I Choose You (Sara Bareilles song)

Last updated
"I Choose You"
I Choose You by Sara Bareilles.jpg
Single by Sara Bareilles
from the album The Blessed Unrest
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2014 (2014-01-17)
Genre Indie pop
Length3:39
Label Epic
Songwriter(s)
  • Sara Bareilles
  • Jason Blynn
  • Pete Harper
Producer(s) Mark Endert
Sara Bareilles singles chronology
"Brave"
(2013)
"I Choose You"
(2014)
"She Used to Be Mine"
(2015)
Music video
"I Choose You" on YouTube

"I Choose You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Sara Bareilles from her fourth studio album, The Blessed Unrest (2013). The song was written by Bareilles, Jason Blynn and Pete Harper, and produced by Mark Endert, who also produced her hit "Brave".

Contents

"I Choose You" was released on January 17, 2014 as the album's second single and was featured in the television shows Life Sentence [1] and Secrets and Lies . [2] The song peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, number 14 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, and number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 units.

Composition and lyrics

The song is a mid-tempo indie pop ballad with elements of alternative music, set to a beat of 76 BPM. [3] It is composed in the key of A Major, with the vocal range spanning from E3 - F5. [3]

Its lyrics describe the act of falling in love and the "beautiful start to a lifelong love letter". [4]

Music video

The music video for "I Choose You" was directed by Dennis Liu and was released on May 5, 2014. [5] It features two real-life couples - one heterosexual and one lesbian - delivering unique proposals to their significant others with Bareilles's assistance. [6] [7] The video combines footage of the preparations with shots of Bareilles singing, and culminates in the proposals. [7]

Critical reception

Mike Wass of Idolator described the production on the song as the most expansive of Bareilles's career, with its incorporation of "kooky staccato beats" and a "sprinkling of synths". [8]

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard described the song as "nimble", and stated that its "backing vocals, string plucks and soaring romantic declarations would make this a bid for future wedding playlists". [4]

Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press described the song as "a beautiful song about falling in love" which could "make anyone's irritating day better". [9]

Charts and certifications

"I Choose You" debuted at number 36 on the US Billboard Adult Top 40 chart for the week of March 1, 2014, [10] and debuted at number 27 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for the week of April 26, 2014. [11] It has since reached the Top 20 on both charts. The song also debuted at its peak position of 81 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 24, 2014. [12]

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References

  1. "Life Sentence – Pilot". Tunefind . Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  2. "Secrets and Lies – The Fall". Tunefind. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Sara Bareilles "I Choose You" Sheet Music". Music Notes. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 Lipshutz, Jason (July 16, 2013). "Sara Bareilles, 'The Blessed Unrest': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard . Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  5. "I Choose You by Sara Bareilles". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  6. Wass, Mike (May 5, 2014). "Sara Bareilles' "I Choose You" Video Is The Cutest Thing You'll See This Week". Idolator . Spin Media . Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  7. 1 2 Malec, Brett (8 May 2014). "Sara Bareilles Helps Couples Propose in Heartwarming "I Choose You" Video - Watch!". E! Online . NBCUniversal . Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  8. Wass, Mike (July 16, 2013). "Sara Bareilles' 'The Blessed Unrest': Album Review". Idolator . Spin Media . Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  9. Fekadu, Mesfin (July 25, 2013). "Sara Bareilles' new album is a sweet triumph". Christian Science Monitor . Associated Press . Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  10. Trust, Gary. "Chart Highlights: A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera, Beyonce & Jay Z Add New No. 1s". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  11. Trust, Gary. "Chart Highlights: Jason Derulo Dominates Pop Songs With 'Talk Dirty'". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  12. "Chart Search" (I Choose You). Billboard Hot 100 for Sara Bareilles. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  13. "Sara Bareilles – I Choose You" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  14. "Sara Bareilles Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  15. "Sara Bareilles Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  16. "Sara Bareilles Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  17. "American single certifications – Sara Bareilles – I Choose You". Recording Industry Association of America.