"Bang!" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on February 12,2020,through their own label,AJR Productions. The song is the lead single from the band's fourth album, OK Orchestra . On August 8,2020,a remix version was released featuring Hayley Kiyoko and AhhHaa. [1]
AJR released their third studio album Neotheater on April 26,2019. That autumn,they embarked on an extensive North American tour in support of the album. [2] Neotheater debuted to critical and commercial success,with album sales buoyed by the hit single "100 Bad Days". As a result,AJR announced the "Neotheater World Tour Part II" on November 15,2019,with tour stops in North America,Europe,and South America,including festival appearances at Lollapalooza Argentina,Chile,and Brazil. [3] The 2020 leg of the tour was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] AJR began working on "Bang!" in the process of writing Neotheater,and continued to work on the song throughout the subsequent tour. After struggling with how to make "Bang!" "sound current",the band sidelined the song to finish Neotheater,only returning to it after they finished touring. [5]
AJR explained their motivation for writing the song:"We wrote 'BANG!' about the weird middle-ground between being a kid and becoming an adult;a time when we're doing all the things adults are supposed to do,but we don't yet feel grown up. The fact is,adulthood is bound to hit us at some point,so the plan we made in the song is to 'go out with a bang'. Sonically,with every new song we make,we try to stretch out of our AJR comfort zone. With 'BANG!,' it felt exciting to step into this darker,horn-heavy vibe,where the verses are small and mysterious,and the chorus explodes into this theatrical trap chorus". [6]
The voice of the song that announces "Here we go!" and "Metronome!" is Charlie Pellett,best known for voicing the New York City Subway. When the song was first recorded,Ryan Met initially did the voice, [7] but the group opted to get someone else to do. Their first choice was their father,Gary,and then a neighbor friend of his. AJR had used Pellett's voice for a live show years ago and he had emailed them;thanking them for the tribute. Realizing that they now had his email in their inbox,they asked him to help with the song and he happily obliged. [8]
"Bang!" is composed in 2
2 cut time and in the key of C-sharp minor,with a tempo of 70 beats per minute (bpm). Accents on the weaker beats of each measure give the song a bit of swagger,and make it reminiscent of a common reggae style. [9] AJR's vocals on the song range from B2 at the low end to C♯5 at the high end. [10]
A music video for "Bang!" was uploaded on February 12,2020,directed by Se Oh. The video features AJR hosting a dice game in a chandelier-lit parlor with the camera facing in one direction,only zooming in and out. [11] The participants playing are seen going through various costume changes with every pan out,ranging from sailors to tuxedos to being nude. [12]
The song entered the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 99 and peaked at number 8 on the chart,becoming both the band's first top 40 entry and first top 10 entry,and their highest-charting single overall. [13]
In November 2020,AJR performed the song at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on a Kalahari Resorts float. [14] In the same month,Apple used an instrumental version of the chorus in "Bang!" in their holiday commercial. [15] The performance and use in advertisement,coupled with a $0.69 cost on iTunes,pushed "Bang!" to number one on the US iTunes Sales Chart on December 26,dethroning Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You". [16] "Bang!" was also used as the soundtrack of the opening montage at the 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2021. [17] In 2021,Will Smith performed a remix of "Bang!" with added vocals. [18]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [19]
Title | Release date |
---|---|
Bang! – Younotus Remix | May 15, 2020 |
Bang! (featuring Hayley Kiyoko) – AhhHaa Remix | August 17, 2020 |
Bang! – Nathan Dawe Remix | October 9, 2020 |
Bang! – Acoustic |
At the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, "Bang!" took home the award for Top Rock Song, beating out "Monsters" by All Time Low, "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals, "My Ex's Best Friend" by Machine Gun Kelly, and "Level of Concern" by Twenty One Pilots. AJR also received nominations in the Top Duo/Group and Top Rock Artist categories, ultimately losing to BTS and Machine Gun Kelly, respectively. [20]
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Rock Song | Won | [21] |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Alternative Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | [22] |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [51] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [52] | 2× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [53] | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [54] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [55] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Over My Head (Cable Car)" (originally performed simply as "Cable Car") is a song by American rock band the Fray. It was released in October 2005 as the lead single from their debut album How to Save a Life and from the soundtrack to the science fiction action film Stealth (2005). It hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single helped propel their album from the Top Heatseekers chart to the top 20 of The Billboard 200 chart. The CD single was backed with "Heaven Forbid" and a live version of "Hundred". In the United Kingdom, "Over My Head (Cable Car)" was released as the second single from the album, following "How to Save a Life".
"Foolish Games" is a song by American singer-songwriter Jewel from her debut studio album, Pieces of You (1995). It was also the third single to be lifted from the Batman & Robin motion-picture soundtrack. Jewel re-recorded the single for the soundtrack to produce a more radio-friendly version, similar to her other singles "Who Will Save Your Soul" and "You Were Meant for Me". This version is shorter than the album version by one verse. The song details the frustration and agony of knowing that the intensity of one's love is not reciprocated by one's lover.
"Hot n Cold" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. The song was written by Perry, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin and produced by Luke and Benny Blanco for her second studio album, One of the Boys (2008). It was released as the album's second single on September 9, 2008. The lyrics address an unstable romantic relationship caused by a partner's mood swings.
"One More Night" is a song performed by American pop rock band Maroon 5. The song was released on June 19, 2012, as the second single from their fourth studio album Overexposed (2012). It was written by Adam Levine, Shellback, Max Martin, and Savan Kotecha, while production was handled by Shellback and Martin. It is a reggae-influenced pop song. Lyrically, it talks about not getting along with someone and hoping he only stays with her just "one more night". It is built upon the idea that the heart, mind, and body usually want opposing things.
AJR is an American pop band founded by brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Metzger(né Metzger), collectively a trio of vocalists, multi-instrumentalists, and songwriters. The brothers grew up in Buffalo, New York, focused on busking and singing covers until shifting to songwriting and touring. At their home studio, they have recorded more than 100 songs and have released five studio albums on various record labels along with their pop label.
"Bang Bang" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J, American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande, and Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released by Lava and Republic Records on 28 July 2014 as the lead single from Jessie J's third studio album, Sweet Talker (2014). The song was written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Rickard Göransson, Grande and Minaj. It was produced by Martin, Göransson, and Ilya, with Kuk Harrell serving as a vocal producer. It is also included on the deluxe version of Grande's second studio album My Everything (2014), serving as the third single from that album.
"Weak" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It was first released on their EP What Everyone's Thinking via the band's label AJR Productions on September 16, 2016, later becoming the third single for their second studio album The Click (2017). The song's lyrics describe acceptance of human weakness and feature an uptempo pop composition. A lyric and music video were released, with the latter featuring the band in a New York City subway. The music video went viral, with the song's popularity on Spotify helping the song become one of the band's highest-charting songs.
The Click is the second studio album by American indie pop band AJR. It was released on June 9, 2017, via the band's label AJR Productions and S-Curve Records, later released internationally through Ultra Records and Black Butter Records. The album follows the trio's previous work, maintaining a pop sound with elements of hip-hop, electronic dance music, and jazz. It includes a sole guest appearance from Rivers Cuomo of the band Weezer while taking influence from Fun, Twenty One Pilots, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West.
The discography of American indie pop trio AJR consists of five studio albums, forty-three music videos, eight extended plays, twenty-seven singles, and eight promotional singles. The band is also featured on seven songs and have three independent releases.
"End Game" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring the English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and the American rapper Future. Written alongside producers Max Martin and Shellback, it was released on November 14, 2017, as the third single from her sixth studio album, Reputation. "End Game" is an incorporation of pop rap and R&B. It features loose vocal cadences and hip-hop-influenced drums that create trap beats. The lyrics are about finding true love amidst the gossip on ones' perceived reputations.
"Sober Up" is a song by American indie pop band AJR, from their second studio album, The Click. Released as the album's fifth single, it features Rivers Cuomo, lead singer and frontman of American rock band Weezer, although certain radio stations instead play a version with band member Ryan singing Cuomo's verse. "Sober Up" became the first number-one song for AJR on the Billboard Alternative Songs, when it peaked at number one on the chart in March 2018. Similarly, it also makes Cuomo his first number-one song as a solo artist outside of Weezer.
"Happier" is a song by American DJ Marshmello featuring British indie pop band Bastille. Written by Marshmello, Smith, and Steve Mac, and produced by the former, it was released by Astralwerks on August 16, 2018. It reached number two on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 and is the highest-charting single for Marshmello in both the UK and the US. It is also Bastille's highest-charting single as well on both charts surpassing their 2013 single "Pompeii"'s number five peak on the Hot 100 and tying at its number two peak on the UK chart. It also logged 27 weeks in the top ten of the Hot 100. The song also currently holds the record for most weeks spent at number one on the US Dance/Electronic Songs chart, with 69 weeks as of January 2020. The song was ranked number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 decade-end chart of the 2010s, becoming the highest-ranking song to not top the Billboard Hot 100 weekly chart.
"Burn the House Down" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It was released on March 23, 2018, as a single from the deluxe edition of their second studio album The Click.
Neotheater is the third studio album by American pop band AJR. It was released on April 26, 2019 by the band's label AJR Productions. The album was self-produced by the trio. It is a follow-up to the trio's 2017 album The Click (2017).
"Don't Throw Out My Legos" is a song by American pop band AJR, appearing as the fourth track on their third studio album Neotheater. It uses an upbeat keyboard-based instrumental while discussing the difficulty of growing up.
"Golden" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles from his second studio album Fine Line (2019). The song was written by Styles alongside Mitch Rowland, Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon, with Johnson and Harpoon handling the production and co-production, respectively. The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio formats in the United Kingdom on 23 October 2020 as the album's fifth single. In the US, the song was serviced to adult contemporary and contemporary hit radio formats on 26 and 27 October 2020 respectively. This song peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Go Crazy" is a song by American singer Chris Brown and American rapper Young Thug, from their collaborative mixtape Slime & B, released on May 5, 2020. After it became the only charting song from the mixtape, it was officially released as a single on May 19, 2020. The song is a trap-infused R&B record, with production that samples the Showboys's 1986 single "Drag Rap", for which the Showboys are credited as writers. The official remix of the song was released on February 19, 2021, and features fellow American rappers Future, Lil Durk, and Latto.
OK Orchestra, often abbreviated as OKO, is the fourth studio album by American pop band AJR. It was released on March 26, 2021, by the band's own label AJR Productions. The album was supported by five singles, "Bang!", "Bummerland", "My Play", "Way Less Sad", and "World's Smallest Violin". The album was produced by group member Ryan Met.
"Way Less Sad" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on February 17, 2021, via the band's label AJR Productions and BMG. It was additionally released through S-Curve Records for radio airplay and through Black Butter Records for international releases. The song was the fourth single for the band's fourth studio album OK Orchestra, appearing as the twelfth track. It samples the song "My Little Town" by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel and builds off unused demos intended for Norwegian DJ Kygo and American rapper Cardi B.
"Bummerland" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on August 31, 2020 via S-Curve Records as the second single from the band's fourth studio album OK Orchestra.