"Bored to Death" is a song recorded by American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Blink-182
Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their ...
for the group's seventh studio album, ''
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
'' (2016). The song was released as the lead single from ''California'' on April 27, 2016 through BMG. "Bored To Death" was written by the band's bassist and vocalist
Mark Hoppus
Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist for the rock band Blink-182, being the only constant member and the only one to appear on every album. ...
, drummer
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transpla ...
, guitarist and vocalist
Matt Skiba, and producer
John Feldmann
John Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger.
Early life
Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing song ...
. It is Skiba's first single with the band, and the first single to not feature original guitarist and vocalist
Tom DeLonge. The song was among the first written for ''California'', and was begun on the first day writing with Feldmann.
The song topped ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart, becoming the band's first number one in 12 years. It received positive reviews from music critics, who compared it to the band's older sound. The song's
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
, directed by Rob Soucy, finds a disenchanted teenager daydreaming about a girl while stuck in class at his high school. In promotion of the song, the group performed it on both ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'' and ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...
''. Electronic musician
Steve Aoki
Steven Hiroyuki Aoki (, ; born November 30, 1977), best known as Steve Aoki, is an American DJ, record producer, music programmer, and record executive. produced a
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
of the song, which was released in August 2016.
Background
![Feldy martin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Feldy_martin.jpg)
"Bored To Death" originated in the band's first recording session with John Feldmann in January 2016; the band also recorded nearly three other songs on that first day.
The chorus was written by Skiba as a response to Hoppus's verse of "us traversing a relationship and kind of navigating through when things get real murky." Skiba elaborated on its meaning an interview: "It's easier to say you're bored, or to be angry, than it is to be sad. To me, that's what that verse and that song represents."
Feldmann wrote the first draft of the chorus and presented it to Hoppus, who re-wrote portions and created the line "life is too short to last long." Feldmann noted that although he knew Hoppus, he felt as though he were auditioning for the job as producer.
"My idea for the song was very much, "let's throw everything and the kitchen sink at it," Feldmann said. "Let's do everything I can think of that reminds me of classic Blink: the guitar riffs, the kind of hip-hop/drum and bass songs, the half-time choruses like in "
Stay Together for the Kids
"Stay Together for the Kids" is a song recorded by American rock band Blink-182 for their fourth studio album, ''Take Off Your Pants and Jacket'' (2001). It was released as the second single from the album in September 2001. The track was compose ...
"."
Skiba heard the song and wrote the second verse, singing the vocal take in one pass.
Barker's drumming on the verses was inspired by
drum and bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
music. "John would be like, 'Trav, do some of that weird shit you play with
EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners, American band
Science and technology
* Electric dipole moment
* Electrical discharge machining
* Electronic distance measurement
*Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
or rap artists.' And I'd be like, 'OK,'" he said on the recording process.
At one point, Barker told Feldmann, "Why don't you give me one minute of
click and let me just play whatever the fuck I want?" His improvisational section became the song's conclusion.
Composition
The song's choruses contain the lyrics "Save your breath / I'm nearly bored to death / And fading fast / Life is too short to last long" over Barker's
half-time
In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...
drums. Hoppus and Skiba alternate on lead vocals between verses. The bridge of the song has Hoppus singing of a protagonist, encouraged by friends to approach a girl at a
dive bar
A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style drinking establishment with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and a local clientele ...
. The section features
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
swelling to a
crescendo
In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependi ...
. As the final chorus begins, Hoppus's vocals are isolated on the first half of the refrain.
Paul Brown of ''Wall of Sound'' described the song as a "catchy"
pop-punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
song.
Release
The song was scheduled to debut on April 28, 2016 during ''
Kevin and Bean
''Kevin and Bean'' was the morning show on KROQ-FM, an alternative rock-format radio station in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter. The show was on the air from 1990 to 2019 and interspersed music and n ...
'' on Los Angeles radio station
KROQ
KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock").
The st ...
, but was moved ahead by one day when the song leaked.
Its lyric video was published to
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
too early by the band's head of marketing. "I found out about it because we had just finished rehearsal and I literally picked up my phone to check my messages there were all these alerts saying 'I love the new Blink song,'" Hoppus said.
Disc jockey
Stryker
The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III. Stryker vehicles are produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for the United States Army in a plant in London, Ontario. It ...
premiered the song with Hoppus, Barker, and Skiba in the studio with him.
In promotion of the song and the album, the group performed "Bored to Death" on ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'' on July 1, and on ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...
'' on July 11, 2016.
Commercial performance
"Bored to Death" was first serviced to alternative radio on May 3, 2016.
The song was picked up by 57
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytic ...
-monitored alternative stations in the US and Canada in its debut week, more than tripling its competition.
It debuted at number 18 on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart and later at number 85 on
Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
. Its debut was the group's highest-ever on the former chart, and to that point in 2016.
Over the ensuing weeks, the song rose in positions, holding at number two for three weeks. For the week ending July 9, 2016, the song reached the top of the chart, marking the band's third number-one. It became the group's first chart-topper since "
I Miss You" in 2004, marking the second-longest span in between number ones in the chart's history, behind only
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...
.
"Bored to Death" also peaked at number six on the magazine's
Mainstream Rock Songs
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...
chart, making it the band's first top 10 to ever reach that chart, which is based solely on radio airplay.
Critical reception
"Bored to Death" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Gil Kaufman at ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' deemed it "a classic tale of teenage yearning, confusion and clumsy flirting."
The ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
'' Mike Damante felt the song was "undeniably Blink," calling it a "catchy summer single that equally showcases the band’s maturity while still tugging at your nostalgia strings." Michelle Geslani of
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
wrote that "this comeback single proves they haven’t lost their touch for big, albeit harmless, pop punk hooks."
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
columnist Loren DiBlasi felt it "proves Blink-182's resilience, and undeniable place within the world of pop-punk."
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
's Tom Breihan complimented its "grand, surging, arena-style," noting its "massed guitars and vast and heartfelt chorus." August Brown, reporting for the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', considered the track "a pretty spot-on update of the band's sound, pairing teenage nostalgia and tense drumming with a KROQ-ready chorus."
Jessica Goodman, writing for ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', gave the song an A−, commenting that "the tune is reminiscent of some of their most beloved tracks," and Sarah Grant at ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' opined that the song felt like a sequel to the band's 2001 single "
The Rock Show
"The Rock Show" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 for the group's fourth studio album, ''Take Off Your Pants and Jacket'' (2001). It was released as the lead single from the album on May 7, 2001. The track was composed primarily by bass ...
". Jake Bender of #Tealcheese wrote that the song "feels like it's trying way too hard to call back to blink fans from the peak of their popularity (''
Enema of the State
''Enema of the State'' is the third studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on June 1, 1999, by MCA Records. After a long series of performances at various clubs and festivals and several indie recordings throughout the 1990s, B ...
''), while combining that sound with the more modern and alternative rock aesthetic of their
self-titled album and ''
Neighborhoods
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; American and British English spelling differences, see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community ...
''."
Personnel
*
Mark Hoppus
Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist for the rock band Blink-182, being the only constant member and the only one to appear on every album. ...
– vocals, bass guitar
*
Matt Skiba – vocals, guitar
*
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transpla ...
– drums
Music video
The song's official music video debuted on June 20, 2016. In the clip, directed by Rob Soucy, a disenchanted teenager daydreams about his girlfriend of his dreams while stuck in class at his high school. The two sneak into pools, have fun on the beach, cause havoc in a record shop, and go to a punk rock concert. The video is intertwined with performance footage of Blink-182 performing. This video was also the last one to be uploaded to Blink-182's
VEVO
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
channel.
Remix
Electronic musician
Steve Aoki
Steven Hiroyuki Aoki (, ; born November 30, 1977), best known as Steve Aoki, is an American DJ, record producer, music programmer, and record executive. released a
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
of "Bored to Death" on August 31, 2016. Aoki professed to being a "huge" Blink-182 fan, dating back to their debut album ''
Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat ( or ) is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll in ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and known for its distinctive mischievous grin. While now most often used in ''Alice''-related contexts, the association of a "Ch ...
''. He had long wanted to work with the group, and became friends with Barker in 2010, which led to the opportunity. He worked with the band at Feldmann's studio not long after the song was recorded to exchange ideas before producing the remix on his own. In creating his remix, he desired to "make a fun, crazed out drop that would make kids go wild to this song at my shows. It's definitely the peak moment for me in my sets when I want the energy level at 11. I play this remix in every DJ set around the world, and I always stop the music to let the crowd know that Blink-182 is one of my favorite bands in the world."
The song premiered on ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' website on August 30, 2016, and was released digitally for purchase the following day. In addition, the song was released on a limited-edition 12-inch
picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone (phonograph) records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or colored vinyl. Collectors traditionally reserve the term picture disc for records with graphics that extend at lea ...
.
Track listing
* Digital download
# "Bored to Death" – 3:55
* Promo CD
(PROMOBMG1238)
# "Bored to Death"
(radio edit) – 3:33
# "Bored to Death" – 3:55
Steve Aoki remix
* Digital download
# "Bored to Death" (Steve Aoki Remix) – 3:58
* 12" vinyl
# "Bored to Death" (Steve Aoki Remix) – 3:58
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Radio and release history
References
{{authority control
2016 singles
2016 songs
Blink-182 songs
Songs written by Mark Hoppus
Songs written by Matt Skiba
Songs written by Travis Barker
Songs written by John Feldmann
Song recordings produced by John Feldmann