"Boom" (stylized in
all caps
In typography, all caps (short for "all capitals") refers to text or a font in which all letters are capital letters, for example: "THIS TEXT IS IN ALL CAPS". All caps may be used for emphasis (for a word or phrase). They are commonly seen in ...
) is a song by American rock band
X Ambassadors
X Ambassadors (also stylized XA) are an American pop rock band from Ithaca, New York. Its members currently include lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin. Russ Flynn is a touring member that plays guitar and ...
. It was released as the lead single from their second studio album, ''
Orion'', on January 25, 2019.
Composition
According to TuneBat.com, "Boom" is written in the key of
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major.
The E natural minor scale is:
:
Changes nee ...
and has a
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
of 108 beats per minute.
Music video
The music video for "Boom" opens with the three members of the band wearing outfits that resemble construction site uniforms. Lights in the background flash, spelling out "boom" in
braille
Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille display ...
.
Right before the bridge, an overhead light falls on the frontman, Sam Harris, knocking him out. He gets up and begins to perform again with a bleeding temple.
Personnel
X Ambassadors
* Sam Harris – lead vocals, guitar
* Casey Harris – backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers
* Adam Levin – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
* Ricky Reed – additional guitars and bass guitar
Critical reception
Reception of "Boom" was generally positive. In a review of ''Orion'', Mark Kennedy of
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. n ...
calls the song "infectious." Kaitlyn Sperduto of Soundigest describes the song as having a "dance/pop vibe." Ky Kasselman says the song has a "classic X Ambassadors feel", with a "catchy beat and repetitive lyrics."
In other media
* The song was used as the official theme song for the 2019 edition of ''
WWE Stomping Grounds''.
* The song was briefly played in the 2019
Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies is the film production arm of American children's network Nickelodeon and the family film distribution label of Paramount Pictures launched on February 25, 1995 and based in Los Angeles, California.
The division has earned ...
film
Playing with Fire.
* The song was used in the 2020 film ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformer ...
'' during the bar fight bullet time sequence.
* The song was used in the in-game EA Trax for the ice hockey videogame ''
NHL 20
''NHL 20'' is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It was released globally on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on September 13, 2019. It is the 29th installment in the NHL video game series an ...
''
* The song was played during the closing credits of the ''
NFL Films
NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries for and about the NFL, as well as ...
'' 2021 film ''NFL Championship Chase''.
* This song was used in the intro to the Fox Big Noon Kickoff show in 2021. (2021 college football) /Fox/NCAA/
* This song was used in the soundtrack for
NASCAR 21: Ignition.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
2019 singles
2019 songs
X Ambassadors songs
Kidinakorner singles
Interscope Records singles
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