"Afraid" is a song by American

alternative pop Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

group

the Neighbourhood The Neighbourhood (abbreviated as the nbhd) is an American alternative rock band formed in Newbury Park, California, in 2011. The band is composed of vocalist Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels, and bassist Mikey Marg ...

. The song was written by group members Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, and was produced by Justyn Pilbrow and

Emile Haynie Emile Haynie (born July 13, 1980), often credited simply as Emile, is an American record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, his range of production includes alternative rock, hip hop, indie and pop music. Haynie has worked with seve ...

. It serves as the second single to their debut studio album, ''

I Love You The phrase "I love you" is a declaration of love. I Love You, I Love U, or I Luv U may refer to: Film and television Films * ''I Love You'' (1918 film), a silent drama written by Catherine Carr, starring Alma Rubens * ''I Love You'' (1925 ...

'', which was released on April 19, 2013 via Columbia Records. The lyrics of "Afraid" can be interpreted in many ways, but it mainly deals with

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

and depression, hence the lyrics in the hook/chorus "When I wake up, I'm afraid / Somebody else might take my place". The song has been praised by ''Billboard'' for its "edgy, subtle hooks". The song was featured in an episode of the television show "

The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson (screenwriter), Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the The Vampire Diaries (novel series), book series ...

Chopped Not Slopped Remix

The Neighbourhood collaborated with

OG Ron C Ronald Rummell Coleman (born August 19, 1973), better known for his stage name OG Ron C, is an American DJ, radio personality, Grammy nominated record producer, and entertainment and management company executive, who is currently signed to OVO ...

for the "Chopped Not Slopped" remix of "Afraid". Jesse Rutherford explains that when they "reached out to artists to do remixes it was kind of a weird idea to expand outside of our direct family. Then the idea came up about having OG Ron C take a shot at giving our record his Houston touch. We thought it’d be cool to have someone who, like us, made a name for themselves and their movement in their own way. No one told them they had to slow things down or make purple the color of their culture. They did it themselves. So now black and white is getting some purple mixed in."

Music video

A music video, directed by Ends, was released for the song on October 17, 2013, both in edited and explicit/uncut versions. In the video's premise, lead singer Rutherford was shown in past (teen) and present forms. Rutherford himself was naked throughout much of the video to express his vulnerability and fears, also the eyelids show the different perspectives of everyone in the band, from writing the songs, to playing basketball. The video also incorporated a part of OG Ron C's 'Chopped Not Slopped' remix in the middle of it. The music video has been met with generally positive reviews. Joshua Frazier of ''

The Michigan Daily ''The Michigan Daily'', also known as "''The Daily''", is the independent student newspaper of the University of Michigan published in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established on September 29, 1890, the newspaper is financially and editorially independe ...

'' writes "'Afraid' is ultimately an enjoyable visual experience emblematic of the typical Neighbourhood experience: bleak, but catchy."Music Video Review: 'Afraid' puts best side of the Neighbourhood on display
(released October 24, 2013)

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control Songs about depression The Neighbourhood songs 2013 songs 2013 singles Columbia Records singles Song recordings produced by Emile Haynie Songs written by Emile Haynie Songs about anxiety