Graduation (Friends Forever): Difference between revisions

| released = March{{start date|2000|3|7}}<ref name="taylor">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2000/BB-2000-04-15.pdf|title=Elektra'sGavin VitaminTop C40/Rhythm TouchesCrossover: Nation'sImpact Heart with Bittersweet 'Graduation'|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|author-link=Chuck Taylor (music journalist)Dates|magazine=[[BillboardGavin (magazine)|BillboardReport]]|volume=112|issue=162293|page=1008|date=AprilFebruary 1525, 2000|access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref>

| length =
* {{unbulleted list|5:39 (album version)|
* 4:26 (radio edit)}}

| writer =
* {{hlist|[[Vitamin C (singer)|Colleen Fitzpatrick]]|
* Josh Deutsch}}

| producer =
* {{hlist|Josh Deutsch|
* Garry Hughes}}

"'''Graduation (Friends Forever)'''" (also titled "'''Friends Forever (Graduation)'''") is a song by American [[pop music|pop]] singer [[Vitamin C (singer)|Vitamin C]], released as the third single from her [[Vitamin C (album)|self-titled debut studio album]] (1999) and is the final song on the record. Vitamin C wrote the song as a response to how many friends drift apart soon after graduation from [[secondary school|high school]]. Josh Deutsch co-wrote the song with her and also produced the track alongside Garry Hughes. The song is partly orchestrated, featuring a string arrangement based on ''[[Pachelbel's Canon]] in D'' and a vocal appearance from the NYC All-City Chorus. One version of the song contains student interviews from the Class of 2000 of [[Lyndhurst High School]] in [[New Jersey]].

Following its release in March 2000, "Graduation" charted in several countries. It reached the top 10 in Canada and Ireland and peaked at number two in Australia, where the [[Australian Recording Industry Association]] (ARIA) awarded the song a platinum sales [[music recording certification|certification]]. In the United States, it reached number 38 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], becoming herVitamin C's second top-50 hit on this chart. The music video, directed by [[Gregory Dark]], features Vitamin C in a school building while a blondblonde girl attempts to speak with her crush before the end of the day.

The song was sampled in the 2019 song "[[Graduation (Benny Blanco and Juice Wrld song)|Graduation]]" by [[Benny Blanco]] and [[Juice Wrld]]. A new version of the song, titled "Graduation 2020 (Worst Year Ever)", was recorded in 2020 as a reflection on the year with regard to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. This version, created by Vizzy Hard Seltzer and Canadian advertising agency [[Rethink Communications]], contains newly recorded lyrics from Vitamin C, who donated her appearance fee to several charitable organizations.

Speaking to ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine, Vitamin C revealed the meaning behind the song"Graduation" in April 2000. One Sunday, while she was writing songs, she began to reminisce about the past and think about the future, comparing the mixed emotions of both scenarios. "It became a very emotional song to write and one that wasn't initially about graduation at all," she explained. "I think it represents a template for graduation from high school or college, from job to job, for whenever people move on in their lives."<ref name="taylor">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2000/BB-2000-04-15.pdf|title=Elektra's Vitamin C Touches Nation's Heart with Bittersweet 'Graduation'|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|author-link=Chuck Taylor (music journalist)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=112|issue=16|page=100|date=April 15, 2000|access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref> Vitamin C believes the song's message becomes clearer several years after graduating high school, when people become better aware of their emotions and begin to recognize the feeling of detachment.<ref name="taylor"/>

The song is based on ''[[Pachelbel's Canon]] in D'' and includes vocals from the NYC All-City Chorus.<ref>{{Cite webmagazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/vitaminc/albums/album/111283/review/5943212/vitamin_c|title=Rolling Stone|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821221155/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/vitaminc/albums/album/111283/review/5943212/vitamin_c|archive-date=August 21, 2007|access-date=April 12, 2010}}</ref><ref name="uspromo">{{cite AV media notes|title=Graduation (Friends Forever)|others=[[Vitamin C (singer)|Vitamin C]]|year=2000|type=US promo CD liner notes|publisher=[[Elektra Records]]|id=PRCD 1459-2}}</ref> An alternate version of the song features interviews of [[Lyndhurst High School]]'s ([[New Jersey]]) Class of 2000, in which Vitamin C speaks with several students about their friendships and futures.<ref name="taylor"/><ref name="uspromo"/>

The single reached number 12 on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Top 40 Mainstream]] chart,<ref name="usps"/> number 23 on the ''Billboard'' [[Rhythmic Top 40]],<ref name="usr"/> and number 38 on the ''Billboard'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] on May 30, 2000, becoming Vitamin C's second single to reach the top 5040, after "[[Smile (Vitamin C song)|Smile]]".<ref name="hot100"/> Worldwide, it reached number 21 in New Zealand,<ref name="nz"/> number 13 in Sweden,<ref name="swe"/> number seven in Canada,<ref name="can"/> and number four in Ireland.<ref name="ire"/> Although it was a hit in Ireland, it did not chart in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/603/vitamin-c/|title=Vitamin C Chart History|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=June 9, 2018}}</ref> The song found the most commercial success in Australia, where it climbed to number two in December 2000 and was certified Platinumplatinum by the [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]] (ARIA).<ref name="aus"/><ref name="auscert"/> It was the nationAustralia's 13th-most-successful song of 2000.<ref name="ausye"/>

The music video for "Graduation (Friends Forever)" was directed by [[Gregory Dark]]. It features Vitamin C performing in a high school with various scenes interspersed throughout. Several of these clips feature a blondblonde girl struggling to talk to her crush, which she manages to accomplish before the final school day ends. During the video, Vitamin C dances with cheerleaders, sings with a choir, and watches the girl as she meets up with her crush by his locker. At the end of the video, the students leave the school while the singer stands motionless on the front steps. Once they are gone, she walks back into the empty building.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iwantmypopculture.com/2016/11/08/video-review-vitamin-c-graduation-friends-forever/|title=Video Review: Vitamin C "Graduation (Friends Forever)|publisher=I Want My Pop Culture|access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref>

* [[Josh Deutsch]] – writing, production, programming

==Charts and certifications==

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

{{single chart|Australia|2|artist=Vitamin C|song=Graduation (Friends Forever (Graduation)|rowheader=true|refname="aus"}}

{{single chart|New Zealand|21|artist=Vitamin C|song=Graduation (Friends Forever (Graduation)|rowheader=true|refname="nz"}}

{{single chart|Sweden|13|artist=Vitamin C|song=Graduation (Friends Forever (Graduation)|rowheader=true|refname="swe"}}

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="row"|Australia (ARIA)<ref name="ausye">{{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/2000/singles-chart|title=2000 ARIA Top 100 Singles Chartfor 2000|publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]]|access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref>

===Certifications===