Wreckage (Pearl Jam song)

"Wreckage"
Single by Pearl Jam
from the album Dark Matter
ReleasedApril 17, 2024 (2024-04-17)
StudioShangri-La, Malibu, California
GenreHeartland rock
Length5:00
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Eddie Vedder
Producer(s)Andrew Watt
Pearl Jam singles chronology
"Running"
(2024) 		"Wreckage"
(2024) 		"Waiting for Stevie"
(2024)

"Wreckage" is a song by American rock band Pearl Jam. It was released on April 17, 2024, as the third single from their twelfth studio album Dark Matter.

Described as heartland rock,[1] the song reached number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Adult Alternative Airplay charts.[2][3]

Background

The song was written at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La recording studio in California. Lead singer Eddie Vedder and producer Andrew Watt led the creation of the song. Guitarist Stone Gossard said, "Andrew encouraged me to play this little harmonic, acoustic part almost like a Cure melody."[4]

Spin compared the song's sound to that of Tom Petty, while Rolling Stone likened Vedder's vocal performance to Bruce Springsteen.[4][5]

Lyrics and meaning

Eddie Vedder wrote the lyrics to "Wreckage" about the "desperation" of former United States president Donald Trump. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Vedder said: "There is a guy in the United States who is still saying he didn't lose an election, and people are reverberating and amplifying that message as if it is true. Trump is desperate. I don't think there has ever been a candidate more desperate to win, just to keep himself out of prison and to avoid bankruptcy. It is all on the line, and he's out there playing the victim... So the song is saying, let's not be driven apart by one person, especially not a person without any worthy causes."[6]

During an April 22 performance on The Howard Stern Show, Vedder said that the song could also be about "a difficult relationship".[7]

Reception

"Wreckage" reached number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Adult Alternative Airplay charts. On the former, it was the band's fifth number-one song and the first time that Pearl Jam recorded back-to-back number-one singles (following the album's title track). On the latter, it became the band's third number-one song and their first since "Sirens" in 2013.[2][3]

Music video

On August 12, 2024, Pearl Jam released a music video for "Wreckage". It features a live performance of the song filmed during the band's May 16, 2024 concert at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. The video highlights the band's tour visuals which were designed by Rob Sheridan.[8]

Charts

Chart performance for "Wreckage"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[9] 28
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[10] 1

References

  1. ^ Stickler, Jon. "Pearl Jam Drop New Single Wreckage Ahead Of 'Dark Matter' Release". Stereoboard. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Rutherford, Kevin (July 5, 2024). "Pearl Jam Earns Consecutive Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1s for the First Time". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Rutherford, Kevin (August 2, 2024). "Pearl Jam Returns to No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay Chart With 'Wreckage'". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "The Spin Interview: Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard". March 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  5. ^ Paul, Larisha (April 17, 2024). "Pearl Jam Share One Last Dark Matter Preview With New Single 'Wreckage'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  6. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (April 20, 2024). "Eddie Vedder: 'We didn't know how to behave when Pearl Jam got big'". The Times. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  7. ^ "Pearl Jam Debut 'Dark Matter' Songs On The Howard Stern Show". April 22, 2024. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  8. ^ "Pearl Jam Releases 'Wreckage' Live Video". Blabbermouth.net. August 12, 2024. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  9. ^ "Pearl Jam Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  10. ^ "Pearl Jam Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2024.