Renegades (X Ambassadors song)

"Renegades"
Single by X Ambassadors
from the album VHS
B-side"Unconsolable"
ReleasedMarch 3, 2015
GenreAlternative rock[1]
Length3:15
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
X Ambassadors singles chronology
"Jungle"
(2013) 		"Renegades"
(2015) 		"American Oxygen"
(2015)
Music video
"Renegades" on YouTube
"Renegades (Official Lyric Video)" on YouTube

"Renegades" is a song by American rock band X Ambassadors. It was released as the second single from the band's debut studio album VHS on March 3, 2015. It peaked inside the top ten in ten countries, including France, Germany, Canada and Poland, where it reached number one. In the United States, the song peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The song was nominated for the "Top Rock Song" award at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.[2]

Background

The song was leveraged as a commercial tie-in with the release of the Jeep Renegade. It was delivered very quickly, just a few days after the request was sent in to Interscope Records as the song was nearly complete when Jeep first approached Interscope.[3] It has been the band's most successful song so far. "We're trying not to get too caught up in everything," X Ambassadors vocalist Sam Harris said. "We're just glad people like ['Renegades'] and that it's having a positive effect on them."[4] The song was also featured in the second season of The Flash, and the third season of Mr. Robot.

Composition

"Renegades" is a song in B minor, written with a tempo of 90 bpm. It follows a chord progression of Bm–D–A–G.[5]

Music video

The music video was released in June 2015 and was shot in the band's hometown of Ithaca, New York. It depicts several people with disabilities working to overcome their challenges such as boxing, walking on hands, and swinging their arms on rings. It had a personal aspect to it because band member Casey Harris has been blind since birth. "We wanted to make it emotional and personal — and that's as personal as it gets for me, Casey and the band," Sam Harris stated.[6]

Commercial performance

"Renegades" was a commercial success in the United States, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. It topped several other Billboard charts: Alternative Airplay, where it led for 11 weeks;[7] Adult Top 40, where it led for one week;[8] Rock Airplay, where it led for 18 weeks;[9] and the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, where it led for two weeks.[10] It also reached number two on Adult Alternative Airplay,[11] number eight on Mainstream Top 40,[12] number ten on Adult Contemporary,[13] and number 31 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay.[14]

In February 2021, for the 25th anniversary of Adult Alternative Airplay,[15] Billboard published a ranking of the 100 most successful songs in the chart's history; "Renegades" was placed at number 78.[16] Billboard would later rank "Renegades" as the 44th-biggest hit in the history of Alternative Airplay in September 2023,[17] for that chart's 35th anniversary.[18]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[74] Platinum 70,000‡
Belgium (BEA)[75] Gold 10,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[76] Gold 30,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[77] 7× Platinum 560,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[78] Gold 45,000‡
France (SNEP)[79] Platinum 200,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[80] Platinum 400,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[81] 4× Platinum 200,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[82] 3× Platinum 60,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[83] Platinum 60,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[84] Platinum 40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[85] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[87] 4× Platinum 1,000,000[86]

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Version Label
Worldwide March 3, 2015 Digital download Original
United States September 1, 2015[88] Contemporary hit radio
September 25, 2015[89] Digital download Remixes
Germany[90] February 12, 2016 CD Single Universal

References

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