"Die4U" (stylised as "DiE4u") is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by BloodPop and Evil Twin, it was released as the lead single from the group's upcoming 2023 commercial release Post Human: Nex Gen on 16 September 2021. The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in February 2022.
"Die4U" was remixed by Six Impala, retitled as "Die6U" (stylised as "DiE6u"). The hyperpop remix was released on 17 December 2021.
Promotion and release
On 2 September 2021, the band teased the new song on their social media platforms that they were working on along with cryptic teasers until they formally announced the release for the newly titled "Die4U" for 16 September 2021. Alongside this, they were promoting and inviting their fans to join "Club H3llh0le" for the same date, which would later be revealed as a teaser for the music video. Leading up to the release of the single, the band would relentlessly tease the same 20-second snippet of the song on all their social media platforms, most notably on TikTok. On the day of the single's release, the song made its worldwide debut on BBC Radio 1's Future Sounds show with Clara Amfo where "Die4U" was the hottest record of the day. The band performed the song on their upcoming September 2021 UK tour at all dates and later played "Die4U" in an acoustic format at the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge on 30 September to promote the release of the single.
Composition and lyrics
"Die4U" has been described by critics as a pop-punk, pop rock, alternative rock, hard rock, electronic rock, emo, and a post-hardcore song. The song was written by the band's lead vocalist Oliver Sykes, keyboardist Jordan Fish, BloodPop, Rami Yacoub and Madison Love, while it was produced by BloodPop and Evil Twin. "Die4U" was recorded remotely while Sykes was stuck in Brazil due to the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic while Fish was in the UK with the rest of the band. The lyrics talk about the deals with addiction from the perspective of a toxic relationship. Sykes himself has experienced drug addiction in the past, saying that it "took away who he was" and nearly resulted in him ending his own life. He later found relief after attending rehab sessions, though disagrees with some of the principles used in his recovery. Musically, it is described by the front-man as "future emo." Sykes explained:
Critical reception
The release of "Die4U" left fans and critics divided. The critics were more favourable while fans of the band were left having very mixed opinions on the song. Critics noted the song leaning more towards a pop oriented style compared to the nu metal sound from Post Human: Survival Horror. Writing for NME, Andrew Trendell wrote, "With 'DiE4u' retaining BMTH's trademark heaviness but driven by what could perhaps be their most pop-driven sound yet." Warren Litberg of Top Shelf pointed out how the song combined the extremes from both Count Your Blessings and Amo while also labelling it as a "great party song." Emily Harris of GSGMedia rated "Die4U" as a 4 out of 5, praising Sykes' vocal performances as a highlight as well as the lyrics, melody and the powerful refrain. Rock Sound writer, Jack Rogers, described the single as an "unstoppable force", explaining: "Melodically gripping, irresistibly slick, densely layered and beautifully dark, it's yet another triumph." Paul Brown of Wall of Sound while generally praising the track was also a bit more critical, labelling the song as "predictable", calling the lyrics "very safe" and comparing the song to the likes of The Amity Affliction.
Despite the mixed reception, the track won the 'Best Song' award at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards, beating out four other nominations in a reader vote. In doing so, "Die4U" became the first Bring Me the Horizon track to win the award, after three prior nominations.
Music video
The music video for "Die4U" was released shortly after the single was initially streamed. The video was directed by frontman and primary songwriter Oliver Sykes. It was shot in an abandoned warehouse in Kyiv, Ukraine which got a makeover to appear as a nightclub for vampires dubbed as "Club Hellhole". The video was noted by critics from taking inspiration from the Blade franchise.
Speaking about the music video in a behind the scenes video for the song on the band's YouTube channel. Sykes states: