Synopsis

Kim Wilde performs the melancholic ballad in a highly stylized 1980s setting. The video relies on dramatic close-ups, expressive gestures and atmospheric lighting rather than a conventional storyline. Wilde appears against stark studio backdrops, including a vivid red-toned setting, while the editing follows the song's emotional movement from romantic intensity to heartbreak. The performance-focused presentation keeps attention on Wilde's vocal delivery and the song's central idea: love can be both beautiful and devastating when a relationship ends.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Four Letter Word" was released in the United Kingdom on November 21, 1988, as the fourth single from Kim Wilde's album "Close."

• The song's four-letter word is "love," presented not as a simple romantic ideal but as something capable of causing pain when it disappears.

• The single became Wilde's third consecutive UK Top 10 hit from "Close," reaching No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart.

• The track was written by Wilde's father, Marty Wilde, and her brother, Ricki Wilde. It was the last single from the album to use their songwriting partnership.

• The production team included Ricki Wilde and Tony Swain, with the recording made at Select Sound in Knebworth, England.

• The single was issued in several forms, including a standard edit, an extended version and a "Late Night Mix."

• The song also charted strongly elsewhere in Europe, reaching the Top 10 in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands.

• The video was later included among the promotional videos associated with "Close," an album that also produced the hit singles "You Came" and "Never Trust a Stranger."