"Walk on Water" is a song recorded by American rock band

Thirty Seconds to Mars Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Leto (drums, ...

, featured on their fifth studio album ''

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

''. It was produced by lead vocalist

Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( ; born December 26, 1971) is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Gold ...

, who wrote the song alongside drummer Shannon Leto, with production contributions from

Stevie Aiello Stephen Aiello (born April 30, 1983) is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known for touring and recording with American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He was one of the founding members of Monty Are I, a band h ...

, Arkadi Zaslavski and

Mike Elizondo Mike Elizondo (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protege of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder, Skylar Grey, Twenty ...

, among others. It was recorded at the International Centre for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences of Sound in

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, California. "Walk on Water" was released on August 22, 2017 through

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...

, as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from the album.

Release

On August 14, 2017, Thirty Seconds to Mars announced that "Walk on Water" would be the

from their upcoming fifth studio album. Jared Leto told '' NME'' that the song required a long period of time to record. "Walk on Water" marks the first work by Thirty Seconds to Mars to be released by

Interscope Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mu ...

, after the band parted from

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

due to tumultuous years with the label. On August 22, "Walk on Water" made its radio debut and became commercially available for downloading. A lyric video for the song was released on YouTube the same day. Music website

Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabili ...

premiered the lyrics of the song on August 21, 2017, a day prior the single's official release. "Walk on Water" was used by

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

as the promotional theme for the network's coverage of the 2017 College Football season.

Composition

"Walk on Water" is an

electronic rock Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrum ...

song with influences and elements from

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is co ...

and

arena rock Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...

. It opens with a vocal chanted part followed by the sounds of

digital drums Electronic drums is a modern electronic musical instrument, primarily designed to serve as an alternative to an acoustic drum kit. Electronic drums consist of an electronic sound module which produces the synthesized or sampled percussion sounds ...

and guitars, with a heavy

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

. During the first verse, Leto voices the lines "Can you even see what you're fighting for? / Bloodlust and a holy war / Listen up, hear the patriots shout: / Times are changing". The full-throated chorus then follows, which features heavy use of drums,

synthesizers A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

and guitars. The song's bridge is characterized by

call-and-response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...

verses performed by a gospel ensemble. Leto called "Walk on Water" an "ever so subtle and minimalist ode". He described it as "a song for everybody due to its universal message." The track's lyrics deal "with such topics as freedom, persistence, change and fighting for what one believes in." In an interview with ''

Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August of 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive i ...

'', Leto depicted the song as a "call to arms but also full of all the optimism and hope that is such an integral part of the American Dream". Jon Blistein from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' acknowledged a slight political edge in the song's lyrics. Nick Reilly of '' NME'' noted that "Walk on Water" dissects the general condition of the United States and calls for unity in the nation. In her review for

Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...

, Bianca Gracie felt that the song serves as a call to arms to fight collectively for change.

Music video

After several weeks of editing, the band premiered the official music video for "Walk on Water" on November 8, 2017. It was directed by Jared Leto and features user-submitted footage from July 4, 2017, depicting

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

in the United States. Thirty Seconds to Mars also utilized their own crews to compile additional footage, all of which is part of a documentary film titled '' A Day in the Life of America'', released in 2019.

Critical reception

Michael Christopher from ''

'' gave the song a positive review, calling it an "anthemic, electronically tinged track" which features "sweeping music" and "even grander lyrics" that fit the political climate of the period. Gil Kaufman from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' commended the song's "anthemic chorus" and "heart-stirring, propulsive rhythm". Jon Blistein from ''

'' called it a "sweeping" song, noticing "marching drums" and "booming synths". Nick Reilly from '' NME'' was impressed with the track, labelling it a "rousing call to arms". A ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...

'' writer called the song a "pretty powerful offering" and praised its lyrics, noting that they call for people to "come together rather than building walls". Markos Papadatos, writing for Digital Journal, rated it an "A", labelling it an "empowering song", and commended the band's musicianship and Leto's "rich and captivating" vocals. Bianca Gracie from

noted the track's "commanding chorus" and lauded its political message. Deepa Lakshmin from

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

commended the song's "fiery lyrics" and named "Walk on Water" a "powerful anthem" which is "equal parts inspirational and motivational".

Live performances

The song was performed live for the first time at the

2017 MTV Video Music Awards The 2017 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 27, 2017 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, honoring music videos released between June 25, 2016 and June 23, 2017. It was hosted by Katy Perry. The 34th annual award show aired live from ...

on August 27 with Travis Scott as a special surprise guest, who performed the chorus from his hit song " Butterfly Effect". The band played "Walk on Water" at the

Rock in Rio ''Rock in Rio'' is a recurring music festival originating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas. Nine incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, ...

festival on September 24, 2017, featuring Brazilian rapper Projota. They later performed the song at the

LOS40 Music Awards 2017 The LOS40 Music Awards 2017 were the twelfth edition of the LOS40 Music Awards, the annual awards organized by Spanish radio station Los 40. It was held on November 10, 2017 in the WiZink Center in Madrid, Spain. Performances Awards and nominat ...

on November 10. An acoustic rendition of the track was performed on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...

's Live Lounge and during ''

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...

''. The song also used in the PFL as intro theme.

Credits and personnel

Recording and management * Recorded at The International Centre for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences of Sound,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

* Published by Apocraphex Music (

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

) /

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and it ...

– Z Tunes, LLC (ASCAP) * All rights administered by Universal Music – Z Tunes, LLC Personnel * Thirty Seconds to Mars – primary artist *

–

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

, producer * Shannon Leto – songwriter *

– engineer, additional producer *

Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...

–

audio mixing Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic ...

* Sam de Jong – additional producer *

– additional producer * Jordan Galvan – engineer, additional producer * Heavy Mellow – additional producer * Pete Nappi – additional producer * Scott Skrzynski – mixing assistant * Arkadi Zaslavski – additional producer Credits and personnel adapted from

Qobuz Qobuz (, commonly mispronounced: ) is a French commercial music streaming and downloading service. It was founded in 2007 by Yves Riesel, expanded to a limited range of overseas markets, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, It ...

listing.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Walk on Water 2017 singles 2017 songs Music videos directed by Jared Leto Song recordings produced by Mike Elizondo Songs written by Stevie Aiello Thirty Seconds to Mars songs Interscope Records singles Songs written by Shannon Leto Electronic rock songs