“#1” by Imagine Dragons
On “#1”, Dan Reynolds finds himself in, shall we say a vulnerable emotional state after apparently having suffered some type of associated mistreatment at the hands of those close to him. Simply put, he has been let down by certain loved ones.
And reading deeper into the lyrics, it would appear that said individuals tried to gyp him – or something along those lines – in a manner that he totally doesn’t appreciate. Also important to note within the grand scheme of the narrative is that these are seemingly people he is dealing with outside the home, i.e. not family members or if so at least not nuclear ones.
The Title (“#1”)
So that then brings us to the title, in which the singer is asserting that he’s ‘still his (own) number one’. Or viewed from a different angle, he has suffered so much abuse, as detailed above, that he’s compelled to remind himself that he is in fact an important person.
No, such may not be so in the eyes of others, i.e. the aforementioned individuals. But most simply explained, the vocalist is not going to allow their unwarranted abuse destroy his self-esteem.
So underneath that assertion lies a universal truth as far as human experience goes. And that is when certain loved ones treat us poorly, we sometimes have the tendency to place the blame on ourselves – further damaging our own self-esteem if you will – as opposed to the person(s) who is actually doing wrong. And by the looks of things, it is that mentality which Dan Reynolds is actively attempting to counteract.
Credits for “#1”
Dan Reynolds wrote this song alongside his Imagine Dragons’ bandmates:
- Daniel Platzman
- Wayne Sermon
- Ben McKee
Additional writers are Styalz Fuego and Mark Benedict.
Fuego and Benedicto, both of whom are from Australia, are also the producers of “#1”. But in that regard, Benedicto is credited under his moniker, New Haven.
Release Date and Album
This track was presented to the public, via Interscope Records and Kidinakorner, on 3 September 2021. And it was done so as part of Imagine Dragons’ fifth standard studio project, “Mercury – Act 1”.
