"Going Under" | ||||
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Single by Evanescence | ||||
from the album Fallen | ||||
Released | August 18, 2003 | |||
Genre | Nu metal | |||
Length | 3:35 | |||
Label | Wind-up | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Dave Fortman | |||
Evanescence singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Going Under" on YouTube |
"Going Under" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). It was released by Wind-up Records as the album's second single on August 18, 2003. Lee wrote the song about coming out of a difficult relationship. Guitarist Ben Moody and David Hodges share songwriting credits on the song, produced by Dave Fortman. Musically, "Going Under" is primarily a nu metal song featuring electronic drum beats and a piano interlude.
"Going Under" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its anthemic theme and Lee's voice. The song peaked at number five on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart, charted in the top ten in the UK, Brazil, Italy and New Zealand, and the top 40 in various other European countries and Australia. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association. Its music video was directed by Philipp Stölzl in Berlin, and the outfits worn in it were designed by Lee. The video depicts a feeling of being trapped and overexposed, with shots of Lee underwater and the band performing live while spectators from the audience and elsewhere turn into demon-like bodies.
Lee wrote "Going Under" about "coming out of a bad relationship". She described the feeling as, "when you're at the end of your rope, when you're at the point where you realize something has to change, that you can't go on living in the situation that you're in." [1] Lee later said that after completing the songs in Fallen that came out of an abusive relationship, she was listening to her words on "Going Under" and felt that in the chorus she would have liked to have written instead the notion of "I'm leaving and I'm not going to put up with this anymore", thinking to herself "you know what you need to do and you're not doing it." [2] The song is an expression of her "coming to the realization that I was going to stand up for myself and make a change", and was the most honest she'd been lyrically at the time. [3] [4] Lee wanted it to be the album's first single. [4] The song was produced by Dave Fortman. Ben Moody and David Hodges also share songwriting credits on it. [5]
Lyrically, the song acknowledges a hard relationship that is beyond repair and needs to end, with an empowering angle. [6] [7] [8] Lee's vocals change from a whisper to a scream throughout the song. [6] [7] According to the sheet music published by Alfred Music Publishing on the website Musicnotes.com, "Going Under" is set in common time and performed in slow and free tempo of 84 beats per minute. [9] The verses are in the key of B minor, while the chorus in its relative, D major. Lee's vocal range for the song runs from the low musical note of E3 to the high musical note of D5. [9]
AllMusic described "Going Under" as "nu-metal grind lightened by the tinkling pianos and hip-hop-inspired backing vocals". [10] Billboard said the song is characterized by the "stop/start cadence" of the guitar, "rippling piano and Lee's defiant wail". [11] Loudwire called it an "arena ready, anthemic rocker". [6] It was described as "goth-meets pop" by Houston Chronicle . [12] MusicOMH said it contains "Lee's temptress vocals, pseudo-electronic beats à la Linkin Park, understated but menacing metallic riffs in the background, and a ripping, radio-friendly rock chorus", alongside goth and pop elements. [13] The Boston Globe said "Going Under" is "a mix of Lee's ethereal soprano, piano interludes, and layers of serrated guitar crunch". [14] In the song, Lee "shifts from a deeper register to her piercing soprano above bracing nu-metal riffs", Rolling Stone wrote. [15]
"Going Under" was initially supposed to serve as the first single from Fallen but its release was scrapped in favor of "Bring Me to Life". [18] It was released as the second single from Fallen on August 18, 2003. [19] The UK single, released 22 September 2003, [20] contains the album version of the song, a live acoustic version recorded at WNOR in Norfolk, Virginia, as well as an acoustic cover of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" recorded at WXDX-FM in Pittsburgh. The music video for the song is also included on the CD single. [10] [21]
Tim Sendra of AllMusic called "Going Under" "one of the harder tracks" on Fallen. [10] Vik Bansal of MusicOMH said the song "is more than strong enough to ensure Evanescence aren't consigned to the bin of one-hit wonders" after "Bring Me To Life". [13] Sam Law of Kerrang! noted that "Going Under" was "the moment Lee stepped properly into the spotlight", and it became an "unassailable anthem for fans struggling through hard times". [7] Christopher Gray of The Austin Chronicle said that "Going Under" is one of the album's songs connected by "yoking Lee's inner turmoil to the band's tumultuous riffs". [22] In his criticism of the album, PopMatters writer Adrien Begrand deemed Lee's voice and delivery the song's highlight, with her vocals "swirl[ing] around the by-the-numbers guitars and drum machine". [23] Christa Titus, writing for Billboard , regarded "Going Under" to be "just as impressive" as their debut single, and the combination of the guitar's "stop/start cadence", the "rippling piano" and Lee's "defiant wail pack a startling wallop." [11] Rolling Stone said the song is an example of the "horror-movie-level ambience" in the album "that was as chilling as it was campy". [15]
In 2004, "Going Under" was nominated for the Kerrang! Award for Best Single. [24] In 2011, Mary Ouellette of Loudwire placed "Going Under" at number seven on her list of 10 Best Evanescence songs, calling it a "perfect arena ready, anthemic rocker" and praising Lee's gradually increasing vocals, which show "her massive range and ability to control her larger than life pipes." [6] Brittany Porter from AXS placed it at number two on her list of the band's best ten songs in 2016. [8]
"Going Under" did not chart on the main US Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number four on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, which acts as a 25-song extension to the Hot 100. [25] It also peaked at number five on the Alternative Songs chart on October 5, 2003, where it has spent a total of 25 weeks charting. [26] "Going Under" also reached 26 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, [27] and 24 on the Active Rock chart. [27] On March 25, 2017, the song debuted on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, and peaked at number 14 on April 10, 2021. [27]
The single entered the top 30 in various countries across Europe. It debuted and peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart on October 4, 2003, [28] and at number two on the UK Rock & Metal Singles and Albums Charts. [29] In 2013, it re-entered the UK Rock & Metal Singles and Albums Charts at the position of 23. [30] In Italy, the song debuted at number 16 on October 16, 2003 and later peaked at number nine on January 1, 2004, spending a total of five weeks in the chart's top 20. [31] "Going Under" also peaked at number 16 in France, [32] number 15 in Germany [33] and 13 in Switzerland. [34] In Australia, it debuted and peaked at number 14 on the ARIA charts on August 31, 2003. [35] It was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2003, denoting shipment of 35,000 copies in that country. [36] In New Zealand, the song peaked at number four on October 5, 2003 and spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart. [37]
The music video for "Going Under" was filmed in Berlin, Germany under the direction of Philipp Stölzl, the same director of the clip for "Bring Me to Life". [1] Lee designed both outfits she wears in the music video. She stitched the white dress used in the underwater scenes during her recovery from an illness at a hotel in Los Angeles, California, which was the original filming location intended for the music video. [1] She said that the dress was ripped up and contained "shreds of different fabric" that swirl underwater; she deemed it something "someone who died would wear". [1] The red corset she wears was custom-made for US$2,500. [38]
The video begins with Lee in a dressing room before a concert, with multiple women touching her face and their faces begin to distort. Moody is shown being overwhelmed by several reporters and photographers at a press conference, where he sees their faces distort. Lee and the band perform the song on stage, and throughout the performance the audience's faces transform from normal to demonic-like zombies. Several shots show Lee underwater, surrounded by glowing jellyfish. At the end of the video, Lee looks at Moody whose face shortly turns into a demon, alarming Lee who walks offstage. [39]
In 2013, Lee explained that the video was a hint at the more plastic, darker side of fame, and "bit of a metaphor to my feelings about being so overexposed all of a sudden ... It felt pretty unnatural at times, and it is a little scary when it feels like everybody feels like they know you inside and out on a very deep level ... [the video is] a little bit of an allusion to that." [16] According to Joe D'Angelo of MTV News, the shots of Lee drowning in the video show a "distressed and emotionally wrought heroine". [40] The video ranked at number four on Billboard 's list of The 15 Scariest Music Videos Ever in 2013, writing: "Evanescence compares the trappings of fame to being haunted by ghouls". [39] In 2016, the song's video was also included on the UK Official Charts Company's list titled "13 of the scariest, spine-chilling videos in the history of music", with writer Justin Myers calling the scenes of audience members turning into zombies "pretty freaky". [41]
Evanescence performed the song live at the 2003 Teen Choice Awards taking place on August 2, [42] and at the 2003 American Music Awards on November 16. [43] A live performance of the song from their Le Zénith, Paris concert during the Fallen tour is featured on their 2004 live album and DVD, Anywhere but Home . [44] [45] Evanescence performed the song at the 2011 Rock in Rio festival on October 2, 2011, [46] and on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 15, 2011. [47]
"Going Under" can be heard in the credits of the video game Enter the Matrix , and also features at the end of the trailer of the 2006 film Tristan & Isolde . [48] [49] The song was also released as downloadable content for Rock Band Network. [50]
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [36] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [84] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [85] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [86] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | June 16, 2003 | Alternative radio | Wind-up | [87] |
July 7, 2003 |
| [88] | ||
Australia | August 18, 2003 | CD | [19] | |
United States | August 25, 2003 | [89] | ||
Europe | September 8, 2003 | CD |
| [33] |
United Kingdom | September 22, 2003 |
| [90] |
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. After releasing independent EPs as a duo in the late '90s and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut studio album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Propelled by the success of hit singles like "Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal", Fallen sold more than four million copies in the US by January 2004, garnering Evanescence two Grammy Awards out of six nominations. They released their first live album and concert DVD, Anywhere but Home, in 2004, which sold over one million copies worldwide.
Fallen is the debut studio album by American rock band Evanescence, released on March 4, 2003, by Wind-up Records. Co-founders singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody began writing and recording songs as Evanescence in 1994, and after releasing two EPs and a demo CD, they signed to Wind-up in January 2001. Several of the songs from their earlier independent releases feature on Fallen. The album was recorded between August and December 2002 in several studios in California. It is Evanescence's only studio album to feature Moody, who left the band in October 2003.
Origin is a demo album by American rock band Evanescence. A compilation of home-recorded demos from 1996-1999, the CD was self-released and sold at local shows, and then packaged to showcase to record labels. A total of 2,000 copies were made and sold by the Bigwig Enterprises website from November 4, 2000 to 2003. Origin contains demos written and recorded by co-founders Amy Lee and Ben Moody for their earlier independent EPs in the 1990s, including "Whisper", "Imaginary", and "My Immortal", which appear on their debut album Fallen (2003).
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"Bring Me to Life" is the debut single by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). It was released by Wind-up as the album's lead single on January 13, 2003, following its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Daredevil.
"My Immortal" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). It was released by Wind-up Records on December 8, 2003 as the album's third single, following its inclusion on the soundtrack to the film Daredevil. The song was written by singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody when they were 15. Several versions were recorded, with the earliest in 1997. Wind-up used the recording from their 2000 demo CD on Fallen against Lee's wishes, which featured Lee's demo vocals and a MIDI keyboard. Strings from Daredevil composer Graeme Revell were added during the production of Fallen. The single, dubbed the "band version", is the re-recording Lee and Moody made for Fallen, featuring guitar, drums and bass after the bridge and a string arrangement by David Campbell. An alternative version of the song appears on the band's fourth studio album Synthesis (2017).
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The Open Door is the second studio album by American rock band Evanescence, released on September 25, 2006, by Wind-up Records. Amy Lee had full creative control of the record, incorporating new elements into their previous musical styles, including her classical influences, homemade sounds, industrial rock, symphonic metal, progressive rock, electronica and the use of choirs on several songs. The album was written in the course of 18 months, and the recording process was delayed as a result of guitarist Terry Balsamo's stroke. Most of the songs were co-composed by Lee and Balsamo, with production handled by Dave Fortman.
American rock band Evanescence has released five studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, two demo albums, three extended plays, eighteen singles, nine promotional singles, two video albums, and eighteen music videos. Evanescence was founded in 1994 by Amy Lee and Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. The band's lineup comprises Lee, guitarist Troy McLawhorn, guitarist Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt, and bassist Emma Anzai. As of 2022, the band has sold over 31.9 million albums.
"Call Me When You're Sober" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, The Open Door. It was released as the album's lead single on September 4, 2006. The track was written by Amy Lee and guitarist Terry Balsamo, and produced by Dave Fortman. A musical fusion of alternative metal, symphonic rock, and electropop, the song was inspired by the end of Lee's relationship with singer Shaun Morgan as well as Lee's other experiences at the time.
"Losing Grip" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the fourth single and the first track from her debut album, Let Go, in March 2003. The song was written by Lavigne and Clif Magness, and produced by Magness. The song, which is lyrically about Lavigne "losing grip" with her boyfriend as they are just not meant to be, is much heavier with grunge oriented sounds than most of the songs on Let Go that had a more poppy feel. She performed "Losing Grip" at the Juno Awards of 2003. The song's video single was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 22, 2003.
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Amy Lynn Lee is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, lead songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Evanescence. A classically trained pianist, Lee began writing music at age 11 and co-founded Evanescence at age 13, inspired by various musical genres and film scores from an early age. Lee has also participated in other musical projects, including Nightmare Revisited and Muppets: The Green Album, and composed music for several films, including War Story (2014), Indigo Grey: The Passage (2015), and the song "Speak to Me" for Voice from the Stone (2017). She has also released the covers EP Recover, Vol. 1 (2016), the soundtrack album to War Story, the children's album Dream Too Much (2016), and collaborated with other artists such as Korn, Seether, Bring Me the Horizon, Lindsey Stirling, Body Count, and Wagakki Band. Lee sings in a mezzo-soprano vocal range.
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"What You Want" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was released as the lead single from the band's third eponymous album on August 9, 2011 through Wind-up Records. The song was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo and Tim McCord and produced by Nick Raskulinecz. Lee described "What You Want" as a departure from the band's previous sound and said she was inspired to write the song by several experiences she had with her fans. Musically "What You Want" contains a variety of musical elements and it uses drums, guitars, synthesizers and a piano. Lyrically, the song has a theme of freedom.
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"Lost in Paradise" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their third self-titled studio album, Evanescence (2011). An alternative version appears on the band's fourth studio album, Synthesis (2017). Although initially penned by frontwoman Amy Lee as a personal song and anticipated to become a B-side, it was later recorded for the album. Wind-up Records released the song as the third single from the album on May 25, 2012. It was produced by Nick Raskulinecz. A snippet of the song premiered online on July 15, 2011, prior to its album's release in October. Musically, "Lost in Paradise" is a rock ballad that begins with piano, strings, and Lee's vocals before the band kicks in during the climax. Lyrically, it is inspired by the struggles in Lee's life during Evanescence's hiatus. The song was compared to Björk's song "Jóga" (1997) and the band's own "My Immortal" (2003).
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