Raise Your Glass

"Raise Your Glass"
Single by Pink
from the album Greatest Hits... So Far!!!
Released	October 6, 2010 (2010-10-06) (see release history)
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2010 Woodshed Recording, (Malibu, California); Maratone Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre	Pop rock
Length	3:23
Label	LaFace
Writer(s)	Pink, Max Martin, Shellback
Producer	Max Martin, Shellback
Pink singles chronology
"Glitter in the Air" (2010) "Raise Your Glass" (2010) "Fuckin' Perfect" (2010) Music video "Raise Your Glass" on YouTube

"Raise Your Glass" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Pink, released as the lead single of her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!! The song celebrates the first decade since Pink's debut in 2000 and is dedicated to her fans who have been supporting her over the years.

The song was released in October 2010, to gain both critical and commercial success, being appreciated by most music critics and described as a party anthem, and reaching the Top 10 in several countries, including the United States, where it reached #1, and ultimately became Pink's second solo number one hit, following 2008's "So What," and her third overall.

The song is written by Pink, Max Martin and Shellback and is produced by the latter two, who are responsible for many of Pink's biggest hits, and who also worked with Pink her following single, "Fuckin' Perfect." The song is featured in a TV spot for the 2011 film Bridesmaids and in the theatrical trailers for What's Your Number? and New Year's Eve.^[1]

Background

"Raise Your Glass" was announced as the lead single from Pink's then-upcoming greatest hits compilation on October 1, 2010.^[2] The song follows a strong pop/rock style, in much similar fashion to her previous work with producer Max Martin. Pink describes the song as a "celebration for people who feel left out from the popular crowd."^[3] In an interview for MTV, Pink comments on the song: "I don't know if it's going to be huge, but it is new. I did three new songs. It was good timing. I had been on the road for two years and I hadn't written anything and I wanted to write a song about underdogs. Instead of going and becoming a cover girl, I kind of just hit the road and pounded the pavement...and became a touring artist. You don't have to be popular when you're a touring artist, you just have to be good, and this is a thank you for the fans."^[3]

Critical reception

The song received mostly positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Bill Lamb from About.com rated the song with 4/5 stars, enjoying "the instant connection to her audience," "the anthemic celebration of personal uniqueness," and the "rousing, catchy chorus." He concluded the review, saying that "'Raise Your Glass' is a mainstream pop anthem that sounds durable. This song could soundtrack a wide range of films or TV as well as real life parties and events. If you need a record to celebrate personal uniqueness, you don't need to turn anywhere else. Pink is your artist, and 'Raise Your Glass' is your song."^[4] Nick Levine from Digital Spy was largely positive with the song, giving it 5/5 stars and describing it as "a full-throttle pop/rock stomper with a chorus as subtle as a porn star's cleavage, some classic Pink ad-libs and the best so-dumb-it's-genius couplet of the year: 'Don't be fancy / Just get dancey'... after ten years of sterling service to all things pop, the (pink) champagne's on us."^[5] Becky Bain from Idolator said that "Pink lifts her glass to toast all the 'dirty little freaks' in her new party track."^[6] Fraser McAlpine from BBC blog rated it 4/5 stars, saying that "it has to SOUND like wild and crazy fun. It should probably rock, or at least claim to rock. There must be a big celebratory chorus, something which brings everyone together in a glorious celebration of Brand Pink. There should be a few silly one-liners, rampant abuse of the English language, a few extravagant claims, a strutting self-regard mixed with a giggling self-depreciation, a sneer and a smile."^[7]

Chart performance

In the United States "Raise Your Glass" recharged Pink's chart performance, becoming her tenth^[8][9] Top 10 hit and her second solo number one hit. It put Pink third on the list of female artists with most Top 10 hits, behind Rihanna, who has collected 18 Top 10 hits since 2005 and Beyoncé, with 14. It took the song eight weeks to hit the Hot 100's apex, where it stayed for a single week. "Raise Your Glass" has also become Pink's fifth number one on Adult Pop Songs, giving her the most number ones on the chart of a female artist, and putting her in a tie with the band Nickelback for the most number ones on the chart out of all artists. As of May 15, 2011 the single has sold 3,160,000 copies.^[10] The song took 27 weeks to sell 3 million copies. "So What," Pink's only previous 3-million seller, reached that level in 26 weeks. "So What" is up to 4,132,000 in digital sales.^[11]

Despite the significant airplay it received, "Raise Your Glass" has only reached #13 in the United Kingdom, failing to match the chart performance on the US charts. However, in Australia, "Raise Your Glass" climbed to the top of the ARIA singles chart in 24 hours, it also debuted atop the Polish charts and German airplay charts, just like Pink's six previous singles. Therefore, Pink breaks the record she had set herself, as the artist with most consecutive number one singles on the chart. In New Zealand, the song peaked at number five on the RIANZ on the singles chart and reached number one on the radio airplay chart.^[12]

Music video

Pink imitating Rosie the Riveter

Background

The music video for the song began filming on October 4, 2010 and is Pink's twelfth collaboration with Dave Meyers.^[3] It is based around one of Pink's real-life experiences, and features a celebration of gay marriage, expressing her views that people should not feel any differently towards gay marriage than straight marriage.

Pink commented on the video in an interview for MTV: "I threw my best friend's wedding in my backyard — she is lesbian and she married her wife, and it was absolutely beautiful. At the end of it, her mom said, 'Why can't this be legal?' and started crying. It was just the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen, so that's why I'm doing it in my video."

Synopsis

The music video overall promotes gender, racial, social, sexual orientation, religious, and species equality; with regards to nonhuman animal rights, it tackles specifically bullfighting (with Pink defending a bull from a matador) and the dairy industry (depicting a calf feeding on human milk). Pink dons a ski mask (balaclava) and black clothes in some scenes as a reference to the Animal Liberation Front.

Scenes from the video also include a skateboarding setting, which is reminiscent of Pink's debut music video for "There You Go," and a scene in a high school prom where Pink sniffs under her arm, the same thing she did in the music video for "Get the Party Started." The final scenes show a girl crying during her graduation, a reference to Pink's success in delivering her message after years since her debut.

The video was released on Pink's official website Tuesday, November 2 at 6PM EST.^[13]

Live performances

Pink performed the song live at American Music Awards of 2010 at Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles.^[14]

Other versions

A version was performed on the American TV series Glee, in the second season episode "Original Song" released as a single on iTunes in March 2011. It was also covered on the Glee spinoff, The Glee Project, on the season finale, but not released as a single.

Track listing

• Digital/CD Single^[15][16]

1. "Raise Your Glass" – 3:23
2. "U + Ur Hand" (From Funhouse Live in Australia) – 4:14

Remixes

1. Raise Your Glass (Jump Smokers Extended Mix)
2. Raise Your Glass (Jump Smokers Radio Edit)

Personnel

• Songwriting – Pink, Max Martin, Shellback
• Production and recording – Max Martin, Shellback
• Keyboards – Max Martin
• Drums, guitar and bass – Shellback
• Gang vocals – Pink, Carey Hart, Max Martin, Shellback
• Assistant recording – Sal "El Rey" Ojeda
• Additional recording – Michael Ilbert
• Mixing – Serban Ghenea
• Mix engineer – John Hanes
• Assistant mix engineer – Tim Roberts

Source:^[17]

Charts and certifications

Chart precession and succession

Release history

References