debut at #2 with sales of 106,350 versus Ruby's 107,013. Again, James became champion seller of his week, holding onto #2 in his second week after being tipped as a possible 2nd-week climber. It was SPELLS that kept him at bay with their debut single "Hauswerq" (the second upset in a row after the week's favourite, Candi, was shafted at #3). That second week saw James' single hit gold sales, something not even James' Phoenix Rising bandmate Victor Strong did when his Christmas #1 duet with Ben Johnston spent two weeks in the top 2. "Kingdom Hearts" spent a third week in the top 5 with another large sales week, and in its fourth week easily beat the sales of "Going Under". In total, the single spent five weeks in the top 10, selling over 382k in that time (beating the sales of Victor's single before even leaving the top 10). The song spent an additional two weeks in the top 15, and after twelve weeks on chart, it has passed its projected endgame sales of 450k and is currently the third-biggest #2 hit in URAPS history with 471,304 copies sold.

Digitally, "Kingdom Hearts" was just as dynamic, charting very early on the iTunes top 20. The song exploded digitally upon the physical single's release, and with the song's extended stay in the top 5 on the main singles chart, "Kingdom Hearts" was able to enjoy several healthy post-release sales, which have helped it become the third-biggest digital seller of the year to date with 170,855 digital copies sold. On the UK airplay chart, "Kingdom Hearts" peaked at #5, receiving stronger airplay than "Going Under" which will help it attain a higher position on the year-end airplay chart. The song spent 15 weeks on the airplay chart before reaching recurrent status.

"Kingdom Hearts" was not released in America until May, due to the sluggish performance of "Going Under". Audiences were much more receptive of "Kingdom Hearts", when it quickly blew up on pop and rhythmic formats and on the dance charts. Digital sales also skyrocketed, and with the help of a high-profile performance on the American Idol finale, the single was able to sell enough to beat the winner's single to #1 on the Hot 100, a position it held for four weeks. This has made James the most successful member of Phoenix Rising both in the UK and in the US, with "Kingdom Hearts" being the best-performing single of any Phoenix Rising member in the UK, and by hitting #1 in the US has achieved a feat that Phoenix Rising has not yet accomplished as a band.

Chart Run
TOTAL: 471,304+
 * Week 1: #2 - 106,350
 * Week 2: #2 - 96,435
 * Week 3: #4 - 74,913
 * Week 4: #7 - 63,737
 * Week 5: #10 - 40,597
 * Week 6: #14 - 20,133
 * Week 7: #15 - 20,052
 * Week 8: #16 - 20,043
 * Week 9: #24 - 11,005
 * Week 10: #37 - 5,432
 * Week 11: #33 - 7,562
 * Week 12: #37 - 5,045