"We Are Golden" is the first single from British-Lebanese singer Mika's second studio album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much. The song was produced and mixed by Greg Wells and features the gospel choir of Andraé Crouch.
Release The single premiered on radio airplay in the United Kingdom on 20 July 2009, on BBC Radio 2. It was made available for download on 14 August 2009 in Australia and on 6 September 2009 in the United Kingdom. It was released physically on 7 September 2009, along with the limited edition 7" and 12" gramophone records. In the United States, "We Are Golden" became available exclusively from Apple's iTunes Store for one week starting 18 August 2009.
Description In an interview with Q magazine, Mika stated:
Critical reception
The song received mixed and generally positive reviews.
Music video
The music video for "We Are Golden" was filmed on 9 July and 10 July 2009, at Elstree Studios. It was directed by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund. The video premiered on 4 August 2009 in the United Kingdom on Channel 4. The video features Mika dancing around a bedroom in his underwear as a "celebration of all the years Mika spent dancing around his bedroom as a teenager."
In other media The song was featured in many TeenNick promos in fall 2009. It was also used in the television series, Make It or Break It.
In Malaysia, it was used for the kids@fgw promo which was shown in January 2010 on NTV7 and in the first episode of the television show Hellcats.
Track listing UK CD single
UK digital download
UK digital EP
UK 12" single
UK 7" single
German 2-track CD single
German 4-track CD single
Italian CD single
Chart performance The single debuted on the UK singles chart at number four on 13 September 2009 before falling to number 11 on its second week.UK Singles Chart - 20 Sept. Despite becoming Mika's second top-five single, it was his shortest-lasting single at the time, spending only seven weeks in the top 100. The single was released in August in the United States but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. In Italy, it peaked at number three and spent 18 weeks on the charts. It was certified gold by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI).
Weekly charts Chart (2009)PeakpositionAustralian Singles Chart10Austrian Singles Chart17Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)9Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)7Czech Airplay Chart39Dutch Singles Chart20Eurochart Hot 100 Singles4French Singles Chart19German Singles ChartMika - We Are Golden at acharts.us Accessed 25 September 200929Hungarian Singles Chart10Irish Singles Chart14Israeli Singles Chart8Italian Singles Chart3Japan Hot 10015Norwegian Singles Chart16Romanian Top 100RT100 13 September71Slovak Airplay Chart26Spanish Singles Chart37Spanish Airplay Chart14Spanish Physical Singles Chart1Swedish Singles ChartSverigetopplistan30Swiss Singles Chart11UK Singles Chart4US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play5
Year-end charts Chart (2009)PositionDutch Top 40122Italian Singles Chart50 Japanese Adult Contemporary Chart 45Romanian Top 10054UK Singles Chart170
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormatAustralia14 August 2009Digital downloadUnited States18 August 2009 Digital download United Kingdom, Ireland20 July 2009Radio airplay6 September 2009Digital download7 September 2009CD singleItaly24 July 2009Radio airplay
Credits Mika – vocals, piano, keyboards, background vocals Greg Wells – keyboards, drums, bass, percussion, programming, guitar Tim Pierce – guitar Martin Waugh – additional guitar Audrey Moukataff – background vocals Fortune Penniman – background vocals Paloma Penniman – background vocals Zuleika Penniman – background vocals The Andraé Crouch Choir – background vocals
References