"Learning to Fly" | ||||
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Single by Christina Aguilera | ||||
from the album PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (Music from the Motion Picture) | ||||
Released | September 22, 2023 | |||
Genre | pop | |||
Length | 2:56 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Christina Aguilera singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Learning to Fly" on YouTube |
"Learning to Fly" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from the soundtrack of the animated film PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023). Written by Aguilera and Jeremy Silver Abraham, and produced by Aguilera, Silver Abraham and Pinar Toprak, the song was released on September 22, 2023, as the third single from the soundtrack.[1]
The song received positive reviews. It was praised for its emotional message, Aguilera's vocals and its piano arrangement. Music and film critics considered it a classic "tearjerker".
Background
At the end of August 2023, Paramount Pictures and Spin Master Entertainment revealed that the soundtrack of the animated film Paw Patrol: The Biggest Movie would feature songs by Christina Aguilera, Bryson Tiller, Mckenna Grace and Blackbear. The first single was "Learning to Fly". Aguilera wrote the song's lyrics and produced and wrote the track with Jeremy Abraham Silver. Pinor Toprak, with whom Aguilera previously collaborated on The Xperience residency in 2019, was also a co-producer.
"Learning to Fly" is a pop music ballad played on the piano. The performer sings: "Sometimes you feel lonely - that's when you learn how to find strength within yourself. (...) You must learn to fall before you fly up. You have to leave the ground before you touch the sky.”
"Learning to Fly" is Aguilera's first English-language song since her 2020 songs "Loyal Brave True" and "Reflection" from the Disney film Mulan. Cal Brunker, animation director of PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, said of the soundtrack: "When approaching the subject of these songs, we always start with the artist, looking at it from the perspective of an emotional story. Take Christina Aguilera's song for example - there's a really intense moment about Skye's story in the film, and Aguilera gives a heartwarming display of her vocal skills."
The premiere of the ballad "Learning to Fly" in streaming took place on September 22, 2023. Promotion of the single after its premiere was impossible due to the strike of the SAG-AFTRA organization (to which Aguilera belongs).
Critical reception
The recording was positively assessed by music critics. A review in Variety called "Learning to Fly" a "tear-jerking ballad" that fits well with "breathtaking, cinematic animation". The editor of That Grape Juice stated that with the ballad "Learning to Fly", Aguilera "sings an anthem of hope, inspiration and uplift". On September 22, 2023, POPline listed Aguilera's song as one of the two "hottest" music premieres of the week. Albert Nowicki (Queer.pl) wrote: "[It's] a song about the fact that in order to fly and fulfill our dreams, we have to learn how to take the first fall; it's hard to be successful without it. [It is] a piece honoring the topos of 'from zero to hero'."
Dom Fisher, writing for Geek Vibes Nation , appreciated the emotional message of the recording, stating that "it has much more impact than in theory it should". The Toya'z World website hailed "Learning to Fly" as a power ballad whose performer "proves that she can still sing and sound beautiful." The review also praised the song for its "restrained, composed vocals" and "soaring" piano melody.
Music video
On September 22, 2023, a promotional lyric video appeared online. It premiered on Nick Jr. on YouTube. The clip shows scenes from the animated film Paw Patrol 2.
Personnel
- Writing – Christina Aguilera, Jeremy Silver Abraham
- Producing – Christina Aguilera, Jeremy Silver Abraham, Pinar Toprak
- Mixing – Manny Marroquin
- Orchestral arrangement – Pinar Toprak
- A&R – Nicelle Richards
- Executive production – SALXCO
- Music supervision – Trygge Toven, Format Entertainment; co-author Shie Rozow
Charts
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
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Indonesia (IFPI) | 32 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) |
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World | September 22, 2023 | RCA | |
Germany | Airplay | ||
South Africa | September 23, 2023 | ||
Mexico | September 24, 2023 |
References
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2023-08-29). "PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie Tunes Up with Tracks from Christina Aguilera, Bryson Tiller & More". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-30.