"Mantra" | ||||
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Single by Bring Me the Horizon | ||||
from the album Amo | ||||
Released | 21 August 2018 | |||
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Length | 3:53 | |||
Label | ||||
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Producer(s) |
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Bring Me the Horizon singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Mantra" on YouTube |
"Mantra" (often stylised in all caps) is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish,it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo . The track was released as the lead single from the album on 21 August 2018,topping the UK Rock &Metal Singles Chart and spending three weeks at that spot.
Bring Me the Horizon released "Mantra" as their first new material since That's the Spirit on 21 August 2018,the day before the band's sixth studio album Amo was announced. [1] The song was originally teased with a promotional campaign including a billboard in London,which featured the lyric "Do you wanna start a cult with me?" The billboard also contained a phone number that contained a sample of the track,and the website joinmantra.com was set up to reveal the single's release date. [2] The group performed the track live for the first time at Reading Festival on 23 August, [3] followed by a performance at Leeds Festival the following day. [4]
"Mantra" has been described as a hard rock, [5] [6] [7] alternative rock, [8] electronic rock, [9] pop rock, [10] and pop metal song. [11] Speaking to music magazine Metal Hammer ,vocalist Oliver Sykes revealed that "Mantra" was inspired by Wild Wild Country ,a documentary about controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh,explaining that "As I was watching it and trying to write lyrics at the same time,I was drawing these similarities to cults and love." [12] Moving on to speak about the lyrics,he added that "Starting a relationship –especially a marriage –is like starting a cult,a small two-man cult,because you have to give yourself over completely to this person,you have to trust them,you have to love them unconditionally ... so that's where the thinking behind the song came from". [12]
Musically,"Mantra" is described by NME writer Tom Connick as featuring "a twisted,glitchy electronica intro" followed by a "festival-headline-baiting chorus",contributing to a sound that he claims is "built for huge stages". [13] Connick goes on to claim that the electronic elements of the song "add atmosphere". [13]
The music video for "Mantra" was released on 24 August 2018,three days after the song was first made available. [14] According to music website Consequence of Sound ,the video "depicts frontman Oli Sykes as a cult leader,as his followers hang on his every word". [15] Revolver magazine's John Hill outlined that "The visuals in the video clash repeatedly,elements of video games,late-night infomercials,and church sermons all run on a closed loop next to each other for a vicious effect",describing it as "crazy". [16] Similarly,Emmy Mack of Music Feeds dubbed the video "batshit crazy". [17]
Tom Connick of the NME praised "Mantra" as "an inventive cut of ballsy,bluesy modern rock,fit for stadiums and headline slots",highlighting the electronic elements of the song and the vocal performance of Oliver Sykes. [13] Axl Rosenberg of MetalSucks criticised the song,calling it "drek" and joking,"If you hate everyone in your immediate vicinity,turn your speakers way up and crank "Mantra"." [18]
In 2019,"Mantra" was nominated for the Best Rock Song category at the 61st Grammy Awards and was also nominated for Best Song at the Kerrang! Awards.
Credits adapted from Tidal. [19]
Bring Me the Horizon
Additional personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [40] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [41] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [42] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
In 2020, Japanese girl group Passcode covered the song on their official YouTube channel. [43]
British rock band Bring Me the Horizon have released seven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, one remix album, two extended plays (EPs), one demo album, 35 singles, two video albums, 38 music videos, two other releases and three other appearances. Formed in Sheffield in 2004 by vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarists Lee Malia and Curtis Ward, bassist Matt Kean and drummer Matt Nicholls, the band released their debut EP This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For on Thirty Days of Nights Records in 2005, which reached number 41 on the UK Budget Albums Chart. After signing with British independent record label Visible Noise, the group released their debut full-length studio album Count Your Blessings in 2006, which reached the top 100 of the UK Albums Chart and the top 10 of the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart. The 2008 follow-up Suicide Season reached the UK top 50 and charted in the US for the first time when it reached number 107 on the Billboard 200. In November 2009, an expanded version of the album titled Suicide Season Cut Up! was released, featuring remixes and videos.
"Sleepwalking" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Written by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was produced by Terry Date and appeared on the band's fourth studio album Sempiternal, released in 2013. The song was released as the second single from the album on 1 March 2013, reaching number three on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.
"Drown" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon released on 21 October 2014. Originally released as a stand-alone single, a remixed version features on the band's fifth studio album That's the Spirit and was released as the lead single. The track, musically, marks a shift away from the band's previously established metalcore sound. Rather, it was described by critics as a pop-punk-leaning emo and rock song, being the later showcased as arena rock. It is available to play in the music video game Guitar Hero Live, added on 12 January 2016.
"Happy Song" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by keyboardist Jordan Fish and vocalist Oliver Sykes, it was featured on the band's 2015 fifth studio album That's the Spirit and released as the second single from the album on 13 July 2015. The single topped the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and reached number 55 on the UK Singles Chart, number 2 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and number 19 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
That's the Spirit is the fifth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. The album was released on 11 September 2015, and marks a departure from the group's metalcore roots, in favour of a less aggressive alternative rock and metal style.
"Throne" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by keyboardist Jordan Fish and vocalist Oliver Sykes, it was featured on the band's 2015 fifth studio album That's the Spirit and released as the third single from the album on 24 July 2015. The single topped the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, and reached number 51 on the UK Singles Chart and number 12 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
"True Friends" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by keyboardist Jordan Fish and vocalist Oliver Sykes, it was featured on the band's 2015 fifth studio album That's the Spirit. The song was also released as the fourth single from the album on 20 November 2015, reaching number 91 on the UK Singles Chart and topping the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.
"Follow You" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by keyboardist Jordan Fish and vocalist Oliver Sykes, it was featured on the band's 2015 fifth studio album That's the Spirit. The song was also released as the fifth single from the album on 26 February 2016, reaching number 95 on the UK Singles Chart and topping the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.
"Avalanche" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by keyboardist Jordan Fish and vocalist Oliver Sykes, it was featured on the band's 2015 fifth studio album That's the Spirit. The song was also released as the sixth single from the album on 27 June 2016, reaching number 97 on the UK Singles Chart and number seven on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.
Amo is the sixth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Originally scheduled for release on 11 January 2019, it was released on 25 January 2019. The album was announced on 22 August 2018, a day after the release of the lead single "Mantra". It was produced by vocalist Oli Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, and was written and recorded primarily in Los Angeles.
"In the Dark" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the seventh and final single from the album on 21 October 2019.
"Medicine" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the third single from the album on 3 January 2019.
"Sugar Honey Ice & Tea" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the sixth single from the album on 26 July 2019. The title is a euphemism and acronym for "shit".
"Mother Tongue" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the fourth single from the album on 22 January 2019 and has spent twelve non-consecutive weeks on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart as of July 2019.
"Wonderful Life" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon featuring Cradle of Filth vocalist Dani Filth. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the second single from the album on 21 October 2018.
"Ludens" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was released as the fifth single of the soundtrack Death Stranding: Timefall on 6 November 2019, and was featured as the first single from the group's 2020 commercial release Post Human: Survival Horror.
"Parasite Eve" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish and written by the entire band, it was released as the second single from the group's 2020 commercial release Post Human: Survival Horror on 25 June 2020. The song samples "Erghen Diado" written by Petar Lyondev and performed by the Bulgarian Female Vocal Choir; Lyondev is credited as a co-writer.
"Obey" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon and English singer Yungblud. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was released as the third single from the group's 2020 commercial release Post Human: Survival Horror on 2 September 2020.
"Teardrops" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was released as the fourth and final single from the group's 2020 commercial release Post Human: Survival Horror on 22 October 2020.
"Die4U" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by BloodPop and Evil Twin, it was released as the lead single from the band's seventh studio album Post Human: Nex Gen on 16 September 2021. The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in February 2022.
The song picks up where they left off on 2015's That's the Spirit, grinding together some extremely catchy hard rock with some heavy guitar work.
'Medicine' leans towards the band's more pop and electronic side, rather than the hard rock edge of previous singles 'Mantra' and 'Wonderful Life' or their metalcore roots.
And different it is. The new tune takes That's The Spirit's knack for alt-rock bombast...
Mantra, a crunching slice of electro-rock bedecked with streamer cannons
The announcement comes after the band's release of their new electronic pop-rock track "Mantra" after teasing fans with billboards and a mysterious phone number asking fans to join their "cult."
Gone are the days of the deathcore scene kids; in their place, we have some of the best pop metal tracks ever put to record, including "Mantra," "Medicine," "Mother Tongue" and "Sugar Honey Ice & Tea."