| Am I Right? | |
| Cover: | Erasure - Am I Right? (single).jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Erasure |
| Album: | Chorus |
| B-Side: |
|
| Length: | 4:18 |
| Label: | Mute |
| Producer: | Martyn Phillips |
| Prev Title: | Love to Hate You |
| Prev Year: | 1991 |
| Next Title: | Breath of Life |
| Next Year: | 1992 |
| Italic Title: | no |
| Type: | EP |
| Artist: | Erasure |
| Cover: | Erasure - Am I Right? (EP).jpg |
| Length: | 24:55 |
| Label: | Mute |
| Producer: | Martyn Phillips |
| Prev Title: | Chorus |
| Prev Year: | 1991 |
| Next Title: | Abba-esque |
| Next Year: | 1992 |
"Am I Right?" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in November 1991 in Europe and Canada as the third single from their fifth studio album, Chorus (1991). Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, the ballad peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.
Upon its release as a single, Hannsjörg Riemann from German Bravo gave it three out of three, declaring it as "one of the soulful numbers" on the Chorus album. He also remarked that Clarke and Bell is "on top form in terms of composition and vocals on great "old-fashioned" synth sounds."[1] Ned Raggett from AllMusic described it as a song that "reflects on love and aging with a gentle tone and soft hip-hop beat".[2] The Daily Vault's Michael R. Smith felt it is "another story entirely." He added, "As my all-time favorite Erasure ballad, it has a tough chorus to memorize yet contains some wonderful imagery that pulls at the heartstrings."[3]
David Stubbs of Melody Maker described "Am I Right?" as "another licence to print money" and commented, "As with their last two or three efforts, Vince Clarke has bucked up his ideas a bit in the bleep and burble department, but Andy Bell's larynxy gurgle irritates as much as ever."[4] Barbara Ellen of NME viewed it as the "most melodramatic and ridiculous of torch songs". She noted the "slow, morbid chorus" and Bell's "appalling pitched" vocals.[5] Christopher Smith from Talk About Pop Music called the song "creepy and subdued", writing that it "takes the tone down but equally classy and thought-provoking."[6] Troy J. Augusto from Variety described it as "haunting".[7]
Upon its release, "Am I Right?" became the fifteenth consecutive top-20 song on the UK Singles Chart for Erasure, peaking at number 15. It also reached number nine in Ireland and number 21 in Austria. Shortly after the single release, the Am I Right? EP was released, which includes new songs and alternate versions of Erasure singles and album tracks. The EP peaked at number 22 in the UK.
A music video was made to accompany the song. It pictures Andy Bell walking down through Amsterdam and sitting down at the "Homomonument" (The Gays' Monument) near the Westerkerk. Vince Clarke is seen on a sailboat, sailing on the water in the Amsterdam canal system. The video was published on YouTube in September 2014, and as of November 2020, it had generated more than 578 000 views.
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 25 November 1991 | Mute | [9] | |
| December 1991 | CD EP | [10] | ||
| Japan | 21 January 1992 | CD | [11] |