Dementia (song)

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"Dementia"
Song by Owl City
from the album The Midsummer Station
ReleasedMay 10, 2012
StudioRock the Mic Studios (New York City, NY)
Genre
Length3:31
LabelUniversal Republic
Songwriter(s)Adam Young
Producer(s)Young

"Dementia" is a song by American electronica project Owl City from his second extended play Shooting Star. The song features guest vocals from Mark Hoppus of Blink-182. The song premiered exclusively via Alternative Press on May 10, 2012.[3]

The song is a punk rock track and has been met with positive reviews from music critics, most noting that Young sounds similar to Tom DeLonge and complimented its production.

Background[edit]

On April 17, 2012, "Dementia" was leaked onto the internet,[4] before the song officially premiered via Alternative Press on May 10, 2012.[3] Young told his manager that he hoped to have Mark Hoppus on the track, who flew from London to New York to record the song in the studio.[5] Young, who had been a fan of Blink-182 since he was a junior in high school,[6] stated that working with Hoppus was a "privilege and an honor."[2] Young also admitted he had learned a lot from Hoppus.[7]

In an interview with AOL Music, Young stated that the song is about, "the consequences of wallowing in regret."[8]

"It's a darker song about how everybody thinks of how life would be different now if you had made better choices in the past. If you let it, that can drive you crazy. If you don't let the past stay in the past, it'll be worse. It's hard to know in the moment how the choices I'm making right now will affect me later, but you can't really think about that. 'Dementia' is my way of saying let the past stay in the past. Don't let the 'What ifs' frequent your mind too much. Put that stuff to bed."[8]

A remix to the song created by Adam Young was released in August 2012.[9]

Composition[edit]

"Dementia" was written and produced by Adam Young. The song is a Blink-182-inspired track and has been described as a rock track.[10][2] Speaking about how the collaboration came together, Young stated, "Somehow my track made it's way to his inbox and he liked it enough to come so we hung out in the studio and recorded his vocals and he's exactly the way I thought he would be."[6]

Reception[edit]

"Dementia" was generally met with positive reviews from music critics. Katie Hasty of Uproxx called the collaboration, "slightly out of each artist's usual arena," but described the song as a "high-energy track."[4] Crystal Bell of the HuffPost stated, "the collaboration shouldn't come off as too much of a surprise since Owl City's Adam Young sounds quite a bit like a young Tom DeLonge."[11] Jocelyn Vena of MTV stated that the song pays "homage to the vibe of Blink, with Young even sounding a bit like Tom DeLonge over the song's Travis Barker-like beat, jangly guitars and dreamy production."[10]

Personnel[edit]

Credits for "Dementia" adapted from the liner notes of The Midsummer Station.[12]

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for "Dementia"
Chart (2012) Peak
position
South Korea (GAON) (International Chart)[13] 171

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sara Walz (August 17, 2012). "Album Review: Owl City - The Midsummer Station". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Gary Graff (May 10, 2012). "Owl City Exclusive: Listen to Shooting Star". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Owl City featuring Mark Hoppus (Blink-182), "Dementia"". Alternative Press. May 10, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Katie Hasty (April 17, 2012). "EXCLUSIVE first listen: Owl City combines with Mark Hoppus for new track Dementia". Uproxx. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Interview: Owl City on collaborations, EDM and his new record". Alternative Press. August 9, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Owl City On Working With blink-182's Mark Hoppus". CBS News. August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  7. ^ Jessica Sager (July 13, 2012). "Owl City Calls Collaboration With Blink-182's Mark Hoppus 'A Dream Come True'". PopCrush. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Contessa Gayles (August 20, 2012). "Owl City's Adam Young Talks Insomnia, Living in Regret and Exploring His Darker Side During In House Q&A (EXCLUSIVE)". AOL Music. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  9. ^ "Dementia Feat. Mark Hoppus (Adam Young Remix)". ayoungblog.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Jocelyn Vena (July 11, 2012). "Owl City Says Mark Hoppus Collaboration Is Like A 'Rarity Blink Track'". MTV. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  11. ^ Crystal Bell (April 18, 2012). "Owl City, Mark Hoppus Collaborate On New Single 'Dementia' (AUDIO)". HuffPost. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  12. ^ The Midsummer Station (liner notes). Owl City. Universal Republic Records. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ "Gaon Chart: 2012-05-04". GAON. Archived from the original on December 8, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2023.