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"Will You"
Single by P.O.D.
from the album Payable on Death
ReleasedSeptember 22, 2003 (rock radio)
December 2003 (pop radio)
Recorded2003
GenreAlternative metal
Length3:47
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Noah Bernardo, Traa Daniels, Sonny Sandoval, Jason Truby
Producer(s)Howard Benson
P.O.D. singles chronology
"Sleeping Awake"
(2003) 		"Will You"
(2003) 		"Change the World"
(2004)

"Will You" is a song by American Christian metal band P.O.D. and the lead single from their fifth studio album, Payable on Death. Released on September 22, 2003, the song charted at No. 17 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart on December 2 that year.

Composition

The band chose "Will You" as a lead single to demonstrate a new side both lyrically and musically as noted by MTV's Jon Wiederhorn:

"The surging rhythm and audible tension are instantly familiar, as is the bottom-heavy groove laid down by bassist Traa and drummer Wuv, but the technical guitar fills and rap-free vocals of Sonny Sandoval give the band a new vibe."[1]

"Will You" features lyrics of anxiety and desperation amidst a turbulent and potentially crumbling relationship. Sandoval explained the song's nature in an interview:

"We always said we wanted to do something like that, but it just kinda turned darker than your average 'I love you' type of song. It's about sticking with the one you love and putting up with that person and being there through thick and thin."[2]

Music video

Shot in September 2003 in Los Angeles, the music video was directed by Marc Webb who also directed P.O.D.'s previous video. "Will You" carries the Christian message of turning the other cheek and deals with the problems faced by four adolescents with little in common. A young preppy girl is pressured into sex before being comforted by a punk rock girl; an interracial couple is harassed at a party; and a youth deals with an alcoholic mother. This is accompanied by sped-up footage of P.O.D. performing the song in a vacant lot.[3]

Track listing

  1. "Will You (Album version)" - 3:48
  2. "Will You (Chris Vrenna remix)" - 3:54
  3. "Cain (Instrumental)" - 6:10

Official versions

Charts

Chart performance for "Will You"
Chart (2003–2004) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 61
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[5] 68
UK Singles (OCC)[6] 68
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 12
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 12

References

  1. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon P.O.D. Sound So Alive With New Guitarist, New Single[dead link] VH1.com (September 2, 2003). Retrieved on 6-12-11.
  2. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon P.O.D. Go Back To Their Roots, Insist They're Not Preachers[dead link] VH1.com (October 2, 2003). Retrieved on 6-19-11.
  3. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon P.O.D. Urge Fans To Turn Other Cheek With 'Will You' Video MTV.com (October 7, 2003). Retrieved on 6-19-11.
  4. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 220.
  5. ^ "P.O.D. – Will You". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  6. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
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