"Long Live Life" — what's the story behind it?
Let's rewind a bit to May. At that time, the European street tour of the band August 31st was causing a sensation, their single "Ho Hey" had climbed to second place on the Billboard charts after six months, and Anson was preparing to attend the Cannes Film Festival.
Everything was exploding into action—
Warner Records could foresee that a new wave of hype was about to arrive.
On one hand, "Ho Hey" was performing well.
But to be fair, the single had been out for over six months, and as the first pre-release single, it had already far exceeded expectations. Regardless of whether it could reach number one or not, the record company needed to start planning the next step.
On the other hand, the album's promotion was in full swing.
A single is a single, and an album is an album. Although the success of a single is worth celebrating, having even one hit single on an album is a reason to rejoice. But from the perspective of the record company and the artist, album sales were still the priority. In some sense, pushing the single up the charts was meant to boost album sales.
The album Midnight Summer had already been officially released, and thanks to the success of "Ho Hey," the album had garnered significant attention and sold decently—
but just decently.
Now, it was time to release the second single from the album to continue promoting and driving sales. Warner Records needed to strike while the iron was hot.
And for a company like Warner Records, they knew exactly what to do.
In the second week of May, coinciding with the opening of the Cannes Film Festival, "Long Live Life" was officially released and began its journey on the charts—
Unlike the more passive approach taken with "Ho Hey," where success was driven mostly by word-of-mouth, Warner Records changed its strategy this time, taking a more proactive approach.
After all, the situation had changed.
Radio play, record store stocking, billboards, posters—everything was rolled out full throttle. The promotional budget, which had been conserved up until now, was finally unleashed.
In the most literal sense, money was being thrown around.
It's worth noting that August 31st did not shoot a music video for this song due to various reasons. Typically, a music video can cost upwards of a million dollars, but this saved Warner Records a significant sum that could be invested elsewhere.
Moreover, the success of "Ho Hey" gave Warner the confidence they needed.
So—
They went all out!
"Long Live Life" was released with a big splash, completely different from "Ho Hey," showcasing a fresh image with Warner Records pulling all the big company moves.
And the results were clear—
In its first week, "Long Live Life" debuted at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100.
For the general public, some may have heard of "Ho Hey" and some may not, but even if they had, the name August 31st likely still sounded unfamiliar. Not everyone keeps up with entertainment news, and information wasn't as easily accessible back then as it is now with social media trending topics.
So, the fact that "Long Live Life" debuted at No. 67 was already a remarkable achievement. And it quickly won over critics and listeners alike.
"Best of the year!"
"A perfect blend of pop and classical, history and contemporary culture, with everything hitting the right note."
"Flawless! A masterpiece!"
"The melody, the lyrics, the arrangement—it's impeccable."
"Anson Wood finds the perfect balance between grandeur and melancholy, hitting you right in the heart while pulling you into its depths."
"A perfect adventure. Remember the name August 31st, and also remember Anson Wood—this won't be the last time he amazes the world."
"Pioneering, jaw-dropping!"
Praise, praise, and more praise. Overnight, "Long Live Life" was everywhere, from top-selling American magazines to niche publications focused on indie music. Everyone was talking about it.
With the single "Ho Hey," people had already noticed the band's unique, offbeat style, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. "Long Live Life" took it further by blending classical instruments with a symphonic arrangement, creating a whole new fusion of pop and classical that rocked the music world.
A meteoric rise.
The impact was vast, beyond anyone's wildest expectations—
On one hand, people were still watching in awe as "Ho Hey" maintained its stunning second-place position for weeks on end.
On the other hand, "Long Live Life" shot up the charts like a rocket.
In just four weeks, "Long Live Life" had leaped up four levels and made it into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the disrupter of May.
Once it broke into the top 10, the competition became fierce, and the climb slowed down—but it didn't stop.
At this point, many thought—
The Billboard Top 10 is like a battlefield, with fierce competition at every step. For a new band like August 31st, it would be tough to break through.
Maybe "Long Live Life" would follow in the footsteps of "Ho Hey" and get stuck at No. 2—perhaps second place was their ceiling, an unbreakable barrier.
By the third week of June—
"Ho Hey" was still at No. 2.
"Long Live Life" had reached No. 5.
August 31st and 50 Cent were each holding two spots in the Top 10, creating one of the most exciting showdowns of the early summer.
It was against this backdrop that the unexpected happened—
Typically, once a song enters the Top 5, it becomes increasingly difficult to rise further. If it does, it's usually by one or two spots, at most. That's just the nature of the game.
As a result, most of the attention was still on "21 Questions" and "Ho Hey." Would 50 Cent keep his hold on the top spot, or could August 31st break a historic record with ten consecutive weeks stuck at No. 2?
That was the focus—until the shockwave hit.
In the fourth week of June, the top three on the Billboard Hot 100 were completely shaken up.
No. 1: "Long Live Life" by August 31st.
No. 2: "21 Questions" by 50 Cent.
No. 3: "Ho Hey" by August 31st.
Boom!
The entire North American music industry was in chaos, stunned by history being made.
First, the nine-month ascent of "Ho Hey" was finally interrupted, as its ranking fell for the first time since October of the previous year.
Second, "Ho Hey" ultimately missed its chance to break the record, staying stuck at No. 2 for nine weeks straight.
Third, "21 Questions" failed to maintain 50 Cent's early momentum, losing the No. 1 spot after just three weeks.
But most importantly, "Long Live Life" had taken the Billboard crown in just eight weeks, becoming August 31st's first-ever chart-topping single.
Shock, awe, and madness—
Even though people had been hoping for this moment, no one was certain if August 31st could actually pull it off. Setting aside the fact that they were a new band, could their experimental blend of classical instruments with pop and rock really break through and find widespread success? That was the big question.
Now, we have the answer.
"Long Live Life" made history!