Never Going Home — Kungs
A looped sample of Mind Enterprises, co-writing by Martin Solveig and production help from Boys Noize: how Kungs turned “Never Going Home” into a Diamond hit.
- Released on 21 May 2021 on Island Records by French producer Kungs (Valentin Brunel).
- Built on a sample of “Idol” (2017) by Mind Enterprises; co-written with Martin Solveig, co-produced with Boys Noize.
- No. 1 in Wallonia, No. 5 in France and certified Diamond by SNEP.
“Never Going Home” by Kungs came out in May 2021 and became one of the biggest house records of the year in French-speaking Europe. The producer from Toulon built it on a short vocal loop and a bouncing groove, with two well-known names helping behind the scenes.
Kungs before “Never Going Home”
Valentin Brunel was born in Toulon on 17 December 1996. He chose the name Kungs, which means “mister” in Latvian, while looking up translations of “gentleman”. At 17 he began posting his music online, and his remixes of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “Jamming” and Lana Del Rey’s “West Coast” each drew millions of plays.
His remix of Cookin’ on 3 Burners’ “This Girl” changed everything in 2016: No. 1 in France, Germany and Switzerland, No. 2 in the UK. That January he had opened some European dates of David Guetta’s Listen Tour; by the end of the year “This Girl” had won Best Single Dance/Electro at the NRJ Music Awards. His first album, Layers, followed on 4 November 2016 and went double Platinum in France.
A sample, Martin Solveig and Boys Noize
“Never Going Home” prominently samples “Idol”, a 2017 track by the Italian producer Mind Enterprises. The writing credit is shared by Kungs, Andrea Tirone and Martin Picandet, better known as Martin Solveig. Kungs produced it with Alexander Ridha, alias Boys Noize, who also mixed it; Mike Marsh mastered it. At 2:50, it is house in its most compact radio form.
Island Records released it on 21 May 2021. The video, filmed at the Cercle des Nageurs in Marseille, shows people of several generations dancing.
Charts and certifications
The single reached No. 1 in Wallonia, No. 5 in Flanders and France, No. 6 on the Dutch Top 40 and No. 3 on Polish airplay, and charted in Italy (13), Switzerland (16) and Germany (47). It ended 2021 as the No. 5 song of the year in Wallonia and No. 24 in France.
Certifications followed: Diamond in France, 3× Platinum in Poland, 2× Platinum in Italy and Gold in Germany. Kungs’ second album, Club Azur, came out on Island on 18 March 2022, reached No. 11 in France and went Gold in France and Italy.
In the mix
Short, hook-driven and easy to blend, “Never Going Home” works as a bridge between radio and the club. It belongs to a French tradition of pop-minded house that Martin Solveig helped build. For more, read the story of “+1” and the wider history of French electronic dance music.
FAQ
What song does Never Going Home sample?
“Idol”, a 2017 track by the Italian producer Mind Enterprises.
Who wrote Never Going Home?
Kungs (Valentin Brunel), Martin Solveig (Martin Picandet) and Andrea Tirone. Kungs produced it with Boys Noize.
Where was the Never Going Home video filmed?
At the Cercle des Nageurs in Marseille, France. It was released with the single on 21 May 2021.
