"This Means War" is a song recorded by Canadian pop rock group Marianas Trench for their fourth studio album, Astoria (2015). It was serviced to Canadian radio on February 16, 2016 as the album's second official single.[1] The song was written and produced by the band's lead singer, Josh Ramsay.
| "This Means War" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Marianas Trench | ||||
| from the album Astoria | ||||
| Released | February 16, 2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:24 | |||
| Label | 604 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Josh Ramsay | |||
| Producer(s) | Josh Ramsay | |||
| Marianas Trench singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"This Means War" was the first single of the group's career to not enter the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.[2]
Content
edit"This Means War" is about the absence of emotion that follows a break up, and how sometimes people would rather fight than feeling nothing; as Ramsay sings in the chorus, "I'd rather be a riot than indifferent."[citation needed] The song explores the thin line between love and hate with respect to passion.[3] Musically, the song has been compared to Bananarama's "Cruel Summer", particularly in its use of the xylophone.[4][5] The song's melody also shares similarities with Tom Cochrane's 1991 hit, "Life is a Highway".[5]
Promotion
editThe band released a lyric video for the song through their Vevo account on March 10, 2016.[6] "This Means War" was included in the setlist for their Hey! You Guys and Never Say Die tours in support of Astoria.[7]
Music video
editAn accompanying music video was filmed in Los Angeles, California in the spring of 2016 and was directed by Anthony Chirco.[8] It premiered May 20, 2016.[9] Inspired by the musical West Side Story, the video depicts the band competing in a territorial "dance battle" with a rival gang.[3][10][11] Ramsay explained the video's premise in the following statement: "Put on your leather, stretch your hamstrings and grab your can of paint! We're invading each other's turf but there can be only one. This means war!"[8]
Charts
edit| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada AC (Billboard)[12] | 38 |
| Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[13] | 37 |
| Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[14] | 38 |
References
edit- ^ Marianas Trench (February 16, 2016). "Marianas Trench - #ThisMeansWar is out today at radio in Canada!..." Facebook. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ "Marianas Trench – Chart history". Billboard Canadian Hot 100 for Marianas Trench. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ a b Goldfield Rodrigues, Brittany (May 26, 2016). "WATCH: Go Behind The Scenes With Marianas Trench For Their "This Means War" Music Video". ANDPOP. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Monger, Timothy. "Astoria - Marianas Trench | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ a b "Album Review of Astoria by Marianas Trench". Alternative Addiction. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ MarianasTrenchVEVO (March 10, 2016). "Marianas Trench - This Means War (Lyric Video)" (video). YouTube. Google. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Ireland, Nicole (March 26, 2016). "Marianas Trench – Air Canada Centre, Toronto – March 22, 2016". Lithium Magazine. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ a b Heisel, Scott (May 26, 2016). "PREMIERE: Marianas Trench takes you behind the scenes of "This Means War" video". Substream Magazine. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ MarianasTrenchVEVO (May 20, 2016). "Marianas Trench - This Means War" (video). YouTube. Google. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Chatterjee, Kika (May 20, 2016). "Watch Marianas Trench's new video for "This Means War"". Alternative Press. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Hather, Amanda (May 24, 2016). "New video released for "This Means War" by Marianas Trench". Canadian Beats. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ "Marianas Trench Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ "Marianas Trench Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ "Marianas Trench Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2017.