Welcome to the Show (song)

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"[This song] is an anthem about facing exactly who you are and OWNING it. Its [sic] intended as a mantra to inspire strength and PRIDE."

- Adam Lambert in an essay accompanying the song's music video. [5]

"Welcome to the Show" is a power ballad written by Ali Payami and Laleh Pourkarim with a duration of three minutes and twenty-one seconds (3:21). [2] [6] Payami also provides the instrumentation for the song and is credited with performances on bass, keyboards, percussion, piano, and strings. [2] Max Martin, a long-time collaborator of Lambert's and the executive producer of his 2015 album, The Original High , introduced Lambert to Laleh and Payami. [7] Lyrically, the song discusses "shin[ing] a light" on one's vulnerabilities and embracing one's honest self. [8]

According to the digital sheet music published by Kobalt Music Publishing America, the song is originally composed in the key of D major and is set in common time to an approximate tempo of 108 BPM. [9] Lambert's vocals span two-and-a-half octaves from B3 through E6. [9] Described as a power ballad, the song features synth chords and a "boom-clap" beat paired with introspective, vulnerable lyrics. [6]

Music video

The official music video for "Welcome to the Show" premiered July 6, 2016 and was co-directed by Adam Lambert with his friend, photographer Lee Cherry. Dedicated to his fans, the video was produced independently of Lambert's record label. [5] Shot primarily in black-and-white, the video features kaleidoscopic colour to accentuate emotional moments. [10] The close-up shots and shirtless moments have also been described as expressions of vulnerability. [5] Accompanying the release of the video, Lambert published an essay describing the origin of the song and the video's concept, wherein he explains that he has seen "so many people trapped by the identity they put so much effort into maintaining, or shunned by choosing not to," and that "Welcome to the Show" is all about choosing to "accept and love who YOU are." [11] Released three weeks after the Orlando nightclub shooting, the video also serves as an indirect tribute to the shooting victims and LGBT community as a whole. [10]

Chart performance

"Welcome to the Show"
Adam Lambert - Welcome to the Show (single cover).jpeg
Single by Adam Lambert featuring Laleh
ReleasedMarch 17, 2016 (2016-03-17)
Recorded New York City, New York
Genre Power pop
Length3:21
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Laleh Pourkarim
Adam Lambert singles chronology
"Another Lonely Night"
(2015)
"Welcome to the Show"
(2016)
"Two Fux"
(2017)
Laleh singles chronology
"Sol, vind och vatten"
(2015)
"Welcome to the Show"
(2016)
"Bara få va mig själv"
(2016)
Chart performance for "Welcome to the Show"
Chart (2016)Peak
position
Finland Download (Latauslista) [12] 1
Hungary (Single Top 40) [13] 20
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [14] 2
US Pop Digital Songs (Billboard) [15] 29

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 "Welcome to the Show - Adam Lambert". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  3. "Adam Lambert Feat Laleh - Welcome To The Show". Discogs. March 17, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  4. Li, Shirley (March 18, 2016). "Adam Lambert & Laleh performed 'Welcome to the Show' on American Idol". Entertainment Weekly . Wenner Media . Retrieved August 25, 2016.
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  6. 1 2 Daw, Robbie (March 17, 2016). "Adam Lambert's "Welcome To The Show": Listen To His New Power-Pop Single". Idolator . Spin Media . Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  7. "Adam Lambert announces new single 'Welcome to the Show': Pressparty". Pressparty. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  8. Donnelly, Matthew Scott (July 6, 2016). "Adam Lambert Goes Technicolor + Shirtless in Fan-Dedicated 'Welcome to The Show' Video". Pop Crush. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Adam Lambert "Welcome to the Show" Sheet Music in D Major". Musicnotes.com. Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc. May 2, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Wicks, Amanda (July 6, 2016). "Adam Lambert Shares Powerful New Video 'Welcome to the Show'". Radio.com . CBS Corporation . Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  11. "Watch: Adam Lambert - "Welcome To The Show"". Wonderland. July 6, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  12. "Adam Lambert: Welcome to the Show (feat. Laleh)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  13. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  14. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 12, 2016" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  15. "Chart Search". Billboard Pop Digital Songs for Adam Lambert. Retrieved August 25, 2016.