Cannonball (Lea Michele song)

"Cannonball" is the debut single by American singer Lea Michele. The song was released onto iTunes on December 10, 2013 and made its radio debut on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show on December 16, 2013. The song was written by Sia, Benny Blanco, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Saud, and was produced by Stargate and Blanco.[2]

"Cannonball"
Single by Lea Michele
from the album Louder
ReleasedDecember 10, 2013[1]
Recorded2013
GenrePop
Length3:35
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Lea Michele singles chronology
"Cannonball"
(2013)		 "On My Way"
(2014)
Music video
"Lea Michele - Cannonball" on YouTube

"Cannonball" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised Michele's vocal delivery.[3] The song peaked at number 75 on the official Billboard singles chart in the United States and sold 51,000 digital copies in its first week of sale.[4]

Theme and composition

In an interview with MTV, Michele said that "Cannonball" was the song that helped her cope in the aftermath of her boyfriend and co-star Cory Monteith's death, in the summer of 2013. Initially, Michele did not plan on having the song be a part of the album, which she had finished recording in June; but after Monteith died aged 31 in July, Michele put her album on hold and took a moment to think if there was anything else she needed to get off her chest. Working with songwriters Sia and Benny Blanco, who co-wrote "Cannonball", she recorded the track and the single became her "mantra of survival."[5]

Live performances

Michele's first live performance of the song was on December 12, 2013 on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, marking her first time as a musical guest.[6] She also performed "Cannonball" live on the season 3 finale of The X Factor USA on December 19, 2013, and on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 4, 2014, where again she made her debut as a musical guest.

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics. Billboard wrote, "The song's booming pop chorus features a confident Michele, whose Broadway-bred voice is as on-point as you'd expect: "And now I will start living today, today, today. I closed the door / I got this new beginning, and I will fly, I'll fly like a cannonball."[2]

Rolling Stone writer Ron Blistein gave Michele's "Cannonball" a favorable review, writing, "The track is instantly memorable, not surprising considering the number of top hit-makers behind it, including cowriters Sia Furler and Benny Blanco. Production comes courtesy of the Norwegian duo Stargate. Still, it's Michele's powerhouse vocals that take center stage on "Cannonball" as she deftly switches from her Broadway-trained belting and Glee-honed pop chops."[3]

Music video

Michele filmed parts of the music video for "Cannonball" on two separate occasions; on November 17, 2013 and December 16, 2013.[7] The video premiered on VEVO and YouTube on January 9, 2014. The music video for the track was directed by Robert Hales and styled by Estee Stanley.[8] The video has over 18 million views on YouTube.

Formats and track listings
  1. "Cannonball" – 3:35
  1. "Cannonball" (Dave Audé Club Remix) – 6:50
  2. "Cannonball" (Dave Audé Radio) – 4:33
  3. "Cannonball" (Dave Audé Mixshow) – 5:47
  4. "Cannonball" (Dave Audé Club Instrumental) – 6:50
  5. "Cannonball" (Dave Audé Dub) – 6:19
  • DVD single
  1. "Cannonball" (Music Video) – 3:48
  2. "Cannonball" (Live in Studio) – 3:55

Charts
Chart (2013–2014) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 45
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[12] 7
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[13] 11
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[14] 49
France (SNEP)[15] 48
Ireland (IRMA)[16] 80
Italy (FIMI)[17] 27
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[18] 82
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] 32
UK Singles (OCC)[20] 56
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 75
US Digital Songs (Billboard)[22] 22
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[23] 18

Release dates
Country Date Format Label
United States[24] December 10, 2013 Digital download Columbia
United Kingdom[25] March 9, 2014

References
  1. "iTunes - Music - Cannonball - Single by Lea Michele". Apple. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  2. "Lea Michele Sets Date for Debut Album, Rolls Out 'Cannonball' Single". Billboard. December 10, 2013.
  3. "Lea Michele Dives Into Pop Career With 'Cannonball' – Video". Rolling Stone. December 10, 2013.
  4. "Lea Michele's "Cannonball" Is First Song From Any Glee Star to Make Billboard Chart – Where Did It Land?". Wetpaint. December 23, 2013.
  5. "Lea Michele's 'Cannonball' 'Helped Me With My Loss' After Cory Monteith's Death". MTV News. December 12, 2013.
  6. "VIDEO: Lea Michele's 'Cannonball' Performance On 'Ellen'". HollywoodLife. December 12, 2013.
  7. "Lea Michele's 'Cannonball' to Be First Single From Debut Album". Billboard. November 27, 2013.
  8. "Lea Michele Debuts 'Cannonball' Video: Watch". Billboard. January 10, 2014.
  9. "Lea Michele – Cannonball (CDr) at Discogs". Discogs. April 19, 2015.
  10. "Lea Michele – Cannonball (Dave Audé Remix) (CDr) at Discogs". Discogs. April 19, 2015.
  11. "Australian-charts.com – Lea Michele – Cannonball". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Lea Michele – Cannonball" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  13. "Ultratop.be – Lea Michele – Cannonball" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  14. "Lea Michele Album & Song Chart History". Billboard Canadian Hot 100 for Lea Michele. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  15. "Lescharts.com – Lea Michele – Cannonball" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  16. "Chart Track: Week 51, 2013". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  17. "Classifica settimanale WK 50 (dal 2013-12-09 al 2013-12-15)". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  18. "Lea Michele Album & Song Chart History: Japan Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  19. "Spanishcharts.com – Lea Michele – Cannonball" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  21. "Lea Michele Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  22. "Lea Michele Album & Song Chart History: Digital Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  23. "Lea Michele Album & Song Chart History: Hot Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  24. "iTunes - Music - Louder (Deluxe Version) by Lea Michele". US iTunes. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  25. "iTunes - Music - Cannonball - Single by Lea Michele". UK iTunes. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
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