Feeling This

Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox song "Feeling This" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 for their untitled fifth studio album (2003). The song is the opening track on the album and was released as its lead single on October 6, 2003, through Geffen Records. It was written by guitarist Tom DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker, and was produced and mixed by Jerry Finn. The song originated on the first day of producing the album. Its lyrics are purely sexual in nature; the band juxtaposes lust and passion between verses and choruses, thematically connected with a wistful, regretful tone.

The song features a Latin-inspired backbeat in the chorus, and the song ends in a melodic, harmonized duet split between DeLonge and Hoppus. Elements of the song were inspired by rock groups Led Zeppelin and the Beach Boys. The song's music video, photographed by David LaChapelle, depicts a dystopian correctional facility that is overtaken by its inmates. An early version of the song, erroneously titled "Action", was released on the soundtrack for the video game Madden NFL 2004.

"Feeling This" received critical acclaim and peaked at number two on BillboardTemplate:'s Modern Rock Tracks chart in late 2003. It was also a top-20 hit in the United Kingdom and Australia. The digital single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2005. Blink-182 has performed "Feeling This" in a number of live appearances, including on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Background

File:Mark Hoppus 2004.jpg

Bassist Mark Hoppus was the first to begin writing the song.

"Feeling This" was the first track that was recorded for Blink-182 in early 2003.<ref name="linernotes">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> On the first day of pre-production on the album, Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus asked an engineer to explain Pro Tools to him, as it was the first time the band would record their music digitally. He began recording guitar and bass parts and experimenting with the software. When guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker arrived, they too began adding new tracks to the project.<ref name="kr"/> The song was written in one day. "I think if I sit there and try to analyze everything, what would be cool here or there, I just feel like I get so far away from what I would do, and I think your gut instinct is usually the best thing," said Barker at the time.<ref name="drum"/>

The lyrics were written with Hoppus and DeLonge going into separate rooms—Hoppus writing the choruses and DeLonge writing the verses. The two had not spoken to each other about the lyrics ahead of time, and it turned out that the two had both written about sex. When put together, the song represents the lustful side of sex during the verses, the passionate side in the bridge and the romantic side in the chorus, creating a juxtaposition between both voices.<ref name="linernotes"/><ref name=Kerrang05>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="feeling"/> It has been interpreted as a description for failed romance, one that "illustrates a scenario of lust, ambivalence and regret."<ref name="tonedown"/> For Barker, the song's drum track was "super in respect to John Bonham. [...] We were kind of messing around with the verse. It’s like, 'Well, I want to do a four-bar drum intro and just see how it works for the song.' And we never second-guessed it. We were like, 'That sounds rad.'"<ref name="drum"/>

According to engineer Ryan Hewitt, the track contains "four distinct drum sounds created by old school tape editing." The song was recorded "part-by-part, committing to different sounds by changing relative levels, EQ, and compression throughout," and the engineers would slightly move microphones used to record Barker's drum kit to tailor the natural ambience of the home it was recorded in.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Upon playback of a rough mix of the song, the engineer automated the music to fade at the song's conclusion, but mistakenly forgot to do the same for the vocal tracks. Hoppus, who had been listening to the Beach Boys at the time, liked the a cappella interplay of their voices. All agreed to keep it in the final version of the song.<ref name="kr">Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Composition

File:Drummer Travis Barker.jpg

Drummer Travis Barker was influenced by John Bonham on the song.

{{#invoke:Listen|main}} The song is composed in the key of E major and is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 173 beats per minute. The vocal range spans from E3 to B4.<ref name="sheetmusic">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=sheet>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

"Feeling This" opens with flanged drums.<ref name="tonedown"/> Although computer technology offered it during the album’s production, according to Hoppus, the band opted to produce the effect "the old school way", opting for two tape machines.<ref name="linernotes"/> Originally taking root as a faster-paced drum 'n' bass-inspired track, Barker imitated that genre's groove on open hi-hats.<ref name="drum"/> The influence of John Bonham is most explicit in the song's first few seconds, in which Barker performs eighth-note triplets on his bass drum, much like the Led Zeppelin song "Good Times Bad Times" (1969).<ref name="drum"/> Following a sample from Captain America (1990)—"Get ready for action!—the song moves into a "stabbing guitar rhythm" over the verses, which are "half-barked" and contain delivery reminiscent of hip-hop.<ref name="tonedown"/><ref name=shooman121>Shooman, 2010. p. 121</ref> The "harmony-rich" chorus of the song, which contains the refrain "Fate fell short this time, smile fades in the summer / Place your hand in mine, I'll leave when I wanna", is replete with a "syncopated Latin-flavored backbeat."<ref name="tonedown"/><ref name=shooman120>Shooman, 2010. p. 120</ref> In the chorus, Barker plays a cowbell, which he initially included as a joke, believing Hoppus and DeLonge would "hate it."<ref name="drum"/>

The song is particularly memorable for a section of the chorus of the song (right before the bridge begins), in which guitarist Tom DeLonge sings the vocals loudly and off-key. According to the liner notes for Blink-182, DeLonge stated that the recording was done in a Template:Convert living room at the home previously mentioned, with microphones Template:Convert away.<ref name="linernotes"/> The end of the song is a melodic 3-part harmony between the band's two vocalists, both singing conflicting but harmonizing parts.<ref name="tonedown"/>

Release

Blink-182 first performed "Feeling This" alongside other new songs from Blink-182 during their performances at the 2003 Reading and Leeds festivals.<ref name="tonedown"/> The band picked "Feeling This" as the first single because they felt it representative of the transition they had undergone since their fourth studio album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001).<ref name="feeling">Template:Cite news</ref> A slightly different version of the song had been released previously as part of the soundtrack for the video game Madden NFL 2004 under the erroneous title "Action".<ref name="tonedown">Template:Cite news</ref> Barker explained in an interview that "'Action' just sounded kind of dorky to us. Like we would always call it 'Feeling This' and then someone at our label, I think, like wrote it as 'Action' one time and sent out singles to people. And it was always supposed to be 'Feeling This'."<ref name="travisinterview">Template:Cite news</ref>

To promote Blink-182, the group performed "Feeling This", as well as their past hit "Dammit" on Total Request Live on November 11, 2003,<ref>Template:Cite video</ref> and on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! in November 26, 2003.<ref>Template:Cite video</ref> Richard Cheese covered the song on their 2004 album I'd Like a Virgin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Commercial performance

"Feeling This" debuted at number 40 on BillboardTemplate:'s Modern Rock Tracks chart on October 18, 2003,<ref name="alt">Template:Cite magazine</ref> jumping to number 13 in its second week, which was at that time the fourth-biggest move in the history of that chart.<ref name="bbmag">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The song moved upwards on the chart over the following weeks, eventually achieving a peak of number two (behind Linkin Park's hit "Numb") on November 29, 2003.<ref name="alt1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It remained at number two for two more weeks before dropping to number three,<ref name="alt2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> after which it continued dropping before exiting the top 20 on February 21, 2004.<ref name="alt3">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In total, it spent twenty-six weeks on the chart.<ref name="bb">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It spent eight weeks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, which acts as an extension to the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it peaked at number two on December 20, 2003.<ref name="bubbling">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In the United Kingdom, "Feeling This" debuted at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending date November 30, 2003.<ref name="UK"/> It dropped to number 35 the following week<ref name="UK1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> before exiting the chart on December 28;<ref name="UK2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in all, it spent ten weeks on the chart.<ref name="UK3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Critical reception

"Feeling This" received favorable reviews from music critics. Kelefa Sanneh, writing for The New York Times felt the song was an "appealing hybrid," while noting the growing popularity of emo could have influenced the "more anguished" tone.<ref name="nyt">Template:Cite news</ref> Greg Kot of Entertainment Weekly praised the vocal harmonies, calling them reminiscent of Queen.<ref name="ew">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Joshua Klein of The Washington Post similarly complimented the interplay between DeLonge and Hoppus and its "multiple-perspective portrait of first love."<ref name="wp">Template:Cite news</ref> Andy Doerschuk of Drum! praised Barker's "fat, syncopated beat" and noted elements of Bonham as well as James Brown's drummers.<ref name="drum">Template:Cite news</ref> Rolling StoneTemplate:'s Jenny Eliscu made note of its "catchy hooks",<ref name="rs">Template:Cite magazine</ref> while Stephen Thompson, writing for The A.V. Club, considered it among many songs on the album that were "straightforwardly conventional."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Music video

File:Lincoln Heights Jail.jpg

The clip was shot at the abandoned Lincoln Heights Jail north of downtown Los Angeles.

The video follows students at a dystopian-based correctional facility who rebel and take over the establishment, intertwined with shots of the band performing outside the prison in a cage, providing a "soundtrack to the chaos."<ref name=shooman129>Shooman, 2010. p. 129</ref> Hoppus described their idea for the facility: "It's kind of a combination of prep school and reform school, and it's very repressed and kids are being held down. There is a lot of authority and a lot of strict regimen, and the kids lash out and take over the school and destroy the place."<ref name="feeling"/> The band's main goal for the video was for it to resemble an art piece, much in the same way they viewed the production of the album, to keep in line with tone.<ref name="feeling"/> To this end, they enlisted director David LaChapelle. LaChapelle's input—which "ranges from an evil prison warden cracking a whip at marching school kids to escapees ripping their uniforms and doing acrobatic moves down the hallways"—was regarded by the band as "completely wacked out and twisted, which is exactly what we love."<ref name="feeling"/>

In the narrative, the boys and girls are separated at the school and sexually repressed, and release their energies when they meet between a glass window.<ref name="feeling"/> The entire music video was shot on September 30, 2003, at the abandoned Lincoln Heights Jail north of downtown Los Angeles, only a few days ahead of its premiere.<ref name="feeling"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Formats and track listings

All songs were written and composed by Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, except where noted. Template:Col-start Template:Col-2 US CD (2003) (981432-0)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1. "Feeling This" – 2:56
2. "Violence" – 3:48
3. "The Rock Show" (Live in Chicago) – 3:08
4. "Carousel" (Live in Chicago) – 2:55 (DeLonge/Hoppus)

Template:Col-2 US 7-inch single (2003) (B0001518-21)

1. "Feeling This" – 2:56
2. "Violence" – 3:48

UK CD (2003) (981432-0)

1. "Feeling This" – 2:56
2. "The Rock Show" (Live in Chicago) – 3:08

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Blink-182, Geffen Records.<ref name="linernotes"/>

Template:Col-start Template:Col-2 Blink-182

• Mark Hoppus – bass guitar, vocals
• Tom DeLonge – guitar, vocals
• Travis Barker – drums, cowbell<ref name="drum"/>

Template:Col-2 Production

• Jerry Finn – producer, mix engineer
• Ryan Hewitt – engineer
• Brian Gardner – mastering engineer
• Max Gramajo – cover illustration
• Rick DeVoe – management

Charts

Weekly charts

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Weekly chart performance for "Feeling This"

Chart (2003–2004)	Peak position
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US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref name="alt1"/>	2

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Feeling This"

Chart (2003)	Position
CIS (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	190
Russia Airplay (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	181
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	74

Chart (2004)	Position
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	30

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Feeling This"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Template:Abbr
United States	October 6, 2003	Alternative radio	Geffen	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		Active rock radio		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Australia	November 10, 2003	CD		citation	CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>
United Kingdom	November 24, 2003	Template:Hlist		<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

References

• Template:Cite book