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.
Tyrant
OneRepublic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An informer quick run away hide before they see you, you know it is all, all a glow
Walking on water seems parlays now you got my trust and it feels, and it feels like sabotage when I'm pulling triggers back on myself you know it is all I know, is all I know
And it feels so real from the outside looking in
And it feels so real from the outside
From the out
Tyrant tyrant
Feel capable of most anything this crippled bears gonna sing gonna bring you all the years is
Quick turn around look your shadows could could not beautiful lies for you is what they do ..
And it feels so real from the outside looking in
And it feels so real from the outside
From the out
From the out tyrant
Tyrant tyrant
I'll stay with apathy I'm blind but I can see the tyrant to the bone
I'll stay with apathy I'm blind but I can see
Don't justify me
Don't justify me
Don't justify me
No no no no no no
And it feels so real from the outside looking in
And it feels so real from the outside
From the out
And it feels so real from the outside looking in
And it feels so real from the outside
From the out
Tyrant tyrant tyrant oh oh oh
The lyrics to OneRepublic's song Tyrant are complex, with multiple layers of meaning. The song seems to be about the struggle between one's own self and society's expectations. The first verse talks about watching oneself and being careful about others observing them. The moon is mentioned as a time when one needs to hide, suggesting that whatever the singer is doing, it's something they want to keep hidden. The informer is a metaphor for the guilt and fear of being caught that one feels while doing something out of the ordinary.
The second verse talks about losing oneself in a relationship where trust is built, but that relationship also feels like self-sabotage. The singer is torn between their intuition and their desire for love and connection. The chorus repeats the word 'Tyrant' several times, perhaps referring to the oppressive societal norms that the singer feels trapped by. The bridge of the song speaks of apathy and blindness, but also a deep understanding of the tyrant archetype. The song ends with a plea not to be justified, implying that the singer knows that their actions may be judged harshly, but they still need to find their own way.
Overall, OneRepublic's Tyrant is a poignant exploration of the tension between conformity and self-expression. The lyrics paint a picture of a person grappling with their personal demons, while also trying to navigate a society that demands adherence to certain norms. The song's melody is haunting and the words are potent, making Tyrant a powerful track that resonates with listeners on many levels.
Line by Line Meaning
Watching myself when I'm taking strides but here comes the moon and it feels and it feels like
I'm being careful and aware of my actions, but when night falls and everything changes, it seems like danger is around every corner.
An informer quick run away hide before they see you, you know it is all, all a glow
Someone is out to get me, I need to run and hide before they catch me. Everything around me seems ominous and threatening.
Walking on water seems parlays now you got my trust and it feels, and it feels like sabotage when I'm pulling triggers back on myself you know it is all I know, is all I know
Doing the impossible used to seem easy, but now that I've let myself trust someone, I feel like even my own actions are working against me. All I can do is keep moving forward.
And it feels so real from the outside looking in
Everything seems incredibly stressful and life-threatening, especially when viewed from an outside perspective.
From the out
From the outside looking in.
From the out tyrant
Viewing things from the perspective of the tyrant.
Tyrant tyrant
Repeating the idea of viewing things from the perspective of a tyrant.
Feel capable of most anything this crippled bears gonna sing gonna bring you all the years is
Despite feeling like my world is falling apart, I still feel like I could accomplish anything. Even though I feel broken, I'll still try and make the most of the future.
Quick turn around look your shadows could could not beautiful lies for you is what they do ..
If you're not careful, even your own shadow could deceive you. People can be deceptive and convincing, making it difficult to tell the truth from lies.
I'll stay with apathy I'm blind but I can see the tyrant to the bone
I may be apathetic and unable to feel much, but I can still clearly see the tyrant and identify what they're doing.
Don't justify me
Don't try to excuse or explain away my actions or feelings.
No no no no no no
Emphasizing the desire for someone to not justify their actions or feelings.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: RYAN TEDDER, ZACK FILKINS, ANDREW BROWN
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..