Faded (Alan Walker song)

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"Faded"
File:Faded-by-Alan-Walker.jpg
Single by Alan Walker
Released 3 December 2015
Format
Recorded 2015
Genre EDM
Length 3:33
Label Mer Musikk
Writer(s)
  • Alan Walker
  • Jesper Borgen
  • Anders Froen
  • Gunnar Greve Pettersen
Producer(s)
  • Alan Walker
  • Jesper Borgen
  • Mood Melodies
Alan Walker singles chronology
"Force"
(2015)		 "Faded"
(2015)

"Faded" is a 2015 electronic ballad by British-born Norwegian EDM artist Alan Walker, released on 3 December 2015. The song has become a massive success in 2016, peaking in the top ten in most of the countries it charted in, and reached the summit in more than ten.

Walker debuted a live performance of "Faded" with vocalist Iselin Solheim and string support on 1 March 2016 at X Games Oslo 2016.[1] The performance was aired live on Norwegian television.

Background

The song is a revamped version of Walker's past track "Fade", which was released on NoCopyrightSounds in 2014, and has amassed over 340 million views on YouTube as of May 2016. While the structure and melody are almost identical, "Faded" is noticeably different for its piano intro; with vocals by Iselin Solheim and better mixing and mastering.[2]

The song is set in common time and has a tempo of 90 beats per minute. Having the chord progression of Ebm–B–Gb–Db, the song is written in the key of Eb minor. Iselin Solheim's vocal range spans from Db4 to Eb5.[3]

Commercial performance

"Faded" became a great commercial success almost immediately after its release, topping Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish singles charts, as well as entering the top 3 in the Danish singles chart. The song peaked at number one in more than ten countries and in the top 5 in more than 25 countries.

It also charted in various countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and United States. It also reached number one on the Shazam Worldwide Top 100 Popular Songs in February 2016, and by March 2016, had become the world's most Shazam'ed song.[4] As of 19 May 2016, "Faded" has gained over 300 million views on YouTube.[5]

Music video

File:Remains of Rummu quarry utility buildings in the water at night on 5 September 2014.jpg
Derelict Rummu quarry utility buildings in the water at night, September 2014

A music video was released, featuring Shahab Salehi (37[6]) as the protagonist.[7] The video was produced and edited by Bror Bror and directed by Rikkard and Tobias Häggbom, with Rikkard Häggbom also as director of photography.

The video shows a young man roaming with his backpack and a paper photograph of his home in his hand. He is in a disaster area in a completely abandoned neighbourhood including high rise devastated buildings and derelict structures. He explores the area for possible life remaining or for foodstuff. On assumption, that major destruction has hit the area, he is trying to protect himself with an improvised breathing cover to protect his health.

Guided by the photo, he finally locates his parents' house, but finds it in ruins.[7] The despondent protagonist is seen tugging at the mask in the very final shot, which leaves his continuing state of mind open for interpretation. — It could be, that in the face of apparent hopelessness, he was then intent on removing the mask completely, or was only about to dry his face.

Filming locations

File:Tallinn Linnahall (7952398934).jpg
Linnahall in November 2011.
Architects Raine Karp and Riina Altmäe

The music video features a young person running through an abandoned town, the video was filmed in Estonia,[7][8] and primarily concentrated on buildings that were derelict, abandoned, or in disrepair.[9] Most filming locations are interspersed across the video and don't appear in a continuous order.

Notable locations include the Linnahall building (built from limestone),[9] a disused textile manufacture building at Põhja puiestee 7 in Tallinn; the former Rummu prison, Rummu limestone quarry[9] and lake alongside the adjoining spoil tip in Vasalemma Parish; and some locations around the city of Paldiski.[10] The last shot features the ruins of a building near the shore on Pakri Peninsula just outside Paldiski, on the outskirts of Laoküla village, Keila Parish (Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.).

Faded (Restrung)

File:R1 2010.JPG
R1 reactor hall in a facility of KTH, Sweden (2010)

On 11 February 2016, Alan Walker published "Faded (Restrung)", wherein the song is performed with a piano and strings. Walker wrote in a note to The FADER, that he had decided on an alternative version of Faded, so as "to highlight other aspects of the song; to present it to another audience who may like Iselin [Solheim]'s voice and the melodies, but can't stand the electronic parts of it."[11]

The music video to "Restrung" features Walker, Iselin Solheim and an 11-person string ensemble performing in the reactor hall of the dismantled R1, Sweden's first nuclear reactor. The cast were wearing the trademark hoodies that sport Alan Walker's artist logo composed of his stylized initials.[12] The R1 reactor hall is located underground at Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm.[13]

The same team who created the video for "Faded", also made the music video for "Restrung" — Bror Bror was the producer, Rikkard and Tobias Häggbom directed, and Shahab Salehi was credited as an assistant. The filming atmosphere closely resembles that of "Faded"; according Alan Walker's behind the scenes video, the "Restrung" video was filmed as a continuation of sorts to the original "Faded" video.[12][13]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2015–16) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[16] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[17] 1
Cambodia (Top 30 Singles Chart)[18] 11
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] 33
Croatia (Airplay Radio Chart Top 20)[20] 1
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[21] 1
Denmark (Tracklisten)[22] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[23] 1
France (SNEP)[24] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 1
Hungary (Single Top 40)[26] 1
Indonesia (Top 30 Singles Chart)[27] 6
Ireland (IRMA)[28] 6
Israel (Media Forest)[29] 8
Italy (FIMI)[30] 1
Latvia (Latvijas Top 40)[31] 1
Malaysia (Top 30 Singles Chart)[32] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] 2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[34] 2
Norway (VG-lista)[35] 1
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[36] 1
Portugal Digital Songs (Billboard)[37] 1
Russia (Tophit Weekly 100)[38] 1
Singapore (Top 30 Singles Chart)[39] 1
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[40] 1
South Africa (EMA)[41] 3
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[42] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[43] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[44] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[45] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[46] 80
Vietnam (Top 30 Singles Chart)[47] 1

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[48] 2× Platinum 140,000
Austria (IFPI Austria)[49] Platinum 30,000
Belgium (BEA)[50] Platinum 30,000
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[51] Platinum 60,000
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[52] Platinum 0[53]
Italy (FIMI)[54] 3× Platinum 150,000
Netherlands (NVPI)[52] Gold 10,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[55] 2× Platinum 30,000
Norway (IFPI Norway)[56] 5× Platinum 50,000
Poland (ZPAV)[57] Platinum 20,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[58] Platinum 40,000
Sweden (GLF)[59] 7× Platinum 280,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[60] Gold 400,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

References

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External links

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