"B.Y.O.B." | ||||
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Single by System of a Down | ||||
from the album Mezmerize | ||||
Released | March 28, 2005 | |||
Genre | Heavy metal | |||
Length | 4:15 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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System of a Down singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"B.Y.O.B." on YouTube |
"B.Y.O.B." ("Bring Your Own Bombs") is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released in March 2005 as the lead single from their fourth album Mezmerize . Like their earlier song Boom!, it was written in protest against the Iraq War. [1] The song reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band's only top 40 hit.
Directed by Jake Nava, the music video for "B.Y.O.B." shows an army of soldiers marching through the streets, wearing paintball masks with television screens projecting words like "Die", "Truth", "Obey", or "Buy". The band members are playing in the middle of the street. During the chorus, the band is shown playing inside a night club. Midway through the video, co-lead vocalist Daron Malakian is screaming the lyrics when the soldiers storm the night club and force everyone to put on the masks, during which the masks show images of television shows and war. At the end of the video, the band members are shown wearing the masks which are displaying static.
Casey Chaos claimed to have helped write the song in 2002, and Malakian offered to gift him a 2% royalties credit. When Chaos asked for more, the offer was rescinded. [2] Casey Chaos then subsequently sold a 50% interest in the song to Maxwood Music Ltd. However, in 2010 a Manhattan court ruled Malakian and Tankian to be the sole writers of the song. [3]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "B.Y.O.B." (Explicit Album version) |
| Malakian | 4:15 |
2. | "Forest" (Explicit Live version) |
| Malakian | 5:12 |
3. | "Prison Song" (Explicit Live version) |
| Malakian | 3:32 |
4. | "Sugar" (Explicit Live version) | Tankian |
| 4:00 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "B.Y.O.B." |
| Malakian | 4:15 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "B.Y.O.B." |
| Malakian | 4:15 |
2. | "Cigaro" |
| Malakian | 2:11 |
System of a Down
Production
| Additional personnel
|
Chart (2005) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [7] | 42 |
Canada Rock Top 30 ( Radio & Records ) [8] | 28 |
UK Singles (OCC) [9] | 26 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] | 27 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [11] | 4 |
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [12] | 4 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany (BVMI) [13] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [14] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [15] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [16] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [17] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [18] Mastertone | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
System of a Down is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of founding members Serj Tankian ; Daron Malakian ; Shavo Odadjian ; along with John Dolmayan (drums), who replaced original drummer Andy Khachaturian in 1997.
Serj Tankian is an Armenian-American musician and activist. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band System of a Down, which was formed in 1994.
Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian is an Armenian-American musician, best known as the bassist of heavy metal band System of a Down. He also plays bass in a trap group called North Kingsley and in the metal band Seven Hours After Violet.
John Dolmayan is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American musician, best known as the drummer of System of a Down. He is also the former drummer for Scars on Broadway. Dolmayan ranked number 33 on Loudwire's list of Top 200 Hard Rock + Metal Drummers of All Time.
Toxicity is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on September 4, 2001, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Expanding on their 1998 eponymous debut album, Toxicity incorporates more melody, harmonies, and singing than the band's first album. Categorized primarily as alternative metal and nu metal, the album features elements of multiple genres, including folk, progressive rock, jazz, and Armenian and Greek music, including prominent use of instruments like the sitar, banjo, keyboards, and piano. It contains a wide array of political and non-political themes, such as mass incarceration, the CIA, the environment, police brutality, drug addiction, scientific reductionism, and groupies.
System of a Down is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on June 30, 1998, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 2000. After the success of the band's following album, Toxicity (2001), System of a Down was certified platinum and has since gone double platinum.
Daron Malakian is an Armenian-American musician. He is the guitarist, songwriter, and second vocalist of the metal band System of a Down, and the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter of Scars on Broadway.
"Chop Suey!" is a song by the American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released on August 13, 2001, as the first single from their second album, Toxicity (2001). The single earned the band its first Grammy nomination in 2002 for Best Metal Performance. "Chop Suey!" is often considered the band's signature song, and its music video has reached one billion views on YouTube.
Hypnotize is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released on November 22, 2005, six months after the release of its companion album Mezmerize. Mezmerize and Hypnotize both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
Mezmerize is the fourth studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on May 17, 2005, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Upon its release, the album received acclaim from critics. The album sold over 450,000 copies in its first week, and immediately topped the Billboard 200.
"Toxicity" is a song by the American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released in 2002, as the second single from their second album of the same name. The writing credits for the song are Malakian, Odadjian, and Tankian. It is known for its dynamic chorus, aggressive vocals, and prominent drum beat. The song is predominantly in triple meter, alternating between 6
4, 12
8 and 4
4 time. The guitar during the verse plays in 6
4 using a 2+2+2 phrasing while the heavy part makes use of a hemiola with the guitar switching to a 3+3+3+3 pattern while the drums remain in compound duple meter until the bridge. The song was ranked number 14 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs, and was called a nu metal classic by Stylus Magazine.
"Question!" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down, released in July 2005 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Mezmerize (2005).
"Innervision" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down, released as a promotional single from their third studio album, Steal This Album! (2002).
"Sugar" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released as the band's first ever single on May 24, 1998, and as an EP on May 26, 1999. The song was taken from their debut studio album, System of a Down (1998).
"Lonely Day" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released in 2006 as the second single from their fifth album Hypnotize (2005), and written by guitarist Daron Malakian, who also provides lead vocals on this track. The song received a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards.
System of a Down is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed by vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian, and drummer John Dolmayan in the mid-1990s. They have released five studio albums, nineteen singles, and thirteen music videos. By the end of 1997, the group had signed to American Recordings, then distributed as Columbia Records. The following year, they released their eponymous debut album, which peaked at number 124 on the United States' Billboard 200 and number 103 on the United Kingdom's UK Albums Chart; it was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and gold by Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). Their eponymous debut album produced a single for the song "Sugar", which reached the top 30 on the Billboard mainstream rock songs and alternative songs charts. Their follow-up album, Toxicity (2001), topped the US and Canadian charts, and also reached the top 10 in Australia, Finland, and New Zealand. The album was certified triple platinum in its home country, and triple platinum in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), as well as double platinum by Music Canada. Toxicity produced singles for the title track, "Chop Suey!", and "Aerials". The last of these peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts.
Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway is an American rock band founded by Daron Malakian of the metal band System of a Down, who also became the sole member of the band. The band's self-titled debut album was released in July 2008.
"Rebellion" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. The song was originally recorded by the band for their sixth studio album, The Hunting Party, where it appears as the eighth track on the album. The song features Armenian-American multi-instrumentalist Daron Malakian from heavy metal band System of a Down, who plays additional guitar on the track. The track was released as the fourth official single from The Hunting Party on June 4, 2014 and was later released on American rock radio on October 13, 2014.
"Protect the Land" is a song recorded by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released as a double A-side single with "Genocidal Humanoidz" on November 6, 2020, through American Recordings and Columbia Records, to raise awareness and funds for Armenia and the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh amid the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. It is the band's first release in 15 years since their fifth studio album Hypnotize (2005), their first single in 14 years since "Vicinity of Obscenity" (2006), and their first two singles to not feature their long-time producer Rick Rubin. The two singles have raised over $600,000 that was donated to the Armenia Fund to help those who have been affected by the war.
"Genocidal Humanoidz" is a song recorded by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released as a double A-side single with "Protect the Land" on November 6, 2020, through American Recordings and Columbia Records, to raise awareness and funds for Armenia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh amid the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. It is the band's first release in 15 years since their fifth studio album Hypnotize (2005), their first single in 14 years since "Lonely Day" (2006), and their first two singles to not feature their long-time producer Rick Rubin. The two singles have raised over $600,000 that was donated to the Armenia Fund to help those who have been affected by the war.