"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.”