Minnesota native Adam Young is now a chart-topper! His one man band Owl City hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week with “Fireflies.” Watch it right now.
Young’s story is the kind of phenomenon that gives you faith in what remains of the music business: He literally started out recording songs in his parents’ basement, posted the tracks on MySpace, and now Ocean Eyes is in the Top 10 and we’ve all been entranced by the “Fireflies,” even though it totally rips off the sound of Ben Gibbard/Jimmy Tamborello/Jenny Lewis side project The Postal Service. Then again, only elderly folks like myself are likely to be concerned by such matters, much in the same way that Death Cab for Cutie is now “that Twilight song band.”
Can you put your finger on the delights of this song, Mixers? Do you recommend the rest of the album? And why do you think this track has led fans to purchase all of Ocean Eyes when so many other hot singles never lead to more than ringtone infamy — and so many other “discovered on MySpace” bands turn out to suck? Discuss… and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.
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‘New Moon’ soundtrack outsells Tim McGraw on the albums chart
Adam Lambert’s outre-space ‘For Your Entertainment’ cover
Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga reissues: Super awesome bonus fun, or money-grubbing ripoffs?
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I hate this song.
Here, here…completely trite and cheesy lyrics. Really, hugs from lightning bugs? *shudder* I think I just threw up in my mouth.
UGH! I thought I was the only one who hated this song. I go into convulsions whenever it comes on the radio. Please go away.
Sorry but I LOVE ths song. Vanilla Twilight is great too! Heard Adam’s story on the radio this weekend and he is amazing.
I was WRONG! I am listening to The Postal Service song Aganist All Odds from the move Wicker Park and they totally blow Owl City out of the water……Damn am loading up any song for The Postal Service I can find……too bad they are no longer a band?!
I could be wrong on this, but I wouldn’t say they are no longer a band…it was a side project for several musicians with more popular bands so they could put more music out later.
I like the sound of this song, but the lyrics are so very very dreadful. It made me laugh out loud (not even joking) the first time I heard it on the radio. Hugs from lightning bugs? Seriously? My husband and I crack up everytime we hear it.
I heard this song on the radio, and I thought it WAS the Postal Service. WTF?
I heard this song on the radio for the first time and initially thought it was some sort of death cab/postal service song until I realized a) no mainstream radio station will play their music unless it’s tied to something like twilight and b) the lyrics make absolutely no sense. It’s ripping off and dumbing down better material without adding anything to the mix.
Really? The mainstream stations in my area play oodles of Death Cab/Postal Service songs. “I will possess you heart”? That song was practically on a loop, which was good because I love it.
In NYC you have your choice of Top 40 pop and hip hop or classic rock.
If you want anything else, you have to try to find the college stations which don’t have great reception. Needless to say, I rarely listen to FM radio.
The first time I heard this song I thought “New Postal Service!!! On the Radio!!!” But then I listened to how awful the lyrics were and realized it was some terrible rip off.
The whole album is amazing!
i thought this was a ben gibbard song the first like 5 times i heard it until my lady told me it wasnt. im still shocked. so needless to say i dont think this guy’s very original.
I thought this was The Postal Service when I first heard it too.
The Postal Service has churned out some of my favorite songs of all time. In my mind, Ben Gibbard will never be associated with Twilight. I like Owl City. He has a similar sound, and it’s good.
There’s no denying that Owl City does indeed sound like the Postal Service, BUT since they only released one album (technically) YEARS ago, younger kids today have no real idea of whom they are, and with Owl City, the younger generation feels like ‘they discovered him all on their own’. Thats what starts the cycle of Popular Culture with youngsters, they NEVER want to feel like anything is forced on them (even when it is subliminally) and that they OWN these artists by finding them on MySpace or what have you. Yes, now that Death Cab appears to have the lead single off the NEW MOON soundtrack, will they have their 1st mainstream pop hit with “Meet You At the Equinnox” ? Possibly, but the youngsters and Twilighters will doubtfully go out & snatch up past Death Cab albums like they are with Owl City, cause again, its all about discovery with the younger generation.
Older folks griping here that Owl City is a Postal Service rip-off can spit their venom all they want, cause honestly, its been over half a decade PLUS since they’ve released a new album or electonica tinged sweetness…So don’t bash Owl City, who not only seems humble, but doesn’t seem to want to be this huge mega-popstar..and only wants to do interviews, via e-amil? (Is This true??) Anyways, with Ben Gibbard a newlywed to Zoey, the wait for a new Postal Service disc seems even further off..so I suggest picking up the Owl City disc, and be happy for someone who was living in hid parent’s basement, and decided to make music he liked, and the masses happened to just like some of it to. Stop hating & be happy that someone fulfilled a lifelong dream of theirs. My afvorite track on “Ocean Eyes” is “Umbrella Beach”…but I’m highly doubtful any record label would try & work another song with “Umbrella” in its title…
Holy crap, I ain’t reading all that!
I am one of those younger generation who thought they had discovered Owl City. I have NO idea who Posttal Service is……maybe I should look them up on youtube. BRB…….lol
I can’t spell either…….and I just listen to The Postal Service and you are right…….damn this does sound like a rip off of them. But I still like Owl City so bought the album Ocean Eyes and I also like the song Hello Seattle……..sorr for those who don’t like it……..BTW fireflies is about fantasy and whimiscal (sp?) stuff, I don’t take the lyrics literally, I just lay back and enjoy…….
tl;dr
Thank you, Phil. Well put. I’d also like to add that, imo, one of the appeals of Owl City are Young’s somewhat silly lyrics. They can be so random at times! And I love it! And I that I’m not the only one. Think of all the superficial and lighthearted music of the 80s that had puke-inducing lyrics…yeah, they were awesome! In conclusion, Owl City may sound similar to The Postal Service or HelloGoodbye or a number of other groups (that’s why there are genres and that’s how Pandora works) BUT they’ve done it much better.
Personally, I don’t think Fireflies is one of his best. I prefer The Saltwater Room, Rainbow Veins, and Vanilla Twilight…Hello Seattle is great too.
Umbrella beach rocks! Best song.. But Owl City’s best song in his Disco is called Earlie Birdie.. On his “Maybe I’m Dreaming” Album.. Which i think is better then Ocean Eyes.. but not by much
Ugh, this song is the worst. Unoriginal melody, childish lyrics, and average singing. This is why I can’t listen to top 40 radio anymore.
I’m so glad so many other people hate this song, I thought I was the only one! Like everyone else has said, it’s just a poor derivative of The Postal Service.
I was very surprised to see this song leap 7-1, given the competition at the top. This song really doesn’t do much for me (sorry Phil!) Hopefully, Lady GaGa will make a big impact on the chart next week with “Bad Romance.”
Hey Brian! Happy Halloween! Personally, I like “Bad Romance” but I think her label shoulda waited a week to release the song digitally, cause now “Paparazzi” may not go top 5 (and stall out at #6 where its been a for a few weeks on the Billboard Hot 100), since top 40 is adding & spinning “Bad Romance” already. I know some people feel a certain way about Gaga, but with her on Beyonce’s “Video Phone” remix and video, that will be her 1st official hit on the Urban charts…but I am wondering WHY when everyone is saying how the music industry sucks these days, why no one is talking about the return of dance music on the charts?! I don’t expect EW to write any story on dance music, GOD FORBID, but with David Guetta producing the #1 song “I Gotta Feeling” as one of the BIGGEST hits of 2009, and now his “Sexy Chick/Bitch” with Akon jumps into the top 20 on the Billboard charts (after the beloved “When Love Takes Over” with Kelly Rowland couldn’t even crack the top 50 this summer) and Cascada’s latest single, “Evacuate The Dancefloor” now in the top 30 at #29 on the Hot 100…and if you count Gaga’s “Paparazzi” thats 3 dance songs in the top 30…but with no stories talking about this…no one cares or realizes…Hell even SPIN magazine(which I consider more of a rocker mag)declared & tied “Evacuate The Dancefloor” for their 20th Top 20 songs of this past summer!! Who ever thought Cascada would even be mentioned in SPIN!? Anyways, my point is, like back in the Spring, no one in the media like to run stories on dance or house music, and its sad, because the lack of intelligent conversation will never bring it back to the forefront of pop music like it was in the mid 90’s with artists like No Mercy, La Bouche & Real McCoy.
Happy Halloween Phil! The label was probably thinking more about curbing illegal downloads of “Bad Romance” than whether or not “Paparazzi” will make the top five. I agree with you that the resurgence of dance music is lacking in media coverage (there seems to be a correlation between it and the state of the economy – i feel that people turn to it as a means to feel better when times get tough). Cascada’s “Evacuate the Dancefloor” is off the hook – it seems to be getting a warmer reception up here in the Northeast than is reflected on the Hot 100 (currently #10 on KISS 108). David Guetta should also get some press, as he laid the foundation for what will ultimately be the biggest single of 2009.
BTW – it’s funny you mentioned No Mercy…I heard “Where Do You Go” on the XM 90’s channel the other day and it brought me right back!
Lord, the Postal Service album is not 20 or even 10 years old. It is only 6 years old. Hardly a relic that only geezers would remember.
I find Death Cab and DNTEL to be dreadful, so it always disappointed me that their far superior side project was a one-album affair.
His music possesses a warmth and whimsy that the Postal Service lacked, and contrary to popular belief, they didn’t exactly pioneer the sound, either. I’ve known people making the same kind of music in their own basements well before The Postal Service came into their brief existence. And the goofy lyrics are part of the song’s charm. Lighten up. Everything doesn’t have to be all pretentious and overly serious.
THANK YOU! there is so much worse things on the radio. would you guys rather this be 30h3?? plus i’ve met adam and he is a really sweet person. he desereves it!!
I haven’t even heard the song (I started playing the video, but I don’t have the attention span for it right now and if it’s really that popular I’ll hear it eventually) and I still feel confident that it’s better than 3oh!3.