"Magnolia" is a song by Australian

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band

Gang of Youths Gang of Youths are an Australian alternative rock group from Sydney based in London. The band consists of principal songwriter David Le'aupepe (lead vocals, guitar), Max Dunn (bass guitar), Jung Kim (lead guitar, keyboards), Donnie Borzestowsk ...

, released on 17 April 2015 as the third and final

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

from their debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

''The Positions''. The song recounts the experience of frontman David Le'aupepe on a "week-long bender that precluded sleep and eating" and his subsequent attempt to

commit suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and subs ...

on 3 June 2014. The date, referenced within the lyrics, has since become known by fans as "Magnolia Day". In 2018, the song achieved platinum status in Australia. In the

Triple J Hottest 100 of the 2010s The Triple J Hottest 100 of the 2010s was held on the 14 March 2020. It is a countdown of the most popular songs of the 2010s as chosen by listeners of Australian radio station Triple J. 1.8 million votes were cast by listeners choosing their top ...

, the track polled at number six. It has been described as the band's "breakthrough hit", having over 39 million streams on

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as of 2022.

Composition and lyricism

On the song's release day, Le'aupepe wrote a lengthy

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post discussing the song's purpose. It begins:

June 3rd 2014, Mosely Street,
Strathfield Strathfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Strathfield. A ...
. In a state of puerile drunken delirium, reeling from having my heart fucked beyond all recognition and knowing my marriage was about to fall apart, I tried to kill myself.

Before the frontman could act, his friends "called the police just in time to intercept" Le'aupepe. He went through rehabilitation and "began a process of healing and self-discovery that is still ongoing in my life today". In an interview with ''the Guardian'', Le'aupepe revealed the song is named after the

magnolia tree ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

that the police sat him under after rushing to stop him on the night.

Critical reception

Jessica Dale of Australian music publication ''

the Music The Music are an English alternative rock band, formed in Kippax, Leeds in 1999. Comprising Robert Harvey (vocals, guitar), Adam Nutter (lead guitar), Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums), the band came to prominence with the releas ...

'' wrote "Magnolia" is "anthemic, catchy and brings hordes of people together in unified song; a stark contrast to the song's birth following Le'aupepe's attempted suicide". She further writes the track "launched Gang Of Youths into the Australian psyche in a big, big way". Writing for ''The AU Review'', Genevieve Morris called the track a "timeless classic", writing "the passion and liveliness behind the song is addictive and unforgettable". In 2015, "Magnolia" polled at number 21 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2015. In Triple J's Hottest 100 of the Decade countdown in 2020, the track polled at number six.

Music video

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 ...

for the song was directed by Le'aupepe and Josh Harris, and was released on 28 January 2016.

Personnel

Musicians * David Le'aupepe – writing, vocals, guitar, piano, strings * Jung Kim – piano * Max Dunn – bass guitar * Joji Malani – guitar, keyboard, strings * Joel van Gastel – drums Technical * Greg Calbi – mastering * Peter Holz – engineering * Gang of Youths – producing * Karl Cashwell – engineering, mixing Promotional * David Le'aupepe – director * Josh Harris – director

Certifications

References

{{Gang of Youths 2015 singles 2015 songs Gang of Youths songs