So Much (Peter Gabriel song) explained

So Much
Cover:	So Much cover art.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Peter Gabriel
Album:	I/O
Released:	3 July 2023 (dark-side mix) 17 July 2023 (bright-side and in-side mixes) 19 July 2023 (guitar version)
Studio:	Real World (Wiltshire) The Beehive (London) British Grove (London)
Length:	4:50
Label:	Real World EMI (UK/Japan) Republic (US/Canada)
Producer:	Peter Gabriel
Prev Title:	Road to Joy
Prev Year:	2023
Next Title:	Olive Tree
Next Year:	2023

"So Much" is a song by English musician Peter Gabriel, released in July 2023 as the seventh single in promotion of his tenth studio album I/O. Similar to other singles from the album, "So Much" was released to coincide with a full moon, starting with the Dark-Side Mix produced by Tchad Blake. Later in the month, two additional mixes created by Mark 'Spike' Stent and Hans-Martin Buff were released.^[1]

Gabriel described "So Much" as a "simple song" that was "easy to digest but still had a bit of character to it".^[1] He claimed in the Full Moon Update that the song was a bit polarizing, that "it will split an audience" "about 50/50" with those who love it and those who don't care for it.^[2] According to Gabriel, Blake called it "the best thing that he has ever done."^[2] Gabriel said that the song is about "mortality" and "getting old".^[1]

Gabriel first revealed the song's title in 2020 when he responded to an article by Phillip Collins in The Times. In his response, Gabriel described "So Much" as a "getting old song".^[3] Henry Hudson created the cover artwork, titled Somewhere Over Mercia; Mercia was an ancient name for a region located near the birthplaces of Gabriel and Hudson.^[4] The artwork features a yellow horizontal line imposed over an indigo sky.^[5]

Personnel

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, backing vocals, piano, synths
• Tony Levin – bass
• David Rhodes – guitars
• Melanie Gabriel – backing vocals
• John Metcalfe – orchestral conductor
• Oli Jacobs – engineering
• Katie May – engineering

Orchestra

• Orchestral arrangement: John Metcalfe and Peter Gabriel
• Violin: Everton Nelson, Ian Humphries, Louisa Fuller, Charles Mutter, Cathy Thompson, Natalia Bonner, Richard George, Marianne Haynes, Martin Burgess, Clare Hayes, Debbie Widdup, and Odile Ollagnon
• Viola: Bruce White, Fiona Bonds, Peter Lale, and Rachel Roberts
• Cello: Ian Burdge, Chris Worsey, Caroline Dale, William Schofield, Tony Woollard, and Chris Allan
• Double bass: Chris Laurence, Stacy Watton, and Lucy Shaw
• French horn: David Pyatt and Richard Bissill
• Trumpet: Andrew Crowley
• Euphonium: Andy Wood
• Tenor trombone: Tracey Holloway
• Bass trombone: Richard Henry
• Tuba: David Powell
• Orchestra conductor: John Metcalfe
• Orchestra leader: Everton Nelson
• Sheet music supervisor: Dave Foster
• Orchestra contractor: Lucy Whalley and Susie Gillis

Charts

Chart (2023)!scope="col"

Peak position
German Downloads (Offizielle Download Top 100)^[6]	85

Notes and References

1. Web site: So Much . 1 August 2023 . PeterGabriel.com.
2. Web site: Peter Gabriel Full Moon July 2023. 14 July 2023 . 1 August 2023 . YouTube.
3. Web site: 11 March 2020 . Peter Gabriel is working on a new song. 11 April 2024.
4. Web site: Song 07: "So Much" . 1 August 2023.
5. Web site: 3 July 2023 . Peter Gabriel Unveils New Song "So Much": Stream . 3 June 2024 . en-US.
6. Web site: Download Charts Single. GfK Entertainment charts. 28 May 2024. 11 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230711000432/https://www.mtv.de/info/b45gik/download-charts-single. dead.