Celebration (Madonna song)
Encyclopedia
"Celebration" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna
from her third compilation album, Celebration
. It was written by Madonna, Paul Oakenfold
, Ciaran Gribbin and Ian Green, and produced by Madonna and Paul Oakenfold
. The song was released digitally on July 31, 2009 by Warner Bros. Records
. Madonna collaborated with Oakenfold to develop a number of songs. Amongst all the songs developed by them, two were chosen for the greatest hits album with "Celebration" being released as the first single off it. It is a dance-oriented song with influences of Madonna's singles from the eighties
and nineties
, and consisting of a speak-sing format bridge
. The lyrics of the song invites one to come and join a party.
"Celebration" received mixed reviews from contemporary critics. The song reached the top of the official charts in Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Russia, Slovak Republic and Sweden, while reaching the top-ten in other European nations as well as Canada and United Kingdom. It became Madonna's fifty-fifth entry to the Billboard Hot 100
and her fortieth number-one song on the Billboard Dance Club chart. The music video used the Benny Benassi
remix of the song. It portrayed Madonna and her tour dancers solo dancing
to the song. Cameo appearances were made by model Jesus Luz and in an alternative video by her daughter Lourdes. At the 52nd Grammy Awards
, the song received a nomination in the Best Dance Recording
category.
being confirmed as producer for two of the new songs. Attitude
magazine reported in an interview with Oakenfold that the tracks he produced with Madonna are called "Broken (I'm Sorry)" and "Celebrate". He stated that the new music is "lyrically classic Madonna with an edgy modern sound." The song "Celebrate", later renamed as "Celebration", has backing music composed by Ciaran Gribbin, Ian Green and Paul Oakenfold, with lyrics and vocal melody composed by Madonna. According to Gribbin, Madonna approached Oakenfold, asking him regarding what he was working on and whether he would be interested to send her some material to note down the lyrics. Oakenfold, along with Green and Gribbin had been working on new tracks for Oakenfold's upcoming album. They sent fifteen of those tracks to Madonna. She chose "Broken" and "Celebration" from them. Then Oakenfold, Gribbin and Green arranged the backing track, chord structure as well as added the instrumentation from the guitars, keyboards and drums. Madonna contributed to the track, by composing its melodies.
Warner Bros. Records announced "Celebration" as the lead single from the album. It was released to radio stations on August 3, 2009, with remixes having been released to dance clubs on July 24, 2009. A world premiere of the Paul Oakenfold 12" Dub version was played on the Pete Tong
BBC Radio 1
show on July 24, 2009.
" (1992). It consists of a pumping, house
style music in it. Paul Oakenfold described the composition as "lyrically classic Madonna with an edgy modern sound." Influences of europop
are found in the song, but not to the extent of previous single, "Hung Up
" (2005). According to the Los Angeles Times
the song has a highly energetic synth-pop groove while referencing 80s Madonna songs. The bridge
is in a speak-sing format, where Madonna's voice, consisting a little edge, declares that "I [didn't] recognize you with your clothes on." "Celebration" is set in the time signature of common time
with a dance beat tempo
of 126 beats per minute
. The song is set in the key of B minor
with Madonna's voice spanning from F3 to B4. The song has a basic sequence of Em–Fm–Bm–Bm as its basic chord progression
. The lyrics call the listener to join in a party and celebrate. They are written in the form of an invitation, which asks one to come and join "the dance of life." Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media
explained that the song is "personality-driven pop", meaning that the lyrics and the melody becomes immaterial to the fact that Madonna is singing the song.
stated that "Celebration" works as a throwaway, midsummer dance pop number. However, he felt that the song had modest goals, "at least by Madonna's standards. Even when it gets a bit risque [...] silliness rules the day. She invites us 'to the dance of life,' and coasts over the chorus." He went on to add that the song "is an effective look back, a gliding, reassuring number that she [Madonna] hasn't forgotten her beginning. But rather than instill a sense of nostalgia, everything feels a bit obligatory. The sound of an artist, hopefully, ready for the next chapter." Michael Slezak from Entertainment Weekly
called the song "unapologetically dance-y" but felt "disappointed that lyrically, Madonna seems to be revisiting the 'Party! Get on the floor!' theme for the umpteenth time without even the slightest bit of linguistic flair." Bill Lamb of About.com
commented that the song "is more likely to simply be a reminder of the powerful talent of Madonna and it will slip easily into her canon of dance classics." He went on to add that "Celebration" is a reminder of who Madonna has been as an artist. However, he said that the cons of the song were its bland lyrics. Chris Williams from Billboard
said that "Madonna's latest single won't start any new trends, but it does return the singer to her dance-floor roots." It further added that "'Celebration' [is] a score for Madonna's retro-futuristic fan base and a nice bookend to her collection of chart glories." James Montogomery from MTV
commented: "[The song is] all pulsing sirens, wobbly bass and four-on-the-floor beat, with an expansive electro chorus that sounds like a truckload of Nintendo Entertainment System
s exploding in unison (only sexier)." Frase McAlpine from BBC
gave the song three out five stars and said: "I can't be the only person in the world who is slightly disappointed that this song isn't a jaunty '80 syn-disco rave up, in which Madge skips around in a big pink wig, like she used to in the olden days." He went on to add that "Celebration" is a decent dance track for Madonna to play on her tours. Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media
complimented the song saying that Madonna has never sounded more convincing, before singing a dance song like "Celebration". Sarah Crompton from The Daily Telegraph
said that the song is infinitely forgettable. Popjustice
named the song one of the best 100 singles of 2009.
at number seventy-one on the issue dated August 22, 2009. "Celebration" became Madonna's fifty-fifth entry on the Hot 100. It debuted on the Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot Dance Airplay
charts at numbers twenty-nine and seven, respectively and reached one on the Dance Club chart, on the issue of September 26, 2009. "Celebration" became Madonna's 40th number-one song on the Dance Club chart, the most for an artist. The song debuted on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart at number thirty-six. Madonna became the artist with the most entries on this chart since its inception. "Celebration" has sold 192,000 digital downloads in the United States.
In Canada, the song debuted at number fifty-six on the Canadian Hot 100
and reached a peak of five the next week, becoming the week's airplay gainer. It also debuted at forty-eight in Spain and made a top-five debut at three in Finland. The next week, the song reached the top of the charts in Finland, where it remained for six non-consecutive weeks, and was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Other debuts were in Ireland at thirty-three, and thirty-one in Sweden where it jumped to number-one the next week. On August 30, 2009, "Celebration" debuted at number forty on the Australian Singles Chart
. The song also debuted on the UK Singles Chart
at number three on the issue dated September 20, 2009, becoming her sixtieth top ten single. In Italy, the song debuted at the top of the chart and was certified platinum by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry
(FIMI) for shipment of 60,000 copies of the single. The song peaked at number four on the Danish Singles Chart
and was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for shipment of 15,000 copies of the single.
was filmed in Milan, Italy, where "die-hard fans" showed up on July 18, 2009 for the filming of segments showcasing fans dancing and "being themselves." A similar shoot took place later in Barcelona. The video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund
, who worked with Madonna in her videos for "Ray of Light
", "Music
", "American Life
" and "Jump
". The Guardian
reported that Madonna's daughter Lourdes appeared in the video. Madonna's official website, announced the premiere of the video to be on September 1, 2009. It was released simultaneously on music channels worldwide, and on iTunes
. The video was available for free download on iTunes until Thursday, when it went up purchase only. It was made as free download, so that buyers are made aware of the pre-order details of the Celebration album.
The music video was filmed in Milan, Italy
between the dates of the 2009 leg of her Sticky & Sweet Tour
. The concept of the video is in similarity to the title of the song; celebration of Madonna's career. According to MTV
, the video is a throwback to Madonna's Erotica era and encompasses a dark music
image. The Benny Benassi
remix of the song is used in the video. It starts with Madonna asking the line "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?". The music starts and the scenes cut between Madonna and her dancers start dancing to the music of the song. Madonna wears a crystal embossed, shouldered Balmain dress with knee-high Christian Louboutin
boots. While she is present in almost every frame of the camera, she does not perform choreographed dance moves. Her dance is mostly confined to casual maneuvers. The dancers on the other hand, perform choreographed moves as a solo act. As the song progresses, more dancers are shown and they ultimately reach a club. The DJ in the club is portrayed by model Jesus Luz. Madonna indulges in sensual poses with him and removes his clothes in an attempt to recognize him, as the line "I guess I don't recognize you with your clothes on" is played. The two of them brush their lips together, and Madonna moves away to the dance floor again. Lourdes makes an appearance near the end of the video. She appears in an eighties styled, polka-dotted leotard and pants, and does a back arch
on the ground. Madonna is then shown on the ground on all fours, or dancing while grabbing her groin. Both Madonna's and her dancer's moves are edited to appear in fast forward. Hip hop
styled dancing is showcased towards the end of the video. The end shot of the video portrays Madonna sliding down on the ground. Teaser trailers for the video, show Oakenfold dancing to the song, but his scenes are not included in the final version.
Daniel Kreps from Rolling Stone
commented that "the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer [Madonna] prov[es] her dance moves are still razor-sharp as she turns 51." James Montogomery from MTV complemented Madonna's dance moves in the video, and said: "She is 51, twice divorced, a mother of four and she is (quite rightfully) unashamed by any of this. Sexual politics, anyone?" Olivia Smith of the New York Daily News commented that "Madge has her family - her daughter and her lover - at her latest party, in which she's still at the hotblooded center of her life." She also noted that the video exemplifies the fact that Madonna is an artist with a long musical past. However, the tone of the video explains that Madonna is ready to leave that past and move forward. According to Smith, although Madonna has toned down her appearance, "the 51-year-old is still her pelvis-swirling overtly sexual self in her new video."
On September 17, 2009, an alternate edit of the music video ("fan version") was released via Madonna's MySpace. The video contains footage filmed in Barcelona, Spain and Milan, Italy and features fans, as well as cameo appearances by Lourdes Leon, Paul Oakenfold, and the director himself.
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
from her third compilation album, Celebration
Celebration (Madonna album)
Celebration is the third greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, and the closing release under her contract with Warner Bros. Records, her record company since 1982. The release follows her two previous greatest hits albums, The Immaculate Collection and GHV2...
. It was written by Madonna, Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
, Ciaran Gribbin and Ian Green, and produced by Madonna and Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
. The song was released digitally on July 31, 2009 by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. Madonna collaborated with Oakenfold to develop a number of songs. Amongst all the songs developed by them, two were chosen for the greatest hits album with "Celebration" being released as the first single off it. It is a dance-oriented song with influences of Madonna's singles from the eighties
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and nineties
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, and consisting of a speak-sing format bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
. The lyrics of the song invites one to come and join a party.
"Celebration" received mixed reviews from contemporary critics. The song reached the top of the official charts in Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Russia, Slovak Republic and Sweden, while reaching the top-ten in other European nations as well as Canada and United Kingdom. It became Madonna's fifty-fifth entry to the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and her fortieth number-one song on the Billboard Dance Club chart. The music video used the Benny Benassi
Benny Benassi
Marco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
remix of the song. It portrayed Madonna and her tour dancers solo dancing
Solo (dance)
A solo dance is danced by an individual dancing alone, as opposed to couples dancing together but independently of others dancing at the same time, if any, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a coordinated manner. Solo dancers are usually the best dancers in a group or...
to the song. Cameo appearances were made by model Jesus Luz and in an alternative video by her daughter Lourdes. At the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
, the song received a nomination in the Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
category.
Background
On March 2009, Madonna's representative Liz Rosenberg confirmed that Madonna wrote three new tracks for the compilation album, with Paul OakenfoldPaul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
being confirmed as producer for two of the new songs. Attitude
Attitude (magazine)
Attitude is a British gay lifestyle magazine owned by Vitality Publishing. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and a digital download for the iPad and iPhone via the App Store. The first issue appeared in May 1994....
magazine reported in an interview with Oakenfold that the tracks he produced with Madonna are called "Broken (I'm Sorry)" and "Celebrate". He stated that the new music is "lyrically classic Madonna with an edgy modern sound." The song "Celebrate", later renamed as "Celebration", has backing music composed by Ciaran Gribbin, Ian Green and Paul Oakenfold, with lyrics and vocal melody composed by Madonna. According to Gribbin, Madonna approached Oakenfold, asking him regarding what he was working on and whether he would be interested to send her some material to note down the lyrics. Oakenfold, along with Green and Gribbin had been working on new tracks for Oakenfold's upcoming album. They sent fifteen of those tracks to Madonna. She chose "Broken" and "Celebration" from them. Then Oakenfold, Gribbin and Green arranged the backing track, chord structure as well as added the instrumentation from the guitars, keyboards and drums. Madonna contributed to the track, by composing its melodies.
Warner Bros. Records announced "Celebration" as the lead single from the album. It was released to radio stations on August 3, 2009, with remixes having been released to dance clubs on July 24, 2009. A world premiere of the Paul Oakenfold 12" Dub version was played on the Pete Tong
Pete Tong
Peter "Pete" Tong is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for...
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show on July 24, 2009.
Composition
"Celebration" has been described as a sleek dance-oriented track with influences of previous dance singles by Madonna from the early 90s such as, "Vogue" (1990) and "Deeper and DeeperDeeper and Deeper
"Deeper and Deeper" is a song by Madonna, released as the second single from her 1992 studio album Erotica. It was released in December 1992 by Maverick Records....
" (1992). It consists of a pumping, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
style music in it. Paul Oakenfold described the composition as "lyrically classic Madonna with an edgy modern sound." Influences of europop
Europop
Europop refers to a style of pop music that first developed in today's form in Europe, throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and ’90s...
are found in the song, but not to the extent of previous single, "Hung Up
Hung Up
"Hung Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was written and produced in collaboration with Stuart Price, and released as the first single from her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was...
" (2005). According to the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
the song has a highly energetic synth-pop groove while referencing 80s Madonna songs. The bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
is in a speak-sing format, where Madonna's voice, consisting a little edge, declares that "I [didn't] recognize you with your clothes on." "Celebration" is set in the time signature of common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
with a dance beat tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 126 beats per minute
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. The song is set in the key of B minor
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
with Madonna's voice spanning from F3 to B4. The song has a basic sequence of Em–Fm–Bm–Bm as its basic chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
. The lyrics call the listener to join in a party and celebrate. They are written in the form of an invitation, which asks one to come and join "the dance of life." Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
explained that the song is "personality-driven pop", meaning that the lyrics and the melody becomes immaterial to the fact that Madonna is singing the song.
Critical reception
Todd Martens from the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
stated that "Celebration" works as a throwaway, midsummer dance pop number. However, he felt that the song had modest goals, "at least by Madonna's standards. Even when it gets a bit risque [...] silliness rules the day. She invites us 'to the dance of life,' and coasts over the chorus." He went on to add that the song "is an effective look back, a gliding, reassuring number that she [Madonna] hasn't forgotten her beginning. But rather than instill a sense of nostalgia, everything feels a bit obligatory. The sound of an artist, hopefully, ready for the next chapter." Michael Slezak from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the song "unapologetically dance-y" but felt "disappointed that lyrically, Madonna seems to be revisiting the 'Party! Get on the floor!' theme for the umpteenth time without even the slightest bit of linguistic flair." Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
commented that the song "is more likely to simply be a reminder of the powerful talent of Madonna and it will slip easily into her canon of dance classics." He went on to add that "Celebration" is a reminder of who Madonna has been as an artist. However, he said that the cons of the song were its bland lyrics. Chris Williams from Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
said that "Madonna's latest single won't start any new trends, but it does return the singer to her dance-floor roots." It further added that "'Celebration' [is] a score for Madonna's retro-futuristic fan base and a nice bookend to her collection of chart glories." James Montogomery from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
commented: "[The song is] all pulsing sirens, wobbly bass and four-on-the-floor beat, with an expansive electro chorus that sounds like a truckload of Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
s exploding in unison (only sexier)." Frase McAlpine from BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
gave the song three out five stars and said: "I can't be the only person in the world who is slightly disappointed that this song isn't a jaunty '80 syn-disco rave up, in which Madge skips around in a big pink wig, like she used to in the olden days." He went on to add that "Celebration" is a decent dance track for Madonna to play on her tours. Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
complimented the song saying that Madonna has never sounded more convincing, before singing a dance song like "Celebration". Sarah Crompton from The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
said that the song is infinitely forgettable. Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
named the song one of the best 100 singles of 2009.
Chart performance
In the United States, the song debuted and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number seventy-one on the issue dated August 22, 2009. "Celebration" became Madonna's fifty-fifth entry on the Hot 100. It debuted on the Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot Dance Airplay
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it...
charts at numbers twenty-nine and seven, respectively and reached one on the Dance Club chart, on the issue of September 26, 2009. "Celebration" became Madonna's 40th number-one song on the Dance Club chart, the most for an artist. The song debuted on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart at number thirty-six. Madonna became the artist with the most entries on this chart since its inception. "Celebration" has sold 192,000 digital downloads in the United States.
In Canada, the song debuted at number fifty-six on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
and reached a peak of five the next week, becoming the week's airplay gainer. It also debuted at forty-eight in Spain and made a top-five debut at three in Finland. The next week, the song reached the top of the charts in Finland, where it remained for six non-consecutive weeks, and was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Other debuts were in Ireland at thirty-three, and thirty-one in Sweden where it jumped to number-one the next week. On August 30, 2009, "Celebration" debuted at number forty on the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. The song also debuted on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number three on the issue dated September 20, 2009, becoming her sixtieth top ten single. In Italy, the song debuted at the top of the chart and was certified platinum by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry
Federation of the Italian Music Industry
The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy....
(FIMI) for shipment of 60,000 copies of the single. The song peaked at number four on the Danish Singles Chart
Tracklisten
Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl...
and was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for shipment of 15,000 copies of the single.
Music video
On Madonna's official website, it was reported that a music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was filmed in Milan, Italy, where "die-hard fans" showed up on July 18, 2009 for the filming of segments showcasing fans dancing and "being themselves." A similar shoot took place later in Barcelona. The video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund
Jonas Åkerlund
Jonas Åkerlund is a Swedish film and music video director, and drummer. He is best known for directing music videos, which are often mock forms of movie trailers and short films...
, who worked with Madonna in her videos for "Ray of Light
Ray of Light (song)
A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
", "Music
Music (Madonna song)
"Music" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 8th studio album Music and was released on August 21, 2000, by Maverick Records. It was also released on DVD single, a debut in this format by Madonna. It earned two Grammy Award nominations in 2001, for Record of the Year...
", "American Life
American Life (song)
"American Life" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the first single from her 2003 studio album American Life...
" and "Jump
Jump (Madonna song)
"Jump" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor. Written by Madonna, Stuart Price and Joe Henry, the song was supposed to be released as the third single of the album...
". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reported that Madonna's daughter Lourdes appeared in the video. Madonna's official website, announced the premiere of the video to be on September 1, 2009. It was released simultaneously on music channels worldwide, and on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. The video was available for free download on iTunes until Thursday, when it went up purchase only. It was made as free download, so that buyers are made aware of the pre-order details of the Celebration album.
The music video was filmed in Milan, Italy
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
between the dates of the 2009 leg of her Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
. The concept of the video is in similarity to the title of the song; celebration of Madonna's career. According to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, the video is a throwback to Madonna's Erotica era and encompasses a dark music
Dark psytrance
Dark psytrance is a darker, faster and more distorted form of psychedelic trance music, with tempo ranges usually from 145 to 180 BPM, but reaches +220 BPM...
image. The Benny Benassi
Benny Benassi
Marco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
remix of the song is used in the video. It starts with Madonna asking the line "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?". The music starts and the scenes cut between Madonna and her dancers start dancing to the music of the song. Madonna wears a crystal embossed, shouldered Balmain dress with knee-high Christian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin is a French footwear designer whose father is cabinetmaker Roger Louboutin and homemaker mother Irene. His siblings include three sisters, no brothers. Landscape architect Louis Benech has been his partner since 1997. Louboutin launched his line of high-end women's shoes in...
boots. While she is present in almost every frame of the camera, she does not perform choreographed dance moves. Her dance is mostly confined to casual maneuvers. The dancers on the other hand, perform choreographed moves as a solo act. As the song progresses, more dancers are shown and they ultimately reach a club. The DJ in the club is portrayed by model Jesus Luz. Madonna indulges in sensual poses with him and removes his clothes in an attempt to recognize him, as the line "I guess I don't recognize you with your clothes on" is played. The two of them brush their lips together, and Madonna moves away to the dance floor again. Lourdes makes an appearance near the end of the video. She appears in an eighties styled, polka-dotted leotard and pants, and does a back arch
Asana
Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...
on the ground. Madonna is then shown on the ground on all fours, or dancing while grabbing her groin. Both Madonna's and her dancer's moves are edited to appear in fast forward. Hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
styled dancing is showcased towards the end of the video. The end shot of the video portrays Madonna sliding down on the ground. Teaser trailers for the video, show Oakenfold dancing to the song, but his scenes are not included in the final version.
Daniel Kreps from Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
commented that "the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer [Madonna] prov[es] her dance moves are still razor-sharp as she turns 51." James Montogomery from MTV complemented Madonna's dance moves in the video, and said: "She is 51, twice divorced, a mother of four and she is (quite rightfully) unashamed by any of this. Sexual politics, anyone?" Olivia Smith of the New York Daily News commented that "Madge has her family - her daughter and her lover - at her latest party, in which she's still at the hotblooded center of her life." She also noted that the video exemplifies the fact that Madonna is an artist with a long musical past. However, the tone of the video explains that Madonna is ready to leave that past and move forward. According to Smith, although Madonna has toned down her appearance, "the 51-year-old is still her pelvis-swirling overtly sexual self in her new video."
On September 17, 2009, an alternate edit of the music video ("fan version") was released via Madonna's MySpace. The video contains footage filmed in Barcelona, Spain and Milan, Italy and features fans, as well as cameo appearances by Lourdes Leon, Paul Oakenfold, and the director himself.
Tracklisting
- UK / EU CD Maxi-Single
- "Celebration" (Album Version) – 3:34
- "Celebration" (OakenfoldPaul OakenfoldPaul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
Remix) – 6:35 - "Celebration" (Benny BenassiBenny BenassiMarco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
Remix) – 5:31 - "Celebration" (Oakenfold Remix Dub) – 6:35
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Remix Edit) – 4:01
- "Celebration" (Johnny Vicious Club Remix) – 7:59
- German CD Maxi-Single
- "Celebration" (Album Version) – 3:34
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Remix) – 5:31
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Dub) – 6:03
- US CD Maxi-Single
- "Celebration" (Oakenfold Remix) – 6:35
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Remix) – 5:31
- "Celebration" (Paul Oakenfold Dub Mix) – 6:35
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Remix Edit) – 4:01
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Dub) – 6:03
- "Celebration" (Johnny Vicious Club Remix) – 7:59
- UK / European 12" Picture Disc
- "Celebration" (Album Version) – 3:34
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Remix) – 5:31
- "Celebration" (Paul Oakenfold Remix) – 6:35
- "Celebration" (Paul Oakenfold Dub Mix) – 6:35
- iTunes Remixes EP
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Remix Edit) – 4:01
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Remix) – 5:31
- "Celebration" (Benny Benassi Dub) – 6:03
- "Celebration" (Oakenfold Remix Dub) – 6:35
- "Celebration" (Oakenfold Remix) – 6:35
- "Celebration" (Johnny Vicious Club Remix) – 7:59
- iTunes Digital Single feat. Akon
- "Celebration" (feat. Akon) (Akon Remix) – 3:54
Credits and personnel
- WriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
– Madonna, Paul Oakenfold, Ciaran Gribbin and Ian Green - ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
– Madonna and Paul Oakenfold - Additional productions – Ian Green
- Background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
– Ian Green - Record mixingRe-recording mixerA re-recording mixer, formerly known as a dubbing mixer, is a person who is part of a post-production sound team and works specifically with dialog, music and sound effects to create the final soundtrack for a production...
– Demacio "Demo" Castellon for the Demolition Crew - Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
– Ron Taylor - Assistant engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
– Nick Banns - MasteringMastering engineerA mastering engineer is one skilled in the practice of taking audio that has been previously mixed in either the analog or digital domain as mono, stereo, or multichannel formats and preparing it for use in distribution, whether by physical media such as a CD, vinyl record, or as some method of...
– Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
40 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
8 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders Flanders Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp... ) |
4 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... (Wallonia) |
3 |
| Bulgarian Airplay Chart Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, better known as BDS, is a service that tracks monitored radio, television and internet airplay of songs based on the number of spins and detections... |
1 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
5 |
| Czech Airplay Chart Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální is the name of the Czech national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis.Besides the main Top 100 record chart, also two component charts are effective. While the Rádio CZ 50 Oficiální features songs released exclusively by Czech and/or Slovak... |
5 |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
4 |
| Dutch Top 40 MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
2 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 2 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 1 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
2 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
5 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
10 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
1 |
| Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
5 |
| Norway Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
5 |
| Slovakian Airplay Chart Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna is the name of the Slovakian national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis since the cancellation of the Slovakian national section on December 31, 2009.... |
1 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 17 |
| Scottish Singles Chart Scottish Singles and Albums Chart The Scottish Singles Chart and Scottish Albums Chart are charts compiled by The Official Charts Company, based on physical and digital sales in the STV North, STV Central and ITV Border regions.... |
1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
4 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
71 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Charts (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 | 73 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 24 |
| German Singles Chart | 47 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart | 29 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 14 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 27 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 38 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs | 17 |
| Chart (2010) | Position |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 88 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart | 58 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Denmark | Gold |
| Finland | Gold |
| Italy Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | July 31, 2009 | Digital download |
| Japan | August 12, 2009 | Digital download |
| Germany | August 21, 2009 | Digital download |
| September 4, 2009 | CD single | |
| Netherlands | July 31, 2009 | Digital download |
| September 11, 2009 | CD single, 12" picture disc | |
| United Kingdom | September 13, 2009 | Digital download |
| September 14, 2009 | CD single | |
| United States | October 6, 2009 | CD single |
| October 20, 2009 | 12" single | |
| January 26, 2010 | Radio release (Remix featuring Akon) | |
External links
- Madonna "Celebration" music video MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....