Latest Release
- SEP 27, 2024
- 1 Song
- Evolve · 2017
- Night Visions · 2012
- Night Visions · 2012
- Evolve · 2017
- Evolve · 2017
- Bones - Single · 2021
- Origins (Deluxe Edition) · 2018
- Enemy (From Arcane: League of Legends) - Single · 2021
- Night Visions · 2012
- Night Visions · 2012
Essential Albums
- Longtime Imagine Dragons fans will notice a newfound brightness on the Las Vegas band’s third album. That’s because frontman Dan Reynolds wrote most of it after coming out of a serious depression that had plagued him since childhood but worsened after the band’s first major tour to support its hugely successful 2012 debut album. Where 2015 follow-up Smoke + Mirrors had a heavier, darker bite, 2017's Evolve is noticeably lighter, buoyed by more heart, soul, and groove. Sonically, this is the best-selling rock band of the 2010s going full-out pop. Sure, there are a few sizzles of power-ballad guitar tossed in for good measure, but Evolve is Imagine Dragons proving it can still galvanize the forces by dialing down on the thundering rock theatrics—just a bit. Even the militaristic stomp of a song literally called “Thunder” is tempered by giddy, helium-pumped vocals. In a sense, Imagine Dragons’ evolution here is felt more in spirit than sound, and nothing says that more than the shuffling, gospel-tinged “Next To Me,” the band’s first big love song. The track was such a significant emotional shift—that the outfit decided to add it to the top of the album’s 2018 reissue. But it’s hardly the only glimmer of romance here. “I Don’t Know Why” takes a page from The Weeknd and Daft Punk’s smash collaborations with its starry-eyed electro-pop grooviness and Reynolds’ most sizzling confession yet: “Your love is always dangerous,” he sneers. On “I’ll Make It Up To You,” he pledges his loyalty to his partner over sparkling soulful pop; later, he reveals more of that tender side on the woozy electro-R&B reverie “Dancing In The Dark.” Of course, this wouldn’t be an Imagine Dragons record without a sturdy collection of sky-high inspirational anthems, like fist-pumping sing-alongs “Whatever It Takes” and “Walking The Wire.” But “Believer” is the big standout, a perfectly polished composite of the group’s most reliable moves: pummeling rhythms, buzzing sub-bass, a shout-to-the-heavens chorus, and a no-pain-no-gain message. Unsurprisingly, it would score Imagine Dragons another massive hit.
- “This is it, the apocalypse,” Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds boldly declares on “Radioactive,” the thunderous opening track of the Las Vegas quartet’s monstrous 2012 debut album. “Welcome to the new age,” he continues with an ominous snarl, as if challenging anyone to suggest otherwise. The track pushes on like a gladiator's call to arms, punctuated with earth-shattering bass. It’s an all-or-nothing stadium rouser that introduces Imagine Dragons as a band ready to take on the world—and boy, would it. “Radioactive” has since been certified Diamond and become one of the best-selling singles of all time. Not bad for a band that was closing out the 2000s playing the local casino scene just to make rent. Night Visions is a clear marker of its time, an uncompromising amalgam of early 21st-century alt-rock—think The Killers’ soaring sincerity mixed with Muse’s formidable swagger and Mumford & Sons’ folky zeal—infused with boisterous elements of hip-hop and dubstep. The band seems on a mission to outdo itself with every track. The top half of the album—heavy in hits—sets out to prove this. “It’s Time” is a vivid anthem for picking oneself up, buoyed by guitarist Wayne Sermon’s plunky mandolin, while “On Top of the World” adds a touch of Jack Johnson-like levity to a clap-happy Steve Reich sample. But it’s not all so optimistic. “Demons” slips back into the darkness, plodding up a bass-laden hill in search of peak catharsis. That intensity never lets up through the second half. Reynolds counts his sins over the jagged rhythms of “Bleeding Out” and reflects on the band’s humble beginnings on the squelchy, synth-edged banger “Underdog.” The members finally let themselves stretch out on the sprawling rock-operatic closer “Nothing Left To Say / Rocks (Medley),” which ends on a merry, mandolin-fueled note and one pivotal question from Reynolds: “Where do we go from here?” This 10-year-anniversary Super Deluxe Edition from 2022 reveals where Imagine Dragons started—many of the bonus studio recordings can be found on earlier EPs, like the midtempo meditation “The River”—and where they began to hit their stride. A buoyant 2014 performance from Red Rocks shows how well the band translates the ferocity of the record to the stage, while the final collection of remixes highlight its wide-range appeal.
Artist Playlists
- Fist-pumping alt-rock battle cries fueled by love and deep bass.
- Modern rock titans bring the muscle to help you push through.
- Listen to the hits performed on the blockbuster tour.
- Listen to the hits performed on their blockbuster tour.
- Grab the mic and sing along with some of their biggest hits.
- Dan Reynolds on creating "Eyes Closed."
- Dan Reynolds discusses “Sharks,” touring, and coping with grief.
- Conversation with the band and Rick Rubin on their new album.
- MAJAN verrät spannende Details zu seinem neuen Album „SKITS.“
- Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds opens up to Zane about the band's latest singles.
- Spotlighting the musical nominees at this year's Academy Awards.
- Featuring Ariana Grande, Imagine Dragons, and Kris Wu.
About Imagine Dragons
In 2011, Las Vegas band Imagine Dragons were pulling six-hour shows at local casinos for just enough to cover rent and Taco Bell; a year-and-change later, they were Platinum. Formed in Provo, Utah, by a group of high school and college friends, the band self-released three EPs before making the leap to Interscope Records in 2012, delivering their full-length debut, Night Visions, later that year. Led by a pair of explosive singles (“It’s Time” and “Radioactive”), the band went on to become one of the more singular successes of the 2010s, leveraging stadium-ready indie rock with synth-pop, dubstep, stomping folk, and hints of New Wave—a sound that jumped out of speakers like a bright neon light. They followed up at a steady clip (2015’s Smoke + Mirrors, 2017’s Evolve, 2018’s Origins), refining their sound without dulling its cathartic edge. Talking with Apple Music about their 2018 track “Zero,” vocalist Dan Reynolds described the role of empathy in both writing and performance—a cornerstone of the band’s success. “I carried around this big tenor saxophone that was bigger than me,” he said, remembering early adolescence. “I was, like, 5-foot-2; I was a tiny kid. So, for me, I look out and I see these people in the crowd and I’m like, Oh, you’re going through that right now. Give it time—you’re gonna come into your own and blossom. So, for me, this song is for all those people.”
- ORIGIN
- Las Vegas, NV, United States
- FORMED
- 2008
- GENRE
- Alternative