At the Loveland Festival in 2018, the American pop-rock outfit Imagine Dragons covered The Police’s biggest hit, “Every Breath You Take”. This unexpected cover took the audience by surprise but also showed that this modern band had a lot of love to give to the previous generation of rock bands. Bringing life to this classic, Imagine Dragons brought the audience to a hush as they put their all into an intimate and powerful performance.
With their music fluctuating between powerful anthems and delicate ballads, Imagine Dragons seemed like an excellent choice to revive a ballad that has been a recurring topic of discussion for its lyrical content. Sting’s intriguing lyrics and the simple, repetitive instrumentals made this track a frequent hit on the charts. Now, we get to see it reimagined live on stage at a festival organized by the frontman of Imagine Dragons himself. Watch below:
LOVELOUD Festival was first organized in 2017 in Orem, Utah, by Dan Reynolds as a charity event intended to help “fight against teen suicide and bring communities […] and encourage acceptance” of LGBTQ youth. It featured film premieres alongside performances from notable artists such as Neon Trees, Krewella, and Joshua James, while also donating profits to LGBT organizations including The Trevor Project and GLAAD. Two more LOVELOUD Festivals have since taken place; one in 2018 and another in 2019.
Imagine Dragons is one of the biggest modern American pop-rock groups in current rotation and one of the most recognized names in the mainstream music scene. Their chart-breaking singles “Radioactive” and “Demons” became overnight successes, and overall the quartet has won three American Music Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards since their inception in 2008. Not only that, but they have also sold over 74 million albums worldwide, making them global music legends.
“Every Breath You Take” is possibly The Police’s most recognized song, for multiple reasons. Its simple composition highlights its catchiness, with Sting’s vocals becoming an iconic part of this classic hit. However, it also received comments that its lyrics contain a more sinister undertone. Even Sting himself said in 1983, “I think it’s a nasty little song, really rather evil. It’s about jealousy and surveillance and ownership.”
In the 2018 edition of the LOVELOUD Festival, approximately 35,000 people attended and over a million dollars were raised for charities.