Glamorous (song)
"Glamorous" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Fergie featuring Ludacris | ||||
from the album The Dutchess | ||||
B-side | "True" | |||
Released | January 23, 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:08 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Polow da Don | |||
Fergie singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Ludacris singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Glamorous" on YouTube |
"Glamorous" is a song recorded by American singer Fergie featuring American rapper Ludacris, released on January 23, 2007 through A&M Records, will.i.am Music Group and Interscope Records. It was written by Fergie, Ludacris, will.i.am, Elvis Williams and Polow da Don for her debut studio album The Dutchess (2006). An airy R&B and pop song, its lyrics center on Fergie staying rooted despite her success and fame of glamour.
Music critics praised the song's flow and production, but were divided on its lyrical content. "Glamorous" achieved commercial success worldwide, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top ten in several countries. It also became Fergie's third best-selling song in the United States, earning a double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). An accompanying music video directed by Dave Meyers features Fergie, her fellow members of the Black Eyed Peas, and Ludacris.
"Glamorous" experienced a resurgence in 2022, when rapper Jack Harlow sampled the song for his single "First Class", which also topped the Billboard Hot 100, amongst other charts.
Recording
[edit]"Glamorous" was written by the artists alongside will.i.am, Elvis Williams and producer Polow da Don. will.i.am, was in charge of the song's arrangement while Ron Fair produced the additional vocals present on the track. The song features co-writer Williams, who provided the keys, and Mike Hartnett, who played the guitars. The technical work performed on "Glamorous" includes engineering, which was orchestrated principally by Travis Daniels and was assisted by Mack Woodward. Tal Herzberg, who has worked the Black Eyed Peas on previous studio recordings, performed additional engineering on the track with the use of Pro Tools. Tony Maserati was signed as the principal mix engineer while Ryan Kennedy assisted him at The Record Plant in Hollywood, California. The song was finally recorded at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia and The Record Plant in Hollywood, California by "Angry" Mike Eleopoulos.
Composition
[edit]"Glamorous" is a downtempo R&B[1] and pop[2] song that has a smooth, silky feel and contains elements of techno.[3] According to Dan Gennoe of Yahoo! Music, the song is comparable to the music of Janet Jackson.[4] Spence D. of IGN noted that the song contained a mid-1980s vibe and influences of musical works by Madonna and Prince. Critics also likened the song to Gwen Stefani's "Luxurious" and Jennifer Lopez's "Jenny from the Block".[5][6]
According to the digital music sheet published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song was written in a key of C major. Having a beat measure of 130 beats per minute, it is set in common time and moves through a moderately fast tempo. The vocals range from a low register of E3 to a high register of C5. It has a basic sequence of G-Am7-Fmaj7 as its chord progression.[7] Lyrically, "Glamorous" is an autobiographical account about how Fergie has remained true to her background, despite widespread fame and mainstream success.[5] It also samples “If You Ain't Got No Money” by Raheem the Dream.
Release
[edit]"Glamorous" was released as the third single from The Dutchess (2006), after "London Bridge" and "Fergalicious". A&M Records, together with will.i.am Music Group and Interscope Records, solicited the song to mainstream radios on January 23, 2007, and to Rhythmic radios on February 20, 2007, in the United States.[8] It was later released as a single around the world on March 16, 2007, as a CD single.
Music video
[edit]Directed by Dave Meyers, and shot in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, the video, which had its world premiere on MTV's TRL on February 7, 2007, begins in the year 1994 with Fergie and Polow da Don at a keg party in East Los Angeles before she was famous, with everyone at the party shouting "If you ain't got no money take yo broke ass home". The camera then rotates upward where it is present day and Fergie is lounging in a Gulfstream G550 business jet, and as the chorus suggests, "flying first class, up in the sky". The captain is played by Freddy Rodriguez. She is seen watching the music video on her LG enV for her band's "Pump It". Fergie then lands and enters a limo waiting for her where she goes with her friends to a drive thru at a Taco Hall, as indicated by the takeout bag she collects, though the lyrics comment that this is Taco Bell instead. The video at this point does a transition to the past (1990s) where it is suggested Fergie came to this same restaurant with her friends before her glamorous life. The transition occurs as Fergie sings of the days when she had a Mustang. The limo transforms into a Mustang convertible. She and her friends are wearing fashion and have hairstyles similar to those of 1980s pop culture. The video then returns to present day where Fergie and Ludacris are shown shooting a film called Glamorous, a throwback to Bonnie and Clyde. The couple are shown holding Thompson submachine guns while being held up by police near a canyon, apparently for stealing money. Ludacris raps his verse to Fergie telling her all the expensive things he will buy for her. Fergie and Ludacris are then shown shooting down the cops, after which the film shoot ends. After the shoot, Fergie proceeds to sit in a chair with her name on it, as people rush over to do her makeup. While this is happening, she thanks her fans for making her famous. Scenes of this are intercut with Fergie getting back on the plane she came on, while she flashes back to when she was younger, where her father warned her about the coldness of show business. Fergie is then shown at the same kegger from earlier in the video, with her Black Eyed Peas bandmate apl.de.ap, Alfonso Ribeiro, Polow da Don, and B-Real from Cypress Hill with whom she clinks plastic glasses, followed with the plane she is on in the present day flying into London as the sun sets.
Critical reception
[edit]"Glamorous" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Bill Lamb of About.com gave "Glamorous" a three and a half star rating, praising the song's smooth R&B feel but dismissed its use of spelling out the title in the lyrics. Lamb also noted that "The frequent sparks of self-referential humor present in much of Fergie's music are missing here which limits the distinctiveness of this song" and explained it "veers a bit uncomfortably close" to Gwen Stefani's 2005 single "Luxurious" (Love. Angel. Music. Baby., 2004). He concluded his review, writing "unlikely to be a 3rd #1 for Fergie, and it may even struggle for top 10 status, but it is likely to linger as pleasant pop filler on the radio for the first few months of 2007."[5][9] Spence D. of IGN called the song "somewhat generic", praising Fergie's flow and Ludacris' appearance on the track, but ultimately called it a "rather vapid exercise".[10]
Liz Black of Cinema Blend called "Glamorous" "a stunning account of her ability to keep it real despite life in the first class."[6] Kelefa Sanneh of New York Times wrote "Glamorous" and "Clumsy" to be songs fans can savor.[11] Brian Rafferty of Idolator praised it as a "perfect No. 1 for a quarter when there ain’t shit else going on" and called Fergie's mid-song interjection of "fuck y'all" more convincing than the profanities present in RJD2's The Third Hand (2007), naming it the best gratuitous curse word in the top ten.[12]
Commercial performance
[edit]In the United States, "Glamorous" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 98 on the issue dated January 27, 2007, while the previous single "Fergalicious" was still inside the top five.[13] A month later, it rose to number nine, in that week becoming the "greatest digital gainer".[14] In the following week, it fell to number 33 following the removal of the single from digital retailers.[15][16] "Glamorous" returned in the top 10 after its re-release, rising from number 55, and peaked at number one on the issue dated March 24, 2007, selling 166,000 downloads during that week.[16][17] It became her second number one single in the United States and held the top position for two weeks. The single spent 29 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, 24 of which were in the top 50. The single went on to sell 3,012,000 digital downloads in the United States, enough to earn a double-platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[18][19] "Glamorous" stands as Fergie's third best-selling single behind "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Fergalicious". The song was moderately successful on Billboard component charts Adult Pop Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, while achieving chart topping success on Hot Dance Club Songs and reaching number two on Pop Songs. In Canada, the song reached number 12 on the Canadian Hot 100 and lasted 11 weeks on the chart.[20]
The commercial reception of "Glamorous" in other countries was generally positive, with some countries matching the success experienced in the United States. In Australia, the song debuted at number 10 on the singles chart.[21] It eventually rose to number two on May 28, 2007, being held off by Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend".[22] The song eventually left the chart after 26 weeks, selling 70,000 copies in the country and earned a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[21][23] On the 2007 end of the year charts, it ranked number 10 on the singles chart and number six on the urban chart.[24][25] "Glamorous" entered the New Zealand Top 40, like in Australia, at number 10.[26] The song ascended and come down within the top 20 for nine weeks, reaching number nine twice during that time.[26] The song shipped over 7,500 copies to New Zealand, earning a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, the song made its first appearance on the singles chart on February 18, 2007, at number 56.[27] It jumped to number 27 the next week and continued rising until its seventh week, when it peaked at number six.[27] The song spent three weeks inside the top 10 and exited the chart after six months.[27] According to The Official Charts Company, the song sold 205,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[28] In Ireland, the song reached a peak position of number three in its seventh week like it did in the United Kingdom, but lasted inside the top 10 longer (ten weeks).
Remixes and samples
[edit]The song was heavily sampled by Jack Harlow for his 2022 single "First Class", which also peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[29] Variety observed that "Glamorous" enjoyed a 70% increase in streams and 125% increase in digital song sales that year.[30] Fergie later joined Harlow for a surprise performance at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.[31] The New York Post called it one of the best performances of the night.[32]
"Glamorous" was featured on the official soundtrack of the 2024 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Deadpool & Wolverine.[33]
Track listing
[edit]- UK CD single
- "Glamorous" (album version) – 4:07
- "True" (Spandau Ballet cover) – 3:45
- Europe CD1
- "Glamorous" (album version) – 4:08
- "Glamorous" (Space Cowboy Remix) – 4:37
- Europe CD2 & Australian CD single
- "Glamorous" (album version) – 4:08
- "Glamorous" (Space Cowboy Remix) – 4:37
- "True" (Spandau Ballet cover) – 3:48
- "Glamorous" (music video) – 4:10
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Dutchess, A&M Records, Will.i.am Music Group, Interscope Records.[34]
- Stacy Ferguson, Jamal Jones, Will Adams, Elvis Williams – songwriting
- Polow da Don – production, drum programming
- will.i.am – arrangement
- Ron Fair – additional vocal production
- Elvis Williams – keyboards
- Mike Hartnett – guitar
- Travis Daniels – engineering
- Mack Woodward – assistant engineering
- Tal Herzberg – Pro Tools engineering
- Tony Maserati – mixing
- Ryan Kennedy – assistant engineering
- "Angry" Mike Eleopoulos – recording
Charts
[edit] Weekly charts[edit] | Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[80] | 3× Platinum | 210,000^ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[81] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[82] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI)[83] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[84] | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[85] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[86] | 3× Platinum | 3,012,000[18] |
United States (RIAA)[86] Mastertone | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | January 23, 2007 | |||
February 20, 2007 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | |||
Belgium | March 13, 2007 | CD | Polydor | |
Germany | March 16, 2007 | Maxi CD | Universal Music | |
United Kingdom | March 19, 2007 | Polydor | ||
Australia | April 7, 2007 | Universal Music | ||
France | June 4, 2007 | CD | Polydor |
See also
[edit]- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2007
- List of number-one dance singles of 2007 (U.S.)
References
[edit]- ^ Lipshutz, Jason (September 15, 2014). "Fergie's 'The Dutchess' Turns Eight: An Appreciation". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
- ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
A pop gem powered by a pulsing drum beat – which scored Fergie her second Hot 100 leader...
- ^ "Fergie free from the Peas". The Age. The Age Company Ltd. September 25, 2006. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ Gennoe, Dan. "Fergie - The Dutchess". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ a b c Lamb, Bill. "Fergie featuring Ludacris - Glamorous". About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- ^ a b Black, Liz (September 21, 2006). "CD Review: Fergie's The Dutchess". Cinema Blend. Cinema Blend LLC. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ "Fergie - Glamorous Sheet Music (Digital Download)". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing. May 13, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ "Airplay Archive". FMQB. Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Inc. and Mediaspan Online Services. Archived from the original on October 31, 2005. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ^ Joseph, Mike (October 3, 2006). "Fergie: The Dutchess". PopMatters. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- ^ D., Spence (September 15, 2006). "Fergie - The Dutchess". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 16, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (September 18, 2006). "CRITICS' CHOICE - New CD's". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ Rafferty, Brian (March 19, 2007). "Project X: Hooking Up With Billboard's Hot Singles". Idolator. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
eighty bajillion times more convincing than the "goddamn it" on "Have Mercy" from RJD2′s new abomination
- ^ "Hot 100 (January 27, 2007) - Biggest Jumps". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ "Hot 100 (February 24, 2007)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ "Hot 100 (March 3, 2007) - Biggest Fall". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ a b "Fergie Gets 'Glamorous' Atop Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ "Hot 100 (March 17, 2007)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ a b Grein, Paul (August 5, 2012). "Songs: Philip Philips is "Home"". Yahoo! Blog. Yahoo, Inc. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - Glamorous by Fergie". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
- ^ "Glamorous - Fergie". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ a b "australian-charts.com - Fergie feat. Ludacris - Glamorous". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ "australian-charts.com - Australian Singles Top 50 (June 3, 2007)". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2007 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on January 13, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Urban Singles 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- ^ a b "charts.nz - Fergie feat. Ludacris - Glamorous". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ a b c "The Official Charts Company - Fergie - Glamorous". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ "Black Eyed Peas - The Official Top 20". MTV. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
- ^ Qureshi, Arusa (April 8, 2022). "Listen to Jack Harlow's Fergie-sampling new single 'First Class'". NME. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- ^ Garcia, Thania (April 26, 2022). "Jack Harlow's Fergie-Sampling Smash 'First Class' Gives 'Glamorous' a Streaming Bump". Variety. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ Tinoco, Armando (August 29, 2022). "Fergie Makes 'Glamorous' Surprise Appearance At VMAs Joining Jack Harlow's 'First Class' Performance". Deadline. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ Arnold, Chuck (August 29, 2022). "VMAs 2022 best & worst performances, from Blackpink to Nicki Minaj". Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ Starkey, Adam (July 25, 2024). "Here's every song in 'Deadpool & Wolverine'". NME. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ The Dutchess (inlay cover). Fergie. A&M Records, Will.i.am Music Group, Interscope Records. 2006.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Issue 903" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Fergie Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ Fergie & Ludacris — Glamorous. TopHit.
- ^ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on April 21, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 33. týden 2007 in the date selector.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous". Tracklisten.
- ^ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 15. April 4, 2007. p. 55. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris: Glamorous" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Glamorous". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 16, 2007". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: May 24, 2007". TopHit. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200719 into search.
- ^ "Fergie feat. Ludacris – Glamorous". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ "Fergie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "Fergie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Fergie Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Fergie Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Fergie Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Fergie Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Fergie Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
- ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles 2007". ARIA. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2007". Ultratop. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ^ "Rapports Annuels 2007". Ultratop. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ^ "CIS Year-End Radio Hits (2007)". TopHit. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 13, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2007" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2007" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ "Top Selling Singles of 2007". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart: 2007". TopHit. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ^ "Urban Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week. January 12, 2008. p. 16. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ^ "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Fergie – Glamorous" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ "Danish single certifications – Fergie – Glamorous". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Fergie feat. Ludacris; 'Glamorous')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Fergie – Glamorous". Radioscope. Retrieved December 19, 2024. Type Glamorous in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "British single certifications – Fergie ft Ludacris – Glamorous". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Fergie – Glamorous". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ a b "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- ^ "Glamorous – Single". Apple Music. January 23, 2007. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "Fergalicious – Fergie – CD single" (in Dutch). Belgium: Fnac. March 13, 2007. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "Glamorous - Fergie feat. Ludacris: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon Germany.
- ^ "Glamorous: Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl". Amazon UK.
- ^ "Glamorous". Universal Music Australia. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "Fergalicious – Fergie – CD single" (in French). France: Fnac. June 4, 2007. Retrieved November 9, 2022.