Fireflies (song)

"Fireflies"
Single by Owl City
from the album Ocean Eyes
B-side "Hot Air Balloon"
Released July 14, 2009 (2009-07-14) (see release history)
Format Digital download, CD single
Recorded 2008
Genre Pop,[1] Synthpop
Length 3:48 (Album Version)
3:14 (UK Radio Edit)[2]
Label Universal Republic
Writer(s) Adam Young
Producer Adam Young, Matthew Thiessen[3]
Owl City singles chronology
"Fireflies"
(2009)		 "Vanilla Twilight"
(2010)
Audio sample
file info · help
Music video
"Fireflies" on YouTube

"Fireflies" is a song and the debut single from synthpop artist Owl City's album Ocean Eyes. Relient K vocalist Matt Thiessen is featured as a guest vocalist in the song. Adam Young described the song as "a little song about bugs and not being able to fall asleep at night."[4]

The song is based around a "bleepy" 80s-influenced synthline and features wondrous, child-like lyrics about insomnia, fireflies and summer.

The single attained worldwide success in late 2009-early 2010, topping the charts in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands.

Fireflies was used in the promotional video for Sony's EyePet video game. It is also featured in Disney Sing It: Party Hits.

Contents

Music video

The music video for "Fireflies" was directed by Steve Hoover.[5] It features Adam Young playing the song on a Lowrey spinet organ in a toy-filled bedroom, where most of the toys (including an astronaut, toy cars, and a blimp) come to life. Most of the toys are older model toys, with most of them from the 1970s and '80s (the exceptions being a Robosapien and a Roboraptor). There are also vintage household devices such as a black-and-white television and a record player. The video had an exclusive premiere on MySpace, but was leaked onto Dailymotion some time before and YouTube soon after. As of 1st January 2012, the video has received 62,511,224 views on YouTube.[6]

Track listings

Europe CD single
  1. "Fireflies" – 3:48
  2. "Hot Air Balloon" – 3:35[7]
US CD promo
  1. "Fireflies" – 3:48[8]

Chart performance

The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in early-September at number ninety-seven, and it reached number one in its tenth week, becoming Owl City's first number-one single.[9][10] The song stayed at number one for two non-consecutive weeks, in the top ten for fifteen weeks and on the Hot 100 for thirty-one weeks.[11] "Fireflies" contributed to sales of the album Ocean Eyes, and was credited as being responsible for its entry to the top ten on the U.S. Billboard 200.[12] On the Billboard Hot 100 2009 year-end chart, it was ranked sixtieth.[13] The RIAA certified "Fireflies" triple-platinum in June 2010. By June 2011, the song had shifted 4,257,000 downloads in the United States.[14] On the Billboard Hot 100 2010 year-end chart, it was ranked thirtieth.[15]

In the United Kingdom, the song entered at number fifty due to early download sales from a fake version that got leaked onto iTunes. The song would go on to make a forty-eight place jump to number two the following week, beaten only to the top by "Replay" by Iyaz. The following week, it rose to number one, and topped the chart for three consecutive weeks, the song has sold 639,587 copies to date.[16] The BPI certified "Fireflies" silver in February 2010. On 2 January 2011 it was revealed that "Fireflies" is the twentieth most downloaded song of all time in Great Britain.[17]

In Australia, the song entered at number thirty-eight and on the week of January 10 2010, it topped the chart with 37,354 copies sold, having the biggest sales for a song in one week.

In Japan, the song peaked at number three and was ranked sixteenth on the 2010 year-end chart, the highest ranking for an international song for 2010.

The song has attained success worldwide. It has reached number one in Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands (for 10 weeks) and the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Poland, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland.

Covers

The song is featured in "Weird Al" Yankovic's polka medley "Polka Face", from his album Alpocalypse. Sam Tsui covered the song for his album. Cheryl Cole covered the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Popular YouTube drummer Cobus Potgieter did a drum cover over the song. He posted it to his YouTube account on March 30, 2011 and it has since been watched over 2.2 million times.[18]

Mac Miller also samples the melody in his song "Don't Mind if I Do".

Charts

Peak position

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] 2
Denmark (Tracklisten)[20] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] 1
New Zealand (RIANZ)[22] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 1
Chart (2010) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[24] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)[25] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[26] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia)[27] 4
Czech Republic IFPI Top 100[28] 2
European Hot 100 Singles[29] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[30] 7
France (SNEP)[31] 17
French Airplay Chart[32] 3
Germany (Media Control AG)[33] 6
Ireland (IRMA)[34] 1
Italy (FIMI)[35] 2
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[36] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[37] 2
Slovak Republic IFPI Top 100[38] 8
Poland (ZPAV)[39] 2
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[40] 27
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[41] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[42] 4
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[43] 1

Year-end charts

End of year chart (2009) Position
Australian Singles Chart[44] 79
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [45] 100
New Zealand (RIANZ) [46] 26
US Billboard Hot 100 60
End of year chart (2010) Position
Australian Singles Chart[47] 6
Belgium (Flanders)[48] 14
Belgium (Wallonia)[49] 14
Canadian Hot 100 26
European Hot 100 13
Germany (Media Control AG)[50] 36
German Airplay Chart[51] 1
Ireland 7
Italian Singles Chart[52] 93
Japan Hot 100[53] 16
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[54] 26
New Zealand (RIANZ) [55] 44
Switzerland 28
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[56] 6
US Billboard Hot 100 30

Certifications and sales

Country Certification
Australia[57] 4× Platinum
Belgium[58] Gold
Denmark[59] Platinum
New Zealand[60] Platinum
Switzerland[61] Gold
United Kingdom[62] Silver
United States[63] 4× Platinum

Release history

Region Date Label Format
United States[64] July 14, 2009 Universal Republic Digital download
Australia[65] November 9, 2009 CD single
United Kingdom[66][67] January 8, 2010 Digital download
February 22, 2010 CD single
Ireland[68] January 14, 2010 Digital download
Poland January 16, 2010 CD single
Germany January 22, 2010 CD single

See also

References

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  2. ^ http://itunes.apple.com%2Fgb%2Falbum%2Ffireflies-uk-radio-edit-single%2Fid349149191&rct=j&q=fireflies+radio+edit+-+single&ei=A-2_S4GxNNXjnAeBkqCNBQ&usg=AFQjCNHNWy5QKxTvunxKuYiJtOCrS7rgJg
  3. ^ "LiveDaily Interview: Matt Thiessen of Relient K >> Tour dates at LIVE DAILY". Livedaily.com. 2010-05-05. http://www.livedaily.com/news/relient-k-tickets-and-tour-dates-livedaily-interview-matt-thiessen-of-relient-k-22094.html. Retrieved 2010-05-28. 
  4. ^ "Fireflies Songfacts". Songfacts.com. 2009-07-14. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=16428. Retrieved 2011-12-29. 
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  10. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (2009-11-12). "Rihanna's 'Roulette' Lands In Hot 100's Top 10". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc). http://www.billboard.com/#/news/rihanna-s-roulette-lands-in-hot-100-s-top-1004042315.story. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
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Owl City
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
"Fireflies" · "Vanilla Twilight" · "Umbrella Beach" · "Alligator Sky" · "Galaxies" · "Deer in the Headlights" · "Lonely Lullaby" · "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust"
Other songs
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