“Cutthroat” by Imagine Dragons
The best way of understanding Imagine Dragons’ “Cutthroat” is by resorting to Dan Reynolds’ own somewhat lengthy explanation. But most simply explained, it is one in which he is choosing confidence over low self-esteem. Or described differently, the vocalist is opting to harp more on the brighter side of life than aspects he may consider less than ideal.
So with that in mind, we can conclude that the addressee of the chorus is the flip side of the vocalist’s persona, i.e. the part of him which would rather grovel in self-pity than appreciate the blessings in the narrator’s life. Ultimately, the title therefore seems to allude to the battle going on between these two sides of the same individual.
So in the first verse, we have Dan noting how sporadically self-defeating thoughts can build up in his brain. And in the second we have him harping back to his Mormon ancestry, apparently to draw strength from the accomplishments of his ancestors. That is to say that he apparently sometimes jacks up his own confidence by reminding himself that the people he descended from faced, may we say much more serious challenges than he does, yet they still managed to survive and thrive.
Facts about “Cutthroat”
Imagine Dragons produced this track with Rick Rubin, the latter of whom being one of the most legendary behind-the-scenes’ men in American music history. And to note Imagine Dragons are more or less legends themselves at this point. They hold the distinction of being the first band ever to have three RIAA diamond-certified singles as part of their discography.
Interscope Records and Kidinakorner opted to release this track as one of two lead singles from Imagine Dragons’ album Mercury – Act 1 on 12 March 2021.
At that time the other song which was also released, “Follow You“, was given more press. However technically, the pair was issued as a double A-side.
Imagine Dragons is a band which for the last decade has consisted primarily of the below artists:
- frontman Dan Reynolds
- main guitarist Wayne Sermon
- bass guitarist Ben McKee
- drummer Daniel Platzman
A pianist, Theresa Flaminio, was also briefly part of the crew back in 2011. And it is those four individuals who are credited as the writers of “Cutthroat”.
The Tracks of “Mercury -Act 1”
There is a third single that came out of “Mercury – Act 1”. It is titled “Wrecked“. So in all, the album received the support of three official singles. Below are some other notable tracks that appear on the album:
