Welcome to the Circus
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| "Welcome to the Circus" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Five Finger Death Punch | ||||
| from the album AfterLife | ||||
| Released | June 10, 2022 | |||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label | Better Noise | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| Five Finger Death Punch singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Welcome to the Circus" on YouTube | ||||
"Welcome to the Circus" is a song by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. It was released on June 10, 2022, as the second single from their ninth studio album, AfterLife. It became one of the band's number-one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
The song was released on June 10, 2022, with an accompanying lyric video,[1][2] and was made available for streaming ahead of the album's release.[3] It was the first and only song from AfterLife performed live by the band at the time of its release, debuting at the Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach.[4]
Composition and lyrics
"Welcome to the Circus" begins with melodies and laughter, before transitioning into guitar-driven sections and a vocal melody in the chorus. It has been described as unusual for the group while still remaining recognizable.[5] The song has been described as featuring chugging riffs and gruff vocals, with lyrics that are "daft but insidiously catchy".[6] It opens the album with what Ultimate Guitar described as "juvenile machismo and aggression".[7]
Critical reception
In an album review, the track was described as strong but noted for its familiar sound and recycled lyrics. Wall of Sound also stated that the song did not stand out.[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Five Finger Death Punch (Ivan Moody, Zoltan Bathory, Charlie Engen, Chris Kael, Andy James) and Kevin Churko.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Welcome To The Circus" (Explicit) | 4:16 |
| 2. | "IOU" (Explicit) | 4:27 |
| 3. | "AfterLife" (Explicit) | 4:03 |
| Total length: | 12:47 | |
Chart performance
It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart on March 4, 2023, their fourteenth song to reach the top. It became the band's tenth straight No. 1 on the chart, marking the longest run of consecutive chart-topping entries in the chart's history.[10] It also reached No. 1 on the U.S. Active rock radio chart (Mediabase), becoming their fifteenth consecutive chart-topping single on that chart.[11]