"Dirty Laundry" is a song 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

All Time Low All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland, formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band to ...

for their seventh studio album, ''

Last Young Renegade ''Last Young Renegade'' is the seventh studio album by American pop-punk band All Time Low. It was released on June 2, 2017, and is their first release with Fueled by Ramen. The lead single, "Dirty Laundry", premiered on BBC Radio 1 on February 1 ...

'' (2017). It was released as the album's lead single on February 17, 2017 and serves as the group's first release on the

Fueled by Ramen Fueled by Ramen LLC is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by 300 Elektra Entertainment. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida in 1996, is now based in New York City. History John Janick conceived of the l ...

label. The song impacted American

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

radio on March 7, 2017.

Content

"Dirty Laundry" is primarily a

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

song with influences of

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...

in its production. The song begins with a guitar

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...

and a " dance-esque beat" that build over the course of the song toward a climax near the end of the song. Lead vocalist

Alex Gaskarth Alexander William Gaskarth (born 14 December 1987) is an English-born American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter for the American rock band All Time Low since its formation in 2 ...

's vocals likewise start soft and reach a "raw and powerful" sound later. Lyrically, the song encapsulates a previous relationship and accepting the mistakes both parties have made in the past. "Dirty Laundry" is "about leaving the past where it belongs, and loving the people around you for not only their light, but their darkness too," according to Gaskarth.

Critical reception

Emma Ramsbottom of ''

Redbrick A red brick university (or redbrick university) was originally one of the nine civic universities founded in the major industrial cities of England in the 19th century. However, with the 1960s proliferation of plate glass universities and t ...

'' wrote that the song's new sonic territory was "somewhat refreshing" and that "Dirty Laundry" left her "feeling excited for what's to come" on the album. Heather Allen of ''Mind Equals Blown'' rated the song 6/10, writing that it was "simply okay." Allen wrote that "what "Dirty Laundry" lacks in musical familiarity and anthemic quality... it makes up for in darker tones and honest lyrics."

Commercial performance

"Dirty Laundry" debuted and peaked at number 16 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rock Songs chart dated March 11, 2017. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 91 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and at number one on the UK Rock & Metal Singles chart for the week ending March 2, 2017, becoming the group's third chart-topper on the latter.

Music video

An accompanying music video, directed by Pat Tracy, premiered on February 17, 2017. Set in a

laundromat A self-service laundry, coin laundry, laundromat, or coin wash is a facility where clothes are washed and dried without much personalized professional help. They are known in the United Kingdom as launderettes or laundrettes, and in the Unit ...

, the video revolves around a vivid daydream experienced by band frontman Alex Gaskarth. The final scene, where Gaskarth loads his laundry into a

Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once- domesticated animals, the ...

and drives away, nearly resulted in a

collision In physics, a collision is any event in which two or more bodies exert forces on each other in a relatively short time. Although the most common use of the word ''collision'' refers to incidents in which two or more objects collide with great fo ...

due to oversteering.

Charts

Release history

Personnel

– lead vocals, rhythm guitar * Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals * Zack Merrick – bass, backing vocals * Rian Dawson – drums, percussion * Serban Ghenea - mixing

References

{{Authority control 2017 songs 2017 singles All Time Low songs Fueled by Ramen singles Electronic rock songs Songs written by Alex Gaskarth Songs written by Nicholas Furlong (musician) Songs written by Colin Brittain