All This Time (Michelle McManus song)

"All This Time" is a song by Scottish singer Michelle McManus, released from her debut album, The Meaning of Love (2004). Written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ali Tennant, the single was released in January 2004 by 19, a subsidiary of BMG.

Background and recording
"All This Time" was written for the winner of the second and final series of Pop Idol in the United Kingdom, with last two acts in the show, Michelle McManus and Mark Rhodes, having both performed the song in the final. McManus went on to win and released "All This Time" as her debut single on 5 January 2004.

Reception
BBC Music writer Ruth Mitchell described the song as "epic", with a "glorious array of lush harmonies". A Daily Record journalist called it "beautiful" and a "brilliant pop gem which is laced with a luxurious gospel feel". Ian Hyland in the Sunday Mirror unfavourably compared McManus to previous Pop Idol winner Will Young but nevertheless rated the single 7/10.

Conversely, Fiona Shepherd in The Scotsman described the track as a "tuneless dirge", while an Entertainment.ie critic labelled it "a triumph of hype over substance". Daily Telegraph critic Lynsey Hanley called the song "utterly forgettable" and "one of the lamest Pop Idol-sponsored efforts" and argued that it achieved the UK number-one position "on the back of the series' success".

Chart performance
"All This Time" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on 11 January 2004 and remained there for three weeks, later being included on her debut album, The Meaning of Love. Subsequent releases failed to duplicate its success, and McManus was dropped by BMG.

Music video
The music video for "All This Time" was recorded in December 2003 and was released to UK Music Channels that same month. The video shows Michelle singing the song in front of a pure black background. The video also shows certain moments from Michelle's time in Pop Idol.

Track listing
European CD single
 * 1) "All This Time"
 * 2) "On the Radio"