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Brave (Josh Groban song)

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"Brave"
Josh Groban "Brave" cover art
Single by Josh Groban
from the album All That Echoes
Released18 December 2012 (2012-12-18)
Recorded2012[1]
Genre
Length3:59
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Josh Groban singles chronology
"If I Walk Away"
(2010) 		"Brave"
(2012) 		"I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)"
(2013)
Audio sample

"Brave" is a 2012 classical crossover–pop song by American singer and songwriter Josh Groban. It was the first single release from his sixth studio album, All That Echoes, signaling a move by Groban to a "more guitar-based, rhythmic" sound.

Groban and longtime songwriting partner Tawgs Salter composed the melody, and the lyrics were written by Chantal Kreviazuk. "Brave" reached No. 13 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.

Background

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As Josh Groban was releasing Illuminations in 2010, Rob Cavallo was taking over as chairman of Warner Bros. Records, Groban's label. Carvallo attended one of Groban's concerts during the following tour and had dinner with the singer afterward. Groban said Carvallo—known for his work with rock acts like Goo Goo Dolls and Green Day—had "done his homework" and shared some ideas for the future that coincided with Groban's own. "So we said, 'This seems like on paper maybe not the most obvious thing but let's try it out.'"[3]

Groban and Tawgs Salter had been working on the melody for "Brave" when Groban started singing the words "wake up, wake up" while playing on the piano; "so from the get-go we felt this was a song about rejuvenation." For the remainder of the lyrics, Groban turned to longtime friend Chantal Kreviazuk for their first collaboration, since they had "always been sniffing around for the right thing to do" together.[3]

Groban said he wanted "Brave" to fuse the more traditional vocal style with "an intensity and an urgency",[3] opening an album designed to "bridge the old and the new, the light and the dark of life and love ... all that echoes in our souls."[4]

Music video

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For the official music video, Groban was filmed standing on a lighted platform in a warehouse setting.

A "behind the scenes" music video for "Brave" was posted to Groban's YouTube channel in December 2012, including candid shots and production footage.[5] The official music video was released in March 2013; it features orchestra musicians in a recording studio, and Groban standing on a lighted, wooden platform in a warehouse.[6]

Performances and covers

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Like the album, Groban used "Brave" to open his concerts during the All That Echoes tour in 2013.[7][8] Also in 2013, Groban performed the single for two competition programs: in March, he sang alongside professional dancers for Dancing with the Stars;[9] in September, he was invited by tenor group Forte to perform together for the America's Got Talent finale, singing a medley of "Brave" and "To Where You Are".[10][a]

A cappella musician Peter Hollens covered "Brave" in 2013, using only his voice to create the vocals and instrumental accompaniment. A link to Hollens' performance was added to Groban's official website.[12] "Brave" has been recorded by several professional and amateur musicians including Britain's Got Talent alumnus Charlie Green and UK opera singer and actor Toby Hinson.[13]

Reception

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Release

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BBC Music called "Brave" a "'You Raise Me Up'-style anthem".[14] Billboard said the song is "the latest example of Groban's continued move toward more guitar-based, rhythmic arrangements—the kind he's been trying out on tour for years to surprise his fans."[3] Reviewing All That Echoes, AllMusic said "Brave" invokes "the yearning uplift of bands like U2 and OneRepublic".[15]

For its review of All That Echoes, Newsday wrote, "[on] the "Coldplayesque first single, 'Brave'" ... [Groban's] classically trained, powerful vocals compete with the extra drama of the orchestral arrangements."[16] The Independent found the song "vaguely uplifting".[17] The Village Voice called it "cinematic" if positive in its message. "Be careful, though: it's like a sprayed-white Christmas tree covered in blue lights and tinsel—works fine in the bank, but you might not want it in your house."[18]

Performance

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In concert in 2013, MLive called the song "the first of many heavily orchestrated numbers with lush instrumentation, designed to be vehicles for his throaty vibrato."[7] The Orlando Sentinel said "Brave" was a "zestful, melodic anthem ".[19] The Toronto Star said the song "might be a metaphor for the singer's charmed connection with loyal fans."[20]

The Morning Call was more critical in its review, writing that Groban seemed to be "trying too hard to be contemporary rather than classical. ... He sang too much of the song in an affected voice".[8]

Charts

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Groban and Forte's Josh Page met in 2011 when Groban pulled Page from the audience at Madison Square Garden to sing a duet. Video of the performance went viral, and led to the formation of Forte.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "All That Echoes by Josh Groban". iTunes Store. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  2. ^ Staff (19 November 2012). "NEWS: Official All That Echoes Press Announcement". JoshGroban.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Staff (17 December 2012). "Josh Groban "Brave" Song Premiere: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  4. ^ Carlin, Shannon (19 November 2012). "Give Thanks! Josh Groban Announces All That Echoes Details". CBS News. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016 – via KYXY (San Diego).
  5. ^ Groban, Josh (17 December 2013). Josh Groban – Brave [Behind the Scenes Video]. Josh Groban official channel. Retrieved 16 January 2016 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ Groban, Josh (2 March 2013). Josh Groban – Brave [Official Music Video]. Josh Groban official channel. Retrieved 16 January 2016 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ a b Serba, John (23 October 2015). "Review: Josh Groban charms with self-effacing wit, schmaltzy songs during Van Andel Arena show". MLive. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  8. ^ a b Moser, John J. (4 November 2013). "REVIEW: Josh Groban at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia is better classical than contemporary". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  9. ^ Wills, Cortney (27 March 2013). "Dancing with the Stars Results Recap: You'll NEVER Guess Who Goes Home First!". Celebuzz. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  10. ^ "The Finale". America's Got Talent. Season 8, Episode 27. 2013. Event occurs at 46:24–50:21. NBC.
  11. ^ Domanick, Andrea (26 December 2013). "Q+A: America's Got Talent finalist Forte brings popera to the forefront at Tropicana". Las Vegas Sun. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  12. ^ Staff (11 February 2013). "News: Cover Of 'Brave' By Peter Hollens". JoshGroban.com. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  13. ^ Green, Charlie (3 May 2014). Josh Groban – Brave (Cover by Charlie Green). Charlie Green channel. Retrieved 16 January 2016 – via YouTube.
       Hinson, Toby (26 April 2013). Brave Cover – Toby Hinson. Toby Hinson channel. Retrieved 16 January 2016 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ Levine, Nick (2013). "Josh Groban All That Echoes Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  15. ^ Collar, Matt. "Josh Groban All That Echoes". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  16. ^ Gamboa, Glenn (4 February 2013). "Josh Groban's All That Echoes review: Rocky". Newsday. Melville, New York. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  17. ^ Gill, Andy (22 February 2013). "Album review: Josh Groban, All That Echoes (Reprise)". The Independent. London. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  18. ^ Thorpe, David (n.d.). "Pondering the Beautiful and Complicated Contradiction that Is Josh Groban and his New Song 'Brave'". The Village Voice. New York City. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  19. ^ Staff (8 November 2013). "Concert review: Josh Groban at Amway Center". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  20. ^ Terauds, John (n.d.). "Energy of live show inspires Josh Groban on new album All That Echoes". Toronto Star. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  21. ^ "Josh Groban – Brave (Single)". Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Josh Groban: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  23. ^ Caulfield, Keith (23 October 2015). "Josh Groban's Stages Hits Half-Million in U.S. Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  24. ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
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