Interscope Records
Release Date: September 15th 2023 / September 22nd 2023 / April 5th 2024 / April 12th 2024
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
OneRepublic– Counting Stars (2023 Version) / Mirage (for Assassin’s Creed Mirage) [feat. Mishaal Tamer] / I Don’t Wanna Wait (feat. David Guetta) / Nobody (from Kaiju No. 8) (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes) (Amazon mp3/iTunes) (Amazon mp3/iTunes) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Counting Stars (2023 Version)
- Mirage (for Assassin’s Creed Mirage) [feat. Mishaal Tamer]
- I Don’t Wanna Wait (feat. David Guetta)
- I Don’t Wanna Wait (feat. David Guetta) [Extended]
- Nobody (from Kaiju No. 8)
At the end of August in 2021, I reviewed the long-awaited album from pop band OneRepublic, called Human. Comprising of 8 songs we had heard before (through various stand-alone singles released throughout the period of 2018-2021) and 8 brand new songs, Human as a whole was a compelling, emotional, honest, vulnerable, and inspiring album and one of my favourites of 2021. I won’t dive deep into OneRepublic here, because you can read about them on Wikipedia or on my review of Human or on Jon’s blog about them from a few years ago. But what I will say is that Ryan Tedder and co. blasted back on the scene in 2023 for their brand-new single “Runaway”, which released last year, and was the follow-up to their smash hit “I Ain’t Worried” (not reviewed!) and their 2022 hit “West Coast”. A song that presumably from their next studio album (at the time of February 2022, their next studio was album due out in June 2022, tentatively titled Never Ending Summer, but now, the band has pushed the album back to TBA- hopefully in 2024!); OneRepublic isn’t slowing down. A track that is just as poppy as it is catchy, and a melody that speaks about running away from the pressures of life and putting yourself in a bubble of fun, freedom and happiness; Ryan and his friends have delivered to us a melody that will be on our playlists for the next few months and maybe years.
Having already released hits like “Apologise”, “Good Life”, “Secrets”, “Counting Stars”, “Love Runs Out”, “Kids”, “I Lived”, “Come Home”, and “Stop And Stare”, as well as recent hits “Rescue Me”, “Wanted”, “Run”, “Better Days” and “Lose Somebody”; one could think that OneRepublic deserve a bit of a break. Not so. With the release of “Runaway”, like both “I Ain’t Worried” and “West Coast” previously, we have that summery, breezy, pop atmosphere- a likeable song that speaks about being wild and free, and also speaks about having a good time. It’s a melody that isn’t that deep and introspective, but in relation to the still ongoing and simmering pandemic, it’s nice to have a song that makes us forget our troubles, if not for a little bit. “Runaway” is a melody with a lot of charm, bravado, heart, soul, inspiration, and purpose. It’s a song to turn up in the summer, and to also dwell upon when you’re feeling low. It’s a song for all seasons, and that’s the beauty of any OneRepublic song. They’re hard to hate, and the same goes for “Runaway”. It’s a pop banger that shows us the band’s identity front and centre, with the message and hope is still there. With the melody being a pick-me-up tune about living life to the fullest and forgetting the pressures of life if only just for a little bit, as well as being thankful for this life (a similar theme to one of their singles “Sunshine”!); we are met with a song that is carefree but a song that inspires us to be grateful for the air we’re breathing and the heartbeat in our chests.
Fast forward to now, and here we are in 2024 with 4 more OneRepublic songs released that demand to be reviewed. They’re not…. ‘wow’/groundbreaking kind of songs, but they do highlight to us the notion of how hard-working Ryan and his friends actually are. It’s way too long in between albums, but the band are still making music and are still making people smile. The band’s smash hit single “Counting Stars” has been redone into a synth driven acoustic track on their reimagined version released last year in September, while “Mirage”, sung with Saudi Arabian singer Mishaal Tamer, is inspired by the video game Assassin’s Creed, and features lyrical references from the game and the fictional world the characters are in. “I Don’t Wanna Wait”, recorded with producer and remixer David Guetta, is a party and celebratory anthem about living in the moment and being present in the season of life you’re in, while partying and having good vibes with friends (how hedonistic!); while “Nobody”, a song inspired by the upcoming anime series of the manga comic book series Kaiju No. 8, is a song about how the persona claims to be that special someone (either romantic or platonic) for the person their singing to.
In this very moment with still so much uncertainty with wars in Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, and this year being an election year in the U.S.; I’d have to say that with albums like Human to listen to, hope is still alive in the hearts of all of us, as we hang onto our humanity and our strength. While I myself are of the opinion that right now we need more and more new music to get us through, I for one agree somewhat with what Ryan Tedder mentioned in 2020, in that releasing new music while a pandemic was going on seemed a bit insensitive. Yet every artist is different- and at least there is still uplifting music around if you only know where to look. We all may not have understood why OneRepublic kept delaying Human; but as long as we can be reminded to cherish the ones you love and to chase after your dreams and whatever else is in your heart, then I am certain that we will see the light at the end of the tunnel in the coming months and years! With the next OneRepublic album slated to be released very soon; there’s still life in these guys yet… and can we say that “Runaway”, like “West Coast” and “I Ain’t Worried”, marks a new chapter for these guys, and maybe signify a new lease of life for the band? Well done guys, for one of your most poppy songs this year! As for the aforementioned 4 stand-alone singles. Well, they’re not perfect (“I Don’t Wanna Wait” being a prime example!). But they do show us how dedicated OneRepublic are to their craft! And so, I can’t wait to hear whatever comes next!
Score: 3/5
RIYL: Tenth Avenue North, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, The Fray, Little Mix, Pentatonix