"Turn Back Time" is a song by Danish dance-pop group Aqua, released as their seventh single overall, and the sixth from their debut album Aquarium. The song became another worldwide hit for the group, and was included on the Sliding Doors soundtrack. It featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 filmSliding Doors, and was released across the world the same year. In Japan, "Turn Back Time" was released along with "My Oh My". The song subsequently gained far more radio airplay than their other releases. It possesses less of a bubble pop sound than Aqua's other releases; it is slow-paced and shows the full range of Lene Nystrøm Rasted's vocals but maintains the Aqua sound. The song samples the Pet Shop Boys' 1988 single "Heart".
Critical reception
from Billboard wrote that "here's what will likely be the third successful single from the Euro-dance act's massive album, "Aquarium". It is, by far, the most credible pop offering from the set, with its shuffling faux-funk beat and sax lines. Everything about this track is surprisingly reserved-including the lead vocals, which are dramatically toned down from a kewpie-doll squeak to a quasi-soulful belt." CantStopThePop declared it to be "their finest song by a country mile – and one of the bestpop ballads of the ‘90s to boot." They also added it as "one of the biggest surprises of the ‘90s." Alex Young from Consequence of Sound said that "the slower paced song allows Lene's vocal range to shine." Dayton Daily News noted the "mellow, trip-hoppy beats" of the song. Tom Ewing from Freaky Trigger described it as a "cryptic, self-hating ballad about choices and dire consequences." He noted that Nystrøm "has a strong, torchy voice" and "can set a mood." He also added that "in half a verse she's established a lonely, withdrawn, guilty feeling she might push against in the rest of the song." Sarah Davis from Dotmusic said that Nystrøm's tones on the song "bear an uncanny resemblance to the Material Girl by Madonna. She added that the ballad is "relying less on Euro-pop clich?s than their previous two singles, it shows that Aqua can write songs which move beyond the cartoon world of their stylists." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that it was "time to take it downtempo, and this standout track from Aquarium contains all the elements necessary to quickly float to the top. More than a handful of PDs and MDs consider this ballad to have Number One potential. This is an impressive display of the Danish group's versatility." Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In noted that it deal with "regrets over unfaithfulness with a desire for reconciliation". Pop Rescue said "Turn Back Time" is the best song of their career, adding that "here, Lene shows off her vocal range beautifully, and it's great to hear her pitched against the soft beats, piano, and gentle synths without some randomly thrown in 'eye-pee-eye-ohs. Perfect." Dave Fawbert from ShortList described it as "one of the all-time great lost pop classics. No ifs, no buts, no irony, just a glorious, timeless piece of songwriting."
Commercial performance
The single is their third number-one single in the United Kingdom. On its May 1998 UK release, the song topped the charts for one week. This single reached #18 on Billboard's Top 40 Mainstream chart and therefore was their second highest charting hit in the United States.
Music video
The video for the release contained footage from Sliding Doors, and was therefore a departure from the campy and humorous style by the group. There are two different edits of this video, one contains more clips from the film. In the video, the doppelgänger of the lead singer Lene Nystrøm is chasing her in the London Underground. Much of the video was filmed on the abandoned platform 5 at Holborn tube station.
