"Do or Die" | ||||
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Single by Thirty Seconds to Mars | ||||
from the album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams | ||||
Released | July 1, 2013 | |||
Recorded | The International Centre for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences of Sound, Los Angeles, California | |||
Genre | Electronic rock | |||
Length | 4:07 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Jared Leto | |||
Producer(s) | Jared Leto | |||
Thirty Seconds to Mars singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Do or Die" on YouTube |
"Do or Die" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). Written and produced by lead vocalist Jared Leto, "Do or Die" explores the feeling of standing up and living one's dreams using ironic undertones. The song is styled in electronic rock and imbued with elements of arena rock. It was serviced to mainstream radio in July 2013 in Europe, and was released as a promotional single in the United States in March 2014. A version of the song remixed by Dutch music producer Afrojack was digitally released in March 2014 and later included on the deluxe edition of Afrojack's debut studio album Forget the World (2014).
"Do or Die" received positive reviews from music critics, who hailed its musical diversity and its euphoric but minimalistic nature. It charted in some nations due to digital sales from the parent album. The accompanying music video, directed by Leto, features live footage of Thirty Seconds to Mars onstage as well as stories from their fans, personally interviewed by Leto. The video garnered general acclaim from critics, who lauded its atmosphere and simplicity. The song was included in the setlist of the band's Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams Tour and the subsequent Carnivores Tour.
"Do or Die" was written and produced by Jared Leto. It was engineered by Jamie Reed Schefman and mixed by Serban Ghenea. John Hanes engineered it for mixing at Mixstar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The song was recorded at The International Centre for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences of Sound in Los Angeles, California and mastered by Howie Weinberg and Dan Gerbarg at Howie Weinberg Mastering. [1] Thirty Seconds to Mars unveiled six songs from their fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams , including "Do or Die", during a preview event held at the Electric Lady Studios in New York City on March 14, 2013. [2]
"Do or Die" is an electronic rock song with influences and elements from arena rock. [3] [4] It opens with a female voiceover introducing the song's title in the Chinese language, after which there is an electronic introduction. This is followed by the sound of guitars, drum beats and synthesizers. After the first verse, the pre-chorus follows, with Leto voicing the line, "I will never forget the moment". The full-throated chorus then follows, which features heavy use of synthesizers and drums. [2] The song includes a contribution from the band's fans, credited as the Knights of the White Shadow, who provide additional vocals recorded at the band's studio. [5]
In an interview with PureVolume, Leto explained that the song is "about standing up and living out your dreams", but also features an ironic connotation. [6] Markos Papadatos, in his review for Digital Journal, called it an "upbeat" song which "deals with one taking their own stance on their beliefs, and living life to the fullest". [7] In a preview of the record, Jeff Benjamin from Fuse described the song by saying that the band goes "the synthy dance route on the track's intro before fire-alarm guitars and pummeling drums roar in and smash the Korg keyboards to bits". [2]
"Do or Die" was released as a promotional single in Europe in July 2013 through Virgin Records. [8] The song debuted at number 98 on the Ultratip chart of Belgium's Flemish region on August 24. [9] The following week, it jumped to number 73 and peaked at number 40 on September 21. [10] On August 30, 2013, it debuted at number 75 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40. [11] In the Czech Republic, the song entered the national airplay chart at number 91 on the week ending October 20, 2013. [12] In Slovakia, it debuted at number 67 on September 22, 2013 and eventually peaked at number 29 on January 26, 2014. [13] Polydor Records released "Do or Die" in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2013. [14] It entered the UK Rock Chart at number 38. [15] After four weeks, the song peaked at number seven on the issue dated September 28, 2013. [16] "Do or Die" was used by Major League Baseball as the theme song for the 2013 Major League Baseball Postseason. [17]
In March 2014, it was announced that Dutch music producer Afrojack and Thirty Seconds to Mars had collaborated on a remixed version of the song. [18] It became commercially available for download in March 2014 and was later included on the deluxe edition of Afrojack's debut studio album Forget the World . Leto described the collaboration by saying, "It was a lot of fun, and it's kind of our little summer song. I think it's good to do things that are unexpected. It keeps it exciting and collaboration is always an interesting thing." [19] The remixed version of "Do or Die" entered the Dutch Top 40 at number 53 on April 19, 2014. After five weeks, it peaked at number 42. [20] The song debuted at number 46 on US Dance/Electronic Songs and reached a peak of number 33 on June 7, 2014. [21]
In the United States, "Do or Die" was sent to modern rock radio on March 17, 2014, after the release of "City of Angels". [22] It debuted on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at number 40 on August 9. [23]
"Do or Die" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Emily Zemler, of Billboard, wrote that between the album's "eclectic experimentation" and "voiceless soundscapes", the band "slotted in this propulsive rocker, an arena-ready anthem". She considered "Do or Die" to be one of the album's "most straightforward tracks". [3] Dan Slessor of Alternative Press praised it as one of the album's highlights, in which Thirty Seconds to Mars exercises their capacity for writing "titanic choruses full of sweeping drama in a manner that is almost untouchable". [24] Brent Faulkner from PopMatters gave a mixed response, writing that the song "relies on a familiar beat as well as liberal layering". [25] Writers for Contactmusic commended "Do or Die" as one of the standout songs on Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams and a "slow-burning hit of epic, synth-heavy electronica". [26]
Kaitlyn Hodnicki from Stature magazine was impressed with the song, calling it one of the album's more upbeat tracks, which "blooms into another epic soundscape led by [Leto's] vocals and some brilliantly used electronic elements". She felt that the fans' vocal contribution to the song harks back to previous album This Is War without sounding "cliché or overdone". [27] Sarah O' Hara from Lowdown also responded positively to the track, writing that "glorious chants fuel the uplifting 'Do or Die'". [28] In a mixed review, John Watt from Drowned in Sound called the song "half-baked synth-rock." [4] Markos Papadatos from Digital Journal rated it an A and wrote that "the band soars as whole on this tune", calling Leto's vocals "raw, powerful and captivating." [7]
"This is a story about an incredible adventure that we all shared together this summer. A summer that we will never forget. It's also a reminder (for myself as well) to live life no matter what. But ultimately it's a love letter to you all. The believers. ... Sharing this journey with you all has been the gift of a lifetime and I hope you can see and feel that in this piece, our gratitude. ... I hope it speaks to all of you and lets you know how much you mean to us."
—Jared Leto, in a note accompanying the music video [29]
The music video for "Do or Die" was directed by Leto, who was credited as pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins. Leto developed its concept as a companion piece to the music video of "Closer to the Edge" (2010), shot during the Into the Wild Tour. "Do or Die" was filmed in the summer of 2013, during a European leg of the Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams Tour and features live footage of Thirty Seconds to Mars onstage as well as fan commentary. [30] It premiered on August 5, 2013. [31]
Leto personally interviewed the band's fans, termed as the Echelon, who shared stories about the importance of music in their lives, some personal struggles and their own dreams. [32] In an interview with MTV News, the frontman explained that he was inspired by the will to document the personal changes experienced by the band and its audience. "Most of the interviews", Leto explained, "I did myself, so they're really intimate. It's me, it's them, and it's the camera. What I've found is, that if you talk to everybody long enough, you find an incredible story. Every single person has a moment in their life, something that they've found a solution for, a story to tell. Some are funny, some are really intriguing, and if you ask the right questions, you get interesting answers." [30]
The music video begins with a German boy who Leto had previously met in Berlin. He spoke about the loss of his father and how he had played a Thirty Seconds to Mars song at the funeral. After Leto again met the German fan again at a concert in Austria, he asked him to share his story on camera. Leto explained, "At the show in Austria, where there were tens of thousands of people, and I ran into him and interviewed him; he was the first interview of the summer, and he shared this story about losing his father, and what it taught him, it was really an organic and serendipitous and beautiful way to begin. He shared a really personal part of himself and we're really grateful to him, and that continued throughout all the interviews." [30]
Upon its release, the video received general acclaim from critics and fans. James Montgomery from MTV described it as a love-letter to the band's fans and a document of life on the road. He also considered it the "spiritual sequel to their stirring 2010 live clip" for "Closer to the Edge". [30] Karen Bliss of Noisecreep was impressed with the video and opened her review by writing, "Thirty Seconds to Mars never fails to impress with what they can do within the confines of a music video." She believed that its simplicity turned out to be "impactful, touching and uniting". [33] Garon Cockrell from The Pratt Tribune gave the video a positive review, calling it "excellent". [34] John Walker from MTV felt that throughout the fans' personal struggles "music has helped these individuals persevere and continue to enjoy life. Likewise, Thirty Seconds to Mars seem so moved by the audience's emotions every time they perform live, 'Do or Die's concept seems to be that they want to return the favor." [32]
Writers for MuchMusic noticed the band's tradition for producing unconventional music videos and praised "Do or Die" calling it "another epic" short film. [35] Markos Papadatos of Digital Journal found it "compelling and visually striking", noticing real-life people from all over the world telling their "moving stories" about their aspirations and dreams. [7] Sean Fitz-Gerald, writing for Mashable, called the video "an inspiring anthem featuring heartfelt, fan-filmed messages". [36]
"Do or Die" was first performed at special concerts, dubbed as Church of Mars, in May 2013, shortly before the release of the album. [37] The song later became a set-fixture of the Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams Tour, usually appearing as the penultimate song before "Up in the Air". [38] However, after the festival tour in June 2013, which saw the band travel to Rock am Ring and Rock im Park as headline act, [39] the song was moved to the middle of the setlist, usually played before Leto's acoustic B-stage set. [38] "Do or Die" was also included in the Carnivores Tour, which Thirty Seconds to Mars co-headlined with Linkin Park, and usually appeared approximately halfway through the set. [40] Reviewing a concert, Payal Patel from AXS called "Do or Die" a "sweeping rock anthem", [41] while Ben Jolley of the Nottingham Post described a performance of the song as energetic and inspirational. [42]
On September 23, 2014, Thirty Seconds to Mars performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show , featuring a ten-person choir. During the performance, Leto swung a flag bearing messages in support of certain social goals, and invited the audience to join the band on stage towards the finale, as confetti fell from the ceiling. Markos Papadatos, writing for Digital Journal, commented that the performance was another indication that Jared Leto is one of the "most charismatic live performers" in contemporary rock and that Thirty Seconds to Mars "is always able to put on a high-energy show". [43]
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Credits adapted from Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams album liner notes. [1]
Chart (2013–14) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [11] | 75 |
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [47] | 40 |
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100) [12] | 91 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [20] | 42 |
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100) [13] | 29 |
UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [16] | 7 |
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs ( Billboard ) [21] | 33 |
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [23] | 38 |
US Rock Airplay ( Billboard ) [48] | 27 |
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Europe [8] | July 1, 2013 | Contemporary hit radio | |
Italy [49] | July 5, 2013 | Universal | |
United Kingdom [14] | September 9, 2013 | Polydor | |
United States [50] | March 11, 2014 | Digital download – Remix |
|
Europe [51] | March 16, 2014 | ||
United States [22] | March 17, 2014 | Modern rock | Virgin |
Netherlands [20] | March 18, 2014 | Digital download – Remix |
|
United States [52] | August 26, 2014 | Contemporary hit radio – Remix | Def Jam |
Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Additionally, he is recognized for his musicianship and eccentric stage persona as frontman of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars.
Thirty Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto and Shannon Leto. During the course of its existence, it has undergone various line-up changes with the Leto brothers being the only consistent members.
Shannon Leto is an American musician best known as the drummer of rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He co-founded the group in 1998 in Los Angeles, California, with his younger brother Jared. Their debut album, 30 Seconds to Mars (2002), was released to positive reviews but only to limited success. The band achieved worldwide fame with the release of their second album A Beautiful Lie (2005). Their following releases, This Is War (2009) and Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013), received further critical and commercial success. As of September 2014, the band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide.
Tomislav "Tomo" Miličević is a Bosnian-American musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars from 2003 to 2018. Born in Sarajevo but raised in the United States, Miličević moved to Troy, Michigan, in the early 1980s, where he became active in the local heavy metal scene and played in a number of bands, co-founding Morphic. In 2003, he joined Thirty Seconds to Mars, with whom he achieved worldwide recognition in the mid-2000s after recording the band's second album A Beautiful Lie (2005). Its full-length follow-ups, This Is War (2009) and Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013), received further critical and commercial success.
"The Kill" (written "The Kill (Bury Me)" on the single and music video) is a song by American band Thirty Seconds to Mars. The song was released on January 24, 2006 as the second single from their second album, A Beautiful Lie. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.
American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars has released six studio albums, four extended plays, eighteen singles, four promotional singles, one video album and seventeen music videos. The band was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1998 by brothers Jared Leto and Shannon Leto, with Tomo Miličević joining the band later. The band's debut album, 30 Seconds to Mars, was released through Immortal and Virgin Records in August 2002 and peaked at number 107 on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Top Heatseekers, selling more than two million copies worldwide as of March 2011. The album produced two singles, "Capricorn " and "Edge of the Earth".
This Is War is the third studio album by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released on December 8, 2009 through Virgin Records. It was the band's first studio album in four years, after the breakthrough of their previous work, A Beautiful Lie (2005). The album was recorded over a span of two years while the band was in the midst of a legal dispute with Virgin over an alleged breach-of-contract. The case was later settled in April 2009, and the band signed to EMI later that year.
"Hurricane" is a song written by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars that is featured on their third studio album, This Is War. The song was written by lead vocalist and songwriter Jared Leto and produced by Leto, Flood and Steve Lilywhite. There are two versions of this song, one of which is included on the album and another which is a collaboration with rapper Kanye West, titled "Hurricane 2.0". "Hurricane" was awarded Best Single at the Kerrang! Awards 2011. The thirteen-minute music video, directed by Leto under the pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins, garnered controversy when it premiered on November 29, 2010. It was banned by MTV because of its sexual content. An edited version, however, was put on heavy rotation on MTV2.
"Kings and Queens" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their third studio album This Is War (2009). Written by lead vocalist Jared Leto across the United States and South Africa, the track was produced by Flood, Steve Lillywhite and Thirty Seconds to Mars. According to Leto, the lyrics of "Kings and Queens" explore the triumphant feeling of human possibilities. The melody of the song contains several qualities similar to that of 1980s adult contemporary musical works and is imbued with elements of progressive rock. The song was released as the lead single from This Is War on October 13, 2009.
"Up in the Air" is a song recorded by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fourth studio album, Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). Written by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who also produced the song with Steve Lillywhite, "Up in the Air" is an introspective and passionate track reflecting upon human consciousness. It marked a departure from much of the band's previous work as it incorporates a more electronic-influenced sound as well as elements from new wave music.
Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams is the fourth studio album by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released through Virgin Records in the Netherlands on May 17, 2013, in the UK on May 20 and in the US on May 21. It was their first album in four years, following This Is War (2009), as well as their last album released through Virgin.
"City of Angels" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). Written by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who co-produced the song with Steve Lillywhite, "City of Angels" was inspired by Leto's experience of living in Los Angeles with his family and was influenced by the city's culture. Imbued with elements of synthrock as well as music from the 1980s, the track was cited as an example of the album's variety and experimentation. It was one of the first songs to be written for Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams, but required a long period of time to record.
The Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams Tour was the third worldwide concert tour by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars in support of the band's fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams.
"Conquistador" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). Written by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who also produced the song with Steve Lillywhite, "Conquistador" features combative lyrics and call-and-response verses. Described as the "wild child" of the album, it is an alternative rock song with influences and elements from electronica. Thirty Seconds to Mars premiered the song on Vevo on May 2, 2013, two weeks before the album's release.
The Carnivores Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American rock bands Linkin Park and Thirty Seconds to Mars. It was launched in support of Linkin Park's sixth studio album The Hunting Party (2014) and Thirty Seconds to Mars' fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). The joint tour was officially announced in March 2014 at a press conference, with the full itinerary being revealed. It began on August 8, 2014 in West Palm Beach, Florida and ended on September 19 in Concord, California, visiting arenas and stadiums throughout North America. It was promoted by Live Nation and sponsored in-part by Infinity. American rock band AFI served as the opening act for the tour.
Bartholomew Cubbins 2006–2014 is a collection of music videos by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released in the United States on April 13, 2015 by Sisyphus. It features all of the music videos directed for the band by frontman Jared Leto from 2006 to 2014 in addition to behind-the-scenes footage, covering the period from A Beautiful Lie (2005), This Is War (2009) and Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013).
"Walk on Water" is a song recorded by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fifth studio album America. It was produced by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who wrote the song alongside drummer Shannon Leto, with production contributions from Stevie Aiello, Arkadi Zaslavski and Mike Elizondo, among others.
America is the fifth studio album by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released on April 6, 2018 through Interscope Records. It is their first album in five years, after Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013), as well as their only release for Interscope, following the band's departure from Virgin Records in 2014. It is also the final album by the band to feature lead guitarist Tomo Miličević, who left the band two months after its release.
"Rescue Me" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fifth studio album America (2018). It was written and produced by Jared Leto and KillaGraham. "Rescue Me" was described as a song exploring themes such as pain, empowerment, faith, and freedom. Critics acknowledged eclectic influences that resonate throughout the track, including elements from dance-rock.
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