Summary
"Verge" is a song by American electronica project Owl City from his fifth studio album Mobile Orchestra. It features guest vocals from American singer Aloe Blacc and was released on May 14, 2015 as the lead single from the album.
| "Verge" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Owl City featuring Aloe Blacc | ||||
| from the album Mobile Orchestra | ||||
| Released | May 14, 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2014–2015 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:33 | |||
| Label | Republic | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Adam Young | |||
| Owl City singles chronology | ||||
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| Aloe Blacc singles chronology | ||||
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Background edit
After the song was previewed on ESPN's Draft Academy on May 5, it was announced that "Verge", featuring Aloe Blacc would be released on May 14 as the album's first single.[1] A lyric video of "Verge" was later published on Owl City's VEVO channel on YouTube on May 13, 2015.[2]
In an interview with Yahoo Music!, Young explained the meaning of the song; "When I wrote 'Verge' I wanted to capture that moment everyone experiences, that one event in life that signifies the end of an era followed by a new beginning." He also called the collaboration with Blacc an "honor" and his contribution on the track, "invaluable."[3]
Composition edit
On Owl City's official website, "Verge" is stated as "...his bright, buoyant production and shimmering vocals with a booming soulful refrain from Aloe Blacc. It blurs the lines between electro, alternative, pop, and R&B all at once, while remaining perfect for the dance floor."[4] Young added that he had written the song before sending it to Blacc. He also stated that Blacc helped make the song "a lot better."[5]
Release and promotion edit
"Verge" reached number 44 on the Japan Hot 100 chart and number three on the Twitter Real-Time Chart. Owl City released Verge: The Remixes on September 11, 2015. The three-track EP featured remixes of "Verge" by Tom Swoon, Low Steppa, and Transcode.[6]
Reception edit
Amy Sciarretto of Artistdirect praised the track's beats, harmonies and falsetto, and added "Owl City knows how to craft pop songs that embed themselves in our brains for days."[7]
Music video edit
On May 28, the music video premiered on Yahoo Music! and was made available on VEVO and YouTube the next day.[3] According to Young, the original idea of the video was supposed to have a wedding themed concept before Blacc suggested the video have a graduation themed concept instead.[8]
Track listing edit
- Digital download
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Verge" | 3:33 |
- The Remixes
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Verge" (Low Steppa's 97 Remix) | 5:13 |
| 2. | "Verge" (Tom Swoon Remix) | 4:16 |
| 3. | "Verge" (Transcode Remix) | 4:16 |
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
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Year-end charts edit
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References edit
- ^ @ESPNMusic (May 5, 2015). "Get a sneak peak first listen to the new song by @OwlCity ft. @AloeBlacc tonight on #DraftAcademy 7PM EST @ESPN! "Verge" is available 5-14" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Herb Longs (May 17, 2015). "Owl City Verge Featuring Aloe Blacc Lyric Video". Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Wendy Geller (May 28, 2015). "See It First: Owl City Debuts Verge Featuring Aloe Blacc". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Owl City - Bio". www.owlcitymusic.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Interview: Owl City". Timeout. May 18, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ "Verge (The Remixes) [feat. Aloe Blacc] - EP by Owl City". Apple Music. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Amy Sciarretto (May 27, 2015). "New Owl City Coming July 10; Hear "Verge"". Artistdirect. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ "Owl City - Verge (Behind The Scenes) ft. Aloe Blacc". YouTube. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ Owl City — Verge. TopHit. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201524 into search. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "Owl City – Chart History: Japan Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- ^ "Russia Airplay Chart for 2015-08-17." TopHit. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Gaon Digital Chart: 2015.07.12~2015.07.18". GAON. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Ukraine Airplay Chart for 2015-08-24." TopHit. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
- ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart 2015". TopHit. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2023.