Thunder Demons Believer Imagine Dragons

Thunder Album: Evolve (2017)
Demons Album: Night Visions (2012)
Believer Album: Evolve (2017)
by Imagine Dragons

Here, Dan Reynolds sings about having big dreams of being a star on stage as a kid. He recalls being laughed by his classmates for such ambitions, but in the second verse, the Dragons frontman flips the script on those who mocked him.

Now I'm smiling from the stage
While you were clapping in the nose bleeds
Reynolds explained to the Las Vegas Review Journal that the song is about coming into one's own.

"'Thunder' is: 'I'm so happy for a really (crappy) middle school and high school existence and getting kicked out of college,' " he said. "It's reflecting on all those things and saying, 'Good, I'm happy for all that because that brought me to this place of being. It created angst inside of me that bred art.'"
The song was co-produced by Imagine Dragons and Alex Da Kid, who is probably best known for his collaboration with Eminem and Rihanna ("Love The Way You Lie"). He has been a regular collaborator with the Dragons for a while now and worked on several of the group's previous hits including "Radioactive," "Demons," "Sucker For Pain."
The song soundtracked Jeep's summer 2017 "One Drive" commercial. The ad asserts that freedom is never far away behind the wheel of their SUV brand. The track also featured in Microsoft Surface Laptop's "Powerfully Beautiful" ad, which aired a few months later.
The music video was directed by Joseph Kahn (Eminem and Rihanna's "Love The Way You Lie", Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do") and shot in Dubai. The clip features Dan Reynolds performing while some creepy alien beings contort their bodies in all sorts of strange ways.

"We knew that we wanted an alien environment, or something that we could twist in a way that would be perceived as alien," Reynolds told ABC Radio. "Dubai has some really strange architecture, amazing architecture and landscapes."
That's Dan Reynolds singing the song's high-pitched chorus rather than one of his three daughters - Arrow, Gia and Coco.

"It's funny 'cause a lot of people have asked me if that's my five-year-old girl who's singing the 'Thunder' part in it," Reynolds told ABC Radio, referring to Arrow. "It's actually my own voice that I just pitched up!"

"Thunder" logged its 52nd week on the Hot 100 dated May 5, 2018. It was Imagine Dragons' fourth song to spend at least a year on the chart, an unprecedented achievement. The band was already the first act with three such hits: "Radioactive," "Demons," and "Believer."

Imagine Dragons linked up with Alex Da Kid for Demons, one of four Night Vision cuts that he contributed towards. The English Hip-Hop producer is best known for co-writing Eminem's hit single "Love The Way You Lie" and Dr Dre's successful tune, "I Need A Doctor."

Alex Da Kid and the producer's engineer Josh Mosser wrote the song along with the band. It finds lead singer Dan Reynolds warning a loved one not to get too close to him as he is "dark inside." He is more than aware of his imperfections and wants to protect the loved one from himself.

Running just 2:55, Demons is one the shortest hit songs of its era. It shaves time by bypassing an intro and going right into the verse ("When the days are cold..."). The song relies on its story, so getting right into it plays to its strength. The song also ends abruptly, punctuating the theme: "It's where my demons hide."

The Night Visions album title came together organically and ties into Demons. Vocalist Dan Reynolds explained: "We all sat in a room and wrote out what the band and sound of the album means to us. We all deal with our own demons and anxieties but we find that nothing calms the mind more than creating. Many of the songs on the album were written late into the night, and some of the lyrical themes came from dreams I've had, even some nightmares. So when the title Night Visions came up, it just seemed to fit perfectly. We hope it inspires other to create, and push through their own struggles."

Demons's music video depicts images of Imagine Dragons performing the song at a hometown show in Las Vegas mixed with scenes of audience members thinking about their own personal demons. Director Isaac Halasima added a snippet at the clip's conclusion showing the band dedicating their hit "It's Time" to cancer victim Tyler Robinson. The 17-year-old fan subsequently died from the illness.

Demons logged 61 weeks on the Hot 100. In doing so, Imagine Dragons became the first act to have two songs that spend at least 60 weeks on the chart. ("Radioactive" spent a record-breaking 87 weeks on the Hot 100.)

Demons featured in the official theatrical trailer for the 2012 film The Words as well as the soundtrack for the 2012 movie What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Throughout his life Dan Reynolds has struggled with depression, along with ADD, anxiety issues and a chronic inflammatory condition called ankylosing spondylitis. For the first song from the band's third album, he sings about dealing with his emotional problems. The track was released on January 31, 2017.

Singing from heart ache from the pain
Take up my message from the veins
Speaking my lesson from the brain
Seeing the beauty through the... pain!

"This last year has really been the most centered and positive of my life," said Reynolds. "This song (Believer) explains my realization that the emotional pain I faced the last few years actually helped me progress to this healthier mental space - that adversity truly is what helps you become a believer in yourself."
Imagine Dragons produced the song alongside the Swedish production duo Mattman & Robin, whose other credits include Nick Jonas' "Close," DNCE 's "Cake By The Ocean" and Selena Gomez's "Hands To Myself."

Believer soundtracks the Nintendo Switch 2017 Super Bowl commercial, which shows off its latest gaming system.

Believer's music video was directed by Matt Eastin, who previously shot the clips for Imagine Dragons' "On Top Of The World," "Roots" and "Shots (Broiler Remix)." The psychedelic visual finds Dan Reynolds preparing to fight action star Dolph Lundgren in a boxing match.

"Believer' is about finding a place of peace and self-confidence," Reynolds said. "The video depicts a man facing his inner self, the toughest critic of all while paying homage to some of the classic movies we grew up with."

Dan Reynolds expanded on the track's background: "The meaning of the song is really reflecting on specific things in my life that were painful," he explained to People. "Whether it was anxiety and dealing with crowds, feeling overwhelmed by that or the success of the band, disease, going through depression - anything that was a source of pain in my life. And just rising above that, finding a place of perspective where I could be appreciative of the pain in my life and make it my greatest strength."
The song soundtracked a Bleacher Report video tribute to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Believer's chorus soundtracks the closing moments of the trailer for the 2017 movie Murder on the Orient Express.

Believer featured in the last episode (The Sweet Hereafter) of Riverdale's first season on May 11, 2017. It soundtracked a steamy scene when Betty and Jughead are making out, and are then interrupted by The Serpents. The track continues to play through the rest of the show's closing montage.

Dan Reynolds co-wrote the song with pop songwriter Justin Tranter, who has also co-written popular tunes with Hailee Steinfeld ("Love Myself"), Justin Bieber ("Sorry") and Selena Gomez ("Good For You"). It was one of four Evolve tracks that the pair wrote together. Reynolds told Billboard magazine how he came to collaborate with the hitmaker:

"Justin Tranter is amazing. My wife Aja Volkman sings for a band called Nico Vega who used to tour back in the day with Justin's band Semi Precious Weapons, so we were friends with him to begin with.

I had never really co-written before, so I had some anxiety about it. Justin was respectful. We got in the room and I told him it was important to me to write all my lyrics, and he was super rad about that. He's a melodic genius. So he helped me melodically to be a sounding board. He's just a great person. I love Justin and I count him as one of my most dear friends."