Faded

"Faded" by Alan Walker is a song that delves deep into the themes of loss, longing, and the search for something or someone that has disappeared. The central meaning revolves around the feeling of being left behind and the struggle to reconnect with a past that feels both vividly real and like a distant dream. The term "faded" itself is a multi-layered concept within the song, referring not only to the person who has gone but also to the memories, the sense of self, and the world the narrator once knew. The lyrics, sung with ethereal and melancholic vocals by Iselin Solheim, articulate a profound sense of abandonment and confusion. The repeated question, "Where are you now?" serves as the song's emotional anchor, highlighting the narrator's desperate and seemingly futile search. The reference to "Atlantis" is a powerful metaphor for this lost connection, likening it to a mythical, perfect city now sunk and lost to the world, symbolizing an idealized past that can no longer be reached. Ultimately, the song captures the universal experience of losing something vital and the internal chaos—"the monster's running wild inside of me"—that follows, leaving one feeling disconnected and adrift in a world that has lost its light. Walker himself has stated the meaning is open to interpretation, allowing listeners to project their own experiences of loss, whether it's a person, a place, or a feeling, onto the song's emotional canvas.

The narrative begins with a reflection on a past relationship, a bond so intertwined that one person was the "shadow" to the other's "light," a fundamental and inseparable part of their existence. The question "Did you feel us?" hangs in the air, a plea for acknowledgment of their shared connection. Suddenly, this connection vanishes, described as another star that simply fades away. This disappearance creates immediate fear and uncertainty, as the shared goals and future they envisioned are now out of sight. The narrator desperately wishes for their revival, to see them "alight" once more.

This leads to the central, echoing question of the song: "Where are you now?" It's a question filled with desperation and confusion, blurring the lines between what was real and what might have been a beautiful illusion. The narrator wonders if the entire relationship was just a fantasy, if the person they are searching for was merely a figment of their imagination. The chorus deepens this sense of loss by invoking the metaphor of "Atlantis, under the sea." This comparison elevates the lost connection to a mythical, sunken treasure—a perfect, idyllic world that is now inaccessible and perhaps legendary. The search is not just for a person, but for this lost world they represented.

Internally, the narrator is in turmoil. The line "The monster's running wild inside of me" depicts a state of inner chaos, anxiety, and emotional distress caused by this profound loss. This inner struggle leads to a feeling of being "faded," a state of emotional and existential exhaustion where one feels lost, drained, and disconnected from reality. They are a ghost of their former self, hollowed out by the absence of the other.

The second verse explores the aftermath of this loss. The narrator speaks of "shallow waters" that never provided the depth or fulfillment they needed, suggesting that subsequent experiences or relationships have been unsatisfying and superficial. This realization prompts a decision to "let go" and take a "deeper dive," perhaps into their own sorrow or into a more profound search for meaning. In this descent, they find an "eternal silence of the sea," a place of quiet solitude where, paradoxically, they feel alive and can breathe. It's a moment of clarity found within the depths of their sadness. Yet, even in this state, the search continues. The memory of the lost person appears under "bright but faded lights," a perfect oxymoron capturing how a memory can be vivid and powerful, yet simultaneously distant and tinged with the sadness of its passing. It was under these conditions that the lost one "set my heart on fire," igniting a love that still burns even after they've gone, making the recurring question "Where are you now?" all the more poignant.

The history of "Faded" is a story of evolution. The song began its life as an instrumental track titled "Fade," which Alan Walker produced in his bedroom and released in 2014 on the YouTube channel NoCopyrightSounds (NCS). Inspired by the sounds of producers like K-391 and Ahrix's track "Nova," Walker created a melody-driven electro-house instrumental. "Fade" gained significant traction online, particularly within the gaming community who used the royalty-free track in their videos. Walker noted that many listeners commented that the instrumental felt like it should have lyrics.

This feedback, combined with the vision of his new management, led to the decision to rework the track. In 2015, after signing with Sony Music's MER Musikk, Walker collaborated with songwriters Jesper Borgen, Anders Frøen (Mood Melodies), and Gunnar Greve. They added a new piano intro, structured the song for vocals, and wrote lyrics to complement the melancholic melody. Norwegian singer Iselin Solheim was brought in to record the vocals, and her ethereal, uncredited performance became a signature element of the track. The revamped song, now titled "Faded," was released on December 3, 2015. It was an immediate and massive success, catapulting the then 18-year-old Walker to international stardom and forever changing his life. An acoustic version, titled "Faded (Restrung)," was later released to highlight the song's core melody and Solheim's vocals for a different audience.

The rhyme and rhythm of "Faded" are crafted to support its melancholic and hypnotic feel.

Rhyme Scheme:

The song's rhyme scheme is relatively simple and direct, which makes the lyrics feel sincere and heartfelt. The verses primarily follow an ABCB pattern, which is common in pop and folk music. For example, in the first verse: "light" (A), "us" (B), "away" (C), "alight" (A - near rhyme). The pre-chorus and chorus use repetition more than complex rhyme, with the key phrase "Where are you now?" acting as a refrain that structures the sections.

Rhythm and Meter:

The song is set in a 4/4 time signature, which is standard for most electronic and pop music. Its defining rhythmic feature is its downtempo pace, with a tempo of approximately 90 beats per minute (BPM). This slower tempo is crucial to its identity; it moves it away from aggressive club bangers and into a more introspective, moody territory often described as "downtempo" or "electro-pop." The rhythmic pulse is steady and driving but not overpowering, allowing the vocals and melodic elements to remain the focus. The interplay between the lyrical rhythm and the musical rhythm is smooth; the vocal phrases are sung in a way that flows naturally over the beat, enhancing the song's hypnotic and enveloping quality without feeling forced or overly complex.

"Faded" employs a combination of musical and literary techniques to create its distinctive, atmospheric quality.

Musical Techniques:

• Signature Melody: The song is built around a simple, yet incredibly memorable and melancholic synthesized lead melody, which acts as the main hook. This "Alan Walker Style" was inspired by artists like Ahrix and K-391.
• Atmospheric Production: Walker uses significant reverb and delay to create a vast, spacious soundscape. This gives the track an ethereal, haunting quality, as if it's echoing in a large, empty space, reinforcing the themes of emptiness and loss.
• Downtempo Rhythm: The song's tempo is around 90 BPM, which is slower than typical high-energy EDM tracks. This downtempo beat gives it a more pensive, melancholic, and radio-friendly character, blending elements of electro-pop with progressive house.
• Layered Arrangement: The production builds through layers. It starts with a simple, poignant piano melody, gradually introducing Iselin Solheim's airy vocals, a driving beat, and layers of synths. This gradual build-up enhances the emotional crescendo of the track.
• Chord Progression: The song uses a common and effective chord progression (D♯m–B-F#–C#) in a minor key, which inherently evokes feelings of sadness and introspection.

Literary Techniques:

• Rhetorical Questions: The lyrics are dominated by the recurring rhetorical question, "Where are you now?" This technique directly expresses the narrator's central conflict and desperation, pulling the listener into their search.
• First-Person Narrative: The song is told from a deeply personal, first-person perspective, which creates an immediate and intimate connection with the listener, making the feelings of loss and confusion more palpable.
• Imagery and Metaphor: As detailed in the symbolism section, the song heavily relies on powerful imagery like "Atlantis," "shadow to my light," and "monsters running wild" to convey complex emotions in a poetic way.

"Faded" had a monumental cultural impact, launching Alan Walker from a bedroom producer to a global superstar and leaving a significant mark on the EDM scene. Released in late 2015, the song became a massive commercial success, topping the charts in numerous countries across Europe and beyond. Its music video became a viral phenomenon on YouTube, accumulating billions of views and becoming one of the most-viewed music videos of all time on the platform. "Faded" was the first EDM track to surpass three billion views, showcasing its immense global reach.

The song's success helped popularize a more melodic, melancholic, and pop-infused style of EDM, often referred to as "downtempo" or "electro-pop," influencing the sound of the genre in the years that followed. Its widespread use in user-generated content, especially within the gaming community where its instrumental predecessor "Fade" first gained fame, solidified its place in internet culture. The track's recognizability was further boosted when it became the world's most Shazamed song in March 2016. "Faded" has been featured in numerous live performances, including at the X Games in Oslo and the 2017 League of Legends World Championship closing ceremony, and has been remixed by major DJs like Tiësto. The song remains Alan Walker's signature track and is a staple of his live shows, cementing his legacy and its place as one of the most iconic electronic songs of the 2010s.

"Faded" is rich with symbolism and metaphors that deepen its emotional impact.

• Light and Shadow: The opening line, "You were the shadow to my light," establishes a central metaphor of codependence and inseparable identity. A shadow cannot exist without a light source, symbolizing that the lost person was a fundamental, defining presence in the narrator's life. Their disappearance extinguishes the light, plunging the narrator into darkness.
• Atlantis: The most significant metaphor is "Atlantis, under the sea." Atlantis represents a perfect, idealized past—a golden age in the relationship that is now lost and submerged, much like the mythical city. It speaks to a love so profound it feels like a legend, and its loss is just as epic and irretrievable. The narrator questions if this perfect place was ever real, just as the existence of Atlantis is debated.
• Faded: The titular word "Faded" is a recurring symbol for disappearance and decay. It describes the person who vanished, the clarity of the memories, and the narrator's own sense of self, which is becoming faint and lost. It's a state of being emotionally drained and disconnected from the world.
• Shallow Waters vs. Deeper Dive: The line "These shallow waters never met what I needed" symbolizes superficial experiences or relationships that fail to provide the depth the narrator craves. In response, the "deeper dive" represents a plunge into the abyss of grief and memory, a dangerous but necessary journey to confront the "eternal silence of the sea"—a metaphor for the vast emptiness and loneliness left behind.
• Monsters Inside: The phrase "The monster's running wild inside of me" is a direct metaphor for the internal chaos, anxiety, and turmoil caused by the loss. It gives a name to the overwhelming emotions that the narrator is struggling to control.

"Faded" is built around several powerful recurring motifs, both lyrical and musical, which are essential to its structure and emotional resonance.

• Musical Motif (The Synth Hook): The most prominent recurring element is the song's signature synthesized melody. This instrumental hook is instantly recognizable and functions as the song's main identity. It appears in the intro, drop, and outro, providing a sense of continuity and encapsulating the track's melancholic mood. This motif is so powerful that it was the core of the original instrumental, "Fade."
• Lyrical Phrase: "Where are you now?": This question is the lyrical centerpiece of the song. Its constant repetition throughout the pre-chorus and chorus transforms it from a simple question into a desperate, haunting plea. This refrain anchors the song's narrative, constantly reminding the listener of the central theme of searching and loss.
• Lyrical Phrase: "I'm faded / So lost, I'm faded": This phrase in the chorus defines the narrator's internal state. Its repetition reinforces the feeling of being emotionally drained, disoriented, and disconnected from reality. It's the answer to the turmoil described in the preceding line about "monsters running wild."
• The Concept of Atlantis: The mention of "Atlantis, under the sea" is a recurring image in the chorus. It serves as a powerful metaphorical motif for the lost, perfect past that the narrator is searching for, reappearing each time the chorus hits to emphasize the depth and mythical quality of what has been lost.