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For other songs titled "King for a Day", see King for a Day.
"King for a Day"
Cover of the 2019 re-release specially for the 25th anniversary of Fearless Records
Single by Pierce the Veil featuring Kellin Quinn
from the album Collide with the Sky
ReleasedJune 5, 2012
Recorded2012
Length
  • 3:56
  • (4:53 music video version)
Label Fearless
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Pierce the Veil singles chronology
" Bulletproof Love"
(2010) 		"King for a Day"
(2012) 		" Bulls in the Bronx"
(2012)
Music video
"King for a Day" on YouTube

King for a Day is a song by American rock band Pierce the Veil, released on June 5, 2012, by Fearless Records. It features guest vocals by Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens. It was the first single released from their third album Collide with the Sky (2012).

On August 6, 2012, an official music video was released. The song charted on Hot Rock Songs and the Digital Rock Songs charts, both published by Billboard. "King for a Day" was nominated for both Best Single and Best Video at the 2013 Kerrang! Awards.

As of May 2023, the music video has accumulated over 159.1 million views on YouTube. [1]

Background and recording

The title of the song came from drummer Mike Fuentes. [2] In an interview with Revolver, lead vocalist Vic Fuentes said he was impressed by the title. [2] Together with Curtis Peoples and Steve Miller, Fuentes started to write the song lyrics in a small cabin in Big Bear Lake, California which became later a small recording studio. [2]

Because of the fans, the band contacted Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens asking if he was interested in being featured on the song. [2] They never met before but Fuentes decided to write to him on Twitter. Quinn decided to collaborate with Pierce the Veil. [2] His vocal parts were recorded in a second studio. While producing the song, Pierce the Veil and Kellin Quinn wrote together via email. [3]

Meaning

This song is about getting pushed past the breaking point. In an interview, Fuentes stated he sometimes has too many things around his mind at once so he isn't able to control his mind or his body at times. [2]

Music video

An official music video was directed by Drew Russ who would get involved later in their music video for " Bulls in the Bronx". [4] On June 25, 2012 Alternative Press announced Pierce the Veil started working on a new music video. [5] On August 2, 2012, the band published an official trailer for the music video. [6] Four days later the video officially was premiered on Vevo. [7]

The video portrays Vic Fuentes and Kellin Quinn as bankers. The bank manager Mr. Smalls asks both to stay in the bank overnight to correct the sales values for an IRS audit. In doing this they discover that Mr. Smalls transferred more than $2,500,000 to an offshore bank in Switzerland (although it is written as "Switerland" in the music video), which was most likely the reason for the forced pay cut the employees had taken a week before.

At the beginning of the second verse, Quinn and Fuentes meet with other people (played by the other band members of Pierce the Veil) who plan to rob the bank. In the chorus, Fuentes and Quinn enter the building in black suits. In the bridge, the gang arrive and get into the bank. Mr. Smalls is caught by a robber while all the bankers hide. The robbers get into the safe-deposit and start collecting the money in bags, which they later give to the employees. While he is tied up Mr. Smalls pees all over himself. When they're ready to flee, one of the robbers shoots Mr. Smalls with a water gun at which point he realizes they have cheated him.

At the end of the video, the robbers celebrate their victory while Mr. Smalls is arrested due to tax evasion and embezzlement and sentenced to 25 years in prison, which was released on the news station the robbers watch during their celebration.

A behind-the-scenes-video was published on October 3, 2012, on YouTube. [8]

Equipment

Reception

Commercial

"King for a Day" was released as the first single of Collide with the Sky on June 5, 2012. [9] On the same day a lyric-video was published on YouTube which got nearly 30 million views. [9] On August 6, 2012, the official music video was released and has garnered 168 million views as of December 4, 2023. [6]

The single charted on the U.S. Billboard Digital Rock Songs where it peaked at 29, and on the Hot Rock Songs chart with a peak of 37. [10] The song also peaked at 28 in the UK Rock & Metal Singles Charts. [10] In November 2014, the song was certified Gold by the RIAA for having sold more than 500,000 units in the U.S. [11] On October 29, 2019, it was announced the single went Platinum, selling more than one million units digitally.

On May 12, 2015, it was revealed that "King for a Day" will be one of the playable songs in the video game Guitar Hero Live. [12] It was also announced that King for a Day will be available for downloadable content for Rock Band 4 when pre-ordered digitally on Xbox One. [13]

On August 17, 2022, "King for a Day" reached 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hard Rock Streaming Songs Chart, 7 on the Rock Streaming Songs Chart, 6 on Alternative Streaming Songs Chart, and 21 on Alternative Digital Song Sales Chart thanks to a surge in usage of the song on Tik-Tok. [14]

Awards

Charts

Chart performance for "King for a Day"
Chart (2012) Peak
position
UK Rock & Metal ( OCC) [16] 28
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard) [17] 37

Certifications

Certifications for "King for a Day"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada ( Music Canada) [18] Platinum 80,000‡
United Kingdom ( BPI) [19] Silver 200,000‡
United States ( RIAA) [20] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Pierce The Veil - King for a Day ft. Kellin Quinn, retrieved 2023-05-12
  2. ^ a b c d e f Revolver: Pierce the Veil Frontman Vic Fuentes Discusses New Song, “King for a Day,” Featuring Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens
  3. ^ Sebastian Berning: Powermetal.de: PIERCE THE VEIL: INTERVIEW MIT VIC FUENTES (German)
  4. ^ Michael Depland: MTV Buzzworthy: Go Behind The Scenes Of Pierce The Veil's ‘Bulls In The Bronx’ Video Shoot! (PHOTOS) Archived 2013-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Michele Bird: Alternative Press: Pierce The Veil shooting “King For A Day” video
  6. ^ a b Michele Bird: Alternative Press: Pierce The Veil release “King For A Day” video preview
  7. ^ Cassie Whitt: Alternative Press: Pierce The Veil post “King For A Day” video featuring Kellin Quinn (Sleeping With Sirens)
  8. ^ Michele Bird: Alternative Press: Pierce The Veil release behind-the-scenes look at “King For A Day” video shoot
  9. ^ a b Tyler Common: Alternative Press: Pierce The Veil release “King For A Day” lyric video featuring Kellin Quinn Archived 2013-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ a b Charts: US Digital Rock Songs, US Hot Rock Songs, UK Rock & Metal Singles
  11. ^ Tyler Sharp: Alternative Press: Pierce The Veil's “King For A Day” certified Gold Archived 2014-11-13 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Daniel Kreps: Rolling Stone: Exclusive: Rolling Stones, Green Day Lead 'Guitar Hero Live' Set List
  13. ^ Evan Campbell: IGN: PRE-ORDER ROCK BAND 4 DIGITALLY, GET A BUNCH OF FREE SONGS
  14. ^ Rogers, Jack (2022-08-17). "Pierce The Veil's 'King For a Day' Is No.01 On The Billboard Hard Rock Streaming Songs Chart". Rock Sound. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  15. ^ Rhian Jones: Musicweek: Kerrang! Awards 2013 - all the winners
  16. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Pierce the Veil Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  18. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Pierce the Veil – King for a Day". Music Canada. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  19. ^ "British single certifications – Pierce the Veil/Kellin Quinn – King for a Day". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  20. ^ "American single certifications – Pierce the Veil – King for a Day". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
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