| "Hello Seattle" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Promotional single byOwl City | |
| from the albumOcean Eyes | |
| Released | December 2009 (2009-12) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:47 |
| Label | Universal Republic |
| Songwriter | Adam Young |
| Producer | Young |
"Hello Seattle" is a song by Americanelectronica projectOwl City. The song is the third track from his second studio albumOcean Eyes released viaUniversal Republic. The song was released as a promotional CD in December 2009, before it was serviced forradio airplay on April 27, 2010.[3] Despite not being released as a single, the song reached six million plays onMySpace.[4] It also peaked at number six on the USBubbling Under Hot 100 chart and was certified Gold in 2014 by theRecording Industry Association of America.[5][6]
Adam Young spoke about the song's meaning withFemale First:
"'Hello Seattle' is a song about growing up in Minnesota, imagining what the city of Seattle was like without having visited. It's about daydreams and imaginings where you are things that dwell in/around the Emerald City, thus giving the listener a first person view.[7]
Young described "Hello Seattle" as a love song to a place he had never visited.[8] He stated that never travelling to the city was a "pretty big inspiration" to him.[9] Once he got the chance to visit the city, Young recalled that the experience "wasn't anything like the place in my head, it was just different."[10] The song gained viral popularity onMySpace and earned Young a record contract withUniversal Republic.[11][12]
Written and produced by Young, the track runs at 90BPM and is in the key ofB-flat major.[13] Young's range in the song spans from the notes F4 to G5.[13] It is the first song he wrote under the Owl City name.[14] On a night when Young couldn't sleep, he had an idea for an electronic track that came to be "Hello Seattle".[1] He described the song as a "representative" of the type of music he wanted to make. He also stated, "It's innocent, accessible pop, but with a melancholy feel and abstract lyrics."[1] In addition to the lyrics being about Young's imagination of everything he dreamed the city to be,[15] it also references his faith toGod.[16]
"Hello Seattle" first appeared on his debut EPOf June with a runtime of two minutes and 57 seconds.[17] The song was laterremastered for his second studio albumOcean Eyes with a runtime of two minutes and 47 seconds. A remix version of the song was also featured on the album.[18]
"Hello Seattle" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Scott Fryberger of Jesus Freak Hideout described the track as "dance friendly." He stated, "The piano at the beginning is a nice touch to get the jam started... it never gets boring as some dance floor hits tend to."[19]AllMusic's Andrew Leahey remarked, "such syrupy sweetness builds to a feverish pitch."[20] A negative review came fromHollis Wong-Wear of theSeattle Weekly. She criticized Young's "overprocessed vocals," as well as the song's lyrics. She also added, "Owl City bitesBen Gibbard's style so hard, contorting Gibbard's earnest lightness."[21]
| Chart (2010–12) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea (GAON) (International Chart)[22] | 200 |
| USBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[5] | 6 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | December 2009 | CD | Republic | [23] |
| April 27, 2010 | Contemporary hit radio | [3] |
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