The Child (Inside)



Critical reception

In Billboard magazine's review of the single, Larry Flick wrote, "The Euro-NRG sound that has propelled dance music back into pop radio prominence has been in need of a little variation and development. This intriguing new act successfully accomplishes the task without tampering too much with the genre's tried-and-true formula. Typically bright and springy beats underline a contagious melody that is executed with whooping tribal chants and quirky female vocals." In his Dance Trax column, Flick praised it as "an intriguing ditty that combines shiny hi-NRG elements with tribal chants and female warbling that land somewhere between Bjork and Enya. We're betting that this cutie will enjoy the same success as multiformat home runs by Real McCoy and Robert Miles."
Paul Sexton from pan-European magazine Music & Media named it Single of the Week, noting that South African trio QKumba Zoo "have already made more impression on the U.S. market with this single than any of their compatriots have since the heady days of Clout's 'Substitute'. Signed to Arista by Clive Davis, their sound straddles the ethnic and CHR camps in persuasive style, landing somewhere between Johnny Clegg and current European synth pop, reflecting female lead singer Levannah's upbringing in the Zulu homeland of Natal." A reviewer from Music Week gave the song a score of four out of five, adding, "Imagine Gina G embracing African rhythms and you have some idea of Qkumba Zoo. A hypnotically catchy debut single."

Music video

The accompanying music video for "The Child " was directed by Ruvén Afanador. It takes place in a large, sepia-coloured room, where singer Levannah and musician Owl are performing. She wears a burgundy dress and dark lipstick, and has a punk hairstyle. Owl, with tribal bodypaint, plays several instruments, such as a drum. In some scenes, Levannah performs while standing in a corner of the room, on a tall glass column. In other scenes, she dances or acts while looking through what appears to be a large framed magnifying glass. She also occasionally wears body paint or stands behind various light tubes that are shaped like a spiral or heart rates.

Track listing

CD maxi, South Africa
  1. "The Child " – 3:48
  2. "The Child " – 4:54
  3. "The Child " – 7:43
  4. "The Child " – 3:55
  5. "The Child " – 3:37
  6. "The Child " – 4:10 CD single, Europe
  7. "The Child " – 3:58
  8. "The Child " – 3:58
  9. Wake Up & Dream – 4:40 CD maxi, Scandinavia
  10. "The Child " – 3:58
  11. "The Child " – 4:54
  12. "The Child " – 8:48
  13. "The Child " – 6:39
  14. "The Child " – 8:40CD single, Australia
  15. "The Child " – 3:58
  16. "The Child " – 3:58
  17. Wake Up & Dream – 4:40