One Republic is an American rock band from Colarado Springs, Colarado who is known for their hit singles such as “Apologize” and “Stop and Stare.” They formed in 2003 by lead vocalist, Ryan Tedder and lead guitarist, Zach Filkins and began on Myspace, where they were “discovered” and signed. The song “Counting Stars” is the third single on the band’s Native album, released this year. According to Tedder, the upbeat songs allowed him to show the full capacity of his voice that was not previously prevalent in the earlier works.
Tedder reportedly wrote ended up with the song after trying to write an interpretation of a folk song he had heard, but it came out very different. There is a lot of speculation on what the lyrics to the song actually mean. Some people think that its about the struggles of a recovering drug addict, trying to do the right thing for those that he loves, but despairs when they fail (“I feel something so right, by doing the wrong thing”). Others say that this is actually referencing poverty and the feeling of staying up all night wondering if the bills can be paid (“Lately I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep..”).
In my opinion, I think the song is about holding onto hope, even when your life seems pointless (“I’m just doing what we’re told,” then later,”Everything that downs me, makes me wanna fly”). I think this is supported in the music video in that it is a Christian revival service that gets everyone all happy and hopeful again, only to have the ground disappear (literally!) from under them (devastation and lost of hope), but the guy who falls through just gets backs up.
One Republic is an alternative band that was formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder (vocals) and Zach Filkins (guitar). Soon later they added Eddie Fisher (drums), Brent Kutzle (bass and cello), and Drew Brown (lead guitar). They were signed by Columbia Records to create their first single. They were successful with the release of their single, “Apologize.” It’s the original version from the band’s debut album Dreaming Out Loud. Unfortunately, Columbia Records dropped them but the band continued to stay together. With the popular internet website, MySpace they were able to gain acknowledgement. Many fans and other bands helped One Republic though MySpace by voting for them. Couple months after, Timbaland’s Mosley Music Group signed them and a remix of the song was created and featured on Timberland album, Shock Value. The remix was a huge success and reached number one in many countries. Unlike its former single, the remix topped its former peak. It also brought out extra beats, vocals and made the alternative style to a R&B style. The band performed all over the world. They performed in popular TV shows like ‘Fox’s Do You Think You Can Dance’ and ‘American Idol.’ The song “Apologize” is pretty self-explanatory; it’s a song that we all can refer to. He is talking about the pain of relationship. According to their website, they wrote, the song “Apologize” explores the personal pain of multiple relationships gone away and the necessity of moving on. The lyrics portray a torn relationship between two once loved people.
Elements of Music
1. Texture
a. Homophonic
2. Timbre
a. Male Voice
b. Cello
c. Bass
d. Piano
e. Guitar
f. drum
3. Melody
a. Minor
4. Harmony
a. Consonant
5. Rhythm – Tempo
a. Slow – relaxing speed
6. Rhythm – Meter
a. Duple
7. Genre
a. Rock, Alternative
8. Composer
a. Ryan Tedder
b. Timbaland
9. If there is text, who wrote the text
a. Ryan Tedder