# Galvanize (song)

"Galvanize" is a song by British electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers featuring vocals by American rapper Q-Tip. It was released on 22 November 2004 as the first single from their fifth studio album, Push the Button (2005).
The song peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart on 23 January 2005. It was the Chemical Brothers' highest-charting single in their native United Kingdom since "Hey Boy Hey Girl", which had also reached No. 3 in 1999. The song peaked at No. 1 in Greece and Spain. In Australia, it was ranked No. 65 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.

## Composition

The track features a distinct Moroccan Chaabi music string sample from Najat Aatabou's 1992 song "Hadi Kedba Bayna" ("This Lie is Obvious" in Moroccan Arabic). The main hook of the song is in $^6$ $_4$ time signature, while the rest is in $^4$ $_4$. The track also features rapping by Q-Tip (member of A Tribe Called Quest). In part of the song, a sample from the duo's first single "Leave Home", released in 1995, is played.

## Critical reception

Pitchfork Media's Scott Plagenhoef stated the song along with "The Boxer" "harks back to the duo's early B-Boy/techno days" but missed "the ferocity and sub-bass rattlings of their earlier cousins, and here play second fiddle to unremarkable verses and nasally vocals".
It won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in February 2006.

## Music video

The music video was shot in Málaga, Spain, and directed by Adam Smith. The video begins with a boy painting his face to resemble a clown, he sneaks out of his house where he meets two friends who also have their faces painted like clowns. The three boys encounter an older group of boys who mock and harass them. One of the younger boys antagonizes the older boys with a hand gesture, this causes the older boys to chase after the younger boys. The younger boys escape on a bus, an older couple sitting on the bus give disgusted looks at the boys for their makeup. The boys exit the bus and sneak into a club while security is distracted arguing with a woman. Inside the club, the boys watch two people in a dance battle. The boys spots two menacing men enter the club and the boys hide within the crowd of people. One of the boys gets involved in a dance battle with one of the dancers. The boys are caught and escorted out of the club by the two men where the boys are handed over to the police and driven away in a police car. The video is primarily shot in black and white, however the scenes in the club are shot in colour.

## Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Galvanize" :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | Platinum | 70,000$^‡$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 400,000$^‡$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000$^‡$ |
| $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

Release dates and formats for "Galvanize" :
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) |
| United States | 22 November 2004 | Digital download | VirginAstralwerks |
| Australia | 17 January 2005 | CD | Freestyle DustVirgin |
| United Kingdom | 17 January 2005 | 12-inch vinylCD | Freestyle DustVirgin |
| United States | 24 January 2005 | Alternative radio | VirginAstralwerks |
| Japan | 26 January 2005 | CD | Freestyle DustVirgin |