Strangers (Bring Me the Horizon song) explained

Strangers
Cover:Strangers - BMTH.jpeg
Type:single
Artist:Bring Me the Horizon
Recorded:2022
Label:
Producer:
Chronology:Bring Me the Horizon
Prev Title:Bad Life
Prev Year:2022
Next Title:Lost
Next Year:2023

"Strangers" (stylised as "sTraNgeRs") is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by Zakk Cervini, BloodPop and Evil Twin, it was released as the second single from the band's seventh studio album on 6 July 2022.[1] [2] [3]

Promotion and release

On 27 May 2022, the band unveiled an edited version of "Strangers" for the first time during a DJ set at their Malta Weekender Festival.[4] [5] The band were originally meant to release the single prior to the festival but were unable to due to not being able to shoot a music video in time.[6] On 22 June, they formally announced the official release date of "Strangers" for 6 July 2022.[7] On the day of the song's release, "Strangers" was premiered on BBC Radio 1 during Clara Amfo's "Future Sounds" segment as the "Hottest Record" ahead of the music video being released an hour later.[8] [9]

Composition and lyrics

"Strangers" has been described by critics as pop-punk,[10] [11] [12] alternative rock,[12] [13] pop rock,[14] hard rock,[15] and an emo song.[16] The song was written by the band's lead vocalist Oliver Sykes, keyboardist Jordan Fish, guitarist Lee Malia, Caroline Ailin and BloodPop, while it was produced by Zakk Cervini, BloodPop and Evil Twin. The song touches on the different kinds of trauma in its lyrical content and how Sykes wanted to use that to bring people with mental health problems together.[17] Sykes explained his thought process on how the song came together:

In an interview with Maniacs, Fish expressed his feelings about what "Strangers" meant to him and the band in terms of the importance of their musical progression:

Music video

The official music video for "Strangers" was premiered on YouTube one hour after the single was released on 6 July 2022. The video was directed by Thomas James, marking this the first time Sykes hasn't had music video directorial duties since "Mother Tongue".[18]

The band asked fans to anonymously share their own personal struggles and stories that the band used to inspire the disturbing narrative and visuals that transpire in the music video.[19] The music video for "Strangers" features disturbing visuals of people being overtaken by alien-like viruses in desolated warehouses, suffering in pain while their faces are being horrifically mutated into contorted figures. The band perform the song simultaneously as the video alternates between the various scenes. Revolver compared the video to the likes of a Saw film crossed with Alien.[20] The video was also noted of taking inspiration from the classic dark rock videos of the 1990s.[21]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[22]

Bring Me the Horizon

Additional personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2022–24)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA)[23] 32
Germany Rock Airplay (Official German Charts)[24] 5
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[25] 36

Year-end charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Hard Rock Songs (Billboard)[26] 27
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[27] 46

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon share powerful video for new single 'Strangers'. NME. Neale. Matthew. 6 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  2. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon drop new single sTraNgeRs and personal music video. Kerrang!. Carter. Emily. 6 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  3. Web site: Emily. Carter. Bring Me The Horizon announce new album and arena tour. Kerrang!. 10 June 2023. 10 June 2023.
  4. Web site: Oli Sykes Unveils New Bring Me The Horizon Track "Strangers" During DJ Set At Malta Weekender Festival. Mxdwn. Lee. Abigail. 27 May 2022. 22 August 2022.
  5. Watch Bring Me the Horizon debut new song 'Strangers' at Malta festival. Rolling Stone. Krol. Charlotte. 27 May 2022. 22 August 2022.
  6. Web site: hmmmmmmmmm. (Wayback Machine). 22 May 2022. 22 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220923113130/https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/809441071934603285/989545462354808892/IMG_20220524_095016.jpg. 23 September 2022.
  7. Web site: Listen to Bring Me The Horizon's teaser for new single Strangers. Metal Hammer. Brannigan. Paul. 23 June 2022. 22 August 2022.
  8. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon Hottest Record. BBC Radio 1. 6 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  9. Web site: BRING ME THE HORIZON Releases New Single 'Strangers'. Blabbermouth.net. 6 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  10. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon Updates Mid-2000s Emo/Punk with Anthemic New Song "sTraNgeRs"; Tour This Fall. Pairing an emo-styled pop-punk structure with a soaring chorus and lyrics about mental health and internal struggles, it’s an example of the group taking what’s been done before (in this case, the Warped Tour scene of the mid-2000s) and updating it with that BMTH energy.. Garro. Adrian. Rock Cellar. 6 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  11. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon aim for the masses with new song, "sTrAnGeRs". Interestingly, the song seems influenced by modern pop-punk (and pop-punk adjacent) acts like nothing,nowhere in particular.. NewFuryMedia. 6 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  12. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon Gets Personal On Their Mid-2000s Inspired Single "Strangers". Sonically, “Strangers” leans more into pop-punk and alt rock territory than some of Bring Me The Horizon’s previous projects.. Sullivan. Kelsey. Soundigest. 11 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  13. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon's new single 'sTraNgeRs' is built for singing your guts out to. It's called 'sTraNgeRs' (as the Sheffield quintet stylise it), and finds BMTH leaning into an anthemic alt-rock mode.. Newstead. Al. Triple J. 7 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  14. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon Share Radio-Rock Single 'sTrAnGeRs'. Following on from ‘Die4U‘, BMTH have continued down the pop-rock territory with ‘sTrAnGeRs’, with Oli Sykes leading with his raspy cleans and the band tuned into radio-rock mode.. Aarons. Ricky. Wall of Sound. 7 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  15. Web site: BRING ME THE HORIZON Release New Single "sTraNgeRs", Touring North America This Fall. A hard rocking heart-breaking tune that chronicles a conversation between lovers who are at their breaking point.. Lawrence Guzman. Richard. Glasse Factory. 1 August 2022. 15 November 2022.
  16. Web site: Bring Me the Horizon Reveal Emo-Leaning 'sTraNgeRs' Song + Video. He then taught the crowd the emo-leaning lines, "We're just a room full of strangers / Looking for something to save us / Alone together.". Childers. Chad. Loudwire. 6 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  17. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon Find Catharsis In Community On New Song "sTraNgeRs". Genius. Partridge. Ken. 7 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  18. Web site: Bring Me The Horizon 'Strangers' by Thomas James. Promo News. Ulitski. Rob. 14 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  19. Web site: WATCH: Bring Me The Horizon share fan-inspired video for 'sTraNgeRs'. Hot Press. Holland. Nora. 7 July 2022. 23 August 2022.
  20. Web site: See Bring Me the Horizon's Horrifying, NSFW Video For New Song "Strangers". Revolver. Enis. Eli. 6 July 2022. 23 August 2022.
  21. Web site: Inner Demons Come to Life in Surreally Twisted Bring Me The Horizon Video. IBBOnline. 13 July 2022. 23 August 2022.
  22. Web site: Credits/Strangers/Bring Me the Horizon . Tidal. 6 July 2022. 23 August 2022.
  23. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 18 July 2022. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1689. 9. 18 July 2022.
  24. Web site: Radio No9 Charts [Week 37/2022]]. Radio-No9. 28 September 2022.
  25. Web site: HOT 40 SINGLES. Recorded Music NZ. 18 July 2022. 22 August 2022.
  26. Year-End Charts: Hot Hard Rock Songs (2022). Billboard. 2 December 2022.
  27. Year-End Charts: Mainstream Rock Airplay Songs (2022). Billboard. 2 December 2022.

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