Arms Around the World

"Arms Around the World" is a song by English singer Louise, released on 22 September 1997 as the lead single from her second studio album, Woman in Me (1997). It appeared on several music charts, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart in September 1997. As reported by the Official Charts Company in January 2020, "Arms Around the World" has sold 159,000 copies in the UK. The video was directed by Toby Tremlett.^[2]

"Arms Around the World"
Single by Louise
from the album Woman in Me
B-side	"Don't Be Shy" "Intimate"
Released	22 September 1997 (1997-09-22)
Genre	Dance[1]
Length	4:08
Label	EMI 1st Avenue
Songwriter(s)	George Noel Louise Nurding Trevor Steel John Holliday
Producer(s)	Trevor Steel John Holliday
Louise singles chronology
"One Kiss from Heaven" (1996) "Arms Around the World" (1997) "Let's Go Round Again" (1997)
Music video
"Arms Around the World" on YouTube

Critical reception

Jon O'Brien from AllMusic viewed "Arms Around the World" as a Janet Jackson-inspired track, adding that it sounds like her 1995 song "Runaway".^[3] British magazine Music Week rated it three out of five, writing further that "Louise attempts to do a Kylie with a more complex and mature sound, but her efforts are let down by an unsubstantial song lacking any real sparkle."^[4] Gerald Martinez from New Sunday Times described the song as a "anthemic" dance song.^[1]

Track listings

• UK CD1 and Japanese CD single^[5][6]

1. "Arms Around the World" (radio mix)
2. "Arms Around the World" (Rated PG club mix)
3. "Arms Around the World" (T-Empo club mix)
4. "Arms Around the World" (Farley & Heller Fire Island vocal mix)

• UK CD2^[7]

1. "Arms Around the World" (radio mix)
2. "Don't Be Shy"
3. "Intimate"

• UK cassette single^[8]

1. "Arms Around the World" (radio mix)
2. "Don't Be Shy"
3. "Arms Around the World" (T-Empo club mix)

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the Woman in Me album booklet.^[9]

Studio

• Mixed at Sarm Hook End (Reading, Berkshire)

Personnel

• Oliver Smallman – writing (as George)
• Denis Ingoldsby – writing (as Noel)
• Louise Nurding – writing
• Trevor Steel – writing, production
• John Holliday – writing, production
• Maxx – mixing
• Richard Lowe – mix engineering
• Niven Garland – engineering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997–1998) Peak position Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[10] 6 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 32 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 95 Scotland (OCC)[13] 9 UK Singles (OCC)[14] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position UK Singles (OCC)[15][16] 95

Sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom	—	159,000[17]

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	22 September 1997	CD cassette	EMI 1st Avenue	[18]
Japan	29 October 1997	CD	EMI Japan	[19]