That's the Way It Is

"That's the Way It Is" is a song by British pop duo Mel and Kim that was featured on the soundtrack album of Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW). The single, released by Supreme Records and PolyGram peaked at number ten in the United Kingdom, becoming their fourth consecutive top ten hit. Background and release By the time of the single's release, Melanie Appleby had been diagnosed with cancer and had withdrawn from the public eye in mid-1987. Appleby discharged herself from hospital to record the vocals for the track, with the singer keen for a return to normality and the distraction of a creative outlet after months of rigorous treatment. The sisters made Mel's illness public at the time of the release of this single, and both appeared on the Wogan show in April 1988 while Mel was still undergoing treatment, as part of European Cancer Week. The B-side of the single was a new song, "You Changed My Life", which was the first song on which the sisters had a co-writer credit. Written by the siblings during Mel's treatment, the pair submitted it to SAW as a potential single.