Cactus in the Valley
| "Cactus in the Valley" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lights featuring Owl City | ||||
| from the album Siberia Acoustic | ||||
| Released | March 15, 2013 | |||
| Studio | Revolution Recording (Toronto, ON)[1] | |||
| Length | 3:22 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter | Lights Poxleitner | |||
| Producer | Poxleitner | |||
| Lights singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Owl City singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Cactus in the Valley" (lyric video) on YouTube | ||||
"Cactus in the Valley" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter named Lights. It was released on March 15, 2013, as the lead single from her second acoustic album, Siberia Acoustic.[2] The song features American electronica artist, Owl City.
Background and composition
"Cactus in the Valley" was originally written and produced by Lights for her second studio album, Siberia.[3] On March 5, 2013, Lights announced that she would be releasing her second acoustic album, Siberia Acoustic on April 30. Along with this announcement, a re-recording of "Cactus in the Valley" was released on March 15 as the lead single.[4] The song was made available for streaming on USA Today on March 18.[5]
Critical reception
"Cactus in the Valley" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Brent Faulkner of PopMatters stated, "Lights continues to deliver, exhibiting a lovely vocal tone. Owl City's vocals are most surprising; rarely has Adam Young sounded so smooth. The vocal blend between the two is superb."[6] Buzznet complimented how "lovely," Young and Poxleitner's voices blend together.[7] Claire Louise Sheridan of Alter the Press! remarked, "With the help of Adam Young, aka Owl City, the already ballad-like 'Cactus in the Valley' is transformed into a harmonious duet full of intrigue and wonder. The melody of the piano combines beautifully with the almost ethereal tone of Lights' voice to create nothing short of a work of art."[8]
Chart performance
"Cactus in the Valley" debuted and peaked at number nine on the UK Cross Rhythms Weekly Chart.[9] On the week of March 25 to March 31, 2013, the song reached number seven on the Spotify Viral Chart's Top 10.[10]
Charts
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Cross Rhythms Weekly Chart[9] | 9 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | March 15, 2013 | Digital download | [2] | |
| United Kingdom | March 19, 2013 | CD | [11] |
References
- ^ "Siberia Acoustic – Lights | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
- ^ a b "Cactus In the Valley (Acoustic) - Single by Lights". iTunes. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Lights - Siberia. AllMusic. Retrieved Oct 3, 2011
- ^ "Lights announces new acoustic album, spring tour dates". Alternative Press. March 5, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Korina Lopez (March 18, 2013). "Lights warms up for acoustic tour, shares a song". USA Today. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Brent Faulkner (May 7, 2013). "Lights: Siberia Acoustic". PopMatters. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Listen: Lights 'Cactus In The Valley' Acoustic feat. Owl City". Buzznet. March 19, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Claire Louise Sheridan. "Album Review: Lights - Siberia Acoustic". Alter the Press!. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "Cross Rhythms Top Ten: Week Beginning 24 August 2014". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Spotify's Top 10 most viral tracks". CityNews. April 2, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Lights Featuring Owl City - Cactus In The Valley". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved November 15, 2023.