| On My Way | |
| Type: | single |
| Cover: | Alan Walker - On My Way.png |
| Artist: | Alan Walker, Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko |
| Album: | World of Walker |
| Chronology: | Alan Walker |
| Prev Title: | Are You Lonely |
| Prev Year: | 2019 |
| Next Title: | Live Fast |
| Next Year: | 2019 |
"On My Way" is a song by British-born Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, American singer Sabrina Carpenter and Puerto Rican singer Farruko, released as a single on 21 March 2019 through MER and Sony Music. Farruko also contributes a Spanish verse.[1]
The song was written by Julia Karlsson, Gunnar Greve, Franklin Jovani Martinez, Marcos G. Pérez, Fredrik Borch Olsen, Jesper Borgen, Øyvind Sauvik, Anders Frøen and Anton Rundberg alongside Walker, Carpenter and Farruko. The production was done by Alan Walker and Big Fred. Karlsson and Carpenter previously worked together on Carpenter's song "Bad Time".
On 9 March 2019, Alan Walker began teasing the song via his social media.[2] On 14 March 2019, Alan Walker formally announced the song along with its release date.[3] After the announcement of the song, rumours circulated that Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko would feature on the song. Alan Walker confirmed their involvement in the song on 19 March 2019.[4] On 20 March 2019, Walker announced that he partnered with PUBG Mobile for the first anniversary of the game, and that the song would be the event's theme song.[5]
"On My Way" is a song that runs for 3 minutes and 13 seconds.[6] It is composed and songwritten in the key of D minor (or C minor) with a tempo of 85 beats per minute. It features Walker's signature future bass style and lyrically, the song is about getting out of a bad relationship.[7] Walker states in an interview that the song is based on the DJ Okawari song "Flower Dance".
The music video, directed by Christian Berg, was produced to coincide with the song's release and received 80 million views in just over a month after its release on YouTube;, it has received over 555 million views and 9.7 million likes.[8] [1]
It was later revealed that the video, along with the music videos for Walker's later songs "Alone, pt. II" and "Heading Home," consisting of "Tired," "All Falls Down," "Darkside" and "Diamond Heart," respectively They are tied to the events of the previous "World of Walker" tetralogy. Despite this, the later video trilogy is portrayed as a prequel to the original tetralogy." The music video for "Paradise" is set between the two trilogies.
We meet Lily in her apartment in Paris. She is sitting in front of her complex computer setup: several monitors where she does research into her theories. Here she hacks into encrypted systems and extracts classified information. With the help of her hacker friends in the secret online community, she finds secret state information about mysterious discoveries and excavations that are kept hidden from the public. She sees a specific rock formation appear in several places spread across the earth. Eight stone monoliths placed in a specific formation. Beneath them, inexplicable objects from the past have been unearthed. Lily is convinced that the rock formations hide a greater truth and decide to dig deeper into this trail. Lily is checking out a lecture on "Lost advanced ancient civilizations". Prof. Zoran Babić is an expert in mystical archaeology and has previously advanced controversial theories that have shaken academic circles and historians. He challenges established truths and is often frowned upon in the serious research environments. Lily presents her theory to Prof. Babić. She is convinced that the monoliths found across the globe have a connection that must be taken seriously. She is met with laughter and disbelief. Even by an expert with an interest in alternative theories that can often seem conspiratorial. He dismisses her theories, but she refuses to let herself be stopped. She believes in her theory too strongly to give up. Lily looks into the classical museum, Le Château Fontainebleau. Here one finds a collection of exclusive art and literature from centuries back in time. She is captivated by a large painting from the 18th century. The artist lived close to one of the rock formations in former Yugoslavia. It is likely that the artist and his contemporaries have dug up the stone monoliths and found messages from the past below them. The leader in the painting is holding a technical object in his hand. The shape of the object is reminiscent of the placement of the eight stone monoliths. Lily grasps the connection and rushes to the historical library. She is on the verge of something huge. In the library at Le Château Fontainebleau, Lily gets her big break in her research. She finds an illustration that views the 8 monoliths from above. She draws lines between the eight points and suddenly sees the shape of the drone; the object from the painting. It is all connected! She realizes that it is not just a symbol, but possibly a map to where all the archaeological treasures are buried. Lily rushes home to her apartment. She knows about seven previously- discovered rock formations from before. She hangs pictures of these at their sites, on a world map. She draws lines between them and watches the AW symbol gradually appear, as expected. There are eight locations on the map, but only seven of them have already been found. She now sees the location of the final site that has not yet been excavated. A message from the past that has not yet been found by modern humans. She travels to a small village, in the north of France. She ends up in a field and finds the eight stone monoliths as expected. To prove her theory, and that these are not only random stones, she places mirrors between all eight stones. She then turns on her laser pen, and the laser beam forms the AW symbol between the mirrors. A definite sign from our ancestors that must be taken with the greatest degree of seriousness. Lily goes back to Prof. Zoran Babić to show her new discoveries. She interrupts his lecture to show the formation she has found in the field. He is astounded and immediately realizes that she has discovered something very special. He contacts his powerful friends within the research community. A short time later, the peaceful field has been converted into a large excavation site. Scientists and archaeologists are working flat out to discover what lies beneath the eight mysterious stone pillars. Lily's friend, Alan is closely monitoring the digs. He is one of Lilys few real life friends outside the online community. He has until now been an important supporter of all her adversity. He will prove to have a far greater importance in the future. We see the archaeologists brushing dust from mysterious archaeological objects that appear far too advanced for the time they come from. A gigantic AW symbol, carved in stone, is hoisted from the ground while the surrounding archaeologists applaud enthusiastically. This removes all doubt; Lily is about to uncover a previously unknown civilization. She is going to be a news sensation around the world. The young student no one believed has gone against the current and proved everyone else wrong. The previously empty lecture hall is now packed for her lecture and her name is heard on all the news channels.
On 10 May 2019, the alternative video was posted on Alan Walker's YouTube channel, encouraging viewers to "choose their path" of either two video versions of Carpenter and Farruko in the official alternative music video, both were posted on their respective channels that same day. The two versions of the alternative music video indicated different searches, pieces of evidence, and artefacts that the female protagonist was searching (depending on the viewer's choice) which led to each versions ending with the same outcome, which is the scene where tombstones with stone formations which were laid on the site, that took place a month before the events of the official music video when the artefacts were being unearthed and discovered.
Alan Walker's interactive alternative video received over 1.7 million views (as of 30 December 2020),[9] while Carpenter and Farruko's alternative music videos received over 13 million views and 34 million views,[10] respectively.
Carpenter and Walker performed the song on Good Morning Americas Summer Concert Series.[11]
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| China Airplay/FL (Billboard)[12] | 7 |
| Greece (IFPI)[13] | 56 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[14] | 31 |
| Malaysia (RIM)[15] | 1 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[16] | 31 |
| Romania (Airplay 100)[17] | 40 |
| Singapore (RIAS)[18] | 10 |
| South Korea (Gaon)[19] | 131 |
| Chart (2019) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia (RIM)[20] | 10 | |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] | 99 | |
| US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[22] | 19 |
| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 21 March 2019 | Original | MER, Sony | [23] | |
| Italy | 12 April 2019 | Contemporary hit radio | [24] | ||
| Various | 25 June 2019 | Da Tweekaz Remix | [25] |