View source for I Was Alive

{{Infobox song
| name       = I Was Alive
| cover      =
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Beartooth (band)|Beartooth]]
| album      = [[The Surface (album)|The Surface]]
| released   = October 13, 2023
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| length     = 3:18
| label      = [[Red Bull Records|Red Bull]]
| writer     = {{hlist|[[Caleb Shomo]]|[[Drew Fulk]]}}
| producer   = Shomo
| prev_title = The Better Me
| prev_year  = 2023
| next_title = [[Attn (song)|Attn]]
| next_year  = 2024
| misc       = {{External music video|type=single|{{YouTube|pnGTAeUZ1EA|"I Was Alive"}}}}
}}
"'''I Was Alive'''" is a song by American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Beartooth (band)|Beartooth]]. It was released on October 13, 2023, as the sixth and final single from their fifth  studio album, ''[[The Surface (album)|The Surface]]''. The song peaked at number one on the US [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Mainstream Rock]] chart, becoming the group's second number-one hit on the chart.
==Background and composition==
"I Was Alive" was written by [[Caleb Shomo]] and [[Drew Fulk]], while production was handled by Shomo.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://rocksound.tv/features/beartooth-the-surface-the-album-story|title=Beartooth, 'The Surface' - The Album Story|magazine=[[Rock Sound]]|author=James Wilson-Taylor|date=October 13, 2023|access-date=September 18, 2024}}</ref> The song is a mid-tempo [[Rock music|rock]] track, with uplifting lyrics as the main content of the song.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-the-surface-beartooth/|title=Album Review: The Surface – Beartooth|magazine=Distorted Sound|date=October 13, 2023|author=Katie Bird|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref> Speaking about the song, Shomo stated it is "about the fact that none of this lasts forever and we get one ride on this crazy journey we're on, so we've got to give it everything we've got."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://hmmagazine.com/beartooth-releases-fifth-album-the-surface-and-shares-i-was-alive-video/|title=Beartooth releases fifth album, 'The Surface,' and shares 'I Was Alive' video|magazine=[[HM (magazine)|HM]]|date=October 16, 2023|author=Nao Glover|access-date=September 18, 2024}}</ref>
==Critical reception==
Jake Richardson of ''[[Kerrang!]]'' stated that the song "delivers a carpe diem musical affirmation that reflects the newfound self-love that has engulfed its creators" and how "it's a far cry from the despair that characterised the band's celebrated debut album ''[[Disgusting (album)|Disgusting]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-beartooth-the-surface|title=Album review: Beartooth – The Surface|magazine=[[Kerrang!]]|author=Jake Richardson|date=October 12, 2023|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref> Anne Erickson of [[Blabbermouth.net]] noted how the track had "an anthemic, late-1990s rock quality" sound.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/the-surface|title=Review: The Surface - Beartooth|website=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|author=Anne Erickson|date=October 13, 2023|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref> Paul Brown of ''Wall of Sound'' expressed that the song "brings back some of those country/radio rock influences, whilst still retaining that new hard rock edge."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wallofsoundau.com/2023/10/06/beartooth-the-surface-album-review/|title=Beartooth – The Surface (Album Review)|website=Wall of Sound|author=Paul Brown|date=October 6, 2023|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref>
==Chart performance==
"I Was Alive" topped the US [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Mainstream Rock]] chart for the week of May 11, 2024, becoming their second number-one song on the chart. The song also reached number one on the US Mediabase Active Rock radio chart for two weeks,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://hmmagazine.com/beartooth-announces-leg-2-of-the-surface-tour-for-summer-2024-new-single-i-was-alive-lands-at-no-1/|title=Beartooth announces leg 2 of 'The Surface' Tour for Summer 2024, new single 'I Was Alive' lands at No. 1|magazine=[[HM (magazine)|HM]]|author=Nao Glover|date=May 7, 2024|access-date=September 18, 2024}}</ref> as well as and peaking at number 13 on the US [[Billboard charts|Rock Airplay]] chart.<ref name="US Rock"/> The song has earned 306,000 streams in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/beartooth-second-mainstream-rock-airplay-number-one-i-was-alive-1235673536/|title=Beartooth Earns Second Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 With 'I Was Alive'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|author=Kevin Rutherford|date=May 3, 2024|access-date=September 18, 2024}}</ref>
==Music video==
The music video for "I Was Alive" premiered on October 13, 2023, and was directed by Zebulon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lambgoat.com/news/40491/beartooth-drop-i-was-alive-music-video-along-with-the-surface-album-release/|title=Beartooth drop "I Was Alive" music video along with 'The Surface' album release|website=Lambgoat|date=October 13, 2023|access-date=September 18, 2024}}</ref>
==Personnel==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Beartooth'''
* [[Caleb Shomo]] – lead vocals, composer, lyricist
* Zach Huston – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Will Deely – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
* Oshie Bichar – bass, backing vocals
* Connor Denis – drums, backing vocals
{{col-2}}
'''Production'''
* Caleb Shomo – producer, mastering, mixing, engineering
{{col-end}}
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+Chart performance for "I Was Alive"
! scope="col"| Chart (2023–24)
! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Hot Hard Rock Songs]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/beartooth/chart-history/hsg/|title=Beartooth Chart History (Hot Hard Rock Songs)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=September 18, 2024}}</ref>
| 10
|-
{{single chart|Billboardrockairplay|13|artist=Beartooth|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 18, 2024|refname="US Rock"}}
|-
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Beartooth}}
[[Category:2023 singles]]
[[Category:Red Bull Records singles]]
[[Category:Beartooth songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Drew Fulk]]