Halfway Gone
Encyclopedia
"Halfway Gone" is a song by American alternative
band Lifehouse
. It is the first single released from their fifth studio album, Smoke & Mirrors (2010). It was first released via digital download in the United States and Canada on October 26, 2009. It was then solicited to mainstream
radio on January 12, 2010. Several remixes of the song were later released on iTunes on April 6, 2010 in an album called Halfway Gone Remixes. The song was a commercial success, charting in Canada, the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The accompanying music video portrays Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade
singing most of the lyrics in a local park, and also features several anonymous people singing the lyrics as well. The band has performed the song live on several occasions.
, and American singer-songwriter Kevin Rudolf
. In an interview with Billboard
, Rudolf said, "I chose [to work on] 'Halfway Gone' because Jason Wade is such a great writer, great singer, and great artist." The song was produced by Lifehouse and record producer, Jude Cole
, at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, VA
. "Halfway Gone" was released via digital download in the United States and Canada on October 26, 2009. A few months later, it was solicited to mainstream
radio on January 12, 2010.
. Nathaniel Schexnayder of Jesus Freak Hideout
called the song an "effective rock song", noting that the song is "an easy album highlight as well as a hit single". Billboard
s Michael Menachem gave a positive review of the song saying that "the song opens up with blurred 'wooh-ooh-oohs' that establish an uptempo pace, and its lively, danceable rhythm works well with frontman Jason Wade
's vocals, which waver between intimate and explosive." He also said that working with Kevin Rudolf
and Jacob Kasher resulted in "a fresh sound for Lifehouse as the band aims to extend its run on the hot AC and Billboard Hot 100
charts." Ultimate Guitar
described the song as "laid-back in its approach", but commended its "hooks and infectious backing 'whoas' in the chorus."
. It moved up and down the chart for several months and eventually peaked at number fifty. It debuted on the Canadian Hot 100
at number seventy-eight. It stayed on the chart for thirteen weeks, until peaking at number sixty-seven on the chart. The song debuted and peaked on the Billboard Pop Songs chart at number twenty-five. On the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, the song debuted at forty-three. It has since peaked at number sixteen, after being on the chart for eleven consecutive weeks. It debuted on Billboards Radio Songs chart at number sixty-seven, and eventually peaked at number forty-seven. On the Adult Contemporary chart, the song peaked at number twelve and after being on the chart for seventeen non-consecutive weeks. The song also charted on the Billboard Digital Songs
chart and peaked at number fifty-six.
The song also achieved international success. It debuted on Belgium's Ultratip chart at number twenty-seven for the week of March 20, 2010 and stayed on the chart for seven consecutive weeks before peaking at number two on the chart. The song debuted on the Media Control Charts
in Germany at number thirty-five, which became its peak position on the chart. In Australia, the song debuted at number forty-seven on the ARIA Charts
. It has since peaked at number thirty, after being on the chart for eight weeks. The song debuted at number sixty-three in Austria, and later peaked at number forty on the Ö3 Austria Top 40
. It also charted in New Zealand, and debuted at number thirty-four on the New Zealand Singles Chart, which became its peak.
on January 19, 2010. They also performed the song on Live with Regis and Kelly
on March 2, 2010, and two days later on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
on March 4, 2010.
In the music video, it begins with an out-of-focus view of Wade, seemingly alone, coming up a hill towards the camera. When he stops and starts singing, the camera comes into focus and the other band members come out from behind him and start lip-synching his vocals. A group of people pull up in cars and they also lip-synch the song, in addition to performing other activities throughout the video. The video's effects allow people to seemingly appear out of nowhere throughout the video.
on iTunes, entitled Halfway Gone Remixes. The names of the remixes are the "Morgan Page Remix", the "Jody Den Broeder Club Remix", and the "Fred Falke Remix". The remixes were mixed by the progressive house producers Morgan Page
and Jody Den Broeder, and house music
producer Fred Falke
.
Hayley Beck of CWG Magazine gave a positive review of the EP, saying "Honestly I could hear these songs being played in a nightclub, and I definitely never would've imagined myself dancing around to a Lifehouse track!" She continues to describe the album, and describes the vocals as "coarse vocals laid over a dancingly, mellow beat."
Source: Smoke & Mirrors (Deluxe Version) - iTunes LP
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Lifehouse
Lifehouse (band)
Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
. It is the first single released from their fifth studio album, Smoke & Mirrors (2010). It was first released via digital download in the United States and Canada on October 26, 2009. It was then solicited to mainstream
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
radio on January 12, 2010. Several remixes of the song were later released on iTunes on April 6, 2010 in an album called Halfway Gone Remixes. The song was a commercial success, charting in Canada, the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The accompanying music video portrays Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade
Jason Wade
Jason Michael Wade is the lead vocalist, main songwriter, and guitarist of the American alternative rock band Lifehouse.-Biography:...
singing most of the lyrics in a local park, and also features several anonymous people singing the lyrics as well. The band has performed the song live on several occasions.
Background and release
The song was written by Lifehouse's lead singer, Jason WadeJason Wade
Jason Michael Wade is the lead vocalist, main songwriter, and guitarist of the American alternative rock band Lifehouse.-Biography:...
, and American singer-songwriter Kevin Rudolf
Kevin Rudolf
Kevin Rudolf is an American singer-songwriter and record producer signed to Cash Money Records. Rudolf is mostly known for singing and producing rock/pop music...
. In an interview with Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, Rudolf said, "I chose [to work on] 'Halfway Gone' because Jason Wade is such a great writer, great singer, and great artist." The song was produced by Lifehouse and record producer, Jude Cole
Jude Cole
Jude Cole is a manager, record producer and singer/songwriter/guitarist.-Career:Cole's solo records, "Jude Cole", "A View from 3rd Street" and "Start the Car" were released on Warner Bros./Reprise Records, and contained the singles "Baby, It's Tonight", "Time for Letting Go" and "Start the Car"...
, at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
. "Halfway Gone" was released via digital download in the United States and Canada on October 26, 2009. A few months later, it was solicited to mainstream
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
radio on January 12, 2010.
Composition and critical reception
"Halfway Gone" was described as a "fun rock-pop [song] that would brighten most people's day" by Alex Lai of Contactmusic.comContactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is a Leeds UK based entertainment magazine/webzine. The site was launched in April 2000 by a small team and has now expanded to 12 fulltime staff and many freelance contributors from across the globe...
. Nathaniel Schexnayder of Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout is a Christian music website. The website specializes in reviewing, previewing, and selling Christian albums. The website is known for its album reviews, independent music, artist interviews, concert dates and ministry through devotionals and prayer...
called the song an "effective rock song", noting that the song is "an easy album highlight as well as a hit single". Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Michael Menachem gave a positive review of the song saying that "the song opens up with blurred 'wooh-ooh-oohs' that establish an uptempo pace, and its lively, danceable rhythm works well with frontman Jason Wade
Jason Wade
Jason Michael Wade is the lead vocalist, main songwriter, and guitarist of the American alternative rock band Lifehouse.-Biography:...
's vocals, which waver between intimate and explosive." He also said that working with Kevin Rudolf
Kevin Rudolf
Kevin Rudolf is an American singer-songwriter and record producer signed to Cash Money Records. Rudolf is mostly known for singing and producing rock/pop music...
and Jacob Kasher resulted in "a fresh sound for Lifehouse as the band aims to extend its run on the hot AC and Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts." Ultimate Guitar
Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive, also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is a large guitarist community website known for its large amount of guitar and bass tablature, reviews of music and equipment, interviews with notable musicians, online written and video lessons, and forums...
described the song as "laid-back in its approach", but commended its "hooks and infectious backing 'whoas' in the chorus."
Chart performance
"Halfway Gone" debuted at number ninety-nine on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It moved up and down the chart for several months and eventually peaked at number fifty. It debuted on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
at number seventy-eight. It stayed on the chart for thirteen weeks, until peaking at number sixty-seven on the chart. The song debuted and peaked on the Billboard Pop Songs chart at number twenty-five. On the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, the song debuted at forty-three. It has since peaked at number sixteen, after being on the chart for eleven consecutive weeks. It debuted on Billboards Radio Songs chart at number sixty-seven, and eventually peaked at number forty-seven. On the Adult Contemporary chart, the song peaked at number twelve and after being on the chart for seventeen non-consecutive weeks. The song also charted on the Billboard Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart and peaked at number fifty-six.
The song also achieved international success. It debuted on Belgium's Ultratip chart at number twenty-seven for the week of March 20, 2010 and stayed on the chart for seven consecutive weeks before peaking at number two on the chart. The song debuted on the Media Control Charts
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
in Germany at number thirty-five, which became its peak position on the chart. In Australia, the song debuted at number forty-seven on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. It has since peaked at number thirty, after being on the chart for eight weeks. The song debuted at number sixty-three in Austria, and later peaked at number forty on the Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...
. It also charted in New Zealand, and debuted at number thirty-four on the New Zealand Singles Chart, which became its peak.
Live performances
Lifehouse debuted their first live performance of "Halfway Gone" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'BrienThe Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
on January 19, 2010. They also performed the song on Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
on March 2, 2010, and two days later on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
on March 4, 2010.
Music video
The music video, directed by Frank Borin, was first released on Lifehouse's official website on November 24, 2009. Later that day, it was also released on iTunes. It features all Lifehouse members singing lead vocals, and also features miscellaneous people, including actresses Lola Blanc and Aurelia Scheppers, singing lead vocals throughout the music video.In the music video, it begins with an out-of-focus view of Wade, seemingly alone, coming up a hill towards the camera. When he stops and starts singing, the camera comes into focus and the other band members come out from behind him and start lip-synching his vocals. A group of people pull up in cars and they also lip-synch the song, in addition to performing other activities throughout the video. The video's effects allow people to seemingly appear out of nowhere throughout the video.
Remixes
Three remixes of "Halfway Gone" were released on April 6, 2010 into an extended playExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
on iTunes, entitled Halfway Gone Remixes. The names of the remixes are the "Morgan Page Remix", the "Jody Den Broeder Club Remix", and the "Fred Falke Remix". The remixes were mixed by the progressive house producers Morgan Page
Morgan Page
Morgan Page is an American progressive house and electro house DJ from Los Angeles. His most widely recognized track is "The Longest Road," featuring Lissie, which was included on his debut album Elevate, released in March 2008. The Deadmau5 remix was nominated for a Grammy...
and Jody Den Broeder, and house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
producer Fred Falke
Fred Falke
Frédérick "Fred" Falke is a French based house producer and DJ of German origin.Falke started out as a bass player around 1995 before turning his hand to production work in the late 1990s...
.
Hayley Beck of CWG Magazine gave a positive review of the EP, saying "Honestly I could hear these songs being played in a nightclub, and I definitely never would've imagined myself dancing around to a Lifehouse track!" She continues to describe the album, and describes the vocals as "coarse vocals laid over a dancingly, mellow beat."
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting - Jason WadeJason WadeJason Michael Wade is the lead vocalist, main songwriter, and guitarist of the American alternative rock band Lifehouse.-Biography:...
, Kevin RudolfKevin RudolfKevin Rudolf is an American singer-songwriter and record producer signed to Cash Money Records. Rudolf is mostly known for singing and producing rock/pop music... - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Jude ColeJude ColeJude Cole is a manager, record producer and singer/songwriter/guitarist.-Career:Cole's solo records, "Jude Cole", "A View from 3rd Street" and "Start the Car" were released on Warner Bros./Reprise Records, and contained the singles "Baby, It's Tonight", "Time for Letting Go" and "Start the Car"...
, LifehouseLifehouse (band)Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia... - MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band... - EngineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- John Hanes
Source: Smoke & Mirrors (Deluxe Version) - iTunes LP
Charts
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|