A Symptom of Being Human explained

A Symptom of Being Human
Cover:A Symptom of Being Human - Live.jpg
Caption:Cover art for the 2024 live single release
Type:single
Artist:Shinedown
Album:Planet Zero
Released:February 22, 2023
Recorded:2021
Studio:Big Animal Studio (Charleston, South Carolina)
Length:4:08
Label:Atlantic
Producer:Eric Bass
Prev Title:Dead Don't Die
Prev Year:2023

"A Symptom of Being Human" is a song by American rock band Shinedown. It was released on February 22, 2023, as the fourth single from their seventh studio album Planet Zero (2022).

The song was a sleeper hit, reaching the Mainstream Top 40 and topping the Mainstream Rock Songs chart in early 2024.

Background

Unlike all of Shinedown's previous singles, "A Symptom of Being Human" was initially not released to Mainstream Rock radio due to its much softer sound, and instead was released to Hot Adult Contemporary radio.[1] On June 23, a "Pop Remix" was released, which turns the song into an upbeat song in the style of modern top-40 hits.[2] In January 2024, the song became the band's nineteenth to top the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, extending their record for the most number ones in the chart's history.[3] The song also entered the Billboard Pop Airplay chart on the week of March 2, 2024, becoming Shinedown's fourth song on the chart, and the first one since "If You Only Knew" in 2009–2010.

Lyrics and composition

Frontman Brent Smith stated that "A Symptom of Being Human" is written about his struggles with mental illness and the social stigma surrounding it he endured throughout his life.[4] Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone described the song as a "mid-tempo piano ballad about self-doubt, anxiety, and anything that threatens our mental health".[5]

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[6] 40

Notes and References

  1. Shinedown Adult Pop Airplay Chart History . 2023-06-26 . Billboard . en-US.
  2. June 23, 2023. Shinedown Score a Mainstream Hit with 'A Symptom of Being Human': 'It's a Song About Taking a Breath' (Exclusive). Despres. Tricia. January 13, 2024. People.
  3. Shinedown Adds to Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 Record With 'A Symptom of Being Human'. Rutherford. Kevin. Billboard. January 12, 2024. January 13, 2024.
  4. Web site: What Brent Smith Understands About Being Human Psychology Today . 2023-06-26 . www.psychologytoday.com . en-US.
  5. Shinedown Are Outgrowing Hard Rock With an Unexpected Pop Hit . January 23, 2024 . February 2, 2024 . . en-US.
  6. Adult Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023.