Get It Right (Glee Cast song)
Encyclopedia
"Get It Right" is a song performed by the cast of American television series Glee
, taken from their sixth soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 5
. It is sung by Lea Michele
who portrays the series' lead character, Rachel Berry. The song was written by the series' music producer Adam Anders
, who created the song with his wife Nikki Hassman, and writing partner Peer Åström
. Anders and company wrote the song specifically for Michele, and based the lyrics on the storyline of Rachel. The song was released with a number of Glee songs on the iTunes Store on March 15, 2011. Musically, "Get It Right" is a piano-driven pop
ballad, with mild country
influences. According to MTV's Aly Semigran, the song has similarities to Britney Spears
' Everytime" (2004).
While critics praised Michele's vocals in the song, they were not as receptive to the song itself with it being coined as "dull" and "boring." The lyrics of the song revolve around self-doubt over a lost relationship. The song debuted at number sixteen on the US Billboard Hot 100
, and appeared in the top forty in three other countries. The song's performance was featured in the Glee episode "Original Song
" which first aired on March 15, 2011 in which Berry (Michele) used a bedazzled microphone, backed by Brittany Pierce
(Heather Morris) and Tina Cohen-Chang
(Jenna Ushkowitz).
" on their March 15, 2011 episode. The song was written by series music producer Adam Anders with his wife Nikki Hassman, and writing partner Peer Åström. According to Anders the song was specifically crafted for Michele and was based on the storyline of Michele's character in the series, Rachel Berry. Anders told Entertainment Weekly
, "Lea’s storyline kind of inspired that song for me,” says Anders. "Basically, you try to do everything right and you have good motivations with everything you’re doing but everything ends up going wrong. How many times will it take for me to get it right?"
In an interview with TV Guide
Anders expressed the same sentiments, responding, "I've watched Rachel struggle. She's always trying to do the right thing, or thinks she's trying to do the right thing, and it always gets messed up." Anders also said that this song is "her asking when things are going to work out," and commented that it was "emotional" and thought that it would bring people to tears. "Get It Right" and "Loser Like Me" both premiered on On Air with Ryan Seacrest
on February 25, 2011, and were performed in the episode "Original Song
", on March 15, 2011. The song was also released on the iTunes Store
in the United States on March 15, 2011. In the episode performance, Rachel Berry (Michele) appears performing the song with a bedazzled microphone, wearing a blue dress, black belt, and boots, accompanied by Brittany Pierce
(Heather Morris) and Tina Cohen-Chang
(Jenna Ushkowitz) in the background.
airplay. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by TCF Music Publishing, "Get It Right" is set in common time
with a tempo of 84 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B minor
with Michele's vocal range spanning from the low-note of A3 to the high-note of E5. The song features the chord progression
of Bm–G–D–A6. Brian Voerding of AOL Radio Blog said the song was "a lonesome piano ballad backed by rich orchestration, best filed under 'classic diva tune.'" Voerding also said that Michele's "clean voice bites under and glides above timeless lyrics of self-doubt over love recently lost." Lyrically the song is based upon the storyline of Michele's character, Rachel Berry, which involves her watching her ex, Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
), leave her and get back with his ex-girlfriend Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
). According to Aly Semigran of MTV News
the song's opening moments are similar to "Everytime" by Britney Spears
, and features "fluttering piano and breathy vocals" that come "into its own as it builds."
Reviewing the track for AOL Radio Blog, Voerding wrote "Michele's voice is among the cast's most versatile, striding confidently through growls and whispers, proclamations and wavering cries. This single, with the drive of its melody and narrative, is no exception." Kirsten Coachman of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
called Michele's voice on the song "phenomenal," and commented "I love how her vocals are reined in, and then build up to that wonderful glory note. I seriously got chills while listening to it." She also commented how the song's narrative fit Michele's storyline on the show. Christopher Rosen of Movieline
wrote "If you love Lea Michele’s voice, you’ll like "Get It Right." Becky Bain of Idolator said "This one, compared to the instantly catchy “Loser Like Me”, is a bit more underwhelming, though Lea kills it." Jarret Wieselman of The New York Post said "Lea Michele's voice was on point throughout this soaring ballad, but without that secret ingredient, lyrics like "my best intentions keep making a mess of things" are best left to Rachel's diary." Although she called it "boring" and said it was like every other reflection-ballad performed by Michele, Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone
said that the song would fit in on Top 40 radio. Melinda Newman of HitFix
said the song was "It’s lovely, but a bit dull."
selling 151,000 downloads in its first week. The song's debut was a part of a string of five other debuts from the television series which sold 712,000 downloads that week. Outside the United States, the song appeared on several other charts worldwide, debuting at number twenty-three on the Canadian Hot 100
, as well as appearing at number thirty-four on the Australian Singles Chart, and number thirty-eight on the Irish Singles Chart
.
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, taken from their sixth soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 5
Glee: The Music, Volume 5
Glee: The Music, Volume 5 is the sixth soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee. Released on March 8, 2011 through Columbia Records, it was produced executively by Dante Di Loreto and Brad Falchuk. In addition to fourteen cover versions from its second season,...
. It is sung by Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
who portrays the series' lead character, Rachel Berry. The song was written by the series' music producer Adam Anders
Adam Anders
Adam Anders is a music producer who has sold more than 60 million albums and developed songs for motion pictures and television programs.Anders’ work has earned him Grammy Award nominations, a People’s Choice Award and two Golden Globe Awards...
, who created the song with his wife Nikki Hassman, and writing partner Peer Åström
Peer Åström
Peer Åström Peer Åström Peer Åström (born in Ljusdal, Sweden is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Anders Bagge. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. They have together written and produced songs for Lara Fabian, Celine Dion, Madonna,...
. Anders and company wrote the song specifically for Michele, and based the lyrics on the storyline of Rachel. The song was released with a number of Glee songs on the iTunes Store on March 15, 2011. Musically, "Get It Right" is a piano-driven pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
ballad, with mild country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
influences. According to MTV's Aly Semigran, the song has similarities to Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' Everytime" (2004).
While critics praised Michele's vocals in the song, they were not as receptive to the song itself with it being coined as "dull" and "boring." The lyrics of the song revolve around self-doubt over a lost relationship. The song debuted at number sixteen on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and appeared in the top forty in three other countries. The song's performance was featured in the Glee episode "Original Song
Original Song
"Original Song" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 38th episode overall. It was written by Ryan Murphy, directed by Bradley Buecker, and premiered on Fox in the United States on March 15, 2011...
" which first aired on March 15, 2011 in which Berry (Michele) used a bedazzled microphone, backed by Brittany Pierce
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris) and Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jenna Ushkowitz, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Tina was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jenna Ushkowitz).
Background
On February 23, 2011, it was announced that Glee, for the first time, would feature two original songs, entitled "Get It Right" and "Loser Like MeLoser Like Me
"Loser Like Me" is a song performed by the cast of American television series Glee, taken from their sixth soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 5. The song was written by the series' music producer Adam Anders, Swedish pop music producer Max Martin, and Peer Åström, Savan Kotecha, and Johan...
" on their March 15, 2011 episode. The song was written by series music producer Adam Anders with his wife Nikki Hassman, and writing partner Peer Åström. According to Anders the song was specifically crafted for Michele and was based on the storyline of Michele's character in the series, Rachel Berry. Anders told Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, "Lea’s storyline kind of inspired that song for me,” says Anders. "Basically, you try to do everything right and you have good motivations with everything you’re doing but everything ends up going wrong. How many times will it take for me to get it right?"
In an interview with TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Anders expressed the same sentiments, responding, "I've watched Rachel struggle. She's always trying to do the right thing, or thinks she's trying to do the right thing, and it always gets messed up." Anders also said that this song is "her asking when things are going to work out," and commented that it was "emotional" and thought that it would bring people to tears. "Get It Right" and "Loser Like Me" both premiered on On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest (radio)
On Air with Ryan Seacrest is the name of an American syndicated radio program hosted by Ryan Seacrest. As of 2010, the daily morning radio show airs on Los Angeles top 40 station KIIS-FM and was launched at the same time as the television show with the same name, although Seacrest had hosted a...
on February 25, 2011, and were performed in the episode "Original Song
Original Song
"Original Song" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 38th episode overall. It was written by Ryan Murphy, directed by Bradley Buecker, and premiered on Fox in the United States on March 15, 2011...
", on March 15, 2011. The song was also released on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
in the United States on March 15, 2011. In the episode performance, Rachel Berry (Michele) appears performing the song with a bedazzled microphone, wearing a blue dress, black belt, and boots, accompanied by Brittany Pierce
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris) and Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jenna Ushkowitz, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Tina was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jenna Ushkowitz) in the background.
Composition
"Get It Right" is a "somber" pop ballad performed by Lea Michele. Becky Bain of Idolator said song sounded like it could "actually live" on countryCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
airplay. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by TCF Music Publishing, "Get It Right" is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a tempo of 84 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B minor
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
with Michele's vocal range spanning from the low-note of A3 to the high-note of E5. The song features the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of Bm–G–D–A6. Brian Voerding of AOL Radio Blog said the song was "a lonesome piano ballad backed by rich orchestration, best filed under 'classic diva tune.'" Voerding also said that Michele's "clean voice bites under and glides above timeless lyrics of self-doubt over love recently lost." Lyrically the song is based upon the storyline of Michele's character, Rachel Berry, which involves her watching her ex, Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
), leave her and get back with his ex-girlfriend Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
). According to Aly Semigran of MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
the song's opening moments are similar to "Everytime" by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, and features "fluttering piano and breathy vocals" that come "into its own as it builds."
Critical reception
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
called Michele's voice on the song "phenomenal," and commented "I love how her vocals are reined in, and then build up to that wonderful glory note. I seriously got chills while listening to it." She also commented how the song's narrative fit Michele's storyline on the show. Christopher Rosen of Movieline
Movieline
Movieline is a website, formerly a Los Angeles-based film and entertainment magazine, started in 1985 as a local magazine and went national in 1989. Known for its cult status and popularity among film critics, the magazine eventually was retooled and named Movieline's Hollywood Life. The magazine...
wrote "If you love Lea Michele’s voice, you’ll like "Get It Right." Becky Bain of Idolator said "This one, compared to the instantly catchy “Loser Like Me”, is a bit more underwhelming, though Lea kills it." Jarret Wieselman of The New York Post said "Lea Michele's voice was on point throughout this soaring ballad, but without that secret ingredient, lyrics like "my best intentions keep making a mess of things" are best left to Rachel's diary." Although she called it "boring" and said it was like every other reflection-ballad performed by Michele, Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that the song would fit in on Top 40 radio. Melinda Newman of HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
said the song was "It’s lovely, but a bit dull."
Chart performance
On the week ending March 26, 2011, "Get It Right" debuted at number sixteen on the US Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
selling 151,000 downloads in its first week. The song's debut was a part of a string of five other debuts from the television series which sold 712,000 downloads that week. Outside the United States, the song appeared on several other charts worldwide, debuting at number twenty-three on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, as well as appearing at number thirty-four on the Australian Singles Chart, and number thirty-eight on the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
.
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|