"And We Run" is a studio EP and single by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation from their sixth studio album Hydra which features American rapper Xzibit. It was released on May 23, 2014 containing three demos from the album and different versions of the title song.[1][2] The music video was released on the same day.
| "And We Run" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Within Temptation featuring Xzibit | ||||
| from the album Hydra | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | 23 May 2014 (Europe)
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| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Length | 3:50 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Daniel Gibson | |||
| Within Temptation singles chronology | ||||
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Background
editThe idea of putting rap verses on the song came from guitarist Robert Westerholt, who personally enjoys the genre. Xzibit came to the group's mind due to the fact that he was already featured on crossover works with metal bands such as Korn and Alice Cooper, plus Westerholt desired to have a rapper with deep vocals to contrast den Adel's melodic vocals. The band's management disagreed with the idea of the inclusion of a rapper at first, fearing a career drop for the band. Xzibit himself commented that he was surprised by the invitation, and had to check out the band's previous works, having had no prior knowledge of them.[3] When Xzibit heard the demo for the song, he accepted the request.[4] The rap verses were written by Xzibit himself, as the band wanted them to be original and coming from the rapper's perspective.[5] The collaboration was met with high criticism initially, as it appeared to deviate far from the band's original musical style, but then the song received unexpected praise after release.[6][7] According to band member Ruud Jolie, the song received negative criticism even before its release due to the collaboration. After the release, although, he noted some positive change of opinion.[8] Otherwise, den Adel found that the opinions about the song were polarized.[9]
Music video
editThe music video was uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel on May 23, 2014. The video opens with a Nelson Mandela quote that reads: "Let freedom reign. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement". Xzibit is seen bound to a chair with tubes inserted into his skin, inside a dark industrial area, which is filmed in black and white. The band are shown performing somewhere outside in a floating, colorful world that resembles ruins. A hummingbird flies past the band and towards the industrial area where Xzibit is being held. It lands in Xzibit's hand, and he looks at it before one of the tubes attaches to the bird, absorbing its color and killing it. Xzibit breaks out of the chair and leaps out of the building. In between scenes of him escaping and the band playing, he is shown rapping in a black room. He approaches a giant wall and punches his way through it, and as it breaks the sunlight pours through and shines on him, filling the area around him with color. He feels the sunlight, and so does den Adel, and it is implied that they will find each other once Xzibit escapes.
Track listing
editRegular track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "And We Run (radio edit)" (featuring Xzibit) | 2:51 |
| 2. | "And We Run (album version)" (featuring Xzibit) | 3:50 |
| 3. | "And We Run (dance remix)" (featuring Xzibit) | 3:00 |
| 4. | "Living on Fire" (demo version) | 2:43 |
| Total length: | 12:24 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Keep on Breathing" (demo version) | 3:02 |
| 6. | "One of These Days" (demo version) | 2:31 |
| Total length: | 17:57 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "And We Run (radio edit)" (featuring Xzibit) | 2:51 |
| 2. | "And We Run (dance remix)" (featuring Xzibit) | 3:00 |
| 3. | "Whole World Is Watching" (featuring Dave Pirner) | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Keep on Breathing" (demo version) | 3:02 |
| 5. | "One of These Days" (demo version) | 2:31 |
| 6. | "Living on Fire" (demo version) | 2:43 |
Personnel
editBand members
- Sharon den Adel – vocals
- Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards
- Stefan Helleblad – rhythm guitar, lead guitar
- Ruud Jolie – rhythm guitar
- Jeroen van Veen – bass guitar
- Mike Coolen – drums
Guest musicians
- Xzibit – rap vocals on tracks 1, 2 and 3
- Dave Pirner – vocals on track 3 of the Japanese edition
Charts
edit| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan (Oricon)[10] | 216 |
References
edit- ^ "Sei ein Teil der neuen WITHIN TEMPTATION-Single | Musiknews/Aktuelle Musiknachrichten – whiskey-soda.de | Musikmagazin fuer Metal, Rock, Gothic, Indie, Punk, HC, EMO und Alternative Musik". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ^ "And We Run – EP by within Temptation". iTunes. 27 May 2014.
- ^ Louder, Martin Kielty2014-06-13T20:00:00 163Z (13 June 2014). "Within Temptation: Xzibit had to Google us". loudersound.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Hammer, Luke Morton2014-06-06T11:00:00 156Z Metal (6 June 2014). "Within Temptation and... Xzibit?!". Metal Hammer Magazine.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Reesman, Bryan. "An Interview with Within Temptation: The Art Of Balance | The Aquarian". www.theaquarian.com.
- ^ "Within Temptation: "Hydra" – Intervista a Robert Westerholt – Within Temptation | Metallus". Metallus.it. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ^ "WITHIN TEMPTATION Teams Up With Rapper XZIBIT For 'And We Run' Video". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 23 May 2014.
- ^ "WITHIN TEMPTATION @ Czad Festiwal 2015 (Press Conference)" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Sonic Cathedral WebZine – within Temptation Interview 2014". Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ "And We Run in Japan". Retrieved 27 November 2014.