Afraid (The Neighbourhood song)

"Afraid" is a song by American alternative pop group the Neighbourhood. The song was written by group members Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, and was produced by Justyn Pilbrow and Emile Haynie. It serves as the second single to their debut studio album, I Love You, which was released on April 19, 2013 via Columbia Records.

"Afraid"
Single by the Neighbourhood
from the album I Love You.
ReleasedJuly 23, 2013[1]
Recorded2012
Length4:11
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Justyn Pilbrow
  • Haynie
The Neighbourhood singles chronology
"Let It Go"
(2013)		 "Afraid"
(2013)		 "R.I.P. 2 My Youth"
(2015)
Music video
"Afraid" (Explicit) on YouTube

The lyrics of "Afraid" can be interpreted in many ways, but it mainly deals with anxiety and depression, hence the lyrics in the hook/chorus "When I wake up, I'm afraid / Somebody else might take my place".[2] The song has been praised by Billboard for its "edgy, subtle hooks".[3] The song was featured in an episode of the television show "The Vampire Diaries".

Chopped Not Slopped Remix

The Neighbourhood collaborated with OG Ron C for the "Chopped Not Slopped" remix of "Afraid". Jesse Rutherford explains that when they "reached out to artists to do remixes it was kind of a weird idea to expand outside of our direct family. Then the idea came up about having OG Ron C take a shot at giving our record his Houston touch. We thought it’d be cool to have someone who, like us, made a name for themselves and their movement in their own way. No one told them they had to slow things down or make purple the color of their culture. They did it themselves. So now black and white is getting some purple mixed in."[4]

Music video

A music video, directed by Ends, was released for the song on October 17, 2013, both in edited and explicit/uncut versions. In the video's premise, lead singer Rutherford was shown in past (teen) and present forms. Rutherford himself was naked throughout much of the video to express his vulnerability and fears, also the eyelids show the different perspectives of everyone in the band, from writing the songs, to playing basketball. The video also incorporated a part of OG Ron C's 'Chopped Not Slopped' remix in the middle of it.[5]

The music video has been met with generally positive reviews. Joshua Frazier of The Michigan Daily writes "'Afraid' is ultimately an enjoyable visual experience emblematic of the typical Neighbourhood experience: bleak, but catchy."[6]

Chart performance

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[13] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[14] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Alternative > Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  2. The Neighborhood Album Review - The Californian (released May 1, 2013)
  3. The Neighbourhood Premieres New Video For "Afraid" - Reuters (published October 17, 2013)
  4. Premiere: The Neighbourhood – “Afraid (Chopped Not Slopped Remix)” - Pigeons and Planes (released October 11, 2013.)
  5. The Neighbourhood – Afraid (Music Video) Archived October 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine - Modern Life Archived October 20, 2013, at the Wayback Machine (published October 17, 2013)
  6. Music Video Review: 'Afraid' puts best side of the Neighbourhood on display (released October 24, 2013)
  7. "The Neighbourhood Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  8. "The Neighbourhood Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  9. "The Neighbourhood Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  10. "The Neighbourhood Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  11. "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  12. "Rock Airplay Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  13. "British single certifications – Neighbourhood – Afraid". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  14. "American single certifications – The Neighbourhood – Afraid". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
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