"All My Friends" is a song by American electronica act Owl City. It was released on November 3, 2017, as the second single from his sixth studio album, Cinematic.[1]
Background
On November 1, 2017, Owl City announced the release date for his sixth studio album, Cinematic.[2] Along with this announcement, he would release three separate Reels with "All My Friends" being released on November 3, as the lead single from his EP, Reel 1.[1] An alternative version of the song was released on the album with Breanne Düren on vocals.[3]
Composition
"All My Friends" was written and produced by Adam Young. The song builds from acoustic guitars that is "accompanied by a friendly gang vocal into a stadium-size chant,"[4] as well as some rapping.[5] Young stated that the song is about, "those rare friendships that you never forget."[4]
"At the time of writing, I was remembering a bunch of my friends from junior high and high school. I was so overwhelmed and thankful they were in my life. I'm still close with some of them, and I've grown apart from others. Still, they stick with me. It's my way of saying, 'Hey, thank you for being there. I probably wouldn’t have turned out the way I did without the positive impact you had on me'."[4]
Critical reception
"All My Friends" was met with mixed reviews from music critics. In a review of Cinematic for Jesus Freak Hideout, writer Christopher Smith stated that the track was a significant set back for the album.[3] However, Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms compared the track to Ed Sheeran for its "structure and sound."[6] Lauren Carlton of The Columbia Chronicle remarked, "'All My Friends,' is a feel-good anthem with a guitar and simple drum beat."[7]
Music video
The music video for "All My Friends" was released on November 13, 2017, and was directed by Max Haben.[8]