The band achieved its first commercial success on Myspace as an unsigned act. In late 2002, after OneRepublic played shows throughout the Los Angeles area, several record labels approached the band with interest, but the band signed with Velvet Hammer, an imprint of Columbia Records. They made their first album with producer Greg Wells during the summer and fall of 2005 at his studio, Rocket Carousel, in Culver City, California. The album was scheduled for release on June 6, 2006, but the group was dropped by Columbia two months before the album was released. The lead single of that album, "Apologize", was released on April 30, 2006, on Myspace, eventually reaching number one on the Myspace charts.
In 2007, OneRepublic released their debut album, Dreaming Out Loud. Their lead single, "Apologize", was remixed by Timbaland, becoming a huge international success, reaching number one in sixteen countries and subsequently earning them a Grammy Award nomination. The second single, "Stop and Stare", mirrored its predecessor's success. The album was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The band's second album, Waking Up (2009), produced the singles "All the Right Moves", "Secrets", "Marchin On", and "Good Life", with the last reaching the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100.
OneRepublic's third album, Native (2013), became the band's first top ten album on the Billboard 200, and highest-charting album to date, charting at number four. The lead single, "If I Lose Myself", charted within the top ten in several countries, while the album's third single, "Counting Stars", became the band's most successful single in recent years, obtaining top-five placements in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, the US, and the UK. This marks their highest-charting single in the United Kingdom to date. It also peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, matching the group's highest peak of "Apologize" in 2007.
On October 7, 2016, OneRepublic released Oh My My, their fourth studio album, featuring several collaborators, including Cassius, Peter Gabriel, and Santigold. Preceded by the singles "Wherever I Go", released on May 13, 2016, and "Kids", released on August 12, 2016, it was recognized as a change in their sound from previous albums by critics and by the band. In 2017, the band released the singles "No Vacancy", "Truth to Power", "Stranger Things" with Kygo and "Rich Love" with Seeb. Their fifth studio album, Human, was released in 2021. The band has sold approximately over 16 million records worldwide.
On November 1, 2021, OneRepublic released the song "Sunshine". The song is used as the theme song to the 2021 film Clifford the Big Red Dog.
In February 2022, OneRepublic released the song "West Coast". The song is the lead single from OneRepublic’s upcoming sixth studio album. The song is an ode to the American state of California and evokes classic 1960s California sounds, stemming from groups such as The Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas, along with inspiration from Gorillaz. It has been both a band favorite and a fan favorite for a long time, and it ultimately became a tone-setter for their sixth studio effort. They first started working on “West Coast” during the production process of their 2016 album, Oh My My, but ended up shelving it for later. An earlier version of the song was used for U2’s 2017 hit, “Summer of Love,” which actually turned the original demo into an anti-war track.
After years of anticipation and re-tooling, the final version of “West Coast” was officially made public on February 25, 2022.
On April 1, 2022, OneRepublic released "You Were Loved" as a single with DJ and producer Gryffin. On May 13, 2022, the band released "I Ain't Worried", the second single from the soundtrack for the film Top Gun: Maverick. It will also be featured on their upcoming sixth studio album which is rumored to be released by the end of the summer. On January 31, 2023, Ryan Tedder confirmed in The Great Creators with Guy Raz that he will upload song teasers on social media, and let the public choose the next single.
OneRepublic's varied style of music has been described by Ryan Tedder: "We're no respecter of genre. If it's a good song or a good artist whether rock, pop, indie or hip hop, they've probably influenced us on some level... nothing's new under the sun, we're a sum of a bunch of parts." Specific artists whom OneRepublic has cited as influences include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Beatles, U2, M83, and Prince.
OneRepublic has won several music awards and landed many nominations, including for American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, World Music Awards, and Grammy Awards. Separately, lead singer Ryan Tedder has won three Grammy Awards due to his songwriting credits for Adele and Taylor Swift.
Can’t Stop
OneRepublic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we don't talk, when we don't talk, we don't talk anymore
I guess this is what it's supposed to sound like
The universe, the universe, universe is torn
I know I can live without you
I can live without you half the day, hey, hey
I know I can live without you
But I can't stop
Thinking about
Thinking about us anymore, oh, oh
I said I can't stop
Thinking about
Thinking about us anymore, oh, oh
I said I can't stop, no
Thinking about
Thinking about this anymore, oh, oh
And all I've got, ooh-oh
Is nothing I want anymore, oh, oh
No I never get used to silence
But I don't hear, no I don't hear
I don't hear you anymore
I know I had to look hard to find it
Everything, everything, everything is gone
I know I can live without you
And put life off for another day
But I can't stop
Thinking about
Thinking about us anymore, oh, oh
I said I can't stop
Thinking about
Thinking about us anymore, oh, oh
I said I can't stop, no
Thinking about
Thinking about this anymore, oh, oh
And all I've got, ooh-oh
Is nothing I want anymore, oh, oh
I can see stars, I can see lights
And I swear that they're shining here
I can see stars, I can see lights
Shining here
I can't stop
Thinking about
Thinking about us anymore, oh, oh
I said I can't stop
Thinking about
Thinking about us anymore, oh, oh
I said I can't stop
Thinking about
Thinking about this anymore, oh, oh
And all I've got, ooh-oh
Is nothing I want anymore, oh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
The lyrics of OneRepublic's "Can't Stop" convey a sense of emotional confusion and a tumultuous relationship. The singer is questioning whether they can live without their partner and acknowledges they can, for half the day, but they can't help but constantly think about their relationship. The universe is torn, and everything is gone, suggesting that their world is falling apart. The silence is deafening, and the singer is struggling to come to terms with their feelings. Despite this, they can see stars and lights shining, representing hope of finding meaning and purpose outside the relationship.
The repeated lines of "I can't stop thinking about us anymore" emphasize the singer's inability to move on from the relationship. The lyrics capture the emotional struggle of someone who is trying to let go of a relationship that they know is toxic but can't stop thinking about. The song explores the idea that sometimes even when we know something is not good for us, we can’t help but think about it.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess this is what it's supposed to feel like
The feeling of not talking to someone anymore is common, and this is what it feels like.
When we don't talk, when we don't talk, we don't talk anymore
When communication stops and silence sets in, it's hard to break it.
I guess this is what it's supposed to sound like
This silence is comparable to the universe being torn apart.
The universe, the universe, universe is torn
Silence feels like everything is falling apart.
I know I can live without you
I can make it through the day without you.
I can live without you half the day, hey, hey
Only half of my day is affected by your absence.
And put life off for another day
I can delay my life and live without really experiencing it.
But I can't stop
Despite how everything seems, I can't stop.
Thinking about
I can't stop thinking about us.
Thinking about us anymore, oh, oh
Our relationship lingers in my thoughts no matter how I try to distract myself.
I said I can't stop, no
I keep trying to tell myself that I don't need to think about us, but I can't.
Thinking about this anymore, oh, oh
It feels like I can't control my thoughts anymore, and they always lead back to us.
And all I've got, ooh-oh
Despite everything, all I have is emptiness.
Is nothing I want anymore, oh, oh
I don't want anything anymore, even when I try to move on.
No I never get used to silence
Silence is not something I can ever adjust to.
But I don't hear, no I don't hear
I don't hear your voice anymore.
I don't hear you anymore
The silence is pervasive, making your absence more pronounced than ever.
I know I had to look hard to find it
In this silence, I search for any sign that you're still there.
Everything, everything, everything is gone
But ultimately, everything feels gone, whether or not it actually is.
I can see stars, I can see lights
Despite the overwhelming darkness, there are still pinpricks of light in my life.
And I swear that they're shining here
I know that these lights are real and present, even as I struggle to see them.
And all I've got, ooh-oh
Despite everything, all I have is emptiness.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Music fills the silence and provides some semblance of comfort.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Bhasker, Ryan Tedder, Tyler Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carolina A
Can't Stop
I guess this is what it's supposed to feel like
No we don't talk, no we don't talk, we don't talk anymore.
I guess this is what it's supposed to sound like
The universe, the universe, universe is torn.
I don't want to live without you
I can live without you half the day, heeeay hey
I don't want to live without you
And put life off for another day
hey-hey yeah hey-hey yeeeah
[Chorus:]
But I can't stop
Thinking about.. thinking about us
Anymore oooh oh
I said I can't stop
Thinking about.. thinking about us
Anymore ooh oh
I said I can't stop.. no
Thinking about.. thinking about this
Anymore ooh oh
And all I've got.. uuuh
Is nothing I want
Anymore ooh oh
No I never get used to silence
But I don't hear, no I don't hear
I don't hear you anymore.
I know I had to look hard to find it
Everything, everything,
Everything is gone.
I don't want to live without you
And put life off for another day
hey-hey yeah hey-hey yeeeah
But I can't stop
Thinking about.. thinking about us
Anymore oooh oh
I said I can't stop
Thinking about.. thinking about us
Anymore ooh oh
I said I can't stop.. no
Thinking about.. thinking about this
Anymore ooh oh
And all I've got.. uuuh
Is nothing I want
Anymore ooh oh
I can see stars, I can see our lives in a self destructing lane,
I can see stars, I can see lights... shining here.
But I can't stop
Thinking about.. thinking about us
Anymore oooh oh
I said I can't stop
Thinking about.. thinking about us
Anymore ooh oh
I said I can't stop.. no
Thinking about.. thinking about this
Anymore ooh oh
And all I've got.. uuuh
Is nothing I want
Anymore ooh oh
uuuh uuuh uuuh uuuh
Amanda Warin
Adored this song when it was 1st released, but fast forward through life—> the lyrics tap deep, past my bones 🙏🏻
Rudolf Rovňák
The best song from the album... truly underrated!!
RHÁLUM
This was one of the strongest songs of the album, too bad it was not chosen as single.
Akim Amin
+Neo Music spot on buddy
martiniqueluv
+Neo Music probably one of the biggest mistakes of marketing Native was not making this a single!
Mircea Marius
+Neo Music Disappointed...
felicia niessen
couldn't agree more man. I know this would have been a huuuge hit. Fav song off the album
RHÁLUM
felicia niessen I know </3
C C
This is literally my most favorite song in the entire world, from the first time I heard it back when the album came out, all the way to now. I think One Republic is my favorite band of all time and nothing will change that.
my wife
can't believe this song has been 7 years...still love it...