"Believer" A Musical Analysis Blog
"Believer" A Musical Analysis Blog
"Believer", by imagine dragons was released on February 1, 2017 and was written by Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben Mckee, Daniel Platzman, and Justin Tranter featuring Dan Reynolds as lead vocalist. Imagine Dragons is an alternative/pop rock band who have received multiple music awards. Imagine Dragons has always been one of my favorite bands and with their release of believer, my craving for an alternative song with an energetic, rock feel was satisfied. Their song Believer, tells of the struggles in different areas of Dan Reynold's life where pain was prevalent. It explains how he wrestled with and overcame certain difficulties by using different sources of pain as his newfound strength. Their music video visually captures his suffering and acceptance of painful struggles throughout in his life.
Believer - Imagine Dragons-2017, USA
Lyrics
The lyrics to believer contain incredibly descriptive words, allowing the listener to visualize the meaning of the song. The lyrics are sung confidently, with purpose and rage to communicate the determined feel of the song. The title believer, comes from the struggles Dan Reynolds experienced throughout his life, which helped him learn to believe in himself. This song includes 4 verses, each being 4 lines long. The verses are structured in an organized way, making them easy to identify.
Verse 1: "First Things First"
Verse 2:" Second Things Second"
Verse 3: "Third Things Third"
Verse 4: "Last Things Last"
Rhythm: Beat, Tempo & Syncopation
The strong, powerful feel of this song is due to the rhythm, which contains specific musical elements that create a constant forward momentum. The drum beat is in 4/4 while the vocals are in 12/8 during the pre-chorus. The lyrics in the pre-chorus are sung in triplets with a forward pushing feel of " one-and-a, two-and-a, three-and-a, four-and-a". At 125 BPM, the tempo is set at a fast Allegro. Syncopation is found in the supporting drum beat throughout the song. It is most prominent in the beginning of the song with accented, off-the-beat snaps, which keep the forward momentum going.
Texture & Melody
The melody of believer contains both conjunct and disjunct parts. There are smooth, easier to play sections as well as jumpy, more difficult sections with notes that are farther apart. The harmonic texture of this song is homophonic. It contains accompanying instruments and vocals that refrain from dominating the melody. Instead, the accompaniment supports the rhythm and drives it forward.
Dynamics & Accents
Although verse 1 and the pre-chorus are both sung at a confident volume, they are at a much softer volume than the chorus. The vocalist uses this lower volume to lead into the explosive chorus that is amplified by the addition of accompanying singers and drum beats. With a startling drum beat, believer begins almost as abruptly as it ends, with plenty of accents found throughout. Between the end of the pre-chorus and the beginning of the chorus, the heavily accented word "Pain" is used as a remarkable transition. With a sudden entrance of the combined drum beat as well as vocal accompaniment, the feeling of Dan Reynold's suffering and struggle is emphasized.
Form
This song demonstrates the use of Ternary form, including multiple verses, a repetitive chorus, and a bridge. After verse 4, there is a half pre-chorus containing only 4 lines. These 4 lines replace a bridge while emphasizing the most descriptive words and using them to drive into the final chorus (Frederick 2020).
Other opinions on the song
It is safe to say Believer was well received by listeners as it " was the number one song on several Billboard year-end charts" and " was the fifth best-selling song of 2017 in the United States" according to Wikipedia. This song was used in various advertisements, Tv shows, and movie trailers, all of which helped the song gain its notoriety. A harsher critique done by Sam Bodnar explains his impression of the song, " Abrupt crescendos and weak key fluttering completely dismantle the solid route that this single has." He continues, " Once the first round of the chorus concludes, however, I go back to enjoying this single" (Bodnar 2017). As a non-proponent of technologically-based music, it is easy to understand his dislike for all the techno accompaniment in this song. Personally, I can appreciate the energy and complexity it adds.
Sources
Frederick, Robin. "Hit Songwriting: 'Believer' by Imagine Dragons." Songwriting Tips and Inspiration, 26 Apr. 2020, Hit Songwriting: "Believer" by Imagine Dragons – Songwriting Tips and Inspiration (robinfrederick.com)
"Believer (Imagine Dragons Song). " Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Oct. 2021, Believer (Imagine Dragons song) - Wikipedia
Bodnar, Sam. "Single Review- Imagine Dragons: 'Believer." Mind Equals Blown, 18 Feb.2017,Single Review - Imagine Dragons: "Believer" - Mind Equals BlownMind Equals Blown
Hi Olivia! I'm a huge fan of Imagine Dragons and this song in particular. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on texture and melody and your focus on conjunct and disjunct parts. I feel like that's the main reason this song is so catchy because it changes around so much. It's not just the same types of sections like some other songs. My favorite part in the song has always been when he transitions into the chorus with the accented word "pain", and you totally nailed the description of that part. I like how you included some criticism into your blog. Not everyone likes the same kind of music, so it's important to remember that there will always be people who introduce some criticism into every new piece of music. I was looking at some articles online about how quickly this song gained momentum in 2017. I'll include the link. It's super interesting!
ReplyDeleteLink: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8046150/imagine-dragons-biggest-band-2017-interview/
Hi! This song has been downloaded on my phone forever, but reading your analysis made me realize and hear a lot of things about this song that I haven’t before. The thing that surprised me most was the lyrics organizing the verses. I cannot believe that I have probably listened to this song hundreds of times but never made the connection that he says “first things first” all the way to “last things last” (it’s very clever). I also agree with you about the drum beats. They are very heavy and powerful in the beginning, almost like a marching beat. Given that you like this song, I would suggest you listen to Fall Out Boy. You probably already do, but I believe Uma Thurman by Fall Out Boy has a similar vibe. https://youtu.be/CBswx7GEARc
ReplyDeleteI love this song! I love the lyrics especially so I was so glad to see you include how the verses and how they change. I also loved how you included the lead vocalist, Dan Reynolds background. Made the song more meaningful, in my opinion. I think you could have used more of the bands background. But that's just me. I think you did a wonderful job. Well done.
ReplyDelete