"Heroes (We Could Be)" is a song by Swedish DJ and record producer

Alesso Alessandro Renato Rodolfo Lindblad (born 7 July 1991), better known by his stage name Alesso (), is a Swedish DJ and music producer. He has worked with numerous artists, including Tove Lo, Theo Hutchcraft, Ryan Tedder, Hailee Steinfeld, Calvi ...

, featuring the vocals of Swedish singer

Tove Lo Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson (born 29 October 1987), known professionally as Tove Lo (), is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She has been called "Sweden's darkest pop export" by ''Rolling Stone.'' She is known for her raw, grunge-influenced take o ...

. Released on 22 August 2014, the song has charted in a number of countries. In the US, the song went to number one on the dance chart.

Background

In an interview with ''

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 ...

'', Alesso explained the song: "When Tove Lo and I first started working together, she'd tell me about how she wanted to be different, to stand out as an artist. And on some level, I think everyone goes through that. As a teenager, I was always wondering about who I was, what was my identity, did I secretly wish I was someone else. But as you ge you realize that it's not about being someone else." When asked what inspired the song's lyrics, he continued, "My team and I reached out to oto see if she'd be interested in a collaboration, and a couple months later, we began writing the lyrics that would go over these instrumentals. We discussed what it should be about -- we knew it should be an emotional record -- and this gorgeous girl came back with this gorgeous topline." Even though the song's melody bears no similarity to

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

's 1977 single " "Heroes"", his and

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

's names were added to the song's writing credits in July 2015. Alesso told the '' Daily Star'': "I just didn't want to get sued. They aren't similar, but we needed protection in case we pissed off Bowie."

Music video

The music video was released on 10 October 2014. Similar to the 2006 TV series of the same name, it introduces teenagers with supernatural abilities, who are detained in a high security institute. An angel, portrayed by Tove Lo, is being kept under strict supervision as scientists compel her to swallow drugs designed to remove her powers. Meanwhile, Alesso runs toward and enters the facility and to release the angelic woman. As he walks past the super human teens, they exhibit their abilities and break free. This triggers an alarm, allowing him and the woman to escape from the scientists. As they approach the top of the building, they decide to fall. As they fall, the angel flies away. However, Alesso falls on a car and perishes. The final scene involves the teens escaping into the night.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

External links

Full Lyrics at LyricsOnDemand.com

References

{{Authority control 2014 singles 2014 songs Alesso songs Tove Lo songs Songs written by Tove Lo Songs written by David Bowie Song recordings produced by Alesso