Imperfection (song)

Last updated
"Imperfection"
Evanescence - Imperfection.png
Single by Evanescence
from the album Synthesis
ReleasedSeptember 15, 2017 (2017-09-15)
RecordedFebruary–August 2017
Studio Spaceway Productions
Genre
Length4:22
Label BMG
Songwriter(s) Evanescence
Producer(s)
Evanescence singles chronology
"Lost in Paradise"
(2012)		"Imperfection"
(2017)		"Hi-Lo"
(2018)
Music video
"Imperfection" on YouTube

"Imperfection" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their orchestral-electronica fourth studio album, Synthesis (2017). It was released as the lead single from the album on September 15, 2017. Amy Lee wrote the song about fighting for one's life, from the perspective of someone left behind after a loss. Produced by Will "Spaceway" Hunt and Lee, "Imperfection" fuses electronic and symphonic music with trip hop percussion. An accompanying music video was released on October 19, 2017.

Contents

Background and composition

"Imperfection" is a song on Synthesis. [1] [2] [3] On the album, the songwriting is credited to Evanescence and programmer Will B. "Spaceway" Hunt, with production by Hunt and Amy Lee. [4] [5] The recording process and making of the song is featured in the documentary From the Inside: The Creation of Synthesis, which was included in the deluxe edition of the album. [6] A clip of it is uploaded to the band's YouTube channel as part of the webisodes titled Inside Synthesis. [7]

Lee wrote the song from the perspective of someone "left behind" after a loss to suicide and depression. [1] [5] For Lee, it was the most important song on the album, describing it as a "plea to fight for your life", and not giving in to the fear; "I have to tell myself that every day. Nobody is perfect ... it's precisely those imperfections that make us who we are, and we have to embrace them because there's so much beauty in those differences. Life is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.". [1] [8] Lee confessed in 2019 that the song became "more special" to her following her brother's passing in January 2018. [9]

"Imperfection" has a "classical base", and fuses electronic and symphonic music with influences from EDM, hip hop music and R&B, featuring trip hop beats, a "swaggering cadence" and belting from Lee. [12] On the album, it is preceded by a piano solo that transitions into the song. [2] Lyrically, the track was described by NME as "an emotional moment dealing with suicide and depression." [3]

Release and reception

"Imperfection" was released as the album's lead single for digital download and streaming on September 15, 2017. [6] [13]

Rolling Stone's Ryan Reed stated that Evanescence "achieve electronic-symphonic symmetry" on the song. [1] Stephen Dalton of Classic Rock commented that both of the album's new songs are "classy, stadium-sized anthems that couch soaring Bond-theme melodrama in supple trip-hop shudders and sumptuous, vaguely Middle Eastern string swirls. [14] Kerri-Ann Roper of Belfast Telegraph highlighted "Imperfection" as one of the great tracks on the album. [15] Kerrang! 's Sam Law praised the song's composition. [11] Writing for Alternative Press , Jordan Toney said it's "the perfect mixture of classic Evanescence along with mixing in their new sound" and the "quick pacing of Lee's voice almost provides a suspenseful feel that's only relieved when Lee hits those long notes that she can hit so well." [16]

Music video

"Imperfection"'s video premiered first on NME on October 19, 2017, before being available on Evanescence's YouTube channel. [3] [17] The piano solo that segues into "Imperfection" on the album introduces the song in the video. [2]

Track listing

Digital download [18]
No.TitleLength
1."Imperfection"4:23

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Synthesis. [4]

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
US Alternative Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [19] 19
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [20] 39
US Rock Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [19] 21

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
United StatesSeptember 15, 2017 BMG [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evanescence</span> American rock band

Evanescence is an American rock band founded in 1995 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. The band released their first live album and concert DVD, Anywhere but Home, in 2004, which sold over one million copies worldwide.

<i>Origin</i> (Evanescence demo album) 2000 demo album by Evanescence

Origin is the first 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 on 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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bring Me to Life</span> 2003 song by Evanescence

"Bring Me to Life" is the debut single by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). Wind-up released it as the album's lead single on April 7, 2003, following its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Daredevil. The song was written by Amy Lee when she was 19 about having been desensitized in an abusive relationship and realizing things she had been missing in life. Guitarist Ben Moody and David Hodges also share songwriting credits on the song, which features guest vocals from Paul McCoy of the band 12 Stones. Produced by Dave Fortman, "Bring Me to Life" is primarily a nu metal song. The male vocals, which are rapped, were forced by the label against Lee's wishes in order to market it in the musical landscape of the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Immortal (song)</span> 2003 song by Evanescence

"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 "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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody's Fool</span> 2004 song by Evanescence

"Everybody's Fool" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen. Wind-up Records released the song on May 31, 2004 as the album's fourth and final single. It was written by Amy Lee in 1999 about the promotion of unrealistic and hyper-sexualized ideals of perfection in the industry, with detrimental influence on the youth's expectations and self-image. Guitarist Ben Moody and David Hodges also share songwriting credits on the song, which was produced by Dave Fortman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Going Under</span> 2003 song by Evanescence

"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.

<i>The Open Door</i> 2006 studio album by Evanescence

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, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evanescence discography</span>

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 1995 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Call Me When You're Sober</span> 2006 song by Evanescence

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithium (Evanescence song)</span> 2006 single by Evanescence

"Lithium" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, The Open Door. It was released by Wind-up Records on December 4, 2006 as the album's second single. "Lithium" was written by singer and pianist Amy Lee and produced by Dave Fortman. Lee initially wrote it on guitar when she was 16 years old, and later reworked it on piano, recording it with the band's performance. The song is a power ballad with lyrics about uncertainty between feelings of sorrow and happiness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Lee</span> American musician (born 1981)

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. Alongside her contributions with the band, Lee has also participated in other musical projects, including Nightmare Revisited and Muppets: The Green Album, composed the soundtrack to the films War Story (2014) and Indigo Grey: The Passage (2015) with cellist Dave Eggar, and the song "Speak to Me" for the film Voice from the Stone (2017). She has also collaborated with other artists such as Korn, Seether, Bring Me the Horizon, and Lindsey Stirling. A classically trained pianist, Lee possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Sacrifice</span> 2007 single by Evanescence

"Sweet Sacrifice" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, The Open Door. It was released on May 25, 2007, as the album's third single. The song was written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo, and produced by Dave Fortman. It is about coming out of the abusive relationship that inspired much of Lee's writing on the debut album. "Sweet Sacrifice" received generally positive reviews by critics, and was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 50th Grammy Awards. Its music video was directed by P.R. Brown.

"Lacrymosa" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, The Open Door (2006). The song was composed by singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Terry Balsamo, with production by Dave Fortman and choral arrangements by Lee. It incorporates the Lacrimosa sequence from Mozart's Requiem (1791), which was originally performed in the key of D-minor and transposed into E minor for the song.

<i>Evanescence</i> (Evanescence album) 2011 studio album by Evanescence

Evanescence is the third studio album by American rock band Evanescence, released on October 7, 2011, by Wind-up Records. The band began writing the album in June 2009. Its release was delayed several times; on February 22, 2010, the band entered the studio with producer Steve Lillywhite but later stopped working with him because he "wasn't the right fit". At the time the album was scheduled for an August or September 2010 release, but Lee later announced that Evanescence had suspended recording to write more material. On April 11, 2011, the band returned to the studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz. It is the second and final studio album to feature guitarist Terry Balsamo who departed from the band in August 2015, also the first album to feature the guitarist Troy McLawhorn, bassist Tim McCord and drummer Will Hunt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Heart Is Broken</span> 2011 song by Evanescence

"My Heart Is Broken" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on October 31, 2011, as the second single for their eponymous third studio album (2011). An alternative version appears on the band's fourth studio album Synthesis (2017). The track was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo, Tim McCord, Will Hunt and Zach Williams, while production was handled by Nick Raskulinecz. Musically, "My Heart Is Broken" is an uptempo rock ballad, whose instrumentation consists of piano, guitars and drums. Lee revealed that the song was written after seeing victims of sex trafficking. The recording received favorable reviews from music critics, who praised the combination between Lee's vocals and piano playing, as well as its fellow instrumentation; several of them chose it as a highlight on the album. On music charts, "My Heart Is Broken" reached number 36 on the Austrian Singles Chart, number 92 on the German Singles Chart and number 34 on the US Adult Top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost in Paradise (Evanescence song)</span> 2012 song by Evanescence

"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).

<i>Synthesis</i> (Evanescence album) 2017 studio album by Evanescence

Synthesis is the fourth studio album by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on November 10, 2017, through BMG Rights Management. The album includes reworked orchestral and electronica arrangements of some of the band's previous material, in addition to two new songs, "Imperfection" and "Hi-Lo". The orchestra was arranged and conducted by David Campbell, with the album's production handled by Will Hunt (Spaceway) and Amy Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Synthesis Live</span> 2017–18 concert tour by Evanescence

Synthesis Live was a concert tour by American rock band Evanescence, in support of their fourth studio album, the orchestral and electronica-based Synthesis (2017). This was the first tour where the band performed with an orchestra on stage. For each city on the tour, a local orchestra was assembled by conductor Susie Seiter. Synthesis Live included 60 concerts in cities across North America in 2017 and 2018, four concerts in Oceania and 18 concerts in Europe in 2018. The tour received critical acclaim.

<i>The Bitter Truth</i> 2021 studio album by Evanescence

The Bitter Truth is the fifth studio album by American rock band Evanescence. After pandemic delays, it was released on March 26, 2021, through BMG Rights Management. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz, it is the band's first album of all-new material since their 2011 self-titled third album. The Bitter Truth received a generally positive critical reception. It reached number 11 on the US Billboard 200, top five on the Billboard Independent, Alternative, Hard Rock, and Rock Albums charts, and the top 10 of multiple international album charts.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Reed, Ryan (September 15, 2017). "Hear Evanescence's Operatic New Song, 'Imperfection'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Amy Lee Of Evanescence reflects on the band's career and influence ahead of their Australian tour". Don't Bore Us. December 19, 2017. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Trendell, Andrew (October 19, 2017). "Evanescence unveil emotional video for new single 'Imperfection'". NME . Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Synthesis (liner notes). Evanescence. BMG. 2017. 538337812.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. 1 2 3 Exposito, Suzy (November 14, 2017). "Review: Evanescence Flourishes With the Classical Makeover of 'Synthesis'"". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Evanescence return with new track Imperfection". Metal Hammer. September 15, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  7. ↑ "EVANESCENCE - Inside Synthesis: Episode 2 - Imperfection". YouTube. September 29, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  8. ↑ DiVita, Joe (October 20, 2017). "Evanescence's 'Imperfection' Video Is a Call to Keep Fighting". Loudwire. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Evanescence'ın kurucu lideri Amy Lee: Kimse mükemmel değil ve dünyayı güzel yapan da bu!". Hürriyet (in Turkish). September 7, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  10. ↑ Bowar, Chad (November 10, 2017). "Evanescence Find Orchestral Bliss With 'Synthesis' – Album Review". Loudwire . Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  11. 1 2 "The 20 greatest Evanescence songs – ranked". Kerrang! . August 21, 2020. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  12. ↑ [1] [5] [10] [11]
  13. ↑ "Evanescence Drop New Video For Imperfection". Kerrang!. October 25, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  14. ↑ Dalton, Stephen (November 28, 2017). "Evanescence – Synthesis album review". Classic Rock . Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  15. ↑ Roper, Kerri-Ann (November 10, 2017). "Albums of the week: DIY SOS's Nick Knowles, Shed Seven, Evanescence and Tears For Fears". Belfast Telegraph . Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Evanescence release electronic-infused single, "Imperfection"". Alternative Press . September 15, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Evanescence - Imperfection (Official Video)". Evanescence. October 19, 2017 – via YouTube.
  18. 1 2 "Imperfection (Explicit)". United States: 7digital. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  19. 1 2 "Evanescence Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Evanescence Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.