"Help"
Single by Papa Roach
from the album Crooked Teeth
ReleasedFebruary 17, 2017 (2017-02-17)
Recorded2016
GenreRock[1]
Length3:34
LabelEleven Seven
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Furlong
  • Brittain
Papa Roach singles chronology
"Gravity"
(2015) 		"Help"
(2017) 		"American Dreams"
(2017)
Music video
"Help" on YouTube

"Help" is a single by American rock band Papa Roach, from their ninth studio album Crooked Teeth. It topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in April 2017 for six consecutive weeks.

Background

The song was first released as a single on February 17, 2017.[2][3] The song was produced by Nicholas Furlong and Colin Brittain, two younger, up-and-coming music producers the band chose to work with, to help find a new sound that mixed their Infest-era sound with more modern music.[2][4] A music video for the song was released on May 1, 2017.[5] Directed by Darren Craig, the video features the band performing and shows footage of unfortunate life events happening to a man wearing a bunny costume.[5]

Themes and composition

Lyrically, the song's message is centered around surviving mental health issues.[4] The song features bass-driven verses, followed by a wash of heavy guitar and synths in the chorus, with frontman Jacoby Shaddix's recurring line in the chorus singing "I think I need help / I’m drowning in myself".[4] Rock Sound described the song as "infectious, emotional...powerful...a cry for help in musical form".[6] Shaddix described the song:

With a track like Help, that song kind of harkens back to 'Scars', but it’s a little bit more uptempo and upbeat than Scars is. But it’s just a dark anthem, and I like that juxtaposition...We tapped into that on a track like Scars back in the day, and we were, like, ‘All right. Let’s see if we wrote something in a major key again.’ We’ve done that with songs like Lifeline in the past...It’s got a little element of some old school with some new school.[7]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[16] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[17] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Rockest Record: Papa Roach - Help, Greg Puciato drops in, Rock Show with Daniel P Carter - BBC Radio 1". BBC. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "New Song Premiere: PAPA ROACH's 'Help'". blabbermouth.net. February 17, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  3. ^ "Listen to Papa Roach's blistering new single, "Help" - News - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on May 29, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Papa Roach Unleash Catchy, Cathartic New Song 'Help'". Loudwire. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Papa Roach Soundtrack Bunny's Bad Day in 'Help' Video". Loudwire. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "Listen To A New Papa Roach Song - News - Rock Sound Magazine". Rock Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  7. ^ "Papa Roach share behind-the-scenes video". teamrock.com. February 28, 2017. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  8. ^ "Papa Roach Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  9. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201728 into search. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  10. ^ "CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock" (select "Top 20 Modern Rock" into the search box, then select "201725"). hitparada.ifpicr.cz. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  11. ^ "Papa Roach: Help" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  12. ^ "Papa Roach Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  13. ^ "Papa Roach Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  14. ^ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  15. ^ "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  16. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Papa Roach – Help". Music Canada.
  17. ^ "American single certifications – Papa Roach – Help". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
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