The Time of Our Lives (Il Divo and Toni Braxton song)

"The Time of Our Lives" is a song recorded by multinational operatic pop quartet Il Divo and American singer Toni Braxton to serve as the official song of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany. Written by Jörgen Elofsson and produced by Steve Mac, the song appears on the compilation album Voices from the FIFA World Cup (2006) and on the 2006 European reissue of Braxton's sixth studio album, Libra.

"The Time of Our Lives"
Single by Il Divo with Toni Braxton
from the album Voices from the FIFA World Cup and Libra (European reissue)
B-side	"Isabel" "Heroe"
Released	9 June 2006
Studio	Rokstone (London)
Genre	Operatic pop
Length	4:39
Label	Sony BMG Syco
Songwriter(s)	Jörgen Elofsson
Producer(s)	Steve Mac
Il Divo singles chronology
"I Believe in You (Je crois en toi)" (2006) "The Time of Our Lives" (2006) "Wicked Game" (2011)
Toni Braxton singles chronology
"Suddenly" (2006) "The Time of Our Lives" (2006) "Yesterday" (2009)
Music video
"The Time of Our Lives" on YouTube

Il Divo and Braxton performed "The Time of Our Lives" during the 2006 FIFA World Cup opening festivities at Allianz Arena in Munich on 9 June 2006.^[1] That same day it was released as a single in continental Europe, reaching the top 10 in Switzerland, the top 20 in Germany and Norway, and the top 30 in Italy and Austria, as well as number 52 on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.

Music video

The single's music video, directed by Nigel Dick, takes place on a football field at night; the Il Divo members are standing on the turf while Braxton is seen on a screen. It is intercut with scenes from FIFA World Cup matches over the years.

Track listings

• European CD single

1. "The Time of Our Lives" (radio edit) – 3:17
2. "Isabel" – 4:14

• European CD maxi single

1. "The Time of Our Lives" (radio edit) – 3:17
2. "Isabel" – 4:14
3. "The Time of Our Lives" (original version) – 4:39
4. "Heroe" – 4:17
5. "The Time of Our Lives" (video) - 5:07

Personnel

Musicians

• Il Divo – vocals
• Toni Braxton – vocals
• Steve Mac – keyboards
• Dave Arch – piano
• Friðrik "Frissy" Karlsson – guitar
• Chris Laws – drums
• Isobel Griffiths – orchestra fixer
• Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader
• John Baker – copyist

Technical

• Steve Mac – producer, arranger
• Chris Laws – engineer, Pro Tools operator
• Dan Pursey – assistant engineer
• Ren Swan – mix engineer
• Dave Arch – string arrangements
• Geoff Foster – string engineer
• Jake Jackson – assistant
• Braddon Williams – engineer
• Keri Lewis – vocal producer for Toni Braxton
• Dave Russell – vocal engineer for Toni Braxton
• Dick Beetham – mastering

Charts

Chart performance for "The Time of Our Lives"

Chart (2006)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[2]	24
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[3]	9
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[4]	52
Germany (GfK)[5]	17
Italy (FIMI)[6]	24
Norway (VG-lista)[7]	16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[8]	8

References

1. "2006 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony programme". fifa.com. 8 July 2006. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
2. "Il Divo with Toni Braxton – The Time of Our Lives" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
3. "Il Divo with Toni Braxton – The Time of Our Lives" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
4. "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2008.^{[dead link‍]}
5. "Il Divo with Toni Braxton – The Time of Our Lives" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
6. "Il Divo with Toni Braxton – The Time of Our Lives". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
7. "Il Divo with Toni Braxton – The Time of Our Lives". VG-lista. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
8. "Il Divo with Toni Braxton – The Time of Our Lives". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 April 2021.