"If They Only Knew" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Alfie Arcuri. It was released digitally in May 2017, as the lead single from his planned but unreleased second studio album.
| "If They Only Knew" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Alfie Arcuri | ||||
| Released | 19 May 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:44 | |||
| Label | Universal Music Australia | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Alfie Arcuri singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "If They Only Knew" on YouTube | ||||
Background and release
editIn 2016, Arcuri won the fifth season of The Voice Australia and released a studio album of covers performed on the show shortly after. The album, Zenith, peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Charts.
Arcuri then began to write material. In an interview with auspOp, Arcuri explained: "I never intended "If They Only Knew" to be a single, but it ended up affecting me the most. When you feel heartbreak for the very first time, it's the most extreme emotion, other than being in love. I can't explain how it makes me feel that I've written it and hopefully people will connect to it the way I have."[2]
The song is a love story from a previous relationship, whereby Arcuri's ex-partner's parents did not know he was gay. "I fell in love with this guy and it was instant love," Arcuri explained. "We were together for a couple of years and half way through the relationship he came out. The song is almost like a diary entry for me telling his parents how innocent our love and relationship was because to them I was like the devil who turned their son gay. It wasn't like that at all though, it was a beautiful love."[3]
Arcuri performed the song live on The Voice Australia on 25 June 2017.[4]
Music video
editThe music video for "If They Only Knew" was released on 30 June 2017. Arcuri told auspOp: "Acceptance is something that we all struggle with. For some young people that challenge involves discovering their identity and their sexuality. Being gay myself, I struggled to accept my sexuality for quite sometime." He added, "I worked with a team of people and together we have shot a short film for "If They Only Knew" exploring some of the challenges that young LGBTQ people face. I believe that by sharing our stories we can inspire empathy and help support anyone going through that struggle. Love is Love."[5]
Charts
edit| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[6] | 96 |
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Format | Edition | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 19 May 2017[7] | Digital download | Standard | Universal Music Australia |
| Australia | 23 June 2017[8] | Digital download | Stripped back | Universal Music Australia |
References
edit- ^ "ASCAP Repertory entry for this song". ASCAP. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ "If You Only Knew Alfie Arcuri". auspOp. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "Alfie Arcuri nervous to perform new song, 'If They Only Knew': 'I didn't intend to release it'". Daily Telegraph. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "Live: Alfie Arcuri - 'If They Only Knew'". 9Now. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "Alfie Arcuri Drops 'If They Only Knew' Video". auspOp. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #427". auspOp. 1 July 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ "If They Only Knew - single". iTunes Australia. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "If They Only Knew (stripped back version) - single". iTunes Australia. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.