"Beauty in the World" | ||||
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Single by Macy Gray | ||||
from the album The Sellout | ||||
Released | March 30, 2010 (U.S.)[1] | |||
Format | Digital download | |||
Recorded | 2009 | |||
Genre | R&B, soul | |||
Length | 3:51 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Writer(s) | Macy Gray | |||
Macy Gray singles chronology | ||||
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"Beauty in the World" is a song by the American soul singer Macy Gray. It is the first single from her fifth album The Sellout. The song was released digitally on March 30, 2010 in the United States[2] and the music video, as well. It was notably used on the series finale of the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty, in the 2010 film Killers.,[3][4] and in Microsoft videos for Internet Explorer 9[5]
Contents |
The Sellout, Gray’s fifth album and first since her under-performing 2007 album, Big, is her return to musical form after almost conforming when her last album didn’t take off. “I thought after Big flopped maybe I should do what everyone else was doing,” she said. “Go out and hire the hottest producers, the best writers, get real skinny. But none of those people called me back.”[6]
The song was inspired by hearing her daughter’s laughter on a down day. “I didn’t even know what she was laughing at. I thought ‘at least she’s happy.’ And I felt at least I hadn’t failed there, because my daughter’s happy.”[7]
Gray performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on May 12.[8] She also went to Good Morning America on June 23,[9] and on The View on June 24.[10]
Monica Herrera from Billboard magazine gave a positive review for the song, saying that:"Gray makes a strong case for her ability to craft another anthemic pop song. Nonthreatening folk pop is the vehicle of choice here: Over hand claps, a casual guitar strum and jangly tambourine, Gray sings, "Listen to the sound, and lose it/It's sweet music, and dance with me." While the concept feels a little hokey-as does rhyming "beauty in the world" with "shake your booty, boys and girls" in the chorus-it's the kind of song that should appeal to the singer's original fan base".[11] John Bush from Allmusic didn't like of the song and went to say that ""Beauty in the World," has a lyric and melody by Gray alone, and despite the positive sentiments in the song, its melody is unmemorable and it includes a few embarrassing lines (e.g., "There is beauty in this world/So much beauty in this world/Always beauty in this world/So much beauty in this world/Shake your booty boys and girls/For the beauty in the world")".[12]
The video for the song, directed by Adria Petty premiered on April 9, 2010, and features Gray performing the song with cheerleaders, kids jumping rope, dancing and hand-clapping.[13]
A second version of the video was made due to the 2010 World Cup and was titled "Beauty In The World Cup". The "World Cup" themed music video for "Beauty in the World!" shows Macy with beautiful models & soccer players in dresses and heels.[14]
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
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Japan Hot 100[15] | 78 |
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[16] | 2 |
US Billboard Adult Pop Songs[17] | 40 |
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[17] | 23 |
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