Welcome to the Show (song)
| "Welcome to the Show" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Adam Lambert featuring Laleh | ||||||||||
| Released | March 17, 2016 | |||||||||
| Format | Digital download | |||||||||
| Recorded | New York City, NY | |||||||||
| Genre | Power pop | |||||||||
| Length | 3:21 | |||||||||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||||||||
| Writer(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Max Martin | |||||||||
| Adam Lambert singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Welcome to the Show" is a song recorded by American singer Adam Lambert featuring Persian-Swedish singer-songwriter Laleh. It was released through Warner Bros. Records on March 17, 2016 independent of Lambert's 2015 album, The Original High.[1] The power pop song was written by Laleh with Ali Payami and was produced by Max Martin.
Lambert and Laleh promoted the song through a performance on American Idol, the eighth season of which he finished as runner-up, on March 17, 2016.[2] An accompanying music video co-directed by Lambert and photographer Lee Cherry premiered July 6, 2016 alongside an essay from Lambert explaining the song's intention to "inspire strength and PRIDE."[3]
Composition
"[This song] is an anthem about facing exactly who you are and OWNING it. Its [sic] intended as a mantra to inspire strength and PRIDE."
- Adam Lambert in an essay accompanying the song's music video.[3]
"Welcome to the Show" is a power pop song written by Ali Payami and Laleh Pourkarim with a duration of three minutes and twenty-one seconds (3:21).[4][5] Payami also provides the instrumentation for the song and is credited with performances on bass, keyboards, percussion, piano, and strings.[5] Max Martin, a long-time collaborator of Lambert's and the executive producer of his 2015 album, The Original High, serves as the track's producer. Lyrically, the song discusses "shin[ing] a light" on one's vulnerabilities and embracing one's honest self.[6]
According to the digital sheet music published by Kobalt Music Publishing America, the song is originally composed in the key of D♭ major and is set in common time to an approximate tempo of 108 BPM.[7] Lambert's vocals span two-and-a-half octaves from B♭3 through E♭6.[7] Described as a power ballad, the song features synth chords and a "boom-clap" beat paired with introspective, vulnerable lyrics.[4]
Music video
The official music video for "Welcome to the Show" premiered July 6, 2016 and was co-directed by Adam Lambert with his friend, photographer Lee Cherry. Dedicated to his fans, the video was produced independently of Lambert's record label.[3] Shot primarily in black-and-white, the video features kaleidoscopic colour to accentuate emotional moments.[8] The close-up shots and shirtless moments have also been described as expressions of vulnerability.[3] Accompanying the release of the video, Lambert published an essay describing the origin of the song and the video's concept, wherein he explains that he has seen "so many people trapped by the identity they put so much effort into maintaining, or shunned by choosing not to," and that "Welcome to the Show" is all about choosing to "accept and love who YOU are."[9] Released three weeks after the deadly 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, the video also serves as an indirect tribute to the shooting victims and LGBT community as a whole.[8]
Chart performance
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finland Download (Suomen virallinen latauslista)[10] | 1 |
| US Pop Digital Songs (Billboard)[11] | 29 |
References
- ↑ "Welcome to the Show (feat. Laleh) - Single by Adam Lambert". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ Li, Shirley (March 18, 2016). "Adam Lambert & Laleh performed 'Welcome to the Show' on American Idol". Entertainment Weekly. Wenner Media. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Angermiler, Michele Amabile (July 6, 2016). "Adam Lambert Shares 'Welcome to The Show' Video to 'Inspire Strength & Pride'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- 1 2 Daw, Robbie (March 17, 2016). "Adam Lambert's "Welcome To The Show": Listen To His New Power-Pop Single". Idolator. Spin Media. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- 1 2 "Welcome to the Show - Adam Lambert". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ Donnelly, Matthew Scott (July 6, 2016). "Adam Lambert Goes Technicolor + Shirtless in Fan-Dedicated 'Welcome to The Show' Video". Pop Crush. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- 1 2 "Adam Lambert "Welcome to the Show" Sheet Music in D♭ Major". Musicnotes.com. Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- 1 2 Wicks, Amanda (July 6, 2016). "Adam Lambert Shares Powerful New Video 'Welcome to the Show'". Radio.com. CBS Corporation. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ "Watch: Adam Lambert - "Welcome To The Show"". Wonderland. July 6, 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ "Adam Lambert: Welcome to the Show (feat. Laleh)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Chart Search". Billboard Pop Digital Songs for Adam Lambert. Retrieved 25 August 2016.