One week later, it jumped to the top of the UK Singles Chart on download sales alone, the second song to do so after Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" the previous year.

The song is titled after Academy Award-winning American film and stage actress, and Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly.

Mika claims the song was inspired after a bad experience with a record company executive, in which he was told to be more like Craig David.

[4] On at least one occasion, Mika confirmed that he used the main melody from Figaro's famous aria "Largo al factotum", from the opera The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini.

Mika wrote the song after he felt frustrated with record label executives that wanted him to change his sound to fit the common pop mold.

In the song, Mika points out how he can pretend to be anyone he likes to win approval – in this case the glamorous actress Grace Kelly.

He wrote the song after the record company told him that they wanted to model his look and sound on Craig David, who was popular at the time in the UK.

[7] The song's melody is based on the aria "Largo al factotum", from the opera The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini.

Heather Phares from AllMusic wrote a positive review for the song, stating that "Mika's singles are his most charming moments, including the instant sunshine of "Grace Kelly," which crams tap-dancing rhythms, filmic dialogue, Elton's pianos, Freddie's vocal harmonies, and Brian May's guitars into just over three minutes.

Mika vacillates between the affected theatricality of Mercury's full-throttled voice and his own strong falsetto, where he earnestly implores 'Why don't you like me?'

"[11] John Murphy from musicOMH wrote that "It's big, joyous, dumb pop, and the only danger with it is that you'll be utterly sick of it fast.

"[14] Dom Passantino from Stylus Magazine criticized the track, writing that "it seems to suggest the boy has some level for musicals, being as it is all Broadway flittering and hackneyed attempts at conveying a story with its lyrics.