"End of Me" is a song by Canadian punk band

Billy Talent Billy Talent is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup change ...

. It was released on September 10, 2021 as the fourth single for their sixth album, ''

Crisis of Faith A crisis of faith is a deep and painful questioning, loss, or transformation of belief. Commonly, the term is used in reference to a crisis of religious faith, such as doubt about the existence or doubt about the goodness of God, but it can also b ...

'', and features Weezer frontman, Rivers Cuomo, on guest vocals. The song was written by Ben Kowalewicz, Ian D'Sa, Jonathan Gallant, Jordan Hastings, and Cuomo.

Background

Billy Talent cites the first half of the 1990s as one of the most influential eras of music for them, specifically noting Weezer's ''Blue Album''. While writing "End of Me", Kowalewicz and D'Sa felt that the song combined elements of Weezer (specifically listing ''

Pinkerton Pinkerton may refer to: Places * Pinkerton, Ontario, named after surveyor and early settler Matthew Pinkerton * Pinkerton's Landing Bridge, railroad bridge in Pennsylvania People * Allan Pinkerton (18191884), Scottish detective and spy * Bill ...

'') with John Frusciante and

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

, and even went as far as to call the song "Hendrix+Weezer" before giving it an official name. Eventually, they asked Cuomo to sing on the song, to which he agreed:

"We tracked it, mixed it and mastered it… And a couple months later, I was like, 'Nope, every time I hear it, I hear Rivers singing on it – we have to get him on this song.' And we've never met Rivers! Our manager gave his manager the song, and about a month later, we found out that he loved it and was happy to be part of it. He sent it back like BAM!" - Ben Kowalewicz

Lyrically, the song addresses standing by your loved ones, regardless of the negative impacts they can sometimes have on your life.

Release and reception

"End of Me" released alongside the announcement of ''Crisis of Faith'' on September 10, 2021. The song topped the Canadian Rock Chart, and remained there for 12 weeks, making it the longest any of their singles have stayed at No. 1. Critically, the song was met mostly positive feedback. Jack Rogers of '' Rock Sound'' called it "a classic piece of quirk-filled rock and roll that Billy Talent produce so wonderfully," while Matt Doria of '' NME'' praised D'Sa's guitar playing, calling the main riff "fierce, if somewhat pared-back." Matt Parker of ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

'' praised the song's ability to channel both ''The Blue Album'' and Jimi Hendrix, specifically mentioning the latter's song, " Hey Joe."

Music video

A music video for "End of Me" was released on September 27, 2021. The video shows likenesses of Kowalewicz and Cuomo, but with bare skulls in place of their heads, as they endures various life-threatening situations. These include getting stuck in a spiderweb, being surrounded by explosives, trapped in various torture devices, and more. The video was created by Liam Lynch, who also portrays Kowalewicz, Cuomo, and the other various characters.

Personnel

Billy Talent * Ben Kowalewicz - lead vocals, songwriting * Ian D'Sa - guitars, synthesizers, piano, backing vocals, producer * Jonathan Gallant - bass, songwriting * Jordan Hastings - drums, songwriting Additional musicians * Rivers Cuomo - vocals Production *

Eric Ratz Eric Ratz is a Canadian producer, engineer, and mixer. He has won multiple Grammy and Juno awards. Throughout his career, Ratz has worked with some of Canada's most successful and influential rock bands, including Arkells, Big Wreck, Billy Ta ...

- engineering * Ted Jensen - engineering * Chris Lord-Alge - mixing

Charts

References

{{Rivers Cuomo 2021 singles 2021 songs Billy Talent songs Rivers Cuomo songs Spinefarm Records singles Songs written by Benjamin Kowalewicz Songs written by Ian D'Sa Songs written by Jonathan Gallant Songs written by Rivers Cuomo