- "I will survive"
—Gloria Gaynor
"Titanium" is a song by French DJ and music producer David Guetta, featuring vocals by Australian recording artist Sia. Taken from Guetta's fifth studio album, Nothing but the Beat, the song was written by Guetta, Sia, Giorgio Tuinfort and Dutch DJ and music producer Afrojack. Production was also handled by Guetta, Tuinfort and Afrojack.
"Titanium" was initially released for digital download on 8 August 2011, as the first of four promotional singles from the album. It was later released as the album's fourth single in December 2011. The song preliminarily featured the vocals of American recording artist Mary J. Blige, whose version of the song leaked online in July 2011.
Composition[]
"Titanium" has been described as "an emotional near-ballad"[1] that draws from the genres of house,[2] pop[3] and urban-dance.[4] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song is set in common time with a tempo of 126 beats per minute. The verses are in the key of E-flat majooor, with a chord progression of Eb–Bb–Cm. The chorus and breakdown are set in the key of C minor, with a chord progression of Ab–Bb–Gm–Cm. Sia's vocal range span from the note of G3 to the note of Eb5
Music video[]
The music video for "Titanium" was directed by David Wilson.[5] It was filmed in December 2011 in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac and at Dorval High School, in the province of Quebec, Canada. A 14-second preview of the video was uploaded to Guetta's official YouTube account on December 16, 2011. The preview showed a young boy (played by actor Ryan Lee) in the smoky woods running away from a SWAT team of men. The video then closes with the caption, "The Music Video Coming Soon". The full video premiered online on December 21, 2011. Neither Guetta nor Sia appear in the video.[6] Jason Lipshutz of Billboardmagazine noted that "the supernatural scene and suburban setting" in the video recall the science fiction film Super 8 (2011), in which Lee stars. Becky Bain of Idolator wrote that, "The video is beautifully shot, and is courageous enough not to answer all its mysteries." A writer for Capital FM called it a "very cinematic video".
Official audio[]
Official remix audio[]
Critical reception[]
"Titanium" garnered critical acclaim from music critics. David Byrne and Tony Peregrin of Windy City Times described "Titanium" as "epic and "energizing", writing, "it is Sia who steals the show" on Nothing but the Beat. Robert Copsey of Digital Spy agreed, calling the song one of "the record's standouts". A writer forSamesame.com.au called it the "best cut" on the album, and wrote that it is "a track you will quickly be running on repeat." Tom Ewing of The Guardian wrote, "Sia, on 'Titanium', handles the album's best hook well." Rich Lopez of Dallas Voice wrote that the "collaborative lyrics elevate this song to a higher level than any previous track" from the album, and called it "clever writing" from Sia. Ben Norman of About.com wrote that the song "basically blows the rest of his album out of the water. Teaming up with Sia was probably the smartest move he [Guetta] has done in recent memory when it comes to actual musical quality." David Griffiths off 4Music called it "The most intriguing hook-up" on the album, writing that "'Titanium' sees Guetta giving the Australian songstress some long overdue commercial appeal, while Sia's vocals bring a quirky twist." Kerri Mason of Billboard magazine described the song as "Guetta's quirkiest and most epic track to date (in itself an unusual combination)." Jamie Horne of The Border Mail called it a "strong" track. Joe Copplestone of PopMatters noted that songs on the album such as "Titanium" and "Night of Your Life", "recall the power" of Guetta's previous collaborations with Kelly Rowland on "When Love Takes Over" (2009) and "Commander" (2010).[7] "Titanium" was nominated for Dance Work of the Year at the 2012 APRA Music Awards, but lost to "From the Music" by The Potbelleez.[8]
After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012, "Titanium" was pulled from radio stations in the United States due to the use of gun-related lyrics in the song. "Titanium" is part of a group of songs that have been taken off the air, including Kesha's "Die Young", and "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People.[9]
Commercial performance[]
Year-end charts[]
| Chart (2011) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 18 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 21 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia) | 76 |
| Germany (Media Control AG) | 25 |
| Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100) | 20 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 33 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 56 |
| Chart (2012) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia) | 21 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 43 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 23 |
| Germany (Media Control AG) | 80 |
| Israel (ACUM) | 3 |
| Italy (FIMI) | 8 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 11 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | 18 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 25 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company) | 4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 24 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 23 |
| US Pop Songs (Billboard) | 23 |
| Chart (2013) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 86 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 76 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 46 |
Certifications[]
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 5x Platinum | 350,000 |
| Austria (IFPI Austria) | Platinum | 30,000x |
| Belgium (BEA) | Platinum | 30,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Denmark) | Platinum | 30,000^ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat) | Gold | 6,534 |
| France (SNEP) | Gold | 150,000* |
| Germany (BVMI) | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI) | 2× Platinum | 60,000* |
| Mexico (AMPROFON) | 2× Platinum | 120,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 3× Platinum | 45,000* |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Platinum | 40,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | 2× Platinum | 60,000x |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000 |
| United States (RIAA) | 2× Platinum | 4,000,000 |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
Lyrics[]
You shout it out
But I can't hear a word you say
Talking loud
Not saying much
I'm criticised
But all your bullets ricochet
Shoot me down
But I get up
I'm bulletproof
Nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet
You take your aim
Fire away, fire away
You shoot me down
But I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down
But I won't fall
I am titanium
Cut me down
But it's you who'll have further to fall
Ghost town
Haunted love
Raise your voice
Sticks and stones may break my bones
Talking loud
Not saying much
I'm bulletproof
Nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet
You take your aim
Fire away, fire away
You shoot me down
But I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down
But I won't fall
I am titanium
Stone heart
Machine gun
Firing at the ones who run
Stone heart
Loves bulletproof glass
You shoot me down
But I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down
But I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down
But I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down
But I won't fall
I am titanium
I am titanium
References[]
- ↑ http://popcrush.com/david-guetta-nothing-but-the-beat-album-review/
- ↑ http://www.samesame.com.au/reviews/7248/CD-David-Geuttas-Nothing-But-The-Beat.htm
- ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/french-house-flavour-for-sias-new-track/story-fn6bm6am-1226113874184
- ↑ http://www.4music.com/news/reviews/1272/David-Guetta-Nothing-But-the-Beat
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2GVwqVUcW0
- ↑ http://popcrush.com/david-guetta-titanium-video-sia/
- ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/music/nothing-but-the-beat/david-guetta
- ↑ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/apra-music-award-winners/story-fn9d2mxu-1226370411773
- ↑ http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/keshas-latest-hit-die-young-pulled-from-radio-after-school-massacre/story-e6frfn09-1226540278897