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.
Life in Color
OneRepublic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To find some kind of glow
I'm givin' it some heart and soul, now
From the darkest grays
The sun bursts, clouds break
Yeah, we see that fire
From the streets of Babylon
To the road that we've been on now
Whoa oh oh oh
Well this is life in color (color)
Today feels like no other (other)
And the darkest grays
The sun bursts, clouds break
Whoa oh oh oh
Well this is life in motion (motion)
And just when I could run this race no more
The sun bursts, clouds break
This is life in color
You've seen my worst
Yet you see some hope in me
The black and white sets us free
Like the queen to the rook
Your decision is a sure thing
Honey yeah, a sure thing
No wonder I feel
Like I'm missing a heavy load
But no matter what daylight brings to us
We all know
Whoa oh oh oh
Well this is life in color (color)
Today feels like no other (other)
And the darkest grays
The sun bursts, clouds break
Whoa oh oh oh
Well this is life in motion (motion)
And just when I could run this race no more
The sun bursts, clouds break
This is life in color
This is life in color
This is life in color
Today feels like no other
And the darkest grays
The sun bursts, cloud breaks
Whoa oh oh oh
Well this is life in motion (motion)
Just when I could run this race no more
The sun bursts, cloud breaks
This is life in color
This is life in color
"OneRepublic's song Life in Color" is an uplifting and inspiring song that reminds people of the beauty of life. The song talks about finding the positive in even the darkest situations and seeing the world in color instead of black and white. The lyrics encourage people to be hopeful and to never give up on the race of life, even when it feels like they can't go on anymore. In the first verse, the singer shares his determination to find a "glow" and add some "heart and soul" to his life. He describes how even in the "darkest grays", the sun can burst through the clouds and bring a colorful brightness to life. The chorus emphasizes this idea, declaring that life can be full of color and motion, and is always worth living, no matter what.
The lyrics of "Life in Color" also highlight the power of relationships and the impact they can have in encouraging us to keep going. The singer references someone who has seen his worst, yet still sees hope in him. This person is described as making decisions that are a "sure thing." The singer mentions feeling like he's carrying a "heavy load," but he finds strength in the support of those around him. The song reminds us that we don't have to go through life alone and that we can rely on the people who care about us to help us see things in a new light.
Overall, "Life in Color" is a song about hope, resilience and the beauty of life. It reminds us to seek out the positive and to surround ourselves with people who lift us up. Through its lyrics, the song encourages us to keep running the race of life, even when it's tough, because in the end, it will all be worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
I do my best
I try my hardest
To find some kind of glow
To find something that brings light and positivity
I'm givin' it some heart and soul, now
I'm putting all my energy and passion into it
From the darkest grays
From the most negative and gloomy situations
The sun bursts, clouds break
There is sudden positivity and hopefulness
Yeah, we see that fire
We witness the positive changes and energy
From the streets of Babylon
From the most difficult and challenging circumstances
To the road that we've been on now
To the present journey we are taking
The kaleidoscope claims another
The changing and colorful aspects of life continue
Well this is life in color
This is a life filled with positivity
Today feels like no other
This day is special and unique
And just when I could run this race no more
Just when it seemed impossible to go on
You've seen my worst
You've seen me at my lowest point
Yet you see some hope in me
But you still have faith in me
The black and white sets us free
The simplicity of things can bring freedom
Like the queen to the rook
Like a strategic move in a chess game
Your decision is a sure thing
Your choice is a certainty
No wonder I feel
It's no surprise that I feel
Like I'm missing a heavy load
Like a weight has been lifted
But no matter what daylight brings to us
Despite the challenges we face
We all know
We all understand
Just when I could run this race no more
Just when it seemed impossible to go on
The sun bursts, cloud breaks
There is sudden positivity and hopefulness
This is life in color
This is a life filled with positivity
Today feels like no other
This day is special and unique
And the darkest grays
Even the most negative situations
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: BRENT MICHAEL KUTZLE, RYAN TEDDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wolfsong
on Rich Love
i played this to my x and he cryed
Geneya Campbell
on Counting Stars
love this song..