Glorious

Glorious by Macklemore Featuring Skylar Grey: Recording History and Chart Performance

"Glorious" is an uplifting pop-rap track by Seattle-based rapper and songwriter Ben Haggerty, known professionally as Macklemore, featuring vocalist Skylar Grey. The song was released on August 25, 2017, as a single from Macklemore's first solo studio album Gemini, which came out on Macklemore LLC later that year. The release of "Glorious" represented a significant moment in Macklemore's career, as it was his first major release as a solo artist following the dissolution of his long-term creative partnership with producer Ryan Lewis, who had been his primary collaborator since the early days of his career.

The production on "Glorious" was handled by Skylar Grey and Macklemore, among other collaborators, and takes a notably different sonic direction from the work Macklemore had produced with Ryan Lewis. Where the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis sound had been characterized by bombastic production and a willingness to lean into hip-hop maximalism, "Glorious" has a lighter, more melodic character, built around a bright, upbeat instrumental that gives it the quality of an inspirational anthem. Skylar Grey's vocal contributions are essential to the track's emotional impact, providing a soaring hook that contrasts effectively with Macklemore's more grounded rapped verses.

"Glorious" performed well commercially upon its release, debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching a position that reflected strong initial streaming interest. The song also performed notably on international charts, particularly in European markets where Macklemore had built a strong following through his earlier hits "Thrift Shop" and "Same Love." In the United Kingdom, the song charted in the top ten, demonstrating that his audience in that market remained substantial even as his commercial profile in the United States had evolved. The track's pop-leaning sensibility made it more accessible to mainstream radio than some of his more hip-hop-focused material.

Skylar Grey, whose real name is Holly Hafermann, brought considerable commercial credibility to the collaboration. She had previously contributed to major hits including Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" and D12's "Words Are Weapons," and her distinctive soprano voice had become recognizable to mainstream audiences. Her partnership with Macklemore on "Glorious" produced one of the more emotionally effective songs of his career, with her hook giving the track an anthem-like quality that connected with listeners seeking uplifting content during a politically turbulent period in American life.

The music video for "Glorious" was notably personal and emotionally affecting. It centered on Macklemore's grandmother, Else, who had recently celebrated her 100th birthday, and depicted the two of them spending a day together in Seattle, visiting meaningful places from their shared history. The video's warmth and genuine familial affection made it unusually moving by the standards of pop-rap promotional content, and it generated significant positive attention across social media and entertainment news outlets. The emotional resonance of the video contributed meaningfully to the song's overall commercial impact.

The release of "Glorious" was accompanied by considerable press attention focused on Macklemore's transition to solo work. He gave numerous interviews discussing the end of his partnership with Ryan Lewis, framing it not as a rupture but as a natural evolution that allowed both artists to pursue their individual creative instincts. The narrative of artistic independence and personal reinvention aligned well with the song's thematic content, creating a coherent story that media coverage could engage with easily. This alignment between personal narrative and musical content is one of the reasons "Glorious" received as much attention as it did during its release period.

Critical reception to the song was largely positive, with reviewers appreciating its warmth and emotional directness even as some noted that it represented a more commercially accessible direction than the edgier work that had first brought Macklemore to wider attention. The track's unabashed positivity was read by some critics as a deliberate creative choice reflecting his personal growth and evolving priorities, while others found it somewhat less complex than his most critically admired work. Nevertheless, the combination of strong streaming performance, positive critical reception, and an emotionally affecting music video made "Glorious" one of the more successful singles of Macklemore's solo career.

In the years since its release, "Glorious" has maintained a significant presence in Macklemore's live catalog, frequently serving as a set-closer or emotional highlight in his concerts. The song's themes of gratitude and appreciation, particularly for family connections and the passage of time, have given it a durability that more topical material often lacks. It continues to find new audiences through streaming and has been used in various media contexts that require uplifting, emotionally resonant music, further extending its cultural reach beyond its original chart run.