"Glorious" is a song by American rapper
Macklemore
Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; (formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper and songwriter. A native of Seattle, Washington, he has collaborated with producer Ryan Lewi ...
, featuring American singer
Skylar Grey
Holly Brook Hafermann (born February 23, 1986), known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Mazomanie, Wisconsin. In 2004, at the age of 17, Grey signed a publishing deal with Universal Music ...
. The song was written by the artists alongside Tyler Andrews and producers
Joshua "Budo" Karp and Tyler Dopps,. It was released to
digital retailers on June 15, 2017, as the lead single from Macklemore's second solo studio album, ''
Gemini
Gemini may refer to:
Space
* Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
** Gemini in Chinese astronomy
* Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program
* Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
'' (2017). The song was used in a 20-second trailer for the
eleventh series of ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' and the trailer for ''
Crazy Rich Asians
''Crazy Rich Asians'' is a satirical 2013 romantic comedy novel by Kevin Kwan. Kwan stated that his intention in writing the novel was to "introduce a contemporary Asia to a North American audience". He claimed the novel was loosely based on h ...
''.
Background
On June 13, 2017, Macklemore teased the single release on social media. He posted a photo of his daughter, Sloane, standing in front of a car, in which the song's title, release date and time were written. He later posted a video that reveals the song's artwork featured artist. Upon release, Macklemore published a social media post, explaining the reason behind a musical break that he and
Ryan Lewis
Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American record producer, DJ, videographer, photographer, graphic designer, music video director, rapper, and songwriter. Along with producing his own album, ''Instrumentals'', Lewis produced the alb ...
are taking as they work on their own music.
"So here it is. The first song from my new album is 'Glorious'. It features the incredibly talented Skylar Grey and was produced by Budo with additional production from Tyler Dopps. It felt like the right record to come back with, embarking on this new chapter of life."
Critical reception
Edwin Ortiz of ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' magazine wrote that the song "provides an uplifting, anthemic vibe that Macklemore uses to put into focus his own legacy and what it means to truly make a mark".
Jon Blistein of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine wrote: "Glorious" has rapid percussion and an energizing piano loop. Macklemore unravels a torrent of lyrics that complement Grey's gospel-tinged hook." They regarded the song as "an ode to fresh starts and embracing life".
Live performances
On June 28, 2017, Macklemore made his television debut of the song with Skylar Grey on the American late-night talk show ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
''. Grey handled the piano, with a backing band consisting six background vocalists, a guitarist and percussionist and a three-piece horn section. Arielle Tschinkel of
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
regarded the performance as "uplifting" and "spirited."
Music video
The music video premiered on YouTube on July 6, 2017. It featured Macklemore's grandmother, Helen, on her 100th birthday, with the two traveling around
Modesto, California
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...
, doing activities together such as shopping, egging houses, and visiting an arcade.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
.
* Macklemore – composition
* Skylar Grey – composition
* Budo – production, composition, piano, bass, drum programming
* Tyler Andrews – writing
* Tyler Dopps – additional production, composition, synthesizer, additional drum programming, engineering
* Donna Missal – additional vocals
* Raymond Mason – trombone
* Todd M. Simon – trumpet, flügelhorn, euphonium, horn arrangement
* Adam Aejaye Jackson – additional background vocals
* Niomisha Renee Wilson – additional background vocals
*
Oren Waters
Oren Waters is an American vocalist best known for his work with the backup singing group The Waters, his siblings: Luther, Maxine and Julia. As an ensemble, Waters has been a part of 260 gold and over 100 platinum albums with artists ranging from ...
– additional background vocals
* Valerie Pinkston – additional background vocals
* Brenda McClure – additional background vocals
*
Harrison White
Harrison Colyar White (born March 21, 1930) is the emeritus Giddings Professor of Sociology at Columbia University. White played an influential role in the “Harvard Revolution” in social networks and the New York School of relational sociol ...
– additional background vocals
*
Will Wheaton
Will Wheaton, born Willie Mack Wheaton Jr. (born October 26, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He grew up in Los Angeles and is the son of Gospel singer Juanita Wheaton. He studied music in his teens and was eventually tuto ...
– additional background vocals
* Bridgett Bryant – additional background vocals
* Josh Rawlings – additional piano
* Jon Castelli – mixing
* Dale Becker – mastering
* Nick Mac – additional engineering
* Sean Kellett – additional engineering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{authority control
2017 singles
2017 songs
Macklemore songs
Skylar Grey songs
Songs written by Macklemore
Songs written by Skylar Grey