# Not in Love (Crystal Castles song)

"Not in Love" is the title of two covers by the Canadian electronic music duo Crystal Castles of the 1983 eponymous song by the Canadian rock band Platinum Blonde. The first version appeared on Crystal Castles' second studio album, Crystal Castles (2010). The second cover, which features Robert Smith of the Cure, was digitally released as a non-album single on October 26, 2010, alongside a music video. Crystal Castles member Ethan Kath recorded vocals for the first version of "Not in Love"; following the album's release, Smith asked for permission to remix one of its tracks, resulting in the second version of "Not in Love".
Critics stated the first version of "Not in Love", which is a synth-pop song, is calmer than Smith's version, which is a gothic rock song and has more impactful beats and synthesizers. Although the album version was generally seen as unexciting, critics praised Smith's cover, especially its vocals, and some publications named it one of the best songs of 2010. Commercially, it appeared in the singles charts of Australia, Denmark, Scotland, and the United Kingdom, and was certified gold by Music Canada.

## Background and release

"Not in Love" is a 1983 song by the Canadian rock band Platinum Blonde that the Canadian electronic music duo Crystal Castles covered for their self-titled 2010 studio album. Ethan Kath recorded his vocals as "a scratch demo". He intended to re-record the song, but the demo was used for the finished version and released on the album. Following its release, Robert Smith of the Cure, whom Crystal Castles had first met when the duo opened for the band at London's The O2 Arena in February 2009, asked if he could remix one of its tracks. Instead of a remix, Kath suggested Smith's vocals should replace his own on "Not in Love". Smith recorded home demo vocals for the song; when the band listened to the result, they became attached to his "raw" vocals and decided to retain Smith's demo and cancel their plans to re-record him in a studio.
The version of "Not in Love" with Smith's vocals was announced on October 25, 2010, and officially released as a single a day later. It was planned to be released in the United Kingdom via Fiction Records with acoustic demos of "Celestica" and "Suffocation" as B-sides on December 6. "Not in Love" was sent to American alternative radio on January 11, 2011, and an accompanying music video that was directed by Nic Brown was released the same month. The song was included in the video game FIFA 12 (2011).

## Composition

Heather Phares of AllMusic characterized Crystal Castles' first cover of "Not in Love" as synth-pop. Pitchfork's Mark Richardson said this version is filled with digital noise and heavy distortion. Mark Pytlik, also writing for Pitchfork, said the track is "much tamer" than the version with Smith's vocals. Cameron Scheetz of The A.V. Club said Kath's "distant, distorted vocals" on the first version provides a ghostly feel to the lyrics. According to an NME writer: "There's an urgency to the keyboards that crescendos into a wall of sound that wraps around you like a blanket".
Rolling Stone's Andi Harrima characterized the version with Smith's vocals as gothic rock. Scheetz said it brings his emotive vocals to the forefront and enhances the song's "throbbing" beat, adding that, in the chorus, "the already propulsive synthesizers become unavoidably sweeping". Beats Per Minute's Philip Cosores said this version's chorus has a heavier mix than the first's. According to Pytlik, Kath's "storming synth squalls" provide a perfect contrast to Smith's "precarious and insecure delivery". Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork said this version has a "more muscular framework" than the first, and powerful synths with an anthemic intensity.

## Critical reception
### Album version

Critics generally considered the album version of "Not in Love" unexciting; Pytlik said the track "barely seemed to make a dent" when it was released. Drowned in Sound's James Lawrenson said it could be considered "filler" and "dropped as a B-side", while Cosores of Beats Per Minute described it as "pretty pedestrian". Emily Bick of The Quietus wrote that the song "shifts towards discomfort, disillusion, despair". Justin Jacobs of Paste described it as "pretty" and said it sounds "the way twinkling Christmas lights look".

### Robert Smith version

Pitchfork named the "Not in Love" re-recording with Smith the "Best New Track", and Richardson said he "elevates" Crystal Castles' first version, balancing nostalgia and the immediacy of life. Fact staff called the track "as satisfying as you could have hoped for". Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal described Smith's vocals as "loud and clear", making it one of Crystal Castles' catchiest works. Larry Fitzmaurice, also writing for Pitchfork, said the song is "massive", evoking chills, and that while it is a cover, its "high-definition angst" feels unique to the band. He also considered it one of Smith's best performances in a long time.
According to Scheetz, Smith's emotional vulnerability reveals "the tender longing[s] beneath Crystal Castles' cool, icy facade". Brandon Stosuy of Stereogum said the cover could be considered the best the Cure song in years, while providing a new perspective on the "saturated, blasted goth-noise prettiness" of Crystal Castles. Slant Magazine staff said: "The crunchy production combined with Smith's familiar pangs is heart-wrenching and nothing short of blisteringly gorgeous". Molly Beauchemin from Pitchfork described the song as having an explosive, "life-affirming" chorus that transitions into Kath's tender interludes with "triumphant precision", calling it one of Crystal Castles' "finest, most cathartic ballads". A writer for DIY described the song as the most-destined for festival stages and the purest of any Crystal Castles release. They concluded that it was one of the best covers of the 2010s and "a crazed re-creation of a song that looked to be dead and buried".

#### Accolades

"Not in Love" was ranked as one of the 20 best songs of 2010 by Beats Per Minute, Pitchfork, and Slant Magazine. In 2014, Pitchfork considered it among the best songs of the decade thus far. In 2022, Rolling Stone named the track as one of the best goth songs of all time.
Accolades for "Not in Love" :
| Publication | List | Rank |
| BBC Radio 6 Music | Top 40 of 2010 (shortlist) | — |
| Beats Per Minute | The top 50 tracks of 2010 | 18 |
| Fact | The 100 best tracks of 2010 | 39 |
| Pazz & Jop | 2010 singles poll | 22 |
| Pitchfork | The top 100 tracks of 2010 | 15 |
| Pitchfork | The 200 best tracks of the decade so far (2010–2014) | 34 |
| PopMatters | The 60 best songs of 2010 | 47 |
| Rolling Stone | The 50 best goth songs of all time (2022) | 20 |
| Slant Magazine | The 25 best singles of 2010 | 13 |

## Commercial performance

In Australia, "Not in Love" peaked at number 90 in the ARIA Charts. In Belgium, it charted at number three on the Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders chart, and at number 43 on the Ultratop 50 Wallonia chart. In Canada, the song entered Billboard's Canada Rock at number 39 and was certified gold by Music Canada, with 40,000 certified units. It appeared at number 31 in Denmark's Tracklisten. In Mexico, it peaked at 18 on Billboard's Mexico Ingles Airplay chart. "Not in Love" peaked at number 57 on the Official Charts Company's Scottish Singles Chart and at number 53 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it entered the two Billboard charts, peaking at number 24 on Alternative Airplay and at number 19 on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales.

## Personnel

Adapted from Spotify; applies to both the radio version and the Robert Smith mix.
* Alice Glass – performer, writer
* Ethan Kath – performer, writer, producer
* Robert Smith – performer, writer
* Mark Holmes – writer
* Jacknife Lee – producer
* Paul Epworth – producer

## Chart performance

Chart performance for "Not in Love" :
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
| Australia (ARIA) | 90 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) | 43 |
| Canada Rock (Billboard) | 39 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten) | 31 |
| Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard) | 18 |
| Scotland (OCC) | 57 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 54 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard) | 24 |
| US Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (Billboard) | 19 |

## Certifications

Certifications for "Not in Love" :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Gold | 40,000$^‡$ |
| $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||