All Saints - Black Coffee

About "Black Coffee"

"Black Coffee" is a song by English girl group All Saints from their second studio album, Saints & Sinners (2000). It was released on 2 October 2000 by London Records as the album's second single. The track was produced by William Orbit, and written by Tom Nichols, Alexander von Soos and Kirsty Bertarelli (credited as Kirsty Elizabeth), initially intended as a single for Kirsty under the title "I Wouldn't Wanna Be". It is a mellow electropop, acid techno and R&B song, unique for its production-laden sound featuring breathy keyboards, glitching electronics and elements of ambient music. A wistful love song, its lyrics stem from Kirsty's relationship with Swiss entrepreneur Ernesto Bertarelli, detailing feelings of love at first sight and contentment.

The track was met with general acclaim from music critics who likened it to the group's previous single "Pure Shores" for their wistful chorus delivery and Orbit's distinctive production. Its unconventional structure was also cited as influential upon the sound of later girl groups such as the Sugababes and Girls Aloud. A commercial success, "Black Coffee" marked All Saints' fifth and final number-one single in the UK. It also reached the top 10 in Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden.

Bo Johan Renck directed the accompanying music video which features the group serenading an arguing couple in bullet time in a high rise apartment block. According to academic analysis, the video helped popularise coffee as a beverage for the affluent. All Saints promoted "Black Coffee" with live performances on CD:UK, Children in Need, Later... with Jools Holland, Top of the Pops and at the 2000 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. Much group in-fighting happened during the promotion of the single, prompting tense live renditions and eventually causing the group to split up in 2001, acrimoniously.