Brave (Josh Groban song)

"Brave"
Josh Groban "Brave" cover art
Single by Josh Groban
from the album All That Echoes
Released December 18, 2012 (2012-12-18)
Format
Recorded 2012[1]
Genre
Length 3:59
Label Reprise
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Josh Groban singles chronology
"If I Walk Away"
(2010)		 "Brave"
(2012)		 "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)"
(2013)
Audio sample
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"Brave" is a 2012 classical crossover–pop song by American singer and songwriter Josh Groban. It was the first single release from his sixth studio album, All That Echoes, signaling a move by Groban to a "more guitar-based, rhythmic" sound.

Groban and longtime songwriting partner Tawgs Salter composed the melody, and the lyrics were written by Chantal Kreviazuk. "Brave" reached No. 13 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.

Background

As Josh Groban was releasing Illuminations in 2010, Rob Cavallo was taking over as chairman of Warner Bros. Records, Groban's label. Carvallo attended one of Groban's concerts during the following tour and had dinner with the singer afterward. Groban said Carvallo—known for his work with rock acts like Goo Goo Dolls and Green Day—had "done his homework" and shared some ideas for the future that coincided with Groban's own. "So we said, 'This seems like on paper maybe not the most obvious thing but let's try it out.'"[3]

Groban and Tawgs Salter had been working on the melody for "Brave" when Groban started singing the words "wake up, wake up" while playing on the piano; "so from the get-go we felt this was a song about rejuvenation." For the remainder of the lyrics, Groban turned to longtime friend Chantal Kreviazuk for their first collaboration, since they had "always been sniffing around for the right thing to do" together.[3]

Groban said he wanted "Brave" to fuse the more traditional vocal style with "an intensity and an urgency",[3] opening an album designed to "bridge the old and the new, the light and the dark of life and love ... all that echoes in our souls."[4]

Music video

For the official music video, Groban was filmed standing on a lighted platform in a warehouse setting.

A "behind the scenes" music video for "Brave" was posted to Groban's YouTube channel in December 2012, including candid shots and production footage.[5] The official music video was released in March 2013; it features orchestra musicians in a recording studio, and Groban standing on a lighted, wooden platform in a warehouse.[6]

Performances and covers

Like the album, Groban used "Brave" to open his concerts during the All That Echoes tour in 2013.[7][8] Also in 2013, Groban performed the single for two competition programs: in March, he sang alongside professional dancers for Dancing with the Stars;[9] in September, he was invited by tenor group Forte to perform together for the America's Got Talent finale, singing a medley of "Brave" and "To Where You Are".[10][lower-alpha 1]

A cappella musician Peter Hollens covered "Brave" in 2013, using only his voice to create the vocals and instrumental accompaniment. A link to Hollens' performance was added to Groban's official website.[12] "Brave" has been recorded by several professional and amateur musicians including Britain's Got Talent alumnus Charlie Green and UK opera singer and actor Toby Hinson.[13]

Reception

Release

BBC Music called "Brave" a "'You Raise Me Up'-style anthem".[14] Billboard said the song is "the latest example of Groban's continued move toward more guitar-based, rhythmic arrangements—the kind he's been trying out on tour for years to surprise his fans."[3] Reviewing All That Echoes, AllMusic said "Brave" invokes "the yearning uplift of bands like U2 and OneRepublic".[15]

For its review of All That Echoes, Newsday wrote, "[on] the "Coldplayesque first single, 'Brave'" ... [Groban's] classically trained, powerful vocals compete with the extra drama of the orchestral arrangements."[16] The Independent found the song "vaguely uplifting".[17] The Village Voice called it "cinematic" if positive in its message. "Be careful, though: it's like a sprayed-white Christmas tree covered in blue lights and tinsel—works fine in the bank, but you might not want it in your house."[18]

Performance

In concert in 2013, MLive called the song "the first of many heavily orchestrated numbers with lush instrumentation, designed to be vehicles for his throaty vibrato."[7] The Orlando Sentinel said "Brave" was a "zestful, melodic anthem ".[19] The Toronto Star said the song "might be a metaphor for the singer’s charmed connection with loyal fans."[20]

The Morning Call was more critical in its review, writing that Groban seemed to be "trying too hard to be contemporary rather than classical. ... He sang too much of the song in an affected voice".[8]

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak position
Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 99
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[22] 64
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[23] 13

Notes

  1. ↑ Groban and Forte's Josh Page met in 2011 when Groban pulled Page from the audience at Madison Square Garden to sing a duet. Video of the performance went viral, and led to the formation of Forte.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "All That Echoes by Josh Groban". iTunes. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  2. ↑ Staff (November 19, 2012). "NEWS: Official All That Echoes Press Announcement". JoshGroban.com. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Staff (December 17, 2012). "Josh Groban "Brave" Song Premiere: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  4. ↑ Carlin, Shannon (November 19, 2012). "Give Thanks! Josh Groban Announces All That Echoes Details". CBS News. Retrieved January 13, 2016 – via KYXY (San Diego).
  5. ↑ Groban, Josh (December 17, 2013). Josh Groban – Brave [Behind the Scenes Video]. YouTube. Josh Groban official channel. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  6. ↑ Groban, Josh (March 2, 2013). Josh Groban – Brave [Official Music Video]. YouTube. Josh Groban official channel. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Serba, John (October 23, 2015). "Review: Josh Groban charms with self-effacing wit, schmaltzy songs during Van Andel Arena show". MLive. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Moser, John J. (November 4, 2013). "REVIEW: Josh Groban at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia is better classical than contemporary". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  9. ↑ Wills, Cortney (March 27, 2013). "Dancing With The Stars Results Recap: You'll NEVER Guess Who Goes Home First!". Celebuzz. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  10. ↑ "The Finale". America's Got Talent. Season 8, Episode 27. 2013. Event occurs at 46:24–50:21. NBC.
  11. ↑ Domanick, Andrea (December 26, 2013). "Q+A: America's Got Talent finalist Forte brings popera to the forefront at Tropicana". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  12. ↑ Staff (February 11, 2013). "News: Cover Of 'Brave' By Peter Hollens". JoshGroban.com. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  13. ↑ Green, Charlie (May 3, 2014). Josh Groban – Brave (Cover by Charlie Green). YouTube. Charlie Green channel. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
       Hinson, Toby (April 26, 2013). Brave Cover – Toby Hinson. YouTube. Toby Hinson channel. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  14. ↑ Levine, Nick (2013). "Josh Groban All That Echoes Review". BBC Music. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  15. ↑ Collar, Matt. "Josh Groban All That Echoes". AllMusic. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  16. ↑ Gamboa, Glenn (February 4, 2013). "Josh Groban's All That Echoes review: Rocky". Newsday. Melville, New York. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  17. ↑ Gill, Andy (February 22, 2013). "Album review: Josh Groban, All That Echoes (Reprise)". The Independent. London. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  18. ↑ Thorpe, David. "Pondering the Beautiful and Complicated Contradiction that Is Josh Groban and his New Song 'Brave'". The Village Voice. New York City. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  19. ↑ Staff (November 8, 2013). "Concert review: Josh Groban at Amway Center". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  20. ↑ Terauds, John. "Energy of live show inspires Josh Groban on new album All That Echoes". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Josh Groban – Brave (Single)". Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Josh Groban: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  23. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (October 23, 2015). "Josh Groban's Stages Hits Half-Million in U.S. Sales". Billboard. Retrieved January 13, 2016.

External links

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