"Beautiful Times" is a song by American electronica project Owl City. The song features American violinist Lindsey Stirling and was released on April 8, 2014 as the lead single from his fourth EP, Ultraviolet.[1]
Background
In early 2014, Young revealed the album artwork for his single, "Beautiful Times", through his Instagram account.[2][3] On April 4, 2014, Owl City released a teaser for "Beautiful Times".[4] Written and produced by Young, the track runs at 136 BPM and is in the key of A major.[5] The song has been described as an "upbeat" track.[6] The song features Lindsey Stirling who played violin on the track.[1] According to Young, "Beautiful Times" was the first track he wrote for the EP when he got home from tour.[7] About the song's meaning and working with Stirling, Young stated:
"It is an anthem for those who search for strength to rise above hardship. I was honoured to work with yet another of my favourite artists, Lindsey Stirling, who was kind enough to grant me the honour of featuring her. I hope you enjoy the song as much as I enjoyed creating it."[8]
Critical reception
Christian Rockafeller of Music Times calls the music video "a gorgeous and whimsical cinematic tale." Musically, he praised Stirling's violin skills stating it as "inimitable" and "impressive."[9]
Music video
On June 26, 2014, the music video for "Beautiful Times" premiered via Rolling Stone. Speaking about the video he stated, "I've been on a few sets where everyone is on edge and it throws the whole thing off. A positive atmosphere really makes all the difference in the world."[6] The music video showcases a young protagonist waking up and venturing beyond his own world, while it features clips of Young and Stirling performing the song.[9]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[10]
- Owl City – composer, primary artist
- Lindsey Stirling – featured artist
Charts
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CIS (TopHit)[11] | 177 |
| Japan (Japan Hot 100)[12] | 91 |
| South Korea (GAON) (International Chart)[13] | 48 |
| US Pop Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[14] | 26 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | April 8, 2014 | Republic | [15] |
References
- ^ a b Matt Crane (April 8, 2014). "Owl City streams new single, Beautiful Times (ft. Lindsey Stirling)". Alternative Press. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "Piece five of the April single album artwork on Instagram". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- ^ "Piece four of the April single album artwork on Instagram". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- ^ Michele Bird (April 4, 2014). "Owl City to release new single, Beautiful Times". Alternative Press. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "Key and BPM of Beautiful Times by Owl City". Musicstax.com. May 14, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Nick Murray (June 26, 2014). "Watch Owl City's Whimsical Beautiful Times Video – Premiere". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ "Owl City – Bio". owlcitymusic.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ "Lindsey Stirling plays on Owl City's latest single". Cross Rhythms. April 23, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Christian Rockafeller (June 27, 2014). "WATCH: Owl City 'Beautiful Times' Video from Ultraviolet EP (Republic Records) Features Violinist Lindsey Stirling [VIDEO]". Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "Owl City – Beautiful Times / Credits". All Music. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Owl City — Beautiful Times. TopHit. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- ^ "Owl City Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ "Gaon Digital Chart: 2014-04-04". GAON. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ "Owl City Chart History (Pop Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ "Beautiful Times (feat. Lindsey Stirling) - Single by Owl City". Apple Music. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
