"Pure Grinding" is a song by

Avicii Tim Bergling (8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii, was a Swedish DJ, remixer, and record producer. At age 16, he began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first record deal. He rose ...

, released as a single in 2015. The track appears on his album '' Stories'' and on his two-track EP ''Pure Grinding / For a Better Day''. It was written by Tim Bergling (Avicii), Kristoffer Fogelmark, Albin Nedler and Earl Johnson. The song was previously leaked on the Internet with the title "Nothing to Lose". It is also part of the official soundtrack for the 2015 reboot of ''Need for Speed''.

Reception

"Pure Grinding" received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.

Will Hermes Will Hermes (born December 27, 1960, in Jamaica, Queens, New York City) is an American author, broadcaster, journalist and critic who has written extensively about popular music. He is a longtime contributor to ''Rolling Stone'' and to National P ...

of ''

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. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' described the song as "duty-free trap music cut with polyester funk", while Marcus Dowling of

Insomniac Insomniac or The Insomniac may refer to: * A person who has insomnia Music * Insomniac (Green Day album), ''Insomniac'' (Green Day album), 1995 * Insomniac (Enrique Iglesias album), ''Insomniac'' (Enrique Iglesias album), 2007 * Insomniac (song ...

noted that a "more power synth- and heavy drop-loving producer" would have benefited the song.

Music video

The music video, directed by Avicii and Levan Tsikurishvili, was released on September 3, 2015. The video delivers a powerful message about the struggles of financial survival and the unpredictability of fate. It compares the lives of two men. One man works hard at a limestone quarry, to pay off his overdue bills. When he gets home, he was met with an argumentative wife (or mother) on the overdue bills who ultimately leaves him. Determined, he continues working tirelessly and eventually succeeds in paying the overdue bills. On the other hand, the other man lives in a life of luxury, fueled by his criminal and gangsterism activities. They kill a gas station owner and later rob a bank. When the sirens go off, his cronies lock him in the bank's safe with a pile of the diamonds and money that he used to fuel his lifestyle.

Charts

Certifications

References

2015 songs 2015 singles Avicii songs Songs written by Avicii Songs written by Kristoffer Fogelmark Songs written by Albin Nedler {{2015-single-stub