Night Visions is the debut studio album by American rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released on September 4, 2012 through Interscope Records. Recorded between 2010 and 2012, the album was primarily produced by the band themselves, as well as English hip-hop producer Alex Da Kid and Brandon Darner from the American indie rock group The Envy Corps. It was mastered by Joe LaPorta. According to frontman Dan Reynolds, the album took three years to finish,[1] with six of the album's tracks being previously released on multiple EPs. Musically, Night Visions is primarily an alternative rock and indie rock album, however, it also uses influences of dubstep, folk, hip-hop and pop.[2]
Night Visions received mostly positive reviews from music critics, with some praising its first half as "arena rock-esque". The album debuted at number two on the Billboard200 in the United States, selling more than 83,000 copies within its first week. It also peaked at the summit of the Billboard Alternative Albums and Rock Albums charts, as well as in the top ten albums in Austria, Canada, Germany, and Norway.[3] The band promoted the album by touring the United States in fall 2012, as well as touring Europe in November. Currently, they are performing a headlining tour in support of the album.
"Amsterdam" was exclusively released as a free download via iTunes. The single was released as iTunes' "Single of the Week" on the week of the album's release in countries with respective release dates of the album. The single was first released in North America on the American September 4, 2012 release date,[7] and again in European countries on the European February 7, 2013 release date of the album.[8] It is unknown whether "Amsterdam" will be released in the United Kingdom on the British April 1, 2013 release date of Night Visions.
"Radioactive" was originally released as a radio-only single from Continued Silence, and later, Night Visions in April and October 2012 respectively. The band performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show with David Letterman. It has since reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the number 1 on the Alternative Songs chart and number 19 on the Canadian Hot 100,[9][10] as well as peaking within the charts of Denmark (#6), Norway (#2), Sweden (#1) and UK (#31).[11][12][13]
"Hear Me" was released as the second single from Night Visions on November 24, 2012. The following day, the song was released as a 4-track EP, featuring the previous two singles, "Radioactive" and "Amsterdam", as well as "The River", which was a bonus track on the Best Buy edition of Night Visions.[14] "Hear Me" and "Radioactive" are both UK Top 40 singles.
"Demons" was released to American Triple A radio on January 28, 2013 as a radio-only single from Night Visions[15]
Night Visions received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Gregory Heaney from Allmusic said that "even though Imagine Dragons might have skipped a few steps along the way to their arena sound, Night Visions is still an album that, at least for a few minutes at a time, will make everyday life seem just a little bit bigger".[17] Brian Mansfield from USA Today also gave the album a positive review, saying "For all the group's musical mastery, it's the flourishes courtesy of producer Alex Da Kid that make individual tracks stand out: the mandolin hook of It's Time, the jaunty whistle of On Top of the World, the burbling guitar in Demons. Those creative touches may seem like small details, but it's that imagination that gives these Dragons teeth."[25] Dara Hickey of UnrealityShout praised the album's sound and themes, saying that "Even though they sing into the unpredictable, shifting abysses that move around our everyday lives, the opulence of their music still glows with the expanse and comfort of four musicians who will always be there to provide that helping hand".[24]
Lisa Kwon of Consequence of Sound gave the album a mixed review, and noted that "It’s a shame that Night Visions fails to match the fresh adrenaline rush that the band’s first single had promised us when we first heard it on the radio or in commercials earlier this year."[18] On the other hand, Annie Zaleski of Las Vegas Weekly gave the album a positive review, and praised Night Visions for it being "well-crafted and wildly creative, and boasts solid songwriting—three things that are sorely missing on albums by so many younger bands."[21]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number two on the Billboard200 in the United States, selling more than 83,000 copies within its first week. It also peaked at the summit of the Billboard Alternative Albums chart and Rock Albums chart.[26] As of February 2013, the album was certified gold in the United States, Canada, Norway, and Sweden.
"It's Time" has been certified platinum in the United States and "Radioactive" has been certified gold in the United States and they have both reached into the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
