"Picking Up the Pieces" is a song by English recording artist Paloma Faith from her second studio album Fall to Grace.

Produced by Nellee Hooper and written by Faith, Wayne Hector and Tim Powell, it was released as the album's first single on 18 May 2012.

Faith revealed "Picking Up the Pieces" was inspired by the issues and insecurity of dating someone who is recovering from a previous relationship.

[5] Hooper told a writer for NME that he had not really heard of Faith as he was living in Los Angeles when her first album was released.

[6] Co-written by Faith, Wayne Hector and Tim Powell, "Picking Up the Pieces" was released in the UK by RCA Records on 20 May 2012.

Colin Gentry of 4Music said "Picking Up the Pieces" is "a classy, pacey song of trying to compete with a lover's ex-girlfriend.

It's hard to imagine anyone putting our Paloma in the shade, and her pained vocals certainly belt out loud enough for everyone to hear her angst.

"[12] Digital Spy's Robert Copsey and Lewis Corner thought the single was "an anthemic trailer of sweeping strings and relentless drums", which felt "as intimate" as Faith's previous work.

[15] So So Gay's Leo Kristoffersson said the song's lyrics "are delivered with Faith's characteristically affirmative vocals".

"[16] During his review of the album, BBC Music's Nick Levine wrote "Lead single 'Picking Up the Pieces' is epic, like stallions galloping across the silver screen".

[21] "Picking Up the Pieces" debuted at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending 2 June 2012, selling 32,607 copies.

[24] For its third week in the chart, "Picking Up the Pieces" remained inside the top twenty at number nineteen.

"[33] Faith then becomes wax-like and she begins to melt, which Lewis Corner of Digital Spy described as resembling "the emotional crumbling she has suffered through domestic abuse.

"[29] Faith told Corner's colleague Robert Copsey that the scene in which she melts shows that her character is not real and that what she was imagining does not even exist.

[40] Faith included "Picking Up the Pieces" in her set for her live performances at Somerset House on 17 and 18 July.