"Glam" is a song by American recording artistChristina Aguilera, taken from her sixth studio album Bionic. The song was written by Aguilera, Claude Kelly and C. "Tricky" Stewart, with production handled by Stewart. The song is an electro composition which talks about getting glam and sexy before a night out. According to Aguilera and Kelly, "Glam" was a throwback to Madonna's "Vogue". At first, the track was planned to be the lead single from Bionic, however "Not Myself Tonight" was released instead. "Glam" received mixed reviews from music critics, with some praised it as one of the best uptempo tracks on the album, while others named it dull and criticized that the song was not as good as "Vogue". Upon the release of Bionic, "Glam" peaked at number two on the South Korean International Download Chart and number 42 on the main South Korean Download Chart.
Background and composition
On January 5, 2010, Aguilera announced that "Glam" would be released as the lead single from Bionic during an interview with Marie Claire magazine. She described the song as a "tentative" and "poppy" throwback to Madonna's "Vogue". On an interview with Vibe, co-writer Claude Kelly described the song as "a party anthem but at the same time has underlying messages". On March 23, 2010, after a 24-hour countdown on her official website ended, it was revealed that "Not Myself Tonight" would be released as the first single from the album, instead of "Glam". Recorded at The Boom Boom Room in Burbank, California, "Glam" is an electro song written by Aguilera, Claude Kelly and Christopher Stewart, while the production was handled by Tricky Stewart. The song is preceded by a word-spoken interlude titled "Love & Glamour", which encourages the listener to "live, love and breathe fashion". "Glam" was described by MTV News as "a poppy, hip-hop inflected throwback to Madonna's 'Vogue.'". Entertainment Weekly writer Leah Greenblatt called it a "finger-snappy '90s flashbacks". Lyrically, it talks about high fashion, getting glam and sexy before a night out. At a part of the song, she dispenses fashion tips and sings, "Don't let the clothes wear you!".
Critical reception
"Glam" received mixed reviews from music critics. Allison Stewart from The Washington Post named it "a great moment on the album". Mesfin Fekadu from Boston.com website agreed, calling it "one of the disc's best uptempo tracks". USA Today editor Elysa Gardner gave the song a positive review, writing that " chants deadpan before letting loose a creamy belt that evokes an earthier version of Whitney Houston in her prime". UK newspaper The Scotsman wrote that the song "is her blatant bid to produce a Vogue for our times", while Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine labelled "Glam" as a "top-heavy cocktail that mixes one part 'Vogue' with two parts 'Technologic'". The Gay Times writer Daniel Megarry provided a supporting commentary and called the song a "queer favourite" which is "perfect for the runway". Brad Steirn from MuuMuse named it "dud", while Michael Cragg from musicOMH called it "dated". Omar Kholeif of PopMatters wrote a negative review, stating "Christina isn't afraid to shake, thrust, and hustle, as she professes on 'Glam', an obvious homage to 'Vogue' that isn't nearly as catchy or sultry as it thinks it is." Jordan Richardson from Blogcritics agreed, writing that "The track is a frustrating and uncomfortable ode to Madonna's 'Vogue,' but Aguilera fails in recreating any of the slinkiness of the track she's trying to emulate".
Performances
"Glam" was included in the setlist for Aguilera's Vegas residency The Xperience. It was also used as a video–dance interlude during The X Tour in Europe and Mexico. Footage of drag performers was used during the segment, and dancers lip-synced the song. In July 2020 Aguilera posted a video of herself on the video-sharing platform TikTok, in which she lip-synced "Glam" and vogued to the song.
Upon the release of the album Bionic, "Glam" debuted at number 62 on the South Korean Gaon Digital Chart on the chart issue dated June 13–19, 2010. It additionally entered the Gaon International Digital Chart at number 3. "Glam" was the 35 best-selling international single on the Gaon Chart in 2010, with 354,259 digital copies sold.
