Wikipedia

For a Better Day

"For a Better Day" is a song by Swedish EDM producer Avicii featuring uncredited vocals by American singer Alex Ebert, released as a single in 2015. The track appears on his album Stories and on his two-track EP Pure Grinding / For a Better Day. It was written by Tim Bergling (Avicii) and Alex Ebert. A music video was produced for the song, which was filmed in Hungary.[1]

"For a Better Day"
Single by Avicii
from the album Stories
A-side"Pure Grinding"
Released28 August 2015 (2015-08-28)
Recorded2014
Length3:26
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Avicii
Avicii singles chronology
"Waiting for Love"
(2015) 		"For a Better Day" / "Pure Grinding"
(2015) 		"Broken Arrows"
(2015)
Music video
"For A Better Day" on YouTube

In 2021, to accompany the renaming of the Ericsson Globe to the Avicii Arena, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra released a version of "For a Better Day" with Ella Tiritiello on vocals.[2] Arranged and conducted by Erik Arvinder, an accompanying music video was shot featuring Tiritiello on the roof of the arena.[3][4]

Music video

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The official music video for "For a Better Day" was released on September 3, 2015. Avicii made his directorial debut by co-directing the video alongside filmmaker Levan Tsikurishvili. Filmed in the summer of 2015 in Hungary, the video stars Swedish actor Krister Henriksson, and tackles the issues of child slavery and child sex trafficking.[5][6][7]

All the songs have a story I wanted to tell... The promise of a better life often traps families and children into being used as tools for some of the most despicable people on earth. It's an issue about which I hope to start a louder discussion, especially now with the huge number of families on the move from war torn countries looking for safety and shelter.

— Avicii[5]

The music video is split into three time streams, dealing with child sexual slavery. The video begins with a chauffeured car arriving at a secluded rural location. There, a truck containing black-market goods that are being sold to a half-dozen waiting buyers. Inside the car, a man wearing an expensive suit and wristwatch lights a cigar. His face, and the goods in question, are not seen.

A second time stream is in black and white, depicts a two little girls being chased through a field of dead sunflowers being chased by someone in tactical gear. They come out of the field near a cliff, and jump into the sea below.

The third time stream follows two individuals in skull-masks on a murder-spree targeting the men who purchased from the truck. They brand some of their victims, while permitting others to kill themselves. In each case, the face of the newly deceased is crossed out on a rogues' gallery containing dozens of mugshots.

The third time stream finishes as the two masked individuals make their way through a raucous political demonstration demanding freedom before a government building. Their target is an apparently a powerful political figure immune to the will of the people. His watch and cigar identify him as the man in the car. The duo break in, strip him, brand him, and hang him from the roof by noose—but not before unmasking to reveal themselves as two adult women, whom he recognizes as two abused children in his past.

The first time stream is then replayed with dialog audio instead of music. The "goods" being sold from the truck were children. A boy and a girl are stuffed into the truck of the political leader's car. (The meaning of the other time streams is then apparent: they had escaped, and returned as adults for revenge.)

In the concluding scene, the branded word is shown to be "pedofilia".

Track listing

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  • Digital download – Kshmr remix[8]
  1. "For a Better Day" (Kshmr remix) – 4:43
  • Digital download – remixes[9]
  1. "For a Better Day" (DubVision remix) – 4:53
  2. "For a Better Day" (Kshmr remix) – 4:43
  3. "For a Better Day" (Billon remix) – 6:13

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[43] Platinum 60,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[44] Gold 200,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[45] Gold 25,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[46] Platinum 20,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[47] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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List of release dates, showing region, formats, label and reference
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
United States September 8, 2015 Contemporary hit radio
[49]

References

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  1. ^ "This Week's Fresh Music Top 20". 11 October 2015. 4Music. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  2. ^ Bain, Katie (19 May 2021). "Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Officially Renamed Avicii Arena: 'We're So Honored'". Billboard. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  3. ^ "For a Better Day" (Press release). Stockholm Concert Hall. 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  4. ^ "14-åriga Ella kan få världsgenombrott". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). TT News Agency. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b Medved, Matt. "Avicii Directs 2 New Music Videos: Watch 'For a Better Day' and 'Pure Grinding'". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Avicii in 'violent' video push against trafficking". The Local. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  7. ^ Middleton, Ryan (3 September 2015). "Avicii 'For A Better Day,' 'Pure Grinding' Music Videos Shared". Music Times. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  8. ^ "For a Better Day (KSHMR Remix) - Single by Avicii on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  9. ^ "For a Better Day (Remixes) - Single by Avicii on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  10. ^ Ryan, Gavin (5 September 2015). "ARIA Singles: 'What Do You Mean?' Justin Bieber Is No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  13. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  14. ^ "Avicii: For A Better Day" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  15. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day" (in French). Les classement single.
  16. ^ "Avicii – For a Better Day" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  17. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  18. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  19. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  20. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Avicii". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  21. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day". Top Digital Download.
  22. ^ "Avicii Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  23. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Avicii" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  24. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day". VG-lista.
  26. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  27. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Dance Top 50. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  28. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201551 into search.
  29. ^ "SloTop50 – Slovenian official singles chart". slotop50.si. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  30. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day" Canciones Top 50.
  31. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day". Singles Top 100.
  32. ^ "Avicii – For A Better Day". Swiss Singles Chart.
  33. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  34. ^ "Avicii Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Dance Top 100 - 2015". Mahasz. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  36. ^ "Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2015". Mahasz. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  37. ^ "Single Top 100 - eladási darabszám alapján - 2015". Mahasz. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  38. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2015". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  39. ^ "Jaaroverzichten - 3FM 2015". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  40. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 2015" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  41. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  42. ^ "Dance Top 100 - 2016". Mahasz. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  43. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Avicii – For a Better Day" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  44. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Avicii; 'For A Better Day')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  45. ^ "Italian single certifications – Avicii – For A Better Day" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "For A Better Day" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  46. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2016 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  47. ^ "Avicii -For A Better Day" (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  48. ^ "British single certifications – Avicii – For A Better Day". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  49. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases - Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release Dates ..." All Access. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2023-11-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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