When Diana Ross met with new producers to begin work on her 11th studio album, the Motown legend knew it was time for a change. She released Diana in 1980, and the album’s first single, “Upside Down”, gave new life to one of pop music’s biggest stars.
Videos by American Songwriter
The idea for the song began with Ross explaining to Chic co-founders Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards that she wanted a reinvention. Blending R&B and disco, “Upside Down” transformed her solo career. And 45 years later, it delivers yet another comeback. This time, via the sci-fi Netflix series, Stranger Things.
About “Upside Down” and Notes From a Diva
Rodgers and Edwards wrote and produced the track. Rodgers said the title came from Ross. “She said that she just wanted to turn her whole career upside down, and that was in our notes. But we thought that it would be more powerful in a romantic setting, so we wrote ‘Upside down, boy you turn me.’ And she flipped when she heard it,” he said.
I said upside down, you’re turning me
You’re giving love instinctively
Round and round, you’re turning me.
Though Ross is smitten in “Upside Down”, she’s aware her partner isn’t faithful. Still, sometimes the heart wants what the brain knows is bad for you. Even a Supreme can’t resist a bad romance. But she’s been here before, and the situation recalls The Supremes’ classic “Stop! In The Name Of Love”.
However, Ross is wiser here. “Stop! In The Name Of Love” was released in 1965. But this is 1980, and she’s not asking her partner to “think it over.” Instead, his charm and appeal are worth the price of cheating.
Instinctively, you give to me the love that I need
I cherish the moments with you
Respectfully, I say to thee
I’m aware that you’re cheating
When no one makes me feel like you do.
‘Stranger Things’
Ross’s hit shares its name with the alternate dimension in Stranger Things. In the series, scientists at the National Laboratory in Hawkins, Indiana, a fictional town, conduct research for the U.S. Department of Energy. The secret experiments taking place at the lab open a portal to The Upside Down, a mysterious realm that soon changes the lives of the town’s residents.
“Upside Down” is featured in Season 5 amid a looming threat in both dimensions. But one doesn’t need to experience the paranormal to feel a groove this deep.
I know you got charm and appeal
You always play the field
I’m crazy to think you’re all mine
As long as the sun continues to shine
There’s a place in my heart for you, that’s the bottom line.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.