"Silence" is a song produced by American DJ and musician

Marshmello Christopher Comstock (born May 19, 1992), known professionally as Marshmello, is an American DJ and record producer. His songs "Silence (Marshmello song), Silence" (featuring Khalid (American singer), Khalid), "Wolves (Selena Gomez and Mar ...

featuring vocals from American singer-songwriter Khalid. Written by both, it was released by

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

on August 11, 2017. The dance track peaked at number 30 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as well as number 3 on the UK charts, his first song to chart on the latter.

Background

On August 1, 2017, Marshmello made a surprise performance at a Khalid concert, hinting at an upcoming collaboration. On August 7, 2017, Marshmello first teased the single release with a photo of him and Khalid, captioning the single's title and release date. In an interview with StarTribune, Khalid explains "the song reflects the dejection he said he felt moving around a lot as a kid, since his mom served in the military. (His dad died in a car accident at a young age)".

Critical reception

David Rishty of ''

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 advertis ...

'' described the song as "a rumbling dance ballad that has the ingredients to take both acts to new heights in their flourishing careers". He opined that Khalid delivered "crooning, soulful vocals", while Marshmello's production is "vibrant" and "asserts simplicity, yet purpose". Erik of EDM Sauce called the song "an incredibly powerful track", and described Khalid's vocals as "booming and impressive". He wrote that "after the intense build up and lyrical perfection from Khalid we wanted an equally as impressive drop", but "we did not find it". Alex Ross of ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

'' called the song "a good Marshmello song", and wrote that Marshmello "cheated by getting Khalid to do the vocals". He thinks that it "sounds a bit like"

Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was the ...

's collaboration with

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

and MØ, " Cold Water". ''

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 ...

'' wrote that the song has "shifting, snapping synths". ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'' felt that the song "blends soulful R&B with atmospheric electronic sounds". Broadway World described Khalid's vocals as "strong emotive", and thinks that Marshmello "adopted a slower tempo than his usual upbeat productions to give the release a silky smooth feel, before launching into his instantly recognisable chord-based drop".

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. *

– production * Chris Galland – mix engineering *

Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is a Guatemalan-American record mixing engineer. He has been credited on albums for high-profile pop, R&B, hip hop and rock acts. He has worked with artists including Rihanna, Kanye West, Katy Perry ...

– mix engineering * Denis Kosiak – engineering * Jeff Jackson – assistant engineering * Robin Florent – assistant engineering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 2017 songs 2017 singles Marshmello songs Khalid (singer) songs RCA Records singles Songs written by Khalid (singer) Songs written by Marshmello American dance songs