Lost in Paradise (song)

This article is about the Evanescence song. For the Rihanna song, see Unapologetic.
"Lost in Paradise"
Single by Evanescence
from the album Evanescence
Released May 25, 2012
Format Digital download
Recorded 2011; Blackbird Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Symphonic rock
Length 4:42
Label Wind-up
Writer(s) Amy Lee
Producer(s) Nick Raskulinecz
Evanescence singles chronology
"My Heart Is Broken"
(2011)		 "Lost in Paradise"
(2012)

"Lost in Paradise" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their third self-titled studio album, Evanescence (2011). Wind-up Records released the song as the third single from the album on May 25, 2012. It was written by frontwoman Amy Lee and produced by Nick Raskulinecz. A snippet of the song premiered online on July 15, 2011. Musically, "Lost in Paradise" is a rock ballad that begins with piano, strings, and Lee's vocals before the band kicks in during the climax. Lyrically, it is inspired by the struggles in Lee's life during the hiatus of Evanescence. The song was compared with Björk's "Jóga" and the band's own song "My Immortal".

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised Lee's vocals and its piano accompaniment, with some highlighting it as one of the album's best tracks. Following the digital sales of Evanescence, the song charted at number ninety nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the UK Rock Chart. It also charted at numbers thirty one, eighty nine, and hundred and seventy four on the Swiss Singles Chart, Canadian Hot 100, and UK Singles Chart respectively. The band also added the song to the set list of their third worldwide tour Evanescence Tour (2011-12).

Background

"Lost in Paradise" was inspired by the song "Jóga" (1997) by Icelandic recording artist Björk (pictured).[1]

"Lost in Paradise" was written by Amy Lee while production was handled by Nick Raskulinecz.[2] The song was recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee in 2011. A snippet of the song premiered prior to the release of the album on July 15, 2011 on MTV News.[1] During an interview Lee said, "That's the one that made us cry ... like, literally, just in here, working on it, there have been tears. I love that song. When I was writing it, it wasn't anything; it was just pure, it was just for me. I was literally just writing it for me, to soothe my own feelings by expressing them. And I just thought, 'Piano, vocals, I can record it by myself at my house, and that'll be the track. ... It'll be a B-side somewhere or something.'"[1]

She further described the process of the recording of the song: "[But] then ... as we were working on other songs — focusing more on rock songs — I kept listening to it for fun, because it was mine, and I sent it to [producer] Nick [Raskulinecz] and I was like, 'I want you to listen to this. ... The more I listen to it, the more I think it means something'. And he, instantly, was like, 'We have to do that song.' And it was his idea to bring the band into it, and at first, I was totally like, 'I don't get that.' But once we did, it just blew the thing wide open, in a way I had never thought about before. It's perfect; it's meant to be the way it is."[1] Lee went to Toronto's Liberty Studios on August 22, to preview five mastered songs from Evanescence to a selected crowd of thirty people.[3][4] "Lost in Paradise" was one of the five previewed songs.[3][4] During an interview with Fuse TV in May, 2012, the band revealed that it would be released as the album's third overall single.[5] Wind-Up Records released the single on May 25, 2012.[6]

Composition

"Lost in Paradise" is a symphonic rock,[7][8] piano[9] and power ballad,[10] inspired by Lee's love for Evanescence and personal reflection on her past struggles.[1][11] She revealed that after deciding to take a break, she spent a lot of time with her husband and doing normal things in her life, but still feeling like she was not "whole".[12] Instead, she felt lost and missed her work with the band and the writing process.[12] Later, she decided to write the song as an apology to her fans for being gone for so long.[13] Starting with piano and Lee's vocals, the song slowly builds, "layering on stirring strings, booming timpani and, at the climax, some thunderous guitar chords" as stated by James Montgomery of MTV News.[1] James Montgomery of MTV News stated that the song had similarities with the song "Jóga" (1997) by Icelandic recording artist Björk which Lee confirmed by saying, "That's a big inspirational song for me. That's a song through my life that I've listened to a whole bunch. And to me, Björk, what makes her style are the strings, the orchestral elements, and that passion that it creates. ... It makes your heart pour out. That totally inspired me, and that song inspired me."[1] NME's Tom Goodwyn found similarities between "Lost in Paradise" and "My Immortal", a song by the band's first studio album Fallen, "before it was re-recorded with that massive guitar breakdown."[9]

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics. James Montgomery of MTV News wrote that the song "is unapologetically epic and uncompromisingly raw, a song that manages to seem both all-encompassing and intimate, often at the same time."[1] In his review of Evanescence, Rick Florino of Artistdirect concluded "The record's centerpiece is the elegantly dark ballad, 'Lost in Paradise'. It's in 'Paradise' that Lee's genius floats to the forefront most prominently. She paints a poignant picture of yearning for redemption from heartache crooning, 'We've been falling for all this time and now I'm lost in paradise.'"[14] In another review, he called the song "the record's standout ballad."[12] That was somewhat echoed by Kerrang!'s Steve Beebee who called the song a "majestic ballad."[11] Dane Prokofiev of PopMatters said that the song was one of the two along with "Erase This" which "really caught" his attention.[7] Edna Gundersen of USA Today put the song on her list of songs to consider downloading.[15] Mark Lepage of Montreal's The Gazette concluded that Lee's intention was to write the song for the girls.[16]

Chad Grischow of IGN wrote: "Lee's skyward vocals suit the album's obsession with the emotional frustration and devastation of a break-up well, ripe with romantically longing tunes like gorgeous power ballad "Lost In Paradise", where her breathy vocals in the beginning awaken as she passionately apologizes for not sticking with the guy who believed in her."[10] Digital Spy's Lewis Corner said that the song "continues the trend as a black-eyed rock ballad of towering string sections and lyrics of despair and heartbreak."[8] A more mixed review for the song was given by Marc Hirsh of The Boston Globe who wrote that the slow tempo of the song provided by piano and strings made it a drag where "the band itself gets very little breathing room."[17] Billboard magazine's Christa Titus wrote that Lee's voice was "powerful and flexible as ever" in "the deep croons that introduce 'Lost in Paradise'."[18]

Chart performance

Following the digital release of the album, "Lost in Paradise" peaked at number thirty nine on the Swiss Singles Chart on October 23, 2011.[19] On the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, the song debuted at number ninety nine for the week ending October 16, 2011.[20] The same week it peaked on the Hot Digital Songs and Canadian Hot 100 at numbers fifty three and eighty nine respectively.[21] The song also debuted at number nine on the UK Rock Chart for the week ending October 22, 2011.[22] After the song was released as a single, it debuted at number seventy one on the Austrian Singles Chart for the week ending June 8, 2012.[23]

Music video

During an interview with Fuse TV in May, 2012, the band confirmed that a music video for the song will be released.[5] The music video was planned for release after the Carnival Of Madness Tours which the band embarked on in the summer of 2012. By the end of the tour, Lee asked fans via Twitter to send live footage from the tour so that it can be part of the video.[24][25] A lyric video was uploaded to the band's official YouTube account on May 11, 2012.[26] The official music video for "Lost in Paradise", released on February 14, 2013, focuses on the band's live tour, featuring footage of the band performing the song filmed by fans in the crowd from around the world.[27]

Live performances

The band added "Lost in Paradise" to the set list on their third worldwide tour in support of Evanescence.[28] While reviewing a performance of the song, Rick Florino of Artistdirect said, "Speaking of vocal prowess, Lee reached the level of legends during 'Lost In Paradise'. Sitting at a piano center stage, she entranced with a shimmering melody and heartbreaking, hypnotic hook. Stripped of any pomp and circumstance, Lee's talents transfixed. As the song built, the band entered rounding out the timeless ballad with a distinct heaviness."[29] Serene Dominic of The Arizona Republic wrote: "The biggest shrieks came when the piano movers made their first appearance and wheeled a baby grand onstage for 'Lost in Paradise.'"[30] Joel Francis of The Kansas City Star described the performance of the song as "spellbinding".[31] Along with "Bring Me to Life" (2003) the song was played in the band's performance with a live orchestra for the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway on December 11, 2011.[32][33]

Track listing

  1. "Lost in Paradise" – 4:43
  2. "Lost in Paradise" (Live) – 5:01
  3. "My Immortal" (Live) – 4:25
  1. "Lost in Paradise" (Album version) – 4:44

Charts

Chart (2011–12) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[34] 71
Canadian Hot 100[21][35] 89
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 39
UK Rock (Official Charts Company)[22] 9
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[36] 174
US Billboard Hot 100[20][35] 99
US Digital Songs (Billboard)[37] 53
US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)[38] 7

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Australia[6] May 25, 2012 Digital download Wind-up Records
Austria[39]
Belgium[40]
Canada[41]
Denmark[42]
Finland[43]
Greece[44]
Ireland[45]
Israel[46]
Italy[47]
Luxembourg[48]
Mexico[49]
Netherlands[50]
Norway[51]
Portugal[52]
Spain[53]
Sweden[54]
Switzerland[55]
New Zealand[56]
United Kingdom[57] May 27, 2012
France[58] May 28, 2012
Germany[59]
Japan[60]
Italy[61] June 8, 2012 Radio

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Montgomery, James (July 15, 2011). "Evanescence's 'Lost In Paradise': Hear A Preview Now!". MTV News. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  2. ↑ Evanescence (liner notes). Evanescence. Wind-up Records. 2011.
  3. 1 2 Bliss, Karen (August 23, 2011). "Amy Lee Previews New Evanescence Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Bliss, Karen (August 25, 2011). "Backbeat: Amy Lee Attends EMI Canada's Invitation-Only Playback Of New Evanescence Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Goodman, William. "Evanescence talk no. 1 Debut, Next Album". Fuse TV. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Lost in Paradise - Single". Apple.com. iTunes. Archived from the original on May 26, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Prokofiev, Dane (October 19, 2011). "Evanescence: Evanescence". PopMatters. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  8. 1 2 Corner, Lewis. "Evanescence: 'Evanescence' - Album review". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  9. 1 2 Goodwyn, Tom (September 29, 2011). "First Listen – Evanescence, 'Evanescence'". NME. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  10. 1 2 Grischow, Chad (October 12, 2011). "Evanescence: Evanescence Review". IGN. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  11. 1 2 Beebee, Steve. "Evanescence - Evanescence review (Wind-up Records)". Kerrang!. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  12. 1 2 3 Florino, Rick (October 19, 2011). "Evanescence Talks New Album, "Lost In Paradise", Writing Lyrics, "Inception", and More". Artistdirect. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Evanescence Track By Track (Part 2) video". NME. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  14. ↑ Florino, Rick (October 10, 2011). "Evanescence - "Evanescence" Album Review". Artistdirect. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  15. ↑ Gundersen, Edna (October 11, 2011). "Amy Lee could lighten up a little on 'Evanescence'". USA Today. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  16. ↑ Lepage, Mark (October 11, 2011). "New music Oct. 11: Björk, Radiohead, Marketa Irglova, Evanescence, Joe Jonas, Duchess Says". The Gazette. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  17. ↑ Hirsh, Marc (October 10, 2011). "Evanescence, 'Evanescence'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  18. ↑ Titus, Christa (October 11, 2011). "Evanescence Returns to an Altered Rock Landscape". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  19. 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – Evanescence – Lost in Paradise". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  20. 1 2 Grein, Paul (October 19, 2011). "Week Ending Oct. 16, 2011. Songs: We've Got Divas!". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  21. 1 2 "Evanescence". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 20, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  22. 1 2 "Archive Chart - Top 40 Rock & Metal Singles Archive". UK Rock Chart. The Official Charts Company. October 22, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Austria Top 40 - Singles Top 75". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. June 8, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Twitter / AmyLeeEV: All right, tour's over, dry...". Twitter. November 10, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Twitter / AmyLeeEV: Everybody send your best live ...". Twitter. November 10, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Evanescence: Official 'Lost In Paradise' Lyric Video Released". Blabbermouth.net. May 11, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Evanescence - Lost in Paradise". YouTube. February 14, 2013. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  28. ↑ Schillaci, Sophie (October 12, 2011). "Evanescence at the Palladium: Concert Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  29. ↑ Florino, Rick (October 12, 2011). "Live Review: Evanescence — The Palladium, Hollywood". Artistdirect. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  30. ↑ Dominic, Serene (October 15, 2011). "Evanscence concert more the Amy Lee Show at Comerica". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  31. ↑ Francis, Joel (April 25, 2012). "Evanescence fans embrace strong performance at Midland". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  32. ↑ Le Miere, Jason (December 12, 2011). "Video: Evanescence Perform at Nobel Peace Prize Concert". Revolver. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
  33. ↑ "EVANESCENCE Rocks 18th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert In Oslo (Video)". Blabbermouth.net. December 12, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
  34. 1 2 "Austriancharts.at – Evanescence – Lost in Paradise" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  35. 1 2 "Evanescence". Allmusic. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  36. ↑ "Chart Log UK: October 22, 2011". Zobbel Archive (UK). The Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Evanescence – Chart history" Billboard Digital Songs for Evanescence. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  38. ↑ "Evanescence: Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  39. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Austria) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Belgium) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  41. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Canada) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  42. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Denmark) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  43. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Finland) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  44. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Greece) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  45. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Ireland) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  46. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single". Apple.com. iTunes. Israel. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  47. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Italy) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  48. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Luxembourg) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  49. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Mexico) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  50. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Netherlands) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  51. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Norway) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  52. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Portugal) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  53. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Spain) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  54. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Sweden) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  55. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (Switzerland) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  56. ↑ "Lost in Paradise - Single by Evanescence". iTunes Store. (New Zealand) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  57. ↑ "Lost in Paradise: Evanescence". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  58. ↑ "Lost in Paradise: Evanescence". Amazon.fr. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  59. ↑ "Lost in Paradise: Evanescence". Amazon.de. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  60. ↑ "Lost in Paradise: Evanescence". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  61. ↑ ""Lost In Paradise" On Air In Italy!". Evanescence.com. June 8, 2012. Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
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