| Land of the Living | |
| Cover: | Land of the Living.jpg |
| Caption: | One of artwork variants |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Kristine W |
| Album: | Land of the Living |
| Released: | 1997 |
| Genre: | Dance |
| Length: |
|
| Label: | Tommy Boy Records |
| Producer: | |
| Prev Title: | One More Try |
| Prev Year: | 1996 |
| Next Title: | Stronger |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
"Land of the Living" is a song by American singer Kristine W. It was released in 1996 as the third and final single from her debut album, Land of the Living (1996). The single was a huge club hit but only reached number 57 on the UK Singles Chart.[1] In the US, it spent two weeks at number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in November 1996. That was the singer's third number-one single on this survey.[2]
American singer and actress Patti LaBelle and Kristine W covered the song as a duet on Labelle's 2005 cover album Classic Moments.
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that Kristine W returns with the title track to her deservedly acclaimed debut, "a melancholy pop/house anthem that beautifully showcases her formidable pipes and dramatic flair. With its affecting and intelligent lyrics, "Land Of The Living" deftly squashes the idea that all dance music is fluffy and mindless."[3] William Stevensen from Entertainment Weekly described it as "ebullient".[4] Alan Jones from Music Week declared it a "dancefloor monster".[5] Joey Bolsadura from Muzik viewed it as a "song of survival a la Gloria Gaynor with phunk".[6] A reviewer from People Magazine said that "even when Kristine W strikes her gloomiest pose, as in the beginning of the title song—"I got a mirror, a bottle and a pen/ The mirror is cracked/ The bottle is empty/ And my pen don't know where to begin"—she conveys that somehow things will get better. They do. Before long, a jacked-up beat kicks in, and she rides it all the way to a happy ending."[7] J.D. Considine for Vibe complimented it as a "lean, house-style jam".[8]
| Chart (1996-1997) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium Dance (Ultratop)[9] | 20 | |
| Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[10] | 6 | |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] | 35 | |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] | 44 | |
| Scotland (OCC)[13] | 75 | |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 57 | |
| UK Dance (OCC)[14] | 3 | |
| UK Cool Cuts (Music Week)[15] | 1 | |
| US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard) | 1 |