"Brave" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, taken from her fourth studio album, The Blessed Unrest (2013). 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. Bareilles requested Mark Endert to produce it with the explicit goal of radio airplay. "Brave" was released worldwide through digital download on April 23, 2013, as the lead single from the album, through Epic Records. "Brave" received positive reviews from music critics, with one writing that Bareilles channels singers like Fiona Apple and Florence Welch. Some critics noted the similarity to Katy Perry's single "Roar," which was released four months later. "Brave" became Bareilles's 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. 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. 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. It was featured in a commercial for the Nokia Lumia 1020 and has continued to be used in adverts for Lumia devices.
The accompanying music video was directed by actress Rashida Jones, and features Bareilles singing intertwined with clips of people dancing in various public places such as a shopping mall, a gym, a library, and a bus stop. The singer also performed "Brave" during several live appearances, including at The Today Show and at The Voice. This song was also nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Despite its international success, in the United Kingdom "Brave" was released in March 2014, nearly a year after it was first exposed.
