Animal I Have Become
"Animal I Have Become" is a song by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. It was released on April 10, 2006, as the first single from their second studio album, One-X.[2] The song was released digitally on April 18, 2006.[3] The song spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and two weeks at No. 1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song alongside "Riot" are used in the video game, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007. It is the band's first single with their fourth member Barry Stock. Critical reception to the song was generally favorable, with emphasis on the song's catchiness combined with its thick guitars.
"Animal I Have Become" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Three Days Grace | ||||
from the album One-X | ||||
Released | April 10, 2006 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock[1] | |||
Length | 3:51 | |||
Label | Jive | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Three Days Grace singles chronology | ||||
|
Background
Lead singer Adam Gontier has stated that while he was addicted to the painkiller OxyContin, he was abusive and angry and had no idea who he was anymore. He wrote "Animal I Have Become" while in rehab for his addiction.[4][5] Gontier also added, "'Animal I Have Become' is my realization that change had to happen, I had to ask for help."[6] The band wrote a demo version of the song in 2004 while on a bus in Germany.[7] Bassist Brad Walst spoke to Billboard about the song stating, "I remember saying [that] that riff would be great heavy. As soon as we got back to North America, we started jamming it as a heavy song, and it was like, 'Shit, I think we've nailed it.'"[7]
Release
In late 2005, the band performed an alternate version of the song in concerts that featured a different set of lyrics. The song was first released online through the group's MySpace page on April 1, 2006,[8] before it was released as a single for radio airplay on April 10, 2006.[2] Both "Animal I Have Become" and "Pain" have been released in acoustic formats and are available on online music stores such as iTunes.[9]
Music video
The video was directed by Dean Karr and was shot in downtown Toronto.[10] It was released on April 24, 2006.[10] The video reached the top five on Fuse.tv and was the winner of Fuse's Oven Fresh.[11]
Reception
Music critics widely described "Animal I Have Become" as a highlight of One-X. Writing for Melodic, Kaj Roth praised "Animal I Have Become" as "really good" and a "great ... single" from the album.[12] In a review of One-X for The Lewiston Tribune, journalist Nate Gibb named the song as "catchy tune" with thick guitars and "straightforward beats."[13] Similarly to Gibb in his review, AllMusic's Corey Apar singled out "Animal I Have Become" as having "a slight singsongy chorus to complement the track's thick riffing."[14]
Accolades
In 2006, the song was Canada's most-played rock song and won that year's Mediabase award for the most-played rock song on radio.[15] At the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, the song was nominated for "Modern Rock Single of the Year" and won the "Rock Single of the Year" award.[16][17] The song received a BMI Award in 2006 along with their other single "Pain".[18] The song was ranked at number 45 on Loudwire's "Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs" in 2012.[19] The song was also ranked on Billboard's "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs" list at number 41.[20]
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alternative Addiction | United States | "Song of the Year"[21] | 2006 | 10 |
Loudwire | "Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs"[19] | 2012 | 45 |
Awards and nominations
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Billboard Music Awards | Modern Rock Single of the Year | Nominated | [16] |
Rock Single of the Year | Won | [17] | ||
2006 | BMI Awards | — | Won | [18] |
2006 | BDS Spin Certified Awards | 100,000 spins | Won | [22] |
2006 | Mediabase Awards | Most-Played Rock Song | Won | [15] |
2007 | FMQB Awards | Rock Song of the Year | Won | [18] |
Personnel
- Adam Gontier – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Barry Stock – lead guitar
- Brad Walst – bass guitar
- Neil Sanderson – drums, backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[33] | 2× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[35] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- Philip Cosores (July 5, 2017). "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best". Conseqeunce.net. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- "Available for Airplay Archive: 2006 – April". FMQB. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- "Animal I Have Become - Single by Three Days Grace". Apple Music. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- Kennedy, John (May 1, 2014). "Rehab playlist: 10 songs about addiction and recovery". Global News. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- Karen Bliss (March 30, 2007). "CANOE - JAM! Music - Karen Bliss's Lowdown: Insider Canadian music news: 3DG doc aims to help addicts". Jam.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on June 23, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- "Three Days Grace Have #1 Hit at R&R Active Rock With Animal I Have Become". Sony. June 27, 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- Kevin Rutherford (September 28, 2018). "How Three Days Grace Broke a Two-Decade Old Rock Radio Record". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- Kaj Roth (April 1, 2006). "New Single Online With Three Days Grace". Melodic. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- "Pain (+ Acoustic)". Apple Music. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- "Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become". IMVDb. April 24, 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- "Three Days Grace 'Animal I Have Become' #1 3 Weeks and Growing at R&R Active Rock". Sony Music Entertainment. July 17, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
- Roth, Kaj. "Three Days Grace - One-X". Melodic. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- Gibb, Nate (August 10, 2007). "Three bands with hit songs but which one has the chops?". The Lewiston Tribune. Lewiston, Idaho.
- Apar, Corey. "One-X > Three Days Grace". AllMusic. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
- Lin, Adena (May 31, 2007). "One CD worth buying". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on November 14, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- "The 2006 Billboard Music Award Finalists". Billboard. November 29, 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- "The 2006 Billboard Music Award Winners". Billboard. December 4, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- "About - Three Days Grace". threedaysgrace.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- Ramanand, Liz (June 28, 2012). "Animal I Have Become - Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs". Loudwire. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- "The Best of Alternative Addiction 2006 - Top 50 Songs". Alternative Addiction. Archived from the original on January 17, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- "BB-2006-11-25" (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- "The Hits Charts (Airplay) : Top 100 singles". Jam!. Archived from the original on June 2, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- "RR Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). p. 58. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
- "Three Days Grace Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- "Three Days Grace Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- "Three Days Grace Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- "Three Days Grace Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- "Three Days Grace Singles & Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 3, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- "Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- "Mainstream Rock Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- "Greatest of All Time Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- "Canadian single certifications – Three Days Grace – Animal I Have Become". Music Canada.
- "British single certifications – Three Days Grace – Animal I Have Become". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- "American single certifications – Three Days Grace – Animal I Have Become". Recording Industry Association of America.