Angels Brought Me Here

2003 single by Guy Sebastian

"Angels Brought Me Here" (or "Faith Has Brought Me Here") is a pop song by Australian singer songwriter Guy Sebastian. It was released in Australia on 24 November 2003 as the lead single from his debut album, Just as I Am (2003). The song was written by Jörgen Elofsson and John Reid for Network Ten's TV talent competition, Australian Idols inaugural season. Recorded versions were made for both grand finalists, Sebastian and Shannon Noll, with only Sebastian's version officially released by BMG. On 22 November the promotional video had premiered on the same network's Video Hits – produced by Australian Idols Stephen Tate and directed by its musical director, John Foreman. "Angels Brought Me Here" peaked at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. It was the first of 12 top ten and six number one singles for Sebastian in Australia. "Angels Brought Me Here"'s first week sales were at the time the highest one week's sales on record for both an Australian artist and a debut artist. It currently still has the second highest one week sales for an Australian artist single. The song was certified as five times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and sold in excess of 350,000 units. In January 2010 "Angels Brought Me Here" was announced as the highest selling single of the decade (2000–2009). Until 2011 the song held the record as the highest selling Australian artist single in Australian chart history. "Angels Brought Me Here" was also popular in New Zealand, topping the RIANZ Singles Chart and achieving platinum certification. In October 2004, Lisa B. Bermingham published Sebastian's official biography, Angels Brought Me Here.

A music video was issued in November 2003 to promote the single. The video shows Sebastian on a TV set as it is being prepared for a show. He is dressed casually in jeans and windcheater. He sits on boxes as he begins to sing with a camera crew starting to film him. An image of a young woman is shown as he continues. Various personnel walk around him and adjust the set. Sebastian stands and the image of the female is seen again, she wears white feathers. Later, Sebastian is dressed more formally in a white suit as he performs the song. On this set are plasma screens depicting the same young woman. The video ends with Sebastian in his casual gear again, sitting on the boxes.

"Angels Brought Me Here" debuted on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart on 1 December 2003 at number one, the first of 12 top ten and six number one singles that Sebastian has achieved during his career. "Angels Brought Me Here" sold 128,679 copies in its first week, setting an Australian record at the time for the highest first week single sales by both a debut artist and an Australian artist. It also had the second highest first week single sales from any artist, behind Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind". This record was eclipsed in late 2004 by Anthony Callea's debut single "The Prayer". Sebastian still has the second highest one week sales for an Australian artist single. "Angels Brought Me Here" remained at the top spot for three consecutive weeks, dropping to number three in its fourth week. The single spent a total of five weeks in the top ten and twelve weeks in the top fifty. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2004, Sebastian earned the award for 'Highest Selling Single', and was also nominated for 'Highest Selling Album' for Just as I Am. In January 2010 ARIA announced that "Angels Brought Me Here" was the highest selling single of the previous decade, with Anthony Callea's "The Prayer" ranked second. It was certified quintuple platinum and sold in excess of 350,000 copies. At the time this was the highest sales ever recorded for an Australian artist single, a record Sebastian held until 2011. Since then several other Australian artist songs have also reached higher sales than "Angels Brought Me Here", including Sebastian's own song "Battle Scars" which has been certified 9× platinum. Sebastian reflected on his song's popularity, "I guess its success is due to it being a well written pop ballad, coupled with the fact that it's perfectly suited to my voice, and also my back story It doesn't take a genius to realise that the show was mostly responsible for the songs enormity but still, I'm glad I was the guy standing there at the end singing it". Byron felt there was considerable "controversy over whether to give ARIA awards to people like Guy Sebastian" due to concerns about the artist's credibility. Byron added "But it's hard to argue that Guy Sebastian's continued success, seven years later, has much to do with Australian Idol even his 'brand recognition' will have faded by now If he is still successful, it's more and more because of his musical talent." Sebastian also performed his own gigs including the Australian Gospel Music Festival in April. Sebastian appeared at the Asian MTV Awards, was a guest judge on New Zealand Idol and performed on Indonesian Idol. After a promotional trip to Malaysia in April he travelled to Europe and the US. In May Sebastian made a special guest appearance on American Idol, performing "Angels Brought Me Here" in the Top 3 verdict show. Sebastian was also a guest performer in the verdict show on Asian Idol in 2007, performing the song as duet with 2005 Indonesian Idol winner, Mike Mohede. In 2005, it was also performed by the fourth American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood, in the last performance show for the season. In April 2008, on the United Kingdom TV drama series Rock Rivals, which depicts a fictional talent show set in London, the song was performed by Bethany Hopkins (portrayed by Holly Quin Ankrah) as her winner's single. Cover versions of the song have been performed by Australian singer Hayley Legg and by French electro artist Sebastian Akchoté. La Diva had recorded the song as the theme for South Korean TV drama series, Queen Seondeok (May–December 2009).