Believer

Album: Evolve (2017)
Charted: 42 4
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Songfacts®:

  • Throughout his life, Imagine Dragons frontman 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 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."
  • The song soundtracks the Nintendo Switch 2017 Super Bowl commercial, which shows off its latest gaming system.
  • The song'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.
  • The song's chorus soundtracks the closing moments of the trailer for the 2017 movie Murder on the Orient Express.
  • The song 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."

Comments: 7

  • Starmask from Naugatuck,connecticutI like the part in all of them. pain you made me a you made me a believer, believer. pain you break me down you build me up believer, believer paaaaiiiiiiinnn I let the bullets fly I let them raaaaaiiiiiiinnn my love my life everything came from. PAIN you made me a you made me a believer, believer.
  • Alondra from Pompano Beach, FloridaI like your song and i like this part last things last by the grace of the fire and the flames, You're the face of the future the blood in my veins ooh.
  • Siddhant Adhikari from Nepalnice song bruh nice job
  • Siahara Shyne from Us Virgin Islandsi love this part. ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ
    ɪ'ᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀɪʟ, ɪ'ᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ꜱᴇᴀ
  • AnonymousKind Of A Good Song, Amsterdam Was Better
  • Siahara Shyne Carter from United StatesThe beat is really cool but the lyrics needs more lyrics Pain? you make me a believer then.
  • Dbh from Mti thought for sure this was a father son thing
see more comments

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