| The Meaning of Love | |
| Cover: | Meaningoflove.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Michelle |
| Album: | The Meaning of Love |
| A-Side: | The Meaning of Love |
| Recorded: | 2004 |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Length: | 4:24 (album version) 3:10 (radio edit) |
| Label: | |
| Producer: | Steve Robson |
| Prev Title: | All This Time |
| Prev Year: | 2003 |
| Next Title: | Take You There |
| Next Year: | 2012 |
"The Meaning of Love" is the second single from Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus, released under the mononym "Michelle" on 5 April 2004.[1] It did not match the success of her chart-topping debut single "All This Time", reaching number 16 in the United Kingdom and number 29 in Ireland. Soon after the single's commercial failure, BMG dropped McManus from the label.[2]
Daily Record critic John Dingwall called the song a "great ballad";[3] a colleague of his, however, wrote: "Michelle's going to have to aim much higher... 'The Meaning of Love', while good, isn't great."[4] Writing for AllMusic, journalist Sharon Mawer described the track as "a charity sounding record without the All Saints rhythm [of 'All This Time'], without the multi-vocals, and without much of a tune either".[5]
"The Meaning of Love" debuted at number 16 in the United Kingdom and number 29 in Ireland. The single did not chart as well as expected. Considered a flop, with sales of only 8,000 in its first week, one newspaper drew comparisons of McManus' fortunes to rejects One True Voice.[6]
UK CD single
UK digital download