POP SONG REVIEW: "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic vs. "Demons" by Imagine Dragons

[@xboxgamer474246]

The fact that Todd spent four minutes setting up this joke is part of the reason I enjoy his reviews so much.

[@GinaTonik]

I sincerely can not distinguish between the two, so it was only after he revealed the mixup that I went "... Wha?"

[@abenaadu-offeh7040]

Andrew Thomas and this is why I haven't unsubscribe

[@grantkelly8696]

Andrew Thomas agreed, other critics would just set up that joke for 20 seconds.

[@joshuabober9171]

5 minutes

[@supersammich344]

I was the thousandth like. I have never felt so accomplished.

[@ffjreviews9029]

“Could you possibly put in less effort” Thunder, feel the thunder, lightning and the thunder

[@Saintnick90]

Imagine Dragons: All right, a challenge!

[@aegisScale]

He was laughing with the glasses / They were scheming for the masses

[@ursa8772]

This just keeps getting better as time goes on. Everybody wants to be my enemy

[@nifralo2752]

OneRepublic's name sounds like a centre left online political newspaper.

[@s.g.7572]

Why does this make so much sense?

[@irisflorianandromeda]

It’s so realistic, it probably exits!

[@cashnelson2306]

Sounds like a jeans company that charges $100 a pair for lower quality than Levi's

[@volvanochaser1099]

Like the New Republic?

[@jspark8990]

Maybe but I doubt lib left as the further you go the less they like republics instead preferring direct democracy

[@neoman289151]

"Maybe Imagine Dragons will realize how bad this is and maybe they'll have to work harder and be creative" Hahaha, oh Todd.

[@huntervlogs6008]

Well. They made warriors, sucker for pain, ready aim fire, battle cry and it's time. So they don't suck.

[@bornstellar-makes-eternal-5136]

Well they did improve in 2017, take believer as an example

[@alexislopez5339]

Personally, all their songs sound like funeral dirges or lame car commercial jingles to me. To say they've gotten better isn't really saying much. And don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of rock, but all of Imagine Dragons's discography sounds rather dull to me. BUUUT that's just me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@patrickmeny1298]

implying believer is good

[@justinnielsen860]

Bleep Blap Night Visions and Smoke + Mirrors were both very solid albums when you get into some of their less known songs. Evolve on the other hand, almost 100% shit. Listen to some of their songs like Tiptoe, Dream, Nothing Left to Say/Rocks and I'm sure you've heard "It's Time" but if not that's another good one by them.

[@Yoarashi]

What most bothers me about "Demons" is that the lyrics seem to approach the word "demons" as a metaphor for selfish, destructive tendencies, but the melancholy arrangement and music video approach "demons" like it's a metaphor for psychological trauma. In certain situations, psychological trauma and destructive selfishness CAN overlap for sure. But in this music video, we've got the lyrics basically going, "I'm sorry for being a shitty human being, I have to break up with you before my shittiness taints you too" while the video is showing clips of a man fighting for his country, a woman at a relative's funeral, a boy being abused by his alcoholic father. Now, if we assume the worst of these situations, the soldier could be betraying his country or hurting civilians. The woman could've, fuck, I don't know, killed that relative of hers. But no kid is at fault for being the victim of parental abuse, and it's powerfully uncomfortable and unacceptable that the music video is making it appear like it's somehow his fault.

[@charlieasplin2032]

k

[@zerosabs3603]

Did you ever think twice about it? I’m not defending the song, more or less the video, but instead of the child being described, it COULD HAVE been describing the parent(s). I’m just saying.

[@shortszoo]

@@zerosabs3603 bro he said this 3 years ago

[@zerosabs3603]

k k k I’m so sorry for what I have done to your name Also I really don’t care how long ago it was.

[@shortszoo]

@@zerosabs3603 Why would you ask anything from anyone who will never see your question?

[@Saintnick90]

"In their efforts to blend all genres, they end up coming across this thin, watery mush of everything. They're just a dull weak sauce band." Funny how Todd is talking about OneRepublic here, but this statement easily captures what Imagine Dragons would become over time to a T.

[@mentalillness1574]

Also describes maroon 5, but we all knew that

[@agonzalez7095]

the 2010's have seen alot of artists like that, some good some bad. Kinda hope the 2020's are an improvement

[@i.j.dragonfly3123]

Fun fact: when my brother and I were little, we were convinced that the members of Imagine Dragons were actual dragons in human form. And what was our evidence? A few lines in Demons about "heat" and "greed." This song turned me into a conspiracy theorist.

[@sziph_burlap]

Lol

[@Doctor_Drama_Mama]

Wait...they AREN'T dragons

[@fifnbas]

i'm convinced

[@aegisScale]

You know, explains how they got big. Probably paid the record companies with their massive hoards of *gold*

[@mikerivera373]

“Did some kind of weird Freaky Friday incident happen?” Oh Todd. If only you knew what would come from that statement.

[@ffjreviews9029]

*”I WOKE UP IN CHRIS BROWN’S BODY”*

[@brb.8962]

@@ffjreviews9029 *"SO HOW THIS SHIT TURN INTO FREAKY FRIDAY?"*

[@a.j.gibson6717]

...Or my contravershal past.

[@aegisScale]

"I ' m K e n d a l J e n n e r"

[@Veteran622]

*I'M DJ KAHLED!!!!* Why am I yelling?

[@emilybeaudin2327]

Fun Fact. Counting Stars is based on the lead singer and his wife. And how he would do what he had to do to provid and how when he made it big they could count stars instead of pennies.

[@Barakon]

So their best song is a love song, awww!

[@csurname]

Broke kids can still count the stars, though.

[@SecretAgentNein]

@@csurname Of course they can, but when you're too busy worrying about your income and how to stretch your budget until your next paycheck you might not find the time or the optimism to relax and enjoy the night sky.

[@galaxygal1210]

When he was talking about Imagine Dragons, I kept expecting the "I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU, WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU!" clip to play.

[@brettjohnson536]

Lol, I was expecting Obi Wun to pop up and go "You were the chosen one!"

[@zerosabs3603]

You were the chosen one!

[@CamWithAQU]

The intro to this review just gets funnier and funnier with every passing year. It's almost impossible to remember a time when Imagine Dragons weren't the poster children for "thin, watery mush of everything".

[@man4437]

Someone agrees with me that Counting Stars is fantastic

[@goat8146]

It is

[@the.sketch.projekt8851]

It’s always been fantastic.

[@LennonLady]

Yeah, honestly I think he under compliments it.

[@RockandRollWoman]

It's on my dance workout list. I love the video too.

[@ThePhantom4516]

This song is literally what lifted me out of my existential depression. I will always love it

[@irontrids]

"OneRepublic's getting better when they're richer and more successful" Fast forward in 2016, OneRepublic ended up as a honorable mention with Kids, only it wasn't a hit

[@lisagalvan6884]

and how Imagine Dragons made the worst of 2017 list twice.

[@kieranstark7213]

Whoa, OneRepublic stole a song title from MGMT, one of my favorite music groups?! Fuck.

[@ThisCommentWroteItself]

This review of Imagine Dragons is surreal six years later.

[@AtOutoftheBlue]

Is Todd even capable of enjoying life anymore

[@brain_apostrophe_t]

XD

[@M3mT5]

You know what, i think he enjoy our enjoyment of his suffering, that's fuck up man.

[@RudyBlackman]

AtOutoftheBlue are any of us

[@XDANmanXxx]

M3mT5 English isn't your first language, huh?

[@hankcyrus9776]

Fuck Off his grammar sucks, but what he says is spot on.

[@engurland]

OneRepublic couldn't just be the name of a bank. It could also be the name of a clothing store, an insurance company, an aftershave and a resistance movement.

[@hannahb6411]

Todd calling Imagine Dragons a disappointment this long BEFORE Thunder and Believer is kind of hilarious

[@foop2954]

I know it's been 2 years but solid pfp choice

[@aceattorneyruinedmylife]

@@foop2954glad someone else is watching old todd in the shadow vids 🥲

[@tobos8909]

Rare Todd accurate prediction?

[@iamaunicorn1232]

I hate both of these songs but that's only because pop radio over-played them to death. Give me a few years and i'll like Counting Stars again.

[@jbain4750]

I don't especially like either, but I'll take it over Lorde or Ellie Golding any day.

[@TiaLuxanna]

J BAIN and now you look kinda stupid. Lorde? Really? Even when she released an excellent album?

[@FragmentedR_YT]

José Mário Jr. go listen to her cover of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and come back. Any changed opinions on her?

[@romancandleofthewild]

Just because her music isn't for you doesn't mean it's objectively bad.

[@FragmentedR_YT]

Rose K I agree with you there, most people that say that she’s awful (including myself) say that referring to their own opinion, not the ones of anyone else. Plenty of people like Lorde, and more power to them for it, I’m just not one of them.

[@sebastianq.7884]

"Demons" does sound exactly like what it's message is: the song is about demons, obviously. Where do demons live? Hell. Where is Hell? Very low down. What is the quality of "Demons"? Again, very low. So the sound of the song fits very well with the lyrics and the message.

[@SeanStrife]

I will say, I think OneRepublic kinda started a trend of artists doing the same boiler plate pop shit and, once they get their success, they trojan horse their way into making the music they REALLY want to make.

[@twentywordsorlessYT]

8:21 He's quite clearly saying 'brie'. He's saying that we are all made of cheese. Which could be problematic for the lactose intolerant, admittedly ;)

[@Jaceblue04]

The first time I saw this review and Todd was talking about One Republic having made a boring song, I thought to myself, "Well, Todd usually hates songs that I think are good, so I shouldn't be surprised that he thinks Counting Stars is bad." Then, when he started playing Demons immediately after, I was like, "Wait, what? Am I missing something here?"

[@miserychickadee]

"Nothing-burger dirge" is still one of my favorite descriptions ever.

[@boatgravy]

Hello from late 2019, where imagine dragons continues to posion the charts with pointless unintelligible noise.

[@maxdoesnothing1834]

Ah a fellow time traveler. I wonder how long until one of them dies of assassination

[@maxdoesnothing1834]

Pistol Whip lol ok boomer

[@JackedThor-so]

@@stickird915 yeah, in with you on that. Quality of the music aside I think "kill the artist I don't like" is a pretty tasteless thing to say.

[@jimmymelendez1836]

Greetings time traveler from last year.

[@wongijen9167]

Meanwhile OneRepublic is procrastinating on their album

[@emiliaskiba6107]

I love that Imagine Dragons best album, Smoke + Mirrors, is also the most underrated one. But it’s full of great songs like Gold, Warriors, Monster, and best of all I’m So Sorry.

[@positivitybot03]

My favourite song on that album, though it's probably telling as to my taste, was who we are

[@agonzalez7095]

album had one hit that was barely a hit and somehow became their only good, not decent, good album before they went chart chasing

[@redactedredacted6656]

I completely lost it at the Freakin' Friends comparison.

[@polinagonch]

YES.

[@fortunatecookie]

I know, right? How does He even think of something like that? I feel like the inside of Todd’s head is a scary place to be.

[@PrincessNinja007]

I actually get some imagery from Demons. It even has like a smell, and a temperature.

[@PrincessNinja007]

+Brittany Loveless It makes me feel cold, and it has that pre-rain smell

[@PrincessNinja007]

No, although that would explain all the dragons I was imagining... :p

[@kurayamidesu]

That sounds a lot like a form of synesthesia. To me, certain songs or types of music have colors I associate them with, and those colors tend to have abstract emotions attached to them. Like, songs like "Radioactive" or Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" are a light, misty gray, which I think of as a feeling of disassociation and being lost?

[@solutionstohardproblems9842]

Demons gives me a constructional sent and a soft lavender color with the sounds of pulsing lightning and thunder. It's pretty cool.

[@badcocktails]

To me, it's a misty grey with black and blue undertones.

[@dr.strangebat9397]

Fun fact, there was a Disney World/Land commercial that had the song "Good Life" to match the mood. I still think of that whenever I hear that song!

[@agonzalez7095]

ironic how One republic conquered the world with one of the biggest hits of the decade and then sharply declined in popular success right afterward

[@TheInformation]

Dedication to a friend aside (that's sweet of them), Demons is unfathomably boring sludge. It doesn't even sound particularly sad, just over the top. Like Christian rock with most of the religious themes stripped away. I never need to hear Counting Stars again, but it is certainly the more enjoyable song of the two.

[@supermew100]

darkrage6 It doesn't even match the subject matter. Yes I know it's sad subject matter but, where's the adrenaline from fear? It's about the fear and anxiety of hurting someone with your problems right? I have social anxiety and I fear my pain will only burden others yet I cannot relate to this song. It doesn't capture the fear, the complexity, and the pain of both wanting to not be alone and wanting to not be a burden. It is so much more than just a sad slog, it's far more intense than that. Shame people are forgetting how to put more than one emotion into a song.

[@jessicawilkerson2417]

supermew100 vv omg Ltd andv PaLm

[@jessicawilkerson2417]

Jessica Vargas otherwise

[@BK-ku1zt]

@@jessicawilkerson2417 what??

[@jimllc]

I really do think Counting Stars could've had more love on your Best of 2013 list. I mean, you got Demons onto the Worst List, weird you didn't do the inverse.

[@jimllc]

I mean, you DID say 2013 was shit. All I'm sayin.

[@ladysamxoxo]

+Josh Spicer Agree

[@paws27]

"proper opinions" Somone doesn't know what an opinion is.

[@critica77y77]

Roar is garbage. Not as bad as Love Me, but still horrible. And 2013 was just the worst.

[@ffjreviews9029]

2013 was a good year

[@BudderAsassin]

"As my new favorite band One Republic Once Said" This Is why I love Todd's videos

[@Saintnick90]

Funny thing is "Counting Stars" could have been an alternative hit if it came out in 1995 (or if an actual alternative band recorded it now).

[@Avrysatos]

Counting stars was on the radio a LOT around here.

[@mauriceisnotmyname480]

Honestly, Counting Stars is way better than Demons in my opinion. Counting Stars has way more effort put into it, both lyrically and instrumentally. Demons feels like something you would just put up as background music.

[@PineappleLiar]

Demons sounds like its in slo-mo

[@halcyonbuzz]

I will give Demons one thing: It's a great song to fall asleep to.

[@ollieofftheboat]

I mean Todd, they did release a song titled "I'm So Sorry" I think they finally made good on that apology.

[@BerdAndCharleston]

yeah that song was way better than demons

[@Rukalin]

My brother and I always had that In-joke that One Republic and Timbaland are one and the same. Yep, we had very odd In-jokes.

[@Dalejr88rox]

Me and one of my coworkers had an in-joke that Paramore and Yellowcard are the same band as well

[@jessenathan9346]

How are these in-jokes?

[@dualtahunter4043]

Ayye - Timbaland

[@pecklespeckle1]

I always had this feeling in my gut that my family had,,, bad musical taste. Somehow, the Crazy Frog CDs didn't confirm that. This video did. They insist that Demons is great. One time, Counting Stars was playing in the car, and my dad switched to a different station with a sound of disgust. I thought I was the weird one, liking Counting Stars and disliking Demons. I feel better now.

[@EpicB]

My mom seemed to like both It's Time and Radioactive, and I think she also liked Counting Stars. I was totally on board with Counting Stars. I was never really on board with It's Time. Radioactive is fine I guess but not really something I'd ever put on myself. To me, Imagine Dragons feels like the new Maroon 5, even though the old Maroon 5 has somehow still persisted. Thankfully I doubt my parents know of Crazy Frog. My own musical tastes lean more towards... Not this.

[@boonboonsaga99]

This was the beginning of the end for imagine dragons

[@billyjack3652]

The main reason I hate both of these songs is that I worked in a retail store for a year, and they only had one station playing. that station played pop music nonstop, literally all day. I heard both of these songs and about 20 others on loop and I actually went partially insane, to the point where I stabbed objects in the store and randomly launched objects everytime I heard the cycle start over again. Now I work in a store with no music...its a blessing. Fuck both of the songs.

[@maxresdefault_]

Can we all just appreciate how badass that thumbnail is. I wish all of Todd’s videos had a thumbnail that cool.

[@RockandRollWoman]

Sweet dreams are made of cheese Who am I to dis a Brie... 🎶 There's a long tradition of bands singing about cheese. 😂 (Sorry/not sorry for deliberately mangling The Eurythmics ' lyrics)

[@ImmaURq]

I remember hen It’s Time got popular, I read an interview with imagine dragons lead saying he liked songs to song imperfect and not super polished. So like, that would become a lie.

[@googyta]

"Did some kind of weird Freaky Friday thing happen?" 2018 is a strange time.

[@prohatersclub]

OneRepublic has a bunch of solid songs before counting songs tbh

[@rockhistoria2537]

Everybody Loves Me

[@markl4128]

I honestly loved demons, and i have a theory as to why. I was going through a very bad emotion period when i found it, and so i connected with it. then afterwards, i began to listen to everything else they made, and the joy in all their other songs lifted me up. I think you need to be sad in order to fully understand demons

[@KidSnivy69]

I think that a from person to person thing. Then again the only song of theirs I like is It's Time

[@davidsosa507]

Grow up

[@markl4128]

+Kaya David Sosa what do you mean?

[@davidsosa507]

ThePassusTransitus Liking a shitty song because it hit you on a low standards moment is stupid.

[@markl4128]

+Kaya David Sosa well you are certainly allowed to think that, but I like it even when I'm sad. If anything counting stars sounds just like another pop song.

[@magnum_cx8805]

One interesting thing tho, if it wasn't for Demons I'd never have moved on from Taylor Swift to alternative music. I wouldn't have started thinking about the meaning of lyrics and I wouldn't have dared to sing seriously and try to improve my voice. And I love the heavy drums in all of their music.

[@settheray2jerry1]

without demons i would never have been interesting in music at all.

[@orlock20]

The lead singer of Imagine Dragons has a wife that is in what we would call a "real" rock band. Check out the music video Beast by Nico Vega and then look at the Grammy Awards with Imagine Dragons. It's a case of husband ripping of wife's idea.

[@alberto8132]

Silver_Screamer Haas, Taylor Swift fanboy

[@magnum_cx8805]

Phony Fake Wrong. First of all I'm a girl, and second of all no, that was years ago

[@settheray2jerry1]

Phony Fake i know plenty of people with "seroius" music tastes who listen to talyor swift

[@dbp2625]

I like how the only song that's listed as "music in this video" is Wake Me Up by Avicii

[@killerbug05]

Hearing imagine dragons described as "up and comers" is whiplash inducing in the year of our lord 2024.

[@eggnogthespacecadet3392]

I hope what happened to Imagine Dragons doesn't happen to Walk The Moon.

[@nathaniel8186]

Eggnog The Fierce Kamikaze is pretty good

[@ivanspoljaric9267]

they don't get popular?

[@nathaniel8186]

Coco nah they don’t go “poppy”

[@cruzgomes5660]

It did

[@pellaw8011]

@@nathaniel8186 Idk, why, but most songs called Kamikaze are p good. Kamikaze by The Royal They will always top them tho

[@NewLastWords]

When I was younger my entire family was in a really bad fight. And then counting stars came on and everything was ok.

[@polinagonch]

Counting stars is literally on my top-10 favourite songs list. And this list has a very few pop songs on it

[@HellwingX1]

I never minded Demons. I mean it wasn't a masterpiece or anything, but it wasn't just completely boring like the other one, musically and lyrically. It had some sort of atmosphere at least.

[@twood12301]

Christopher Jackson I'd say that's because of the lead singer's voice

[@ghostking946]

Indeed. Because the lead singer wrote this song inspired by his own experiences.

[@marciaosullivan3200]

@@ghostking946 like

[@thequestion4818]

6:25 that joke makes me feel old but it's interesting to realize I've been watching Todd for that long. RIP Blip

[@lylecohen1638]

Literally just noticed the song at the outro of this review and of the one for Freaky Friday is the same one. Love the continuity

[@SW23252]

Fast forward to 2017's Worst List....

[@wolfeye64]

demons sounds like christian rock I hate it

[@hobobob59]

Sounds like, shit it practically is.

[@aarononeil9832]

Well half the band are Christian so it stands to reason.

[@galaxygal1210]

Damn, as someone who grew up being forced to listen to Christian radio, that explains why Demons sounded so familiar to me when I first heard it.

[@wolfeye64]

TrashLord Lord of the Trash I know how you feel I grew up on fucking klove radio

[@BloodNBacon]

OneRepublic actually has an actual Christian rock song. Like it doesn't just sound like Christian rock. It IS literal Christian rock. I actually really like the song even though I hate Christian rock. Its called Preacher.

[@JumpSonic]

Because I can see a lot of people in the comments section disagreeing with your opinion, I just want to say that I agree with your opinion. That's all. Would be nice if I could say that more cleverly but I can't think of a way to do that, so...enjoy my agreement. I guess.

[@theletsplaycurse]

Wow I didn't know demons was hated so much almost everyone I know likes it including me I find it really soothing and calm in the verse and they somehow managed to make the chorus calm for me as well Btw I think the biggest reason I find the chorus calm is because I listen to songs like space battle and sonic blaster If you haven't heard those songs look them up and try not to have a heart attack

[@creepypastaapprentice2635]

I know! I really like Imagine Dragons and OneRepublic...He chose the one of the calmest Imagine Dragons song there is!

[@BrandonTrex]

F-777 you say?

[@ghostking946]

Yes. Everyone I know loves Demons, including myself. You don’t know how long I’ve scrolled to find a comment that’s somewhat positive towards Demons. Now Demons is meant to show emotion and Reynolds’ struggle and the music video shows how no matter how much you feel alone, no matter who you are, there’s someone out there that will be there for you. I’m rambling.

[@astaiannymph]

I don't hate Demons, and it even brings catharsis to me every now and again. But it's not creatively fulfilling, and I don't want to rock out to it. Like, I can't put it in my workout playlist because it's just not interesting enough to distract me and make the time go by faster, and that feels damning.

[@JackedThor-so]

@@astaiannymph yeah, it's slow for a pop hit. I think you have to be in a certain mood for it. Counting stars is more of a "gym playlist" banger while demons is more of a "at home, have it playing while decompressing after school / work" kind of song.

[@Argonnosi]

I see you're trying to imagine dragons. Would you like some help with that?

[@stefanmilevski4731]

I think both songs are great.

[@kimifw58]

I kind of warmed up to "Radioactive." Now I really like it.

[@averageheretic]

Hello wonderful person! I am from the future. To answer Todds Query, no. Imagine Dragons did not improve. In fact, I'm pretty sure they got left behind when we skipped from our dimension to this clown dimension. Which may or may not be a reasonable trade off.

[@charliethasnail]

Honestly, I used to be on the same team as Todd in terms of OneRepublic sucking. But damn if Love Runs Out and the entirety of the Oh My My album didn’t convince me of their worth as a band.

[@mentalillness1574]

OneRepublic got better as time went on, the opposite happened to ID

[@charliethasnail]

@@mentalillness1574 definitely. Imagine Dragons’ music all sounds the same to me these days

[@EarthChampion_TophBeifong]

0:50 "in this world of pop music and dance beats "..." give me more than edm beats" Well, I come from the future when edm and pop died and all people listen is garbage hip-hop, and drake. Oh yeah and Maroon5 is still around making garbage music. Makes me wish the 2013 of EDM music came back...

[@finnjeffrey572]

Same man

[@LillyandStarlight]

YES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD IS AMAZING!!

[@LillyandStarlight]

Sorry I'm band trash and The NBHD just happens to be one of my faves

[@solutionstohardproblems9842]

There's other band trash here. P!ATD is my guilty pleasure.

[@bunnyraptor420]

Introduced to them through Sweater Weather, still love them to this day.

[@serenathewitch8274]

was i the only one to notice imagine dragons lastest albulm was pretty much all apologies songs? like did there writer leave his girlfriend to be famous or something?

[@teddyhaines6613]

+serena the witch Well, Dan Reynolds was the only original member left in the band by the time they got big, so maybe he's apologizing to his old bandmates that they missed the big time.

[@serenathewitch8274]

oh, cool, i didn't know.

[@adrinkwithjam1134]

Dude, the piano opening of this video is absolutely the best of all of them. Can you please do a full song for this todd? Probably not :(

[@ZombieInvader]

I think I mostly liked Radioactive because it combined two of my favourite things: Lou Diamond Phillips and puppets

[@atmen1489]

Counting stars made me realize I should shoot my dreams become an animator on the internet maybe risky because it's not that well paying of a job but I will one day become an animator

[@SemiIocon]

I just randomly remembered this review and looking back, the trajectory ID took is really sad, lmao.

[@yruiz214]

Personally, I thought that demons was a good song, to me the demons are the struggles we go though in life and how they can affect the people around us. Some of us try to deal with everything on our own but end up hurting ourselves and the people we care for. This is depicted in the video by zooming into the people in the crowd's eyes because that is where the demons hide (like in the song), then it shows some of the struggles those people are going through like suffering through PTSD, an abusive parent or significant other, and the death of family member. Oh and did you know that the song was dedicated to a guy that lost his battle with cancer. In my opinion the song is supposed to be reflective and slow not up beat and loud.

[@JackTR21]

Even the edm kids were getting tired of edm at that time

[@jacobsarabia336]

As Josh Homme once said, "fuck Imagine Dragons."

[@samholik8127]

Lol I like him even more now

[@Thebes342]

As much as I like Todd, he seems to really commonly have this belief that "good music" has to be upbeat and exciting, which I don't think holds true at all. Personally, my opinion on 'Counting Stars' and 'Demons' is the exact opposite, I quite like the latter and can't stand the former. To each their own, but I personally prefer the more depressing stuff over the focus-tested, manufactured "happy" stuff.

[@santoriomaker69]

I think that he meant that he feels like it's too over-the-top for a very slow song, and thinks that it's inappropriately slow for its subject matter. I mean, I kind of disagree of the first statement, but I kind of agree with the second. It IS kind of too slow for a song about demons and using metaphors about it that links to depression and stuff. Sure the depression thing will work, but demons? That's like making a country song about Satan or Lucifer. Anyways it's all opinions, nothing to bother. Just opinions.

[@neutralman9124]

So late to reply but whatever. I think Demons is one of the most manufacturered 'sad songs' that has come out in recent times. Counting Stars is well produced and we'll written. Demons sounds like a teenager complaining about his crappy life in the most basic way possible. Counting Stars might be a little too happy, but it's still incredibly well made.

[@michaelkelly9847]

I hate to say it (out loud), but the only thing I personally like about Imagine Dragons are the covers of their music done by other bands. Their songs have inspired some of my favorite covers.

[@gavinfelker7630]

I know that Todd basically admitted that he was wrong about Imagine Dragons selling out. That being said, I would counter that accusation with the existence of the entire Smoke and Mirrors album. All of the songs on there are wildly different than anything you would hear on the radio. While some are popular or mainstream ENOUGH, the majority of songs on the album would have never have gotten popular in our current music landscape, and I think most people would agree with me in that respect. If Imagine Dragons really did sell out, the album wouldn't sound the way it does. That's not to say that all of their music sounds as strange as the Smoke and Mirrors album. Imagine Dragons' songs for movies are more mainstream, but it is still good. The song they made for Passengers, "Levitate", is one of my personal favorites. "Ready, Aim, Fire" also sounds great, and the song they made for the League of Legends Event, "Warriors", has a powerful and grandiose feel that pumps me up. Sure, they are sellout songs, but they are still quite enjoyable to listen to. Even their newest album is a bit more mainstream, but the three songs released so far are still awesome. I love the power of "Believer", the simplicity of "Thunder", and the interesting lyrics of "Whatever It Takes". Is it as bizarre and unique as some of their other material? No. But it's still great. The music from Evolve is a new kind of sound that I haven't heard from Imagine Dragons, and I can't wait for the rest of the album to come out. Even if the songs are more mainstream, I have confidence that they will still be unique and enjoyable to listen to. TL;DR, Even when Imagine Dragons "sells out", their music is still good and they care about making quality music.

[@irontrids]

Evolve has 2 songs that ended up in his worst list, I guess this is ID's sign of selling out a la Maroon 5

[@mortensejer4828]

that is true, soooo true. no matter how bad ID get they are at least new and original

[@itshat7582]

Gavin Felker I

[@nathaniel8186]

Gavin Felker The non-singles from Imagine Dragons are honestly there best songs, besides whatever it takes there singles have been eh

[@conomer8229]

The most recent ID album literally copies several elements from other songs

[@Kessylayssa]

Pretty sure good life is in a vacation/Disney add

[@daxtro5492]

i have seen it on disney channel, no joke

[@Youregonnaregretthat]

It is

[@genesiscairo6413]

I love OneRepublic is a solid band they put songs together with depth plus the lead singer voice is def more soulful. Dragons is very inconsistent, I loved radioactive bt that's mostly it.

[@primarina2]

Demons isn't actually that bad. Not as good as Counting Stars, but still good.

[@goldenvids5529]

Its pretty bad

[@njidekaike8356]

@@goldenvids5529 The nightcore version is godlike though

[@ffjreviews9029]

I don’t get how Demons is bad, I mean, I don’t particularly think it’s good, but I don’t get it

[@IABITVpresents]

oo just noticed "I'd Like to Be You for a Day" was used twice as the ending music.

[@lisagalvan6884]

it's been about 5 years since it was used in this vid and was used in Freaky Friday

[@IABITVpresents]

+Lisa Galvan well duh :)

[@Abby-xo1de]

When I was like 14, I read a fanfiction that put the lyrics of the same snow patrol song in every chapter and I have hated them ever since

[@Zomdra]

8:38 Is honestly one of my favourite Todd moments ever.

[@jonhillman871]

the music at the end was my favorite part of the show. freaky friday theme.

[@nickverse3463]

11:39 had the perfect opportunity to put dragon tails on there

[@Kyle_etc]

Todd scared me, he almost praised imagine dragons for a second. Weird to watch this in 2023

[@lunayoshi]

I'd still take "Demons" over almost all the other songs Todd reviews. They stopped playing it on Retail Radio, so now I get a lot of "Stitches" and other bullshit. "Counting Stars" still comes up here and there, and it's awesome as always.

[@JackedThor-so]

Christ, stitches... I got SO sick of fluff like that SO quick. At least Imagine Dragons doesn't sound like a whiny 14 year old

[@FoxxNavarro]

"Pop song Chor-AAHHHHHHHH!"

[@tilerh17]

Counting Stars is the song that made me a OneRepublic fan. I liked Demons as well, but I suppose, thinking about it, it's far from my favorite of those they've released...

[@aidandowden2841]

imagine dragons more like imagine draggin' yourself into the studio you worked for years, dedicating thousands of hours to becoming a well respected producer and sound engineer, working your way through the major label landscape to have some Universal-signed bozo come in and tell you his vision for his big new hit, and it's Imagine Dragon's Thunder. Yikes

[@jef_3006]

Love both these songs and their respective bands. Any modern rock I can get, my standards are pretty low at this point :(

[@KidSnivy69]

Thankfully I don't have that problem as while I like rock it's not a top choice of mine

[@JackedThor-so]

I think after the slog of edm garbage we've been getting the past couple years and pop music going through the floorboards in quality people are starting to look back on songs like these and wondering "wait, why did I hate these again? I thought these were bad? Stuff we have now is WAY worse!"

[@undergroundproductions3937]

Right both these bands are amazing

[@miche8868]

When I was 13 these were my two favorite bands

[@moondog548]

My take on these songs is almost 100% the opposite and it doesn't take away from how awesome this vid and all your work is.

[@JackedThor-so]

My feelings towards Todd in a nutshell

[@valery8817]

You haven't truly experienced Counting Stars until you've played it in pep band.

[@piplup2009]

really liked counting stars until it kept getting played again and again on the radio, love runs out too

[@RockandRollWoman]

That's why I cringe every time I hear Stairway to Heaven. Quite a few stairways too many.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

Wait...Imagine Dragons have a song called "Demons", Gene Simmons is The Demon in KISS. They have another song called "Radioactive"...who else has a song called "Radioactive"? Gene Simmons. And finally, their most well known song is called "Thunder", Gene Simmons sang "God Of Thunder". Are they just writing bad KISS fan fiction?

[@Darkendeep]

5:55 Todd predicted his own freaky friday lil dicky review.

[@elizabethhh2460]

I'm gen z, and counting stars feels like a classic of my generation. Idk how to explain it

[@dorothyallspice1862]

✨Nostalgia✨

[@BassbaitGG]

"this isn't some avant-garde retro thrash latin jazz or anything" soooo close to describing my own band just then.

[@RockandRollWoman]

Counting Stars is on my dance workout list. The video is hilarious, but I'm not watching it when I'm dancing up a good sweat.

[@wesleyem3]

I could listen to Todd's piano renditions of songs forever.