My favorite musical group

Image Dragons

Over the last half-decade, Imagine Dragons have emerged as one of the biggest and most compelling rock bands in the world. Within a year of its June 2017 release, their third studio album EVOLVE went double-platinum, yielding three back-to-back #1 singles: “Believer,” “Thunder,” and “Whatever It Takes.” In the midst of their Evolve World Tour—a 116 date trek that sold over 1.7 million tickets worldwide—the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band began working on their follow-up, and ended up creating their most dynamic work to date. Conceived as a sister album to Evolve, Origins continues its predecessor’s sonic explorations while honoring Imagine Dragons’ alt-rock heritage. “It’s about seeking new ground but also appreciating your roots,” says lead vocalist Dan Reynolds, whose bandmates include guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman. “When we create, we create with no boundaries, no rules. We find it thrilling to make music that feels different and new to us.” Self-identifying as “genreless,” Imagine Dragons joined forces with producers like Joel Little (Lorde, Khalid), Mattman & Robin (Selena Gomez, Carly Rae Jepsen), and John Hill (Florence + the Machine, Phantogram) to sculpt the kaleidoscopic and kinetically charged sound of Origins. With the band artfully blending rock, hip-hop, pop, and folk, the album is etched in inventive textures that never distract from an essential element of Imagine Dragons: lyrics that speak to a sometimes-painful self-awareness, but ultimately uplift and inspire.