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The song was covered by Lea Michele and Naya Rivera on the 97th episode of the musical series Glee, which aired on February 25, 2014. The single also reached number four in New Zealand, number 26 in South Korea, number 48 in the United Kingdom, number 58 in Canada, and number 88 in Japan. "Brave" became Bareilles' third top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at number 23, and reached number three in Australia, her highest-charting single in the country to date.
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Some critics also compared pop singer Katy Perry's single "Roar" to the song.
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"Brave" received positive reviews from music critics, with one writing that Bareilles channels singers like Fiona Apple and Florence Welch. "Brave" was released worldwide through digital download on April 23, 2013, as the lead single from the album, through Epic Records. Bareilles requested Mark Endert to produce it with the explicit goal of radio airplay.
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The song was written by Bareilles and Jack Antonoff from the band fun., as the singer was inspired from the struggles that a close friend dealt with in regard to coming out as gay. "The staff put together this video that was very similar to the music video of 'Brave' and it's heart wrenching and gorgeous and beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time…It's a message I'm so happy to be the voice for."Brave" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, taken from her fourth studio album, The Blessed Unrest (2013). "There's a video that's kind of gone viral online of a children's cancer ward in Minnesota," she said. There's empowerment, and then there's something more - the idea that a song has the power to truly touch someone's life.
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Since releasing the Blessed Unrest single back in April, Bareilles has entertained a steady stream of fans stopping to share their own "Brave" stories. Related: With 'The Blessed Unrest,' Sara Bareilles Finds Inspiration - And Aspiration - In The Stars "But I didn't really realize that it was going to connect in the way that it did, and it's really amazing to watch this song sort of take on a life of its own." "The messaging of the song felt anthemic to me personally," Bareilles said of the song, which she wrote not only for her friend, but also as a way to address her own demons.
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