Opportunity Nox

The song was originally recorded at Per Gessle's Tits & Ass Studios in Halmstad on 4 March 2002.[1] Further recording took place later in October at EMI Studios in Stockholm, a month after vocalist Marie Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour.[2] Due to her illness, the song features practically none of her vocals: she sings just two line fragments during the song's final chorus.[1]

The song was issued as the compilation's first and only single on 25 February 2003.[2] Following Fredriksson's diagnosis, neither Roxette or Gessle himself publicly promoted the track,[2] although an animated music video was directed by the duo's longtime collaborator Jonas Åkerlund, as well as Kristoffer Diös.[3] The animation for the video was created by South African animation director Murray John.[4] Despite the lack of promotion, the song became a substantial hit in the duo's native Sweden. It spent two weeks at number 2 on Sveriges Radio P3's Tracks chart, held off the top spot in both weeks by The Cardigans' "For What It's Worth".[5] It also spent two weeks at number 9 on Svensktoppen, becoming the first Roxette song to enter that chart.[6] The single peaked at number 11 on the national Sverigetopplistan sales chart.[7] It was also a minor hit in Germany,[8] Spain,[9] and Switzerland.[10]

The song received positive reviews from various Swedish publications. Per Bjurman of Aftonbladet called it "one of Gessle's strongest songs", and praised the chorus as a "classic distillate of the hardest power pop Per Gessle had knocking around in his Guaranteed-Gold-Disc-Collection—and it hits like a pissed-off hornet's nest." He went on to describe it as their best song since "Dangerous" (1989).[11] Anders Nunstedt of Expressen called it their best up-tempo single since "Joyride" (1991).[12]

All songs written by Per Gessle.

• CD Single (Europe 5518972)

1. "Opportunity Nox" – 2:59
2. "Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)" (Live from Forest National, Brussels on 22 October 2001) – 4:08
3. "Breathe" (Tits & Ass Demo, 10 January 2002) – 4:33

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Pop Hits.[13]

• Recorded at Tits & Ass Studio, Halmstad in December 2001 and Polar Studios, Stockholm in March and October 2002.
• Mixed by Ronny Lahti, Clarence Öfwerman and Per Gessle at Polar Studios, Stockholm.

Musicians

• Per Gessle – lead and background vocals, acoustic, electric and lead guitars, production
• Marie Fredriksson – background vocals and production
• Ronny Lahti – engineering
• Christoffer Lundquist – bass and electric guitars
• Clarence Öfwerman – electric guitars, programming and production
• Mats "MP" Persson – electric guitars and engineering
• Shooting Star – programming

• Opportunity Nox at MusicBrainz
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics