{{Infobox song | name = Why Not Us | cover = Why Not Us.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Monrose | album = I Am | released = 28 November 2008 | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = | length = 3:29 | label = Starwatch | writer = {{hlist|Guy Chambers|Alexis Strum}} | producer = Guy Chambers | prev_title = Hit 'N' Run | prev_year = 2008 | next_title = Like a Lady | next_year = 2010 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|ST0LsyyNcTM|"Why Not Us"}}}} }}
'''"Why Not Us"''' is a song recorded by German pop trio Monrose. It was written by English songwriters Alexis Strum and Guy Chambers and produced by the latter along with frequent Monrose collaborator Pete Kirtley for the band's third studio album ''I Am'' (2008). A midtempo contemporary R&B-pop ballad with soft electro pop elements, "Why Not Us" is about a tumbling relationship which ultimately breaks up.
The song was released by Starwatch Music as the album's third and final single on 28 November 2008. It debuted and peaked at number 27 in Germany, becoming the group's lowest-charting single up to then, and failed to reach the upper half of the Austrian Singles Chart. An accompanying music video, directed by Markus Gerwinat, was filmed at the Orangery Palace in the Sanssouci Park of Potsdam.
==Background== "Why Not Us" was written by British songwriters Guy Chambers and Alexis Strum,<ref name="Booklet">{{cite AV media notes |title=Real Love|publisher=Starwatch Music |others=Monrose |title-link=I Am (Monrose album)|year=2008}}</ref> and produced by the former, with frequent Monrose collaborator Pete Kirtley credited as a co-producer.<ref name="Booklet"/> Recorded by Mandy Capristo, Senna Gammour, and Bahar Kızıl for the band's third studio album ''I Am'' (2008), "Why Not Us" is a midtempo contemporary R&B-pop ballad that is about a tumbling relationship which ultimately breaks up.<ref>{{cite web|first=Kevin Dave|last=Surauf|title=Musik, Singles: Why Not Us|url=https://www.myfanbase.de/musik/singles/?tid=2067|publisher=myfanbase.de|access-date=3 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Christian|last=Bartz|title=Monrose – I Am|url=https://www.beatblogger.de/2008/10/monrose-i-am/|publisher=beatblogger.de|access-date=3 June 2024}}</ref> Band member Bahar Kizil called "Why Not Us" a "winter song."<ref name="beatblogger"/> In 2025, Gammour and Kızıl disclosed that the band did not favor the song and had originally opposed its release as a single.<ref>{{cite web|first=Christian|last=Bartz|title=POPSTARS UNSPOKEN – Hinter der letzten Tür, EP.01|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Ii2mtZGRU|via=YouTube (Senna Gammour)|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Monrose-Reunion: Was sie 20 Jahre lang NICHT erzählt haben…(R.Kelly, Heidi Klum, Til Schweiger etc.)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EPf0eqvrK4|via=YouTube (Dimi Adams)|date=23 May 2025|access-date=15 August 2025}}</ref>
==Chart performance== "Why Not Us" was released by Starwatch Music as the album's third and final single on 28 November 2008. Initially selected by the label as the album's second single,<ref name="beatblogger">{{cite web|first=Walter |last=Kraus|title=Interview mit Monrose-Chanteuse Bahar|url=https://www.beatblogger.de/2008/09/interview-monrose/|publisher=beatblogger.de|access-date=3 June 2024}}</ref> Monrose reportedly disliked the idea of issuing the song as a single and only agreed to release it after Starwatch offered to release "Hit 'N' Run" as the album's second single beforehand.<ref name="galerie-arschgeweih">{{cite web|title=Galerie Arschgeweih – Der Podcast (BONUS: Bahar von Monrose im Talk)|url=https://shows.acast.com/galerie-arschgeweih-der-podcast/episodes/galerie-arschgeweih-bahar-monrose-interview|date=3 June 2024|publisher=Galerie Arschgeweih|access-date=3 June 2024}}</ref> "Why Not Us" eventually debuted and peaked at number 27 on the German Singles Chart in the week of 12 December 2008, becoming Monrose's first single to miss the top 20.<ref name="Germany"/> It also failed to reach the top 50 in Austria.<ref name="Austria"/>
== Music video == [[File:Westlicher Eckpavillon, Orangerieschloss Sanssouci, Potsdam-7583.jpg|thumb|right|Orangery Palace in the Sanssouci Park of Potsdam served as a filming location for the video.<ref name="crew-united"/>]] A music video for "Why Not Us" was directed by frequent Monrose collaborator Oliver Sommer and produced by AVA Studios.<ref name="crew-united"/> It was released online and through television channels on 14 November 2008.<ref name="crew-united">{{cite web|url=https://www.crew-united.com/de/Monrose-Why-Not-Us__91541.html|title=Monrose – Why Not Us|website=crew-united.com|language=de|access-date=3 June 2024}}</ref> The visuals show the trio in black dresses in an autumn set, featuring visual elements from the Baroque age. Portions of the video were filmed at the Orangery Palace in the Sanssouci Park of Potsdam, with Westlicher Eckpavillion and Jubiläumsterrasse serving as main filming locations.<ref name="crew-united"/> Intercut are solo performances and group scenes that were filmed in front of a green screen and depict Capristo, Gammour, and Kızıl in various settings.<ref name="crew-united"/>
==Track listings== {{track listing | headline = CD maxi-single | extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Why Not Us | writer1 = {{hlist|Guy Chambers|Alexis Strum}} | extra1 = {{hlist|Chambers|Pete Kirtley{{ref|a|[a]}}}} | length1 = 3:29
| title2 = Why Not Us | note2 = Beathoavenz Cut | writer2 = {{hlist|Chambers|Strum}} | extra2 = {{hlist|Chambers|Kirtley{{ref|a|[a]}}|Beathoavenz{{ref|b|[b]}}}} | length2 = 3:34
| title3 = Why Not Us | note3 = Electrasonic RMX | writer3 = {{hlist|Chambers|Strum}} | extra3 = {{hlist|Chambers|Kirtley{{ref|a|[a]}}|Sacha Collisson{{ref|b|[b]}}}} | length3 = 3:15
| title4 = Strike the Match | note4 = fArHOt Remix | writer4 = {{hlist|Ryan Tedder|Deborah Epstein}} | extra4 = {{hlist|Tedder|Andrew Murray{{ref|b|[b]}}|Christian Ballard{{ref|b|[b]}}}} | length4 = 2:58 }}{{track listing | headline = 2-track CD single | extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Why Not Us | writer1 = {{hlist|Chambers|Strum}} | extra1 = {{hlist|Chambers|Kirtley{{ref|a|[a]}}}} | length1 = 3:29
| title4 = Strike the Match | note4 = fArHOt Remix | writer4 = {{hlist|Tedder|Epstein}} | extra4 = {{hlist|Tedder|Murray{{ref|b|[b]}}|Ballard{{ref|b|[b]}}}} | length4 = 2:58 }} '''Notes''' * <sup>{{note|a|[a]}}</sup> denotes co-producer * <sup>{{note|b|[b]}}</sup> denotes additional producer
==Credits and personnel== Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Strictly Physical''.<ref name="Booklet"/> {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} *Keith Beauvais – keyboards *Guy Chambers – instruments, producer, writer *Mandy Capristo – vocals *Senna Gammour – vocals *Pete Kirtley – co-producer {{col-2}} *Bahar Kizil – vocals *Paul Stanborough – engineer, original programming *Seb Stone – backing vocals *Alexis Strum – backing vocals, writer *Ren Swan – recording engineer {{col-end}}
==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ Chart performance for "Why Not Us" |- !align="center"|Chart (2008) !align="center"|Peak<br>position |- {{single chart|Austria|53|artist=Monrose|song=Why Not Us |rowheader=true|accessdate=2011-05-06|refname="Austria"}} |- {{single chart|Germany|27|artist=Monrose|song=Why Not Us |songid=515512|rowheader=true|accessdate=2011-05-06|refname="Germany"}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Monrose}} {{Authority control}}
Category:2008 singles Category:Monrose songs Category:Songs written by Guy Chambers Category:2008 songs Category:Song recordings produced by Guy Chambers