Brighter Than the Sun

Last updated

"Brighter Than the Sun"
Colbie-Brighter-than-the-sun.jpg
Single by Colbie Caillat
from the album All of You
ReleasedMay 23, 2011 (2011-05-23) [1]
Genre Folk-pop [2]
Length
  • 3:51 (album version) [1]
  • 3:29 (radio edit)
Label Universal Republic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Ryan Tedder
Colbie Caillat singles chronology
"I Do"
(2011)		"Brighter Than the Sun"
(2011)		"Favorite Song"
(2012)
Music video
"Brighter Than the Sun" on YouTube

"Brighter Than the Sun" is a song by American recording artist Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat and Ryan Tedder and produced by the latter. The song was released as the second single from Caillat's third studio album, All of You (2011). The song was released to digital download on May 23, 2011, through Universal Republic. The song received a positive reaction from music critics, who complimented its summer feel. The song is certified platinum in the United States and has been successful on many Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, where the song reached the top 50, the Adult Contemporary chart, where the song peaked at number one for a week. "Brighter Than the Sun" also was a top-40 hit in Austria and was the third-biggest song of 2012 on US adult contemporary radio.

Contents

Composition

The song, which Caillat co-wrote with hit-maker and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, is the second single from her third LP All of You . Caillat talked about her decision to put her new single at the top of the All of You track list:

"I usually like to start my albums by easing my way in. But 'Brighter Than the Sun' has a punch. It's so up-tempo and happy. My manager actually requested that it be No. 1, and he was right. This song is awesome because it just gets people started right away and interested in what's next. A different instrument leads into each part of the song. It never stays the same, which keeps listeners wanting to hear what's next." [3]

Caillat says she wrote all the tracks on All of You about her relationship with Justin Young, who plays guitar in her band:

"He was in my band for two years before we noticed that we like each other. I wrote most of this album about us, our ups and downs." [3]

The lyrics reflect the tumble into love:

"Boy, we go together like peanuts and Paydays/ Marley and Reggae/ And everybody needs to get a chance to say/ Oh, this is how it starts/ Lightning strikes the heart/ It goes off like a gun/ Brighter than the sun." [4]

Critical reception

Amy Sciaretto from Artist Direct was positive, considering it "bright, airy, whisper-light, sweet and beachy!". She also loves "how she makes people feel warm and reminds of the ocean when listen to her tunes". [5] Robbie Daw wrote for Idolator that Colbie Caillat has served up an upbeat, infectious new single, just in time for summer. [3] Kyle Anderson wrote for Entertainment Weekly positively that "Caillat plays with rhythmic touches (the high-spirited handclaps on Brighter Than the Sun)." [6] Lavina Suthenthiran from MTV News said that 'Brighter Than the Sun' is a fresh tune marrying warm vocals and acoustics but is a bit pacier than Bubbly and is bound to get you all in that summer mood." [7] Chris Willman from Chicago Tribune thought that even with a variety of producers, the album style does not change, saying that the song "has the kind of quickly strummed acoustic guitars and handclaps that suggest somebody's been ingesting some "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard." [8] Sputnikmusic said that the song "warrants attention, offering up Colbie's only real successful landing on her targeted 'new' sound. The expanded presence of drums, tambourines, and handclaps all create the desired 'tropical' effect that she obviously yearned to either maintain or further enliven with her newest LP." [9]

Chart performance

The song debuted at number ninety on the Billboard Hot 100. [10] As of the week of February 4, 2012, "Brighter Than the Sun" has reached number 47. [11] The single has spent twenty-six weeks inside the Hot 100 chart, thereby becoming her best performing song since "I Never Told You" of 2010 due to its longevity on the chart. [11] The song has proved to be a hit, so far, on the adult contemporary charts. On the Adult Pop Songs, the song has peaked at number two, so far, becoming one of her most successful singles on the adult pop charts, alongside "Fallin' for You" and only behind "Bubbly". [12] On the Adult Contemporary chart, the song has peaked at number one, becoming her third-single to top the chart. [13] On the Pop Songs chart, the song has peaked at number thirty-nine and is the first of the album to chart and her most successful single since "Fallin' for You" (2009). [14] Similar with the Pop Songs chart, the song has been also moderately well on the Radio Songs, peaking at thirty-eight, so far. [15]

Music video

A teaser of the music video was released on June 13, 2011. The video was filmed in the appropriately sunny Playa Del Rey beachside community of Los Angeles. [3] The production is inspired on the nature scenes, such as flowers, fruits and a bed full of green gram. [16] The video premiered on June 30, 2011. In the video, Colbie appears surrounded by her circle of friends. Next, a green fern gets a 10-second close-up, followed by a tight shot of Colbie's hands planting sheets of grass. Colbie proceeds to twirl in front of her orange tree and reveals her swing, until a dance party is produced. [17] Jenna Hally Rubenstein from MTV Buzzworthy said sarcastically that the video is "the hottest, most environmentally conscious party of the summer so far." [17]

Live performances

Caillat performed the song on the Today Show on July 12, 2011, [18] and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno two days later. [19] Caillat was the featured musical guest on the So Random! episode "Colbie Caillat" on August 14, 2011, where she performed the song. In her So Random! performance, she had to change the lyric "so damn beautiful" to "so so beautiful". Caillat performed the song on Live with Regis & Kelly show on September 27, 2011. [20] Caillat went to Lopez Tonight to perform the track on October 1, 2011. [21]

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [37] Gold30,000‡
United States (RIAA) [38] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colbie Caillat</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1985)

Colbie Marie Caillat is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number one unsigned artist of her genre.

<i>Coco</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Colbie Caillat

Coco is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on July 10, 2007, in the United States, debuting at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 51,000 copies in its first week. It also became Caillat's best-selling album to date, selling 2,100,000 copies in the United States and over 3,000,000 copies around the world. Caillat supported the album with the Coco World Tour, as well as four singles. The lead single "Bubbly" was a huge international hit, while the following two singles "Realize" and "The Little Things" were minor hits. "Somethin' Special" was released as a promo support the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and the 2009 film Bride Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bubbly</span> 2007 single by Colbie Caillat

"Bubbly" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her first album, Coco (2007). Written by Caillat and Jason Reeves and produced by Mikal Blue, the song was released as the album's lead single on May 15, 2007. "Bubbly" is Caillat's only song to peak within the top ten of US Billboard Hot 100; it remains her highest-charting song. Internationally, "Bubbly" reached number one in Australia, Brazil, and the Czech Republic. It also became a top-10 hit in several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, and Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistletoe (Colbie Caillat song)</span> 2007 single by Colbie Caillat

"Mistletoe" is an original Christmas song written and performed by Colbie Caillat. It was co-written by Caillat's friend and former manager, Stacy Blue, and producer Mikal Blue. "Mistletoe" was released as a standalone single on November 20, 2007. A re-recorded version of the song was included on Caillat's 2012 holiday album, Christmas in the Sand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Realize (Colbie Caillat song)</span> 2008 single by Colbie Caillat

"Realize" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, taken from her debut album, Coco (2007). In the song, Caillat sings of having romantic feelings for a best friend. It was the follow-up to her worldwide debut hit, "Bubbly", and was officially released in January 2008 as the second single from the album, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her second top-twenty hit in the US. The song also charted in Canada and the Netherlands, reaching the top 40 in both countries. It features uncredited harmony vocals by singer and songwriter Jason Reeves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Little Things (song)</span> 2008 single by Colbie Caillat

"The Little Things" is the third single from Colbie Caillat's 2007 debut album, Coco, released on March 7, 2008, in Germany, and on October 28, 2008, in the US. It was written by Caillat and Jason Reeves. The single did not chart well in the US, and was her weakest charting single from her album Coco. In 2008, she recorded a French translated version of this song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Reeves (songwriter)</span> American musician and songwriter (born 1984)

Jason Bradford Reeves is an American songwriter, singer, and guitarist. He is best known for his songwriting work for Colbie Caillat, with whom he formed the acoustic pop band Gone West in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colbie Caillat discography</span>

The discography of Colbie Caillat, an American musician and singer-songwriter, contains seven studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, 22 singles, 22 music videos and other album appearances and songwriting credits. Caillat rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number-one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic, she released debut album in July 2007, Coco has sold 2,060,000 copies in the United States and is certified 3× Platinum. In August 2009, she released Breakthrough, her second album which became her first album to debut at number one on Billboard 200. It has been certified Platinum by RIAA. In July 2011, she released her third studio album, All of You. In October 2012 she released her first Christmas album, Christmas in the Sand. Caillat sold 11 million albums and 25 million singles worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky (Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat song)</span> 2009 single by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat

"Lucky" is a song by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. It is the third single from Mraz's third studio album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The song also appears as a bonus track on the international edition of Caillat’s album Breakthrough. The song has been on the Billboard charts, as well as other music charts worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fallin' for You (Colbie Caillat song)</span> 2009 single by Colbie Caillat

"Fallin' for You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat along with Rick Nowels and produced by Nowels, John Shanks, and Caillat's father, Ken Caillat, for her second studio album, Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on June 26, 2009, as the lead single from the album, through Universal Republic. According to Caillat, the song speaks of someone falling for a man that they are friends with.

<i>Breakthrough</i> (Colbie Caillat album) 2009 studio album by Colbie Caillat

Breakthrough is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on August 19, 2009 through Universal Republic Records. The follow-up to her successful debut album, Coco (2007), Breakthrough was developed in late 2008 when Caillat returned to her home after two years on tour, with the singer setting up a "writing camp" with songwriters and producers in Hawaii and writing over 40 songs for the record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Never Told You</span> 2010 single by Colbie Caillat

"I Never Told You" is a song by the American pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her second album Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on February 16, 2010 in the United States as the second single. The song is a power ballad in E-flat major and was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves and Kara DioGuardi and produced by DioGuardi. The song talks about the love the singer still has for her lover they felt strongly about at one point in their life. The song received positive reviews from music critics. In the charts, the song has performed moderately well, it has peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Adult Pop Songs.

"Breathe" is a song by Taylor Swift featuring Colbie Caillat from Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008). Swift wrote the song with Caillat and produced it with Nathan Chapman. A pop rock ballad, "Breathe" incorporates strummed acoustic instruments and a string section. The lyrics are about heartbreak from losing a close friend. Big Machine Records released the track onto Rhapsody on October 21, 2008. Music critics found "Breathe" a sentimental song with resonant lyrics, but some deemed it insubstantial. The song was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Do (Colbie Caillat song)</span> 2011 single by Colbie Caillat

"I Do" is a song recorded by American recording artist Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat and Toby Gad, and produced by Greg Wells. The song was released as the first single from her third studio album All of You (2011). The song was released to iTunes and radios on February 7, 2011 through Universal Republic. Musically, the song is an upbeat "sunny-day" pop song, and the lyrics speak about taking relationships further, like marriage. "I Do" debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart. It later debuted at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Nielsen Soundscan, it has sold about 154,000 copies in the US. The music video for "I Do" premiered on March 11, 2011.

<i>All of You</i> (Colbie Caillat album) 2011 studio album by Colbie Caillat

All of You is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was scheduled to be released on May 3, 2011, but was pushed back by two months to a July 6, 2011, release in the United States through Universal Republic Records. The set, largely produced by Greg Wells, features one guest appearance by rapper/actor Common, who graces "Favorite Song", while her songwriting collaborators include Ryan Tedder, Toby Gad, Jason Reeves and Rick Nowels. The album's lead-single "I Do" was released on February 7, 2011, and has charted at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 11 on the Adult Pop Songs. A second single "Brighter Than the Sun" was released on May 17, 2011, and has charted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"Fine by Me" is the second single by American recording artist Andy Grammer from his debut studio album Andy Grammer (2011). The song was co-written and produced by Matt Radosevich. It was released in December 2011. "Fine by Me" debuted at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 10 on the Adult Pop Songs chart. A live version was included on his live album, Live From L.A., featuring guest vocals from Colbie Caillat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Favorite Song (Colbie Caillat song)</span> 2012 single by Colbie Caillat featuring Common

"Favorite Song" is a song by American recording artist Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat and Ryan Tedder, and produced by Tedder and it features American rapper Common. The song was released as the third single from her third studio album All of You (2011). it was released on May 8, 2012. Musically, the song is a guitar-driven pop, hip-hop jam, and the lyrics speak about being in love with someone and desiring that the person feels the same. The song is a metaphor for wanting to be the object of someone’s affection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas in the Sand (song)</span> 2012 single by Colbie Caillat

"Christmas in the Sand" is a Christmas song recorded by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves and Kara DioGuardi and produced by Colbie's father, Ken Caillat. The song was released as the first single from her first Christmas album Christmas in the Sand. The song was released to SoundCloud on October 15, 2012 through Universal Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold On (Colbie Caillat song)</span> 2013 single by Colbie Caillat

"Hold On" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder, who had previously collaborated with Caillat on her 2011 single "Brighter Than the Sun". The song was released to digital retailers through Republic Records on November 19, 2013 originally as Gypsy Heart's lead single. However, in the end, the song was only included as an international bonus track on the album and it was later announced that "Try" was the lead single of Gypsy Heart. Upon its release, "Hold On" was generally well received by critics, who complimented the new musical direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Try (Colbie Caillat song)</span> 2014 single by Colbie Caillat

"Try" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her fifth studio album, Gypsy Heart (2014). It was released on June 9, 2014 by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves, Babyface and Antonio Dixon and was produced by the latter two. Lyrically, the midtempo pop ballad is about not trying to be someone else to make others happy. It was written after a session where Caillat was feeling pressure to be someone she was not, both musically and image-wise. It received acclaim from music critics, who noted it was a simple, but beautiful empowering ballad.

References

  1. 1 2 "Brighter Than The Sun: Colbie Caillat: Amazon.com". Amazon. June 14, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Christina Perri and Colbie Caillat bring 'Girls Night Out' to Champions Square". The Advocate. August 20, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 daw, Robbie (June 14, 2011). "Colbie Caillat "Brighter Than The Sun" Video Teaser And Stills: Idolator Premiere". Idolator. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  4. ↑ Thompson, Michelle (July 12, 2011). "Colbie Caillat – All Of You (2011) – The Tune". The Tune . Retrieved July 14, 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ Sciaretto, Amy (May 26, 2011). "Listen to Colbie Caillat's "Brighter Than the Sun"". Artist Direct. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Kyle (June 30, 2011). "All of You review - Colbie Caillat Review - Music Reviews and News - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  7. ↑ Suthenthiran, Lavina (June 30, 2011). "She's been awake for a while now but she's brighter than ever..." MTV News . Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  8. ↑ Willman, Chris (July 12, 2011). "Review: Colbie Caillat stays bubbly on "All of You"". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  9. ↑ Staff (July 11, 2011). "Colbie Caillat All of You – Sputnikmusic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Brighter Than the Sun - Colbie Caillat - Billboard.com". Billboard . August 27, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  11. 1 2 "Brighter than The Sun - Colbie Caillat - Billboard.com". Billboard . Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Album & Song Chart History - Billboard.com". Billboard . Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Album & Song Chart History - Billboard.com". Billboard . Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Album & Song Chart History - Billboard.com". Billboard . Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Album & Song Chart History - Billboard.com". Billboard . Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  16. ↑ Faia, Amanda (June 14, 2011). "Assista aos bastidores de "Brighter Than The Sun", novo videoclipe de Colbie Caillat". PopLine. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  17. 1 2 Hally, Jenna (June 30, 2011). "New Video: Colbie Caillat, 'Brighter Than The Sun'". MTV . Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Toyota Concert Series – Colbie Caillat". Today Show . July 12, 2011. Archived from the original on March 7, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Colbie Caillat – Brighter Than The Sun (The Tonight Show 14-07-2011)". YouTube . July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Colbie Caillat "Brighter Than the Sun" on Regis & Kelly 9/27". YouTube . Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Colbie Caillat – Brighter Than the Sun (Lopez Tonight 01.08.2011)". YouTube . Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Colbie Caillat – Brighter Than the Sun" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Colbie Caillat – Brighter Than the Sun" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard.
  28. ↑ ":: 가온차트와 함께하세요 ::". Gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Colbie Caillat – Brighter Than the Sun". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  31. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
  32. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  33. ↑ "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  34. ↑ "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Pop Songs – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Colbie Caillat – Brighter Than the Sun" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  38. ↑ "American single certifications – Colbie Caillat – Brighter Than the Sun". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.