"Sitting on Top of the World" is a song by Australian
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
singer and songwriter
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive wee ...
. It was sent to Australian
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
on 5 April 2012. "Sitting on Top of the World" was released
physically and
digitally on 13 April 2012.
It peaked at No. 2 on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
and marked the return of Goodrem to multi-platinum certified singles since "
Predictable" in 2003.
Background and composition
The release of "Sitting on Top of the World" was much anticipated. This was mostly due to the four years since Goodrem's last solo single, "
I Can't Break It to My Heart" (2008). "Sitting on Top of the World" is about Goodrem "feeling like herself" again and feeling connected to the world through music/friendship.
"Sitting on Top of the World" was written by Goodrem and co-written and produced by
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist.
Early life and education
John Matthew Shanks was born in New York City. Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 years old. He was in a ban ...
.
Lyrically, it talks about stars aligning and being together as one.
"So get up, stand up / What you waiting for?" she happily commands.
[ "We gotta live life, give in to begin / We've got a love like no one knows!" she sings on the ]power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ...
track.[
]
Reception
Brad Stern wrote for an MTV Buzzworthy
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a d ...
article that the song is "a swoon-filled, carefree pop ditty."[ In another review, Stern wrote for MuuMuse that "probably the most fun, feel good, warm 'n' fuzzy on the inside bout of euphoria you'll feel since that last time you were tripping out on MDMA."][ He also praised her "sublime vocals", the "powerhouse instrumentation" and called it "an absolutely massive smash."][ In Australia, "Sitting on Top of the World" debuted and peaked at number two on the ]ARIA Charts
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...
, being held off the top spot by Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...
's "Call Me Maybe
"Call Me Maybe" is a song recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen for her EP ''Curiosity'' (2012) and later appeared on her second studio album and first international album ''Kiss'' (2012). The song was written by Jepsen and T ...
". It was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...
(ARIA) for shipments of 140,000 copies. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 38 and moved to number 23 in its second week.
Controversy
A striking similarity between "Sitting on Top of the World" and Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member ...
's song " Rebellion (Lies)" was noted by some in the Australian media.
Promotion
Music video
The official music video for "Sitting on Top of the World" was released on 6 April 2012 on Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
. It is set in various places in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, Australia. It is mostly a continuation on the ideas Goodrem used in the " A Little Too Late", " In This Life" and "Out of the Blue
Out of the Blue may refer to:
Film and television Film
* ''Out of the Blue'' (1931 film), a British musical by Gene Gerrard
* ''Out of the Blue'' (1947 film), an American comedy directed by Leigh Jason
*'' Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley'', a ...
" music videos of her posing and dancing with her friends and playing her piano in a fun way and otherwise dancing in a hippie style. Goodrem herself stated in the behind-the-scenes video on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and 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 Google, and is the second most ...
that it is about how you may get distracted from your main focus in life, but you will always end up where you belong in the end. About "seeing signs, wanting to be in the right place at the right time". The balloons symbolise various paths she has taken over her own life and listeners have taken in their own lives.
The video features Goodrem and a lot of dancers twirling around in a giant field like fanciful forest creatures while holding balloons. At one point, she plays a piano while standing in black stilettos and wearing a bedazzled leather jacket.[ Brad Stern from ]MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
wrote that the video "is equally amazing, featuring Goodrem and a troupe of happy-go-lucky ladies and gents dancing around with balloons in hands."[
]
Live performances
Goodrem performed "Sitting on Top of the World" for the first time during the Logie Awards
The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
on 15 April 2012. The singer made several instore appearances to promote the single in Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney and Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
. She also performed "Sitting on Top of the World" on the ''Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now''
* Current era, present
* The current calendar date
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...
'' show and then performed the single and "In This Life" at the first round of the 2012 State of Origin series.
Awards
"Sitting on Top of the World" was nominated for Song of the Year Song of the Year may refer to:
* Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year
* Dove Award for Song of the Year
* Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year
* Grammis Song of the Year
* Grammy Award for Song of the Year
* Latin Grammy Awa ...
at the 2012 ARIA Music Awards.
Track listings
*Digital download
# "Sitting on Top of the World" – 3:57
*CD single
# "Sitting on Top of the World" – 3:57
# "Uncovered" – 4:02
*Digital EP
# "Sitting on Top of the World" – 3:57
# "Uncovered" – 4:02
# "Sitting on Top of the World" (7th Heaven Club Mix) - 7:42
# "Sitting on Top of the World" (7th Heaven Radio Edit) - 4:12
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{Delta Goodrem singles
2012 singles
Delta Goodrem songs
Songs written by Delta Goodrem
Songs written by John Shanks
2012 songs
Song recordings produced by John Shanks