Jump to content

Fall in Line

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by AngelOfDestiny (talk | contribs) at 09:10, 1 December 2022 (→Charts). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Fall in Line"
Single by Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato
from the album Liberation
ReleasedMay 16, 2018 (2018-05-16)
Length4:06
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Jon Bellion
  • Raul Cubina (co.)
  • Mark Williams (co.)
  • Johnny Simpson (co.)
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"Accelerate"
(2018) 		"Fall in Line"
(2018) 		"Like I Do"
(2018)
Demi Lovato singles chronology
"I Believe"
(2018) 		"Fall in Line"
(2018) 		"Solo"
(2018)
Music video
"Fall in Line" on YouTube

"Fall in Line" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera for her eighth studio album Liberation (2018), featuring guest vocals from American singer Demi Lovato. It was released as the album's second single on May 16, 2018 by RCA Records, impacting hot adult contemporary radio and contemporary hit radio on June 19 and May 28, respectively.[1][2] Aguilera co-wrote the song with Johnny Simpson, Mark Williams, Audra Mae, Raul Cubina and Jon Bellion, while the production was handled by the latter.

"Fall in Line" is centered around lyrical themes of female empowerment, being recognized as a feminist anthem.[3] The song received widespread acclaim from music critics, who commended Aguilera's and Lovato's vocals, as well as the lyrics and inspiring theme. Commercially, "Fall in Line" made minor impact on charts, but reached top-forty positions in Hungary and Guatemala, as well as the digital charts of Greece, Spain and the United States. For promotion, an accompanying lyric video was uploaded onto Aguilera's official YouTube channel simultaneously with the song's release, followed by a music video directed by Luke Gilford. The singer also performed it on several occasions, including the Carpool Karaoke segment of The Late Late Show with James Corden, 2018 Billboard Music Awards, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Today Show. The song was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.[4] This marked Aguilera's twentieth Grammy nomination and Lovato's second Grammy nomination.

Background

Aguilera described the song: "I wrote 'Fall in Line' a few years ago before all this news came out [Time's Up and Me Too movement]. It was the song that needed to be heard. Because of what I witnessed when I was growing up I always felt really driven to have a voice that my mom kind of never had in my childhood. So I've always wanted to be that advocate for women and anybody that was struggling to have their own voice. I watched my mom have to be submissive, watch her Ps and Qs or she's gonna get beat up. You can either be, unfortunately, so damaged by it that you take a turn for the worse, or you can feel empowered by it and make choices to never go down that route."[5] In November 2018, the track's songwriter and producer Jon Bellion revealed that at one point, Beyoncé had tried to secure the song for the R&B duo Chloe x Halle.[6]

In June 2018, Aguilera appeared on DJ Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show, giving an interview about Liberation. The singer explained that the track was committed to everyone that felt disempowered, adding: "It's a message that I've preached [...] I think the chorus can fit anybody's feeling if they feel repressed, or oppressed, or whatever's going on in their lives that they feel they need to come to their own realization". Aguilera also revealed that she decided to work with Lovato because it was important to choose someone that is vocal about her own struggles and past, stating: "I wanted somebody that could 'come to play'", adding that she "put so much heart and passion into it" and teared up when first hearing her vocals on it. Aguilera also sent her flowers and mentioned "I was just like, 'Oh my God, you took it to the next level'".[7]

Release and promotion

"Fall in Line" premiered on May 16, 2018, at 8 a.m. EST, and was released commercially for digital download worldwide at the same time.[8] Aguilera stated in a tweet: "To anyone who's ever felt silenced and repressed, the truth seekers and bold thinkers...may you liberate your voice and break the mold, never back down, and never fall in line."[9]

Recording and composition

Aguilera co-wrote "Fall in Line" alongside Johnny Simpson, Mark Williams, Audra Mae, Jon Bellion, and Raul Cubina, while the production was handled by Jon Bellion. The track was recorded at The Guest House in Hollywood Hills, California, while the mixing was handled by Manny Marroquin at Larrabee Sound Studios. The mastering was performed by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace, New York City. Instrumentation for the song included trumpet and flugelhorn by Ryan Svendsen.[10] The song is performed in the key of C major with a slow tempo of 40 beats per minute, and the vocals span from the low note of B♭2 to the high note of C6, with Lovato's belting range reaching up to B♭5.[11]

"Fall in Line" has been described as a "feminist anthem" and a sequel to Aguilera's 2003 song, "Can't Hold Us Down" with a lyrical content of women's rights.[12][13][14] The introduction to the song is the track "Dreamers", which "features a group of young girls declaring goals like 'I want to be a journalist,' 'I want to be heard,' 'I want to be president.'" Aguilera stated that the track was recorded a few years ago and before movements such as Time's Up and Me Too came out. She added: "It was the song that needed to be heard. Because of what I witnessed when I was growing up I always felt really driven to have a voice that my mom kind of never had in my childhood. So I've always wanted to be that advocate for women and anybody that was struggling to have their own voice."[15]

Critical reception

Jon Pareles from The New York Times felt that "Fall in Line" is "addressed directly to 'little girls'", pointing out the lyric "You do not owe them your body and your soul",[16] while Brittany Spanos from Rolling Stone described the track as an "empowering duet".[17] During a review for Liberation for USA Today, Patrick Ryan said that the song is a "soulful riff-off", and Aguilera and Lovato are "belting to the rafters as they preach to young girls the importance of speaking their minds and being themselves".[18] Chuck Arnold from New York Post described the song as "torchy" and "fiery", also stating that "Fall in Line" is "defiant duo".[19] Ilana Kaplan and Joe Goggins from The Independent felt that "Fall in Line" is a standout on Liberation, describing it as a "impassioned feminist anthem", and also stating that Aguilera and Lovato are "two of the best vocal powerhouses in the game".[20]

Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone called Aguilera and Lovato's singing abilities "remarkable" and deemed the final chorus a "skyscraping duet".[21] Gil Kaufman of Billboard described the track as "a towering empowerment anthem",[22] and Harrison Brocklehurst, writing for The Tab, labelled it as "an epic feminist anthem of stratospheric vocal proportions".[23] Rebecca Farley of Refinery29 described the track as Aguilera's 2002 song "Beautiful"-meets-Lovato's 2017 song "Sorry Not Sorry", calling both singers as "obstreperous pop performers who are done being sorry".[24] The BuzzFeed editor provided a supporting commentary, calling the song "a power anthem".[25] In July 2018, Cosmopolitan's Eliza Thompson listed "Fall in Line" as one of the "best songs of the year so far".[26] Billboard's Danielle Pascual ranked the song at number one on the list of the best Demi Lovato collaborations, praising it for "poignant lyrics" and "powerhouse" vocals.[27]

Commercial performance

In the United States, the song entered at number 39 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart with only two days of sales, since the song was released towards the end of the tracking week. The next week, the single ascended to its peak of number 17, becoming her highest-charting song since "Say Something".[28] Thereby, it debuted at number-one on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart, which serves as an extension to the Billboard Hot 100.[29] In Canada, "Fall in Line" reached number 97 on Canadian Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's second lowest charting song.[30] Elsewhere, the track achieved its strongest positions in Hungary, debuting and peaking at number 17 on the Single Top 40 chart,[31] and Guatemala, peaking at the same spot on the Guatemalan Monitor Latino airplay chart.[32] It also achieved top-forty positions on the digital charts of Greece and Spain, reaching number 21 and 37, respectively.[33][34]

Music video

The accompanying music video was directed by Luke Gilford and premiered May 23, 2018.[35] It depicts Aguilera and Lovato being kidnapped and forced to sing in a futuristic prison filled with surveillance cameras; the two eventually fight their way to freedom. Aguilera stated on Twitter, "Fall in Line is as much about supporting each other as it is about self-empowerment. I wanted to convey that in this video by visually representing the imprisonment that so many of us have felt, and the freedom we can achieve together."[36] According to Billboard and Rolling Stone, "The oppressive, male-dominated prison facility is a clear critique on society's oppression of women."[37][38]

The video won a MTV España Award for Video of the Summer,[39] and received a BreakTudo Award nomination for Video of the Year.[40]

Live performances

Aguilera made the live performance debut of "Fall in Line" on Carpool Karaoke episode 471, which was first broadcast on May 16.[41][42] She performed the song with Lovato at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards four days later.[43] The song was also added to the set list of the European leg of Lovato's Tell Me You Love Me World Tour.[44] On 14 June, Aguilera performed "Think", "Fighter" and "Fall in Line" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[45] The next day, she performed "Can't Hold Us Down", "Fall in Line" and "Fighter" on Today Show.[46] Aguilera also performed the song on her residency and tour, Christina Aguilera: The Xperience (2019–2020) and The X Tour (2019) respectively.

Credits and personnel

Recording and management
Personnel
  • Christina Aguilera – vocals, songwriting
  • Demi Lovato – vocals
  • Jon Bellion – songwriting, production, background vocals
  • Audra Mae – songwriting, background vocals, additional vocals
  • Mark Williams – songwriting, co-production
  • Raul Cubina – songwriting, co-production
  • Jonathan "Johnny" Simpson – songwriting, recording, co-production
  • Mitch Allan – Demi Lovato vocal production
  • Ryan Svendsen – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Oscar Ramirez – Christina Aguilera vocal engineering
  • Scott Robinson – additional vocal engineering
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing
  • Chris Galland – mix engineering
  • Robin Florent – mix assistance
  • Scott Desmarais – mix assistance
  • Dave Kutch – mastering

Credits adapted from Liberation.[10]

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[47] 15
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[30] 97
Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[48] 29
France (SNEP)[49] 130
Greece Digital Singles (IFPI Greece)[33] 37
Guatemala Anglo (Monitor Latino)[32] 17
Hungary (Single Top 40)[31] 17
Indonesian Digital Songs (LIMA)[50] 1
Portugal (AFP)[51] 69
Scotland (OCC)[52] 56
Spain Digital Singles (PROMUSICAE)[34] 21
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[53] 86
UK Download (OCC)[54] 54
UK Singles (OCC)[55] 99
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[29] 1
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[28] 17
US Pop Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[56] 7

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various May 16, 2018
RCA [57]
Italy Contemporary hit radio Sony [58]
United States May 28, 2018 Hot adult contemporary RCA [1]
June 19, 2018 Contemporary hit radio [2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Top 40/M Future Releases". Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  3. ^ "Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato's Feminist Anthem 'Fall In Line'". Billboard. May 16, 2018.
       "Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato Share Stage for "Fall In Line"". The Hollywood Reporter. May 20, 2018.
       "Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato literally fight the patriarchy in 'Fall In Line' music video". Entertainment Weekly. May 23, 2018.
       "Christina Aguilera returns with empowering Demi Lovato duet 'Fall In Line'". USA Today. May 16, 2018.
       "Demi Lovato Joins Christina Aguilera For "Fall In Line"". Grammy Award. May 16, 2018.
       "Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato Fight the System For 'Fall In Line'". Paper. May 23, 2018.
  4. ^ "61st Annual GRAMMY Awards". GRAMMY.com. December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  5. ^ Christina Aguilera (May 3, 2018). Side by Side with Christina Aguilera. Amazon Content Service.
  6. ^ "Yeah, pick up the phone and someone tells me, "Mr. Bellion, sir / Beyoncé on the line, she tryna reach you on your cellular" / She wanted "Fall in Line," but we gave it to Aguilera, uh / I hope it's the right decision, Bey wanted it for the twins she signed / I hope I didn't burn that bridge, I worry all the time".
  7. ^ Lowe, Zane (host) (June 17, 2018). 6/17/18: Christina Aguilera (Radio show podcast). Beats 1. iTunes Store. Archived from the original on December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  8. ^ Nesvig, Kara (May 15, 2018). "Demi Lovato and Christina Aguilera's New Duet "Fall In Line" Drops May 16". Teen Vogue. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  9. ^ Sheridan, Wade (May 16, 2018). "Demi Lovato joins Christina Aguilera for duet, 'Fall in Line'". United Press International. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Liberation (Media notes). Christina Aguilera. RCA Records. 2018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "Christina Aguilera feat. Demi Lovato 'Fall in Line' Sheet Music in C Major". Musicnotes.com. 2018. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Kaufman, Gil (May 16, 2018). "Listen to Christina Aguilera & Demi Lovato's Fiery Empowerment Anthem 'Fall in Line'". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  13. ^ Quinn, Dave (May 16, 2018). "Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato Drop Inspiring Duet of Self-Empowerment 'Fall in Line'". People. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  14. ^ Kreps, Daniel (May 16, 2018). "Christina Aguilera's Empowering New Song 'Fall in Line' With Demi Lovato". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  15. ^ Christina Aguilera (May 3, 2018). Side by Side with Christina Aguilera. Amazon Content Service.
  16. ^ Jon, Pareles (June 13, 2018). "Christina Aguilera Exults in Her Voice on 'Liberation'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  17. ^ Brittany, Spanos (June 15, 2018). "Review: Christina Aguilera Flexes Her Diva Power on the Excellent 'Liberation'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  18. ^ Patrick, Ryan (June 14, 2018). "Review: Christina Aguilera's 'Liberation' is a mostly satisfying comeback album". Usa Today. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  19. ^ Arnold, Chuck (June 14, 2018). "With 'Liberation,' Christina Aguilera proves she's still got it". New York Post. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  20. ^ "Christina Aguilera Liberation review: New album is everything diehard fans could want, but there are misses among the hits". The Independent. June 13, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  21. ^ Kreps, Daniel (May 16, 2018). "Hear Christina Aguilera's Empowering New Song 'Fall in Line' With Demi Lovato". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  22. ^ Kaufman, Gil (May 16, 2018). "Listen to Christina Aguilera & Demi Lovato's Fiery Empowerment Anthem 'Fall in Line'". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  23. ^ Brocklehurst, Harrison (March 23, 2022). "The 20 greatest Christina Aguilera singles of all time, ranked from worst to best". The Tab. Tab Media Ltd. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022.
  24. ^ Farley, Rebecca (May 16, 2018). "Christina Aguilera & Demi Lovato Just Debuted The Karaoke Song Of Your Dreams". Refinery29. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  25. ^ Nguyen, Dylan (June 24, 2020). "6 Best R&B Albums Of 2018". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  26. ^ Thompson, Eliza (July 6, 2018). "The 23 Best Songs of 2018 So Far". Cosmopolitan. Hearst Communications. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  27. ^ Pascual, Danielle (August 19, 2022). "Top 13 Demi Lovato Collaborations: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Christina Aguilera Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  29. ^ a b "Christina Aguilera Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  30. ^ a b "Christina Aguilera Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  31. ^ a b "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  32. ^ a b "Top 20 Guatemala Anglo – Del 21 al 27 de Mayo, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  33. ^ a b "Official IFPI Charts-Digital Singles Chart" (in Greek). IFPI.gr. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018.
  34. ^ a b "Spanish Song Sales: Week of May 20, 2018". Spanishcharts. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  35. ^ Wass, Mike (May 23, 2018). "Christina & Demi Reclaim Their Power In Symbolic "Fall In Line" Video". Idolator. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  36. ^ "Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato's Powerful "Fall In Line" Video". NewNowNext. May 24, 2018.
  37. ^ "Watch Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato Futuristic 'Fall in Line' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  38. ^ "Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato's Patriarchy-Smashing 'Fall In Line' Video". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  39. ^ "VERANO MTV 2018: Vota el Video del Verano MTV 2018" (in Spanish). MTV España. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  40. ^ "BreakTudo Awards 2018: Aqui está a lista completa de indicados, confira!" (in Portuguese). BreakTudo Awards. August 25, 2018. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  41. ^ Reed, Ryan (May 17, 2018). "Watch Christina Aguilera Sing 'Fall in Line' on 'Carpool Karaoke'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  42. ^ Jones, Abby (May 17, 2018). "Christina Aguilera & James Corden Belt Out 'Fall In Line' on Bonus 'Carpool Karaoke' Segment: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  43. ^ Chiu, Melody (May 8, 2018). "Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato to Perform New Song 'Fall in Line' at Billboard Music Awards". People. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  44. ^ Marciano, Robert (May 24, 2018). "Demi Lovato, inizia il Tell Me You Love Me Tour in Europa – setlist, foto e video" [Demi Lovato, begins the Tell Me You Love Me Tour in Europe - setlist, photos and videos] (in Italian). Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  45. ^ "Watch Christina Aguilera, Jimmy Fallon Busk in Disguise in NYC Subway". Rolling Stone. June 19, 2018.
  46. ^ "Christina Aguilera kicks off the weekend in the best way with concert on TODAY plaza". Today. June 19, 2018.
  47. ^ "Ultratip Bubbling Under − 09/06/2018". Ultratop. Archived from the original on June 10, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  48. ^ "Christina Aguilera Chart History – Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  49. ^ "CHRISTINA AGUILERA FEAT. DEMI LOVATO − FALL IN LINE (CHANSON)" (in French). Les classement single. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  50. ^ "Indonesian Top Digital Songs Chart by LIMA / May 23rd, 2018". LIMA. May 23, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  51. ^ "Christina Aguilera Feat. Demi Lovato – Fall In Line". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  52. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  53. ^ "Christina Aguilera feat. Demi Lovato – Fall in Line". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  54. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100: 25 May 2018 − 31 May 2018". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  55. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  56. ^ "Search results: Christina Aguilera − Fall in Line". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  57. ^ "Fall in Line / Christina Aguilera TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  58. ^ "CHRISTINA AGUILERA "Fall In Line" – (Radio Date: 16/05/2018)". radiodate.it. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fall_in_Line&oldid=1124936682"