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I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

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"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)"
Single by My Chemical Romance
from the album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
ReleasedSeptember 28, 2004 (2004-09-28)
Recorded2004
Genre
Length3:08
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Howard Benson
My Chemical Romance singles chronology
"Headfirst for Halos"
(2004) 		"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)"
(2004) 		"Helena"
(2005)
Music video
"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" on YouTube
Outtake videos
"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" (Outtake Version 1) on YouTube
"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" (Outtake Version 2) on YouTube

"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" is the lead single and fifth track from My Chemical Romance's second studio album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" was released to radio on September 28, 2004.[9] The song is featured on the soundtrack of Burnout 3: Takedown.[10]

Background and release

My Chemical Romance began writing their second studio album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004), while touring for their first album in 2003; by November, the band had signed a record deal with Reprise Records through Craig Aaronson, who worked in A&R for Reprise. MCR had written a majority of the album.[11] Through Aaronson, the band connected with Howard Benson and he later produced the album.[12]

After My Chemical Romance finished writing most of the album, Aaronson and Benson stumbled on a vocal line six minutes into a demo that the band had previously recorded; both insisted that the band should work on it. Despite the band's initial reluctance, they realized its potential once Gerard Way and Ray Toro performed the section of the demo, with Frank Iero recalling that "it was just the most beautiful song we ever heard".[13][14] After the band returned to the studio, they continued to flesh out the song into "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", with My Chemical Romance biographer Tom Bryant noting how the band was "experimenting with it and seeing just how far they could push the boundaries" of its punk sound.[15]

"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" was initially released on June 8, 2004, as the fifth track on Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.[16][17] The song later impacted US radio on September 27, 2004,[18] as the album's lead single.[19] Various live performances of the track were later released on March 21, 2006, as part of the live album Life on the Murder Scene.[20][21] The song was also released on May Death Never Stop You (2014), the band's greatest hits album.[22]

Reception and accolades

It reached number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[23][24] and, in March 2005, number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also helped expand the band's fan base, and has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[25] It was nominated for the Kerrang! Award for Best Single.[26] The cover art was redone in live action on the inside of the band's DVD Life on the Murder Scene.

Music videos

The first music video version for the song features a montage of concert footage and the band's ordinary life in New Jersey. It was produced by Rafaela Monfradini and Greg Kaplan, who was also the director. It features pictures of brothers, bassist Mikey Way and lead singer Gerard Way, when they were little kids and teenagers.

The second version music video depicts life inside a fictional American high school in the form of a mock movie trailer. The band appears as a group of outcast students being repeatedly harassed by another group who are portrayed as the popular kids. The band members attempt to take on the popular group and later have a showdown in a hallway, with the band members armed with croquet mallets and the popular kids with lacrosse and hockey gear. It also has some clips expressing some emotions and clips of the band playing in a garage. The music video was directed by Marc Webb, and parts of it were filmed at both Alexander Hamilton High School and Loyola High School in Los Angeles in August 2004.[27] Greg Kaplan and Rafaelia Monfradini produced the video.[27] The video began production on August 13, 2004.[28] As of May 2023, the video has 106 million views on YouTube.

That video was named number one on Fuse's 25 Greatest Videos Countdown, with more views than videos like "Basket Case" by Green Day and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana.

Live performances and legacy

"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" has been a staple in My Chemical Romance's performances, with Chad Childers of Loudwire reporting in 2024 that it was the band's most-played song during live sets.[29] In regards to individual performances, My Chemical Romance performed the song on Late Show with David Letterman in January 2005,[30][31] during the 2011 Reading and Leeds Festivals,[32] the 2022 Riot Fest,[33] and the 2022 and 2024 When We Were Young festivals.[34][35] The band also performed the song as part of the setlists and encores of the Black Parade World Tour,[36] the 2007 Projekt Revolution tour,[37] the 10th Annual Honda Civic Tour,[38] and their reunion tour.[39][40] Additionally, "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" has been covered by various artists, including by Matt Pond PA for the 2008 compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 2,[41] by All Time Low and Twenty One Pilots in live performances,[42][43] and by Cassyette in a short video for TikTok.[44]

"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" has been considered a song representative of the 2000s,[45] with Terry Bezer of Louder Sound comparing it to songs like "My Generation", "Anarchy in the UK", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and "Killing in the Name" for being a "zeitgeist-capturing, generation-defining statement".[46] Sia Michel of The New York Times wrote in 2006 that the song had become a "rallying cry" for the children at the time who had been "weaned on war, school shootings and constant terrorism threats".[47] Ed Walton of Distorted Sound Mag referred to "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" as an "anthem for the emo generation",[48] while a 2020 article on Louder Sound similarly called it a "genuine anthem for the disaffected, still sounding as righteously pissed off and fresh as it did almost a decade ago".[49] I'm Not Okay: An Emo Retrospective, a 2024–2025 exhibition at the Barbican Music Library in London which explored 2000s emo subculture, was named after the song.[50][51]

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from Apple Music.[52]

Charts

Chart (2004−2005) Peak
positions
Australia (ARIA)[53] 65
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[54] 38
Scotland (OCC)[55] 23
UK Singles (OCC)[56] 19
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[57] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[58] 86
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[59] 4
US Pop 100 (Billboard)[23] 64
Chart (2019) Peak
positions
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[60] 21

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[61] 2× Platinum 160,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[62] Platinum 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[63] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[25] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

Source

  • Bryant, Tom (2014). Not the Life It Seems: The True Lives of My Chemical Romance. Boston: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0306823497.

Citations

  1. ^ Ashley Burns (7 May 2013). "'Middle School' Is A Mash-Up Of Every Pop Punk Song You Won't Admit You Once Loved". Uproxx. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  2. ^ "The 21 Best Pop-Punk Choruses of the 21st Century". Spin.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "The 20 greatest My Chemical Romance songs-ranked". Kerrang. 9 April 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  4. ^ "Top 100 Emo Songs of All Time". The Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  5. ^ Ian Cohen; David Anthony; Nina Corcoran; Emma Garland; Brad Nelson (February 13, 2020). "The 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All Time". Vulture.com. Vox Media. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  6. ^ "10 underrated songs from 2000s bands that are just as good as their hits". 24 December 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020 – via Alternative Press. Given their poignance, it's no wonder that "Welcome To The Black Parade" and "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" have persisted as emo anthems through the years.
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Black Parade – My Chemical Romance". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
  8. ^ Bryant, Tom (8 July 2016). "The Top 10 Best My Chemical Romance Songs". TeamRock. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-27.
  9. ^ "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  10. ^ "Do You Remember How Lit The Burnout 3 Soundtrack Was? - Features". Rock Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  11. ^ Bryant 2014, pp. 77–81
  12. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 87
  13. ^ Bryant 2014, pp. 99–100
  14. ^ Bryant, Tom (July 8, 2016). "The Top 10 Best My Chemical Romance Songs". Louder Sound. Archived from the original on January 16, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  15. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 100
  16. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 105
  17. ^ Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (CD). My Chemical Romance. Reprise Records. 2004. 9362-48615-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1574. September 24, 2004. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  19. ^ Travers, Paul (November 27, 2020). "10 key moments that made My Chemical Romance superstars". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  20. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "Life on the Murder Scene Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  21. ^ Montgomery, James (January 18, 2006). "My Chemical Romance's 'Murder' DVD Just Got Bigger". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  22. ^ Paul, Aubin (January 21, 2014). "My Chemical Romance detail 'May Death Never Stop You,' launch pre-orders". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  23. ^ a b "My Chemical Romance - Awards". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 2013-07-30. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  24. ^ "My Chemical Romance - Chart History". Billboard.
  25. ^ a b "American single certifications – My Chemical Romance – I_m Not Okay (I Promise)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  26. ^ "Green Day and System of a Down Tops the Kerrang! Awards 2005 Nominations". Entertainment News Staff. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  27. ^ a b "my-chemical-romance-frenchteam.com". Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  28. ^ May Death Never Stop You | "I'm Not Okay" (I Promise) [Version 2] [Video Version], archived from the original on 2016-04-16, retrieved 2015-10-08
  29. ^ Childers, Chad (February 27, 2024). "The Most Played Song Live by 27 Big Emo + Pop-Punk Bands". Loudwire. Archived from the original on December 27, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  30. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 124
  31. ^ "10 bands who totally rocked 'Letterman'". Alternative Press. May 22, 2015. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  32. ^ Goodwyn, Tom (August 26, 2011). "My Chemical Romance joined by Queen's Brian May at Reading Festival". NME. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  33. ^ Law, Sam (September 18, 2022). "What happened when My Chemical Romance headlined Riot Fest". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  34. ^ Georgi, Maya (October 29, 2022). "When We Were Young 2022 review: the nostalgic emo-fest reigns in a new age of pop-punk". NME. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  35. ^ Jones, Abby (October 20, 2024). "Watch My Chemical Romance Break Out Live Rarities At When We Were Young". Stereogum. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  36. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 199
  37. ^ Olszewski, Tricia (August 21, 2007). "Projekt Revolution: It's All the Rage". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 3, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  38. ^ Johnston, Maura (August 8, 2011). "Live: blink-182 Like It Hot And Wet At Jones Beach". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  39. ^ Phull, Hardeep (December 21, 2019). "My Chemical Romance Return to 'The Black Parade' and More at First Show Since 2012". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  40. ^ Hardman, Neville (May 16, 2022). "Here's My Chemical Romance's setlist from the first night of their 2022 tour". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  41. ^ Solarski, Matthew (November 19, 2008). "My Brightest Diamond, Frightened Rabbit Do Covers". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  42. ^ Payne, Chris (December 30, 2019). "Watch All Time Low's Passionate Live Cover of a My Chemical Romance Classic". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  43. ^ Jones, Damian (September 6, 2021). "Watch Twenty One Pilots cover My Chemical Romance's 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)' at first full show since 2019". NME. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  44. ^ Scarlett, Liz (April 5, 2022). "Cassyette's spellbinding cover of My Chemical Romance's I'm Not Okay (I Promise) will give you goosebumps". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  45. ^ Mortensa, Mala (April 11, 2023). "10 essential My Chemical Romance songs that encapsulate every era". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  46. ^ Bezer, Terry (June 29, 2022). "My Chemical Romance's Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge: The best alternative album of the century so far?". Louder Sound. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  47. ^ Michel, Sia (October 22, 2006). "Fresh From the Garden State, in Black Leather and Eyeliner". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  48. ^ Walton, Ed (June 21, 2024). "Heavy Music History: Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge – My Chemical Romance". Distorted Sound Mag. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  49. ^ "My Chemical Romance: Your essential guide to every album". Louder Sound. March 3, 2020. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  50. ^ England, Adam (October 1, 2024). "'I'm Not Okay' exhibition celebrating emo culture launches in London". NME. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  51. ^ Coomarasamy, James; Ariyanayagam, Annabelle; Sohal, Simran (January 25, 2025). "Emos relive their teenage years in the noughties". BBC. Archived from the original on January 28, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  52. ^ "I'm Not Okay (I Promise) — Song by My Chemical Romance — Apple Music". Archived from the original on February 5, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  53. ^ "ARIA report (Australian Record Industry Association)". Australian Recording Industry Association via Pandora Archive. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  54. ^ "My Chemical Romance – I'm Not Okay (I Promise)". Top 40 Singles.
  55. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  56. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  57. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  58. ^ "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  59. ^ "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  60. ^ "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  61. ^ "Canadian single certifications – My Chemical Romance – I'm Not Okay (I Promise)". Music Canada. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  62. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – My Chemical Romance – I'm Not OK (I Promise)". Radioscope. Retrieved December 23, 2024. Type I'm Not OK (I Promise) in the "Search:" field.
  63. ^ "British single certifications – My Chemical Romance – I'm Not Okay (I Promise)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
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