Glitter in the Air
Encyclopedia
"Glitter in the Air" is a song by American recording artist Pink
from her fifth studio album, Funhouse
. In 2010, it was released as the sixth worldwide single from the album, and as the seventh single in Australia. Written by Pink and Billy Mann, the song is a pop ballad with a soft piano accompaniment. Its lyrics talk about the power of love and taking a leap in faith, while using various metaphors. "Glitter in the Air" received mixed reviews from contemporary critics: some named it the best vocal performance of Funhouse, while others criticized it for being a cliché
ballad.
"Glitter in the Air" debuted at number 18 and 13 in the United States and Canada, respectively. In the United States, the song marked the first time Pink had five singles from one album chart on the Billboard
Hot 100
. The song was notably performed by Pink as part of her 2009 Funhouse Tour
with her wearing a bodysuit and doing acrobatics using aerial tissue. A similar version of this performance was done at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards
, where her performance received a standing ovation and was critically praised by media outlets.
", as both contain a soft piano and string accompaniment. According to the sheet music published at musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, "Glitter in the Air" is composed in the key of F major
, with a tempo of 100 beats per minute. Pink's vocal range spans from the high-tone of F3 to the low-tone of B♭4. Nekesa Mumbi Moody of the Associated Press
commented that although the song did not display the power of Pink vocals, "her voice is still potent, full of hurt and confusion that anyone can feel". The song's lyrics talk about the power of love and taking a leap in faith. Evan Sawdey of PopMatters
said the song "reflect[s] on life's simple joys and simply savor[es] them just for what they are".
song without the vocal showboating). It's the sweetest moment on the entire disc, but it only succeeds because it’s also the least complex song here". Craig Emonds of The South End
stated that while "every song has potential to do well and is quite likable, [...] Pink's vocals are strong and shine particularly in the ballad 'Glitter In The Air'." Nekesa Mumbi Moodoy of the Associated Press said that "What makes the song so moving is that despite all of the heartache, she doesn't appear gun-shy about taking the leap again". Justin Pacheco of The Good 5 Cent Cigar
compared it to "I Don't Believe You", saying, "[it] exemplifies the sappy ballad [...] and would not seem out of place being sung by any other big pop singer. 'Glitter in the Air' is another big pop ballad along the same the same lines". Patrick Ferrucci of the New Haven Register commented in the album review that "She does get a little wishy-washy though, going from tunes like 'Mean' and 'It’s All Your Fault' to 'Please Don't Leave Me
' and 'Glitter in the Air'". He also added that the high points of Funhouse were the four tracks produced by Max Martin
. Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
stated that one of the biggest problems in Funhouse was its songwriting, saying, "'Glitter in the Air,' with its emo
-esque "You called me sugar" bridge
, is overwrought with its clichéd imagery".
, with sales over 114,000 units. It became her fifth charting single from Funhouse in the United States, the most charting singles from one of her albums. The same week, it debuted at No. 13 on the Canadian Hot 100
. The song also received significant airplay on U.S. adult radio, peaking at No. 8 on the Adult Top 40 chart, her fourth top-ten hit from the album on that chart.
. After the first encore
of the tour–"Get the Party Started
" from Missundaztood–Pink returned to the stage wearing a black robe, as glitter
fell from the ceiling. Pink would begin singing while walking to the center of the runway extension of the stage. There, she took off the robe to reveal a white leotard and joined three female acrobats covered in glitter on suspension rigging which then lifted into the air. Pink continued through the song, twirling in suspended fabric above the audience. Underneath her, the acrobats performed, according to Jon Pareles of The New York Times
, "slow-motion, geometric Cirque du Soleil
poses". The apparatus dropped her into a tank of water and lifted her again to the air, before descending her at the end of the performance. Michael Menachem of Billboard
commented, "When Pink finally touched down, she continued singing with bombast, as though the entire spectacle had been no sweat. If the rest of the show hadn't already made the case that Pink has one of the best pop-rock voices—and the most brazen moves—of her generation of stars, this final moment certainly did".
On January 31, 2010, Pink performed the song at the 52nd Grammy Awards
in a similar fashion. She began the performance walking out in a white silk robe, standing in front of a backdrop of electric blue screens. She descenced into the aisle and took off the robe to reveal the bodysuit. After being lifted from the tank of water, Pink kept twirling and spreading water into all directions, before finally descending to the main stage. The audience greeted her with a standing ovation. The performance was deemed by various media outlets as the best of the ceremony. Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
commented, "With her stunning Grammy performance of 'Glitter in the Air,' Pink proved that you don’t have to be shocking or over-the-top to be the best or the most-talked-about. You just have to be amazing." It was also voted on a readers' poll in MTV.com as the best performance of the night. Staff reporter Kyle Anderson said "It's easy to see why, as her acrobatic performance of 'Glitter in the Air' was not only visually gorgeous, but also technically impressive — she was able to keep singing even as she was spinning around in the air". Pink later explained she had almost fallen during the song, saying, "When I do it on tour, I don't have lights above me. There were lights above me, so it almost went into a strobe thing, and I actually did get a little turned around. I thought... I was going to fall on my nude butt. But I worked it out."
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
from her fifth studio album, Funhouse
Funhouse (Pink album)
Funhouse is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Pink, released by LaFace Records worldwide in October 2008. Upon its release, the album reached number one on the charts in 6 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and United Kingdom, while debuting at number two in...
. In 2010, it was released as the sixth worldwide single from the album, and as the seventh single in Australia. Written by Pink and Billy Mann, the song is a pop ballad with a soft piano accompaniment. Its lyrics talk about the power of love and taking a leap in faith, while using various metaphors. "Glitter in the Air" received mixed reviews from contemporary critics: some named it the best vocal performance of Funhouse, while others criticized it for being a cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
ballad.
"Glitter in the Air" debuted at number 18 and 13 in the United States and Canada, respectively. In the United States, the song marked the first time Pink had five singles from one album chart on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
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...
. The song was notably performed by Pink as part of her 2009 Funhouse Tour
Funhouse Tour
The Funhouse Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Pink. The tour supported her fifth studio album, Funhouse. The tour visited Europe, Australia and North America....
with her wearing a bodysuit and doing acrobatics using aerial tissue. A similar version of this performance was done at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
, where her performance received a standing ovation and was critically praised by media outlets.
Background and composition
"Glitter in the Air" is a pop ballad, co-written by Pink while produced by frequent collaborator Billy Mann. The song is musically similar to another ballad from Funhouse, "I Don't Believe YouI Don't Believe You
"I Don't Believe You" is a song by American recording artist Pink. It was released as the sixth single from her fifth studio album, Funhouse.-Background:...
", as both contain a soft piano and string accompaniment. According to the sheet music published at musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, "Glitter in the Air" is composed in the key of F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
, with a tempo of 100 beats per minute. Pink's vocal range spans from the high-tone of F3 to the low-tone of B♭4. Nekesa Mumbi Moody of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
commented that although the song did not display the power of Pink vocals, "her voice is still potent, full of hurt and confusion that anyone can feel". The song's lyrics talk about the power of love and taking a leap in faith. Evan Sawdey of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
said the song "reflect[s] on life's simple joys and simply savor[es] them just for what they are".
Critical reception
Evan Sawdey of PopMatters said, "Of all the ballads, though, the quiet piano closer 'Glitter in the Air' takes the cake, never once overplaying its hand, remaining sweet without once ever succumbing to saccharine niceties (think of a Jason Robert BrownJason Robert Brown
Jason Robert Brown is an American musical theater composer, lyricist, and playwright. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics...
song without the vocal showboating). It's the sweetest moment on the entire disc, but it only succeeds because it’s also the least complex song here". Craig Emonds of The South End
The South End
----The South End is the official student newspaper of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, published in print and online. It was founded in 1967, and its publication is funded partly from university funds and partly from advertising revenues, and is distributed free of charge.The paper is...
stated that while "every song has potential to do well and is quite likable, [...] Pink's vocals are strong and shine particularly in the ballad 'Glitter In The Air'." Nekesa Mumbi Moodoy of the Associated Press said that "What makes the song so moving is that despite all of the heartache, she doesn't appear gun-shy about taking the leap again". Justin Pacheco of The Good 5 Cent Cigar
The Good 5 Cent Cigar
The Good Five-Cent Cigar is a daily, student-run newspaper for the University of Rhode Island campus. The paper provides the university community with information regarding on-campus issues and events, as well as providing world news...
compared it to "I Don't Believe You", saying, "[it] exemplifies the sappy ballad [...] and would not seem out of place being sung by any other big pop singer. 'Glitter in the Air' is another big pop ballad along the same the same lines". Patrick Ferrucci of the New Haven Register commented in the album review that "She does get a little wishy-washy though, going from tunes like 'Mean' and 'It’s All Your Fault' to 'Please Don't Leave Me
Please Don't Leave Me
"Please Don't Leave Me" is a song from American pop rock singer Pink and the third single taken from her fifth studio album Funhouse. It was released on January 31, 2009. The song received strong airplay in Australia and New Zealand, as well as being added to the BBC Radio 1 A-List playlist in the UK...
' and 'Glitter in the Air'". He also added that the high points of Funhouse were the four tracks produced by Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
. Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
stated that one of the biggest problems in Funhouse was its songwriting, saying, "'Glitter in the Air,' with its emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
-esque "You called me sugar" bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
, is overwrought with its clichéd imagery".
Chart performance
"Glitter in the Air" impacted radio as a new single by her record label, minutes after her performance at the Grammy Awards. On February 11, 2010, the song debuted at No. 18 on the 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...
, with sales over 114,000 units. It became her fifth charting single from Funhouse in the United States, the most charting singles from one of her albums. The same week, it debuted at No. 13 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...
. The song also received significant airplay on U.S. adult radio, peaking at No. 8 on the Adult Top 40 chart, her fourth top-ten hit from the album on that chart.
Live performances
"Glitter in the Air" was performed by Pink on her 2009 Funhouse TourFunhouse Tour
The Funhouse Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Pink. The tour supported her fifth studio album, Funhouse. The tour visited Europe, Australia and North America....
. After the first encore
Encore (concert)
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...
of the tour–"Get the Party Started
Get the Party Started
"Get the Party Started" is a song performed by Pink, and was the first single from her second album, Missundaztood . It became an international hit and reached the top ten in many countries. The song was Pink's highest selling at that time...
" from Missundaztood–Pink returned to the stage wearing a black robe, as glitter
Glitter
Glitter describes an assortment of very small pieces of copolymer plastics, aluminum foil, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, bismuth oxychloride or other materials painted in metallic, neon and iridescent colors to reflect light in a sparkling spectrum...
fell from the ceiling. Pink would begin singing while walking to the center of the runway extension of the stage. There, she took off the robe to reveal a white leotard and joined three female acrobats covered in glitter on suspension rigging which then lifted into the air. Pink continued through the song, twirling in suspended fabric above the audience. Underneath her, the acrobats performed, according to Jon Pareles of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "slow-motion, geometric Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
poses". The apparatus dropped her into a tank of water and lifted her again to the air, before descending her at the end of the performance. Michael Menachem of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
commented, "When Pink finally touched down, she continued singing with bombast, as though the entire spectacle had been no sweat. If the rest of the show hadn't already made the case that Pink has one of the best pop-rock voices—and the most brazen moves—of her generation of stars, this final moment certainly did".
On January 31, 2010, Pink performed the song at the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
in a similar fashion. She began the performance walking out in a white silk robe, standing in front of a backdrop of electric blue screens. She descenced into the aisle and took off the robe to reveal the bodysuit. After being lifted from the tank of water, Pink kept twirling and spreading water into all directions, before finally descending to the main stage. The audience greeted her with a standing ovation. The performance was deemed by various media outlets as the best of the ceremony. Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
commented, "With her stunning Grammy performance of 'Glitter in the Air,' Pink proved that you don’t have to be shocking or over-the-top to be the best or the most-talked-about. You just have to be amazing." It was also voted on a readers' poll in MTV.com as the best performance of the night. Staff reporter Kyle Anderson said "It's easy to see why, as her acrobatic performance of 'Glitter in the Air' was not only visually gorgeous, but also technically impressive — she was able to keep singing even as she was spinning around in the air". Pink later explained she had almost fallen during the song, saying, "When I do it on tour, I don't have lights above me. There were lights above me, so it almost went into a strobe thing, and I actually did get a little turned around. I thought... I was going to fall on my nude butt. But I worked it out."
Track listing
- Digital download
- "Glitter in the Air" – 3:47
- Live At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards
- "Glitter in the Air (Live At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards)" – 5:11
- "Glitter in the Air (Video)" – 5:11
- Digital single
- "Glitter in the Air" – 3:46
- "Glitter in the Air (Live From Australia)" – 5:15
Charts
| Charts (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
13 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 18 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Pop Songs | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 19 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | January 31, 2010 | Airplay Airplay * Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay... |
| United States | February 1, 2010 | Digital download - Live At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards |
| Canada | ||
| United States | June 15, 2010 | Digital download |