Beautiful Life

Album: single release only (2015)
Charted: 93
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Nick Fradiani is the son of Elizabeth and Nick Fradiani III. His musician father taught him to play drums, piano and guitar at a young age.

    The Guilford, Connecticut native rose to regional attention as the lead singer of Beach Avenue when they won the Battle of the Bands at Mohegan Sun in 2011. The trio began posting videos of cover songs on YouTube, which got the attention of a talent scout from America's Got Talent. Beach Avenue competed on the ninth season of the reality talent show making it to Judgment Week. Beach Avenue went on to open for many successful bands including Third Eye Blind, REO Speedwagon, Styx, and Jefferson Starship, to name but a few.

    In 2015 Fradiani entered as a solo singer on the fourteenth season of American Idol. Fradiani won the show, becoming the first winner from the Northeast region.
  • This is Fradiani's coronation song, which he called "Fun. meets Goo Goo Dolls meets me." The lyrics echo his own journey on the show: everything on the line in pursuit of a beautiful life.
  • The song was written by Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba, his friend Rykeyz and another writer named Ayanna Elese (Charlie Wilson's "Summertime"). Fradiani said he was fortunate to have been offered the tune, having been a fan of Carrabba since he was a teen. "As a songwriter, it's kind of scary to get a song handed over to you and you don't know what it's going to be like," the singer said on a conference call with reporters. "Luckily for me, I got the demo and I started listening to it and I'm like, 'That's Chris Carrabba!' I know his voice. It is spot-on with the music I was making with my band prior to Idol. I lucked out with that one."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal Tap

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal TapSong Writing

Based on criteria like girlfriend tension, stage mishaps and drummer turnover, these are the 10 bands most like Spinal Tap.