World's Smallest Violin

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For the expression, see World's smallest violin.

"World's Smallest Violin"
The official cover for "World's Smallest Violin"
Single by AJR
from the album OK Orchestra
ReleasedMarch 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)
Recorded2020
Length3:01
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Adam Met
  • Jack Met
  • Ryan Met
Producer(s)Ryan Met, Jack Met
AJR singles chronology
"Way Less Sad"
(2021) 		"World's Smallest Violin"
(2021) 		"All My Favorite Songs"
(2021)
Audio
"World's Smallest Violin" on YouTube
Music video
"World's Smallest Violin" on YouTube

"World's Smallest Violin" is a song recorded by the American pop band AJR. It was released on March 26, 2021, as the 11th track from the band's fourth studio album OK Orchestra and as a music video.[1] In 2022, the song became a viral song on the social media platform TikTok, with many using the ending verse and the line "I'll blow up into smithereens" as a soundbite on the site as fan edits or by throwing back to viral videos.[2]

Background and composition[edit]

"World's Smallest Violin" was initially planned as the album's second single with a release date in June 2020, but was later switched with "Bummerland" as the band felt the latter worked better as "the anthem of [the] summer".[3] The song speaks about trying to minimize one's pain and comparing one's pain to another's, for example, seeing a therapist and having a grandfather that fought in World War II and a great-grandfather who was a fireman.[4] The music features transitions between a violin, a trumpet, and a piano.[5] The song is described as, according to The Daily Californian:

[a strong example] of the three brothers' fearless leap into a multitude of musical genres, daring to explore folk, jazz and musical theatre all within a single track. This ambitious bridging of styles could lead to disaster, but the brothers of AJR have mastered the skill, mirroring not only the sound, but also the lyrical content of each genre: In "World's Smallest Violin", for example, they imitate country classics by telling a generational story. In terms of Broadway influences, many tracks are narrative-driven, and listeners have long noticed melodic similarities to that of theatrical soundtracks. In conjunction with songs that often speak to very foundational human emotions and fragilities, this may be what is most compelling about AJR's music, and what allows the band's songs to resonate with audiences both young and old.[6]

In a TikTok made by the band themselves, production for the song included creating a beat with clapping and stomping their feet. To make background vocals, a vocoder was used. The band also wanted to try to flawlessly seam a transition from a violin to vocals to a guitar, with a theatrical ending to the song where "everything comes at once", with a continuously speeding up verse.[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Initial reception for "World's Smallest Violin" was favorable to mixed. Music critic for Variety, A. D. Amorosi wrote that the song did not fit in well with the album's message of an emotionally deep and thought-provoking; however, Amorosi wrote that the song, removed from the album, would work well.[8] Zachary Wittman, writer for The Globe, wrote a negative review on the OK Orchestra album itself; however, he found "World's Smallest Violin" to be "passable", saying "[it] is the second passable song on here with a nice melody and a really fun lyrical concept. Again though, they ruin it with some horrid turns of phrases. I understand the metaphor of the world's smallest violin needing to be played is the equivalent of needing to vent to someone about your mental health, but they did not need to say 'spew my tiny symphony.'"[9]

Music video[edit]

On the same day as its release, a music video was released for "World's Smallest Violin". In the video, AJR performs the song in an apartment while strange things happen around them, such as things breaking, instruments floating, and a tornado blowing papers around the room. The video ends with the room and members Adam and Ryan suddenly freezing, as member Jack looks around in confusion.[1]

The music video had a spike in views after the song went viral; it is currently the most viewed video on AJR's YouTube channel, with 174 million views as of December 2023.

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[10]

  • Adam Met – backing vocals, instruments, composer
  • Jack Met – lead vocals, instruments, composer
  • Ryan Met – backing vocals, instruments, composer, producer
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer
  • Joe Zook – audio mixing
  • Alba Avoricani – additional vocals
  • Danny Ferenbach – violin

Commercial performance[edit]

Just over a year after the song was initially released, "World's Smallest Violin" went viral on social media platform TikTok, leading to a spike in views on the official music video on YouTube and streams on Spotify. It is currently the most viewed video on the AJR YouTube channel.

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "World's Smallest Violin"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[22] Gold 35,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[23] Platinum 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Johnson, Josh (March 26, 2021). "AJR premieres videos for 'OK ORCHESTRA' songs "OK Overture" and "World's Smallest Violin"". ABC News Radio. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  2. ^ Smith, Georgina (August 12, 2022). "TikTokers are using 'I'll blow up' trend to share their biggest viral moments". Dexerto. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  3. ^ AJR (March 30, 2021). AJR Breaks Down Their New Album "OK ORCHESTRA" (YouTube video). Zach Sang Show. Event occurs at 17:03. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  4. ^ Lin, Joanna (March 31, 2021). "AJR's 'OK Orchestra' is more than just okay". The Tech. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  5. ^ Gerber, Janka (April 16, 2021). "Review: AJR's 'OK ORCHESTRA' presents band's most emotional lyrics paired with signature sound". The Lancer Feed. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  6. ^ Forssell, Chloe (March 31, 2021). "AJR taps into its inner child with 'OK Orchestra'". The Daily Californian. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  7. ^ AJR (July 16, 2022). "How we made 'World's Smallest Violin' 🎻 #fyp #ajr #worldssmallestviolin #shorts". YouTube. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Amorosi, A. D. (March 26, 2021). "Indie-Pop Brother Band AJR Is A-OK With the Lustrously Theatrical 'OK Orchestra': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  9. ^ Wittman, Zachary (March 31, 2021). "Tracking New Music Releases with Zac Wittman: Death From Above 1979, Armand Hammer & The Alchemist, Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, & The London Symphony Orchestra, AJR, Xiu Xiu". Point Park Globe. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  10. ^ "Credits / OK ORCHESTRA / AJR". Tidal. March 26, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  11. ^ "AJR Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  12. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  13. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of June 29, 2022". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  14. ^ "Digital Chart – Week 37 of 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  16. ^ "AJR Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  17. ^ "AJR Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  18. ^ "AJR Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  19. ^ "AJR Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  20. ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  21. ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  22. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  23. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 24, 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter World's Smallest Violin in the search box.
  24. ^ "British single certifications – AJR – World's Smallest Violin". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
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