About the Song:
Dancing in the Dark is the eleventh and final track on Evolve. The song is not only the album’s closer, but it’s also one of the smoothest and most low-key songs the band has ever made. Dancing in the Dark serves as a mellow closer for the energetic, upbeat, and explosive album that is Evolve. The song is perhaps the most minimalistic on the album, with its sparse beat and its soft, bouncy instrumental. It also heavily features vocal effects over Dan’s voice, which was a controversial choice amongst many fans.
My Experience with the song:
I personally came across this song at the time I had moved back to my parents house about a year ago and we were starting the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It started a day that I found out that work was postponed because at the time I was determined non-essential and had the day program for support, which after the first evening of the emergency, it was postponed for what we would think, two weeks, that was the standard postponement of everything. almost two weeks, the only support I had was psychotherapy and telephonic sessions with mobile supports, so it was a challenge, Additionally, I wasn’t coping well with my parents so music was my last coping mechanism. That is when I came across Imagine Dragons.,
Now, I have to say I didnt just single out this song, but it was a nice coping song for me to start the day once the virtual program got off the ground two weeks after we were sent home. It, along with a host of multiple Imagine Dragons songs were made into a playlist on Amazon Music and was a great start to my day. It is what got me through, more so with “Dancing In the Dark”, mainly by it being so minimalistic and low-key because it is what I needed to mellow out to the start of the day. Again there were other songs that got me ready, but not like any other.
Dancing in the Dark deals with self-acceptance and learning to love yourself. Almost feeling freedom by dancing in the dark by yourself. At times I needed to feel accepting and loving of myself. I needed to feel that little bit of freedom by taking that imaginary trip and dancing in the dark by self. Even if it was on a rollaway bed in my parents home office, which was where I was living at the time and my life was sort of on hold for four or five months. In a world where I dealt with alot of demons because of having trouble adjusting to being back under my parents roof after being gone for a year and half, It was the only little piece of freedom I had and I felt awesome when listening to this song.
Yes, COVID is still around, however I have gotten back on my feet and have been doing good for several months now and am proud of that and am accepting / loving myself back at or slightly above the level I was prior to leaving my last apartment. However usually on the days I ride the van to work or the day program when we leave to come home, the song “Dancing in the Dark” appears in my Amazon Soundtrack. I quietly listen and enjoy the road as I take in the words and remember of where I have been in the past year and how much I have discovered myself and have grown since that day I had to retreat to my parents house and how much of a “brave fighter” (What the meaning of my name is) I have been as a result of the experiences within the past year.
Dustin's Dynasty 