Imagine Dragons is voicing an important message while celebrating their win.
The “Believer” rock troupe took home the award for Top Rock Artist at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Wednesday (May 1) in Las Vegas.
“There are still 34 states that have no laws banning conversion therapy. And on top of that, 58% of our LGBTQ population live in those states. This can change, but it’s going to take all of us talking to our state legislation,” explained frontman Dan Reynolds.
“For a decade now I’ve dealt with critics and other bands saying extremely harsh things about my band. Not what I would call ‘fair criticism’ (which I always try my best to receive and learn from) but actual click-bait horse s–t. Words filled with vile and hate meant to feed humanities need to laugh at each other’s imperfections and fails,” he wrote.
“I’ve stood silently and taken it for years. It has added to the depression I’ve dealt with since youth. I don’t say this in search of sympathy, but just as a fact. It’s not the person that causes me the feelings of stress and depression, but what it does to the world we as a band have created.”
“I’ve gotten over the fact that guys in other bands (The 1975, Foster The People, Smashing Pumpkins, Slipknot etc.) feel a need to talk badly about my band for whatever reason. I don’t feel anger towards them actually, just more of a sadness that this industry embraces, even celebrates this mentality.”
“My band mates are some of my best friends. We are authentically ourselves and strive to bring positivity and empowerment to the world. We’ll continue to do just that.”
The 31-year-old Imagine Dragon frontman’s wife took to Instagram on Tuesday (January 8) to share a shot of him sitting at their kitchen counter while announcing that they are “rebuilding” their marriage.
“I’m proud of you @danreynolds I’m proud of your humility and ability to still show up as the basketball coaching baby loving Dad that you are. I know that it’s been a crazy road. It’s killed us both in so many moments. Last year we killed each other and now we are rebuilding,” Aja wrote.
“You can become your worst self in the eye of a giant storm. You almost have to,” Aja continued. “It’s a rite of passage. It’s the only road to a better existence. A more mature sense of self. An honest unabashed willingness to die a million deaths just to be sincere. That’s what we have done. And now. Honesty. That’s all we need. Continue to rip the bandaid off baby. I’ll do it with you. I’ll walk right through it and love every minute. ❤️”
On New Year’s Day, Aja took to Instagram to share a photo of the two kissing with the caption, “Happy New Year! And the blurriest confirmation that 2019 is at least getting off to a good start.”
The pair married back in 2011 and share one-year-old twin girls Gia and Coco and daughter Arrow, 5.
Dan Reynolds dances it out on stage with his band Imagine Dragons while performing during the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game Halftime Show held at Treasure Island on Tuesday (January 7) in San Francisco, Calif.
The 31-year-old frontman and his crew performed their big hits like “Natural” and “Thunder” before being joined by special guest Lil Wayne as he performed his single “Uproar.”
Imagine Dragons and Lil Wayne also performed a new version of “Believer,” and shortly after the performance, the studio version of the track became available on streaming services.
“Believer” is available to download on iTunes now – Listen below!
Here’s what the 31-year-old Imagine Dragons star had to say…
On being raised as a Mormon: “I was raised in Mormonism, where you are taught that being gay is a sin, so as a 12 year old I was faced with that conflict of, ‘Well, I have a friend who’s gay and is maybe the best person I know, this doesn’t make sense’. That was the first time I questioned ‘God’s will’ and didn’t feel like God was aligning with what my heart was telling me, which was that my friend’s love was just as valid as mine.”
On being an ally to the LGBTQ community: “I believe there are super religious people who are really good people and they want to be loving, they just don’t know how to align that with what they’ve been taught their whole lives. If they were to sit down and hear an LGBTQ child tell their story, and really listen with compassion, then I know they’d be moved enough to change the way they view LGBTQ people.”
On progression within the Mormon community: “People are either leaving religion because they don’t want to be part of something so intolerant, or they’re staying but feeling really conflicted. So really, the pressure is on our leaders of orthodox faiths. If they’re ‘talking with God’ and receiving modern-day revelations, I certainly hope they’re praying every day about this, because any God that is loving and kind like they say – I think it’s obvious that this God would believe in equality.”
“please don’t ever chase this fame thing. it’s meaningless. no happiness comes from it. seek meaningful relationships and healthy living. this other stuff is nothing. it won’t fill your sadness, I promise,” he tweeted.
Imagine Dragons released their latest studio album, Origins, on November 9, including their most recent single “Bad Liar.”
See his post below.
please don’t ever chase this fame thing. it’s meaningless. no happiness comes from it. seek meaningful relationships and healthy living. this other stuff is nothing. it won’t fill your sadness, I promise.
“This last year, I went through a divorce, but we never signed the papers. I’ve been home and we kind of decided, well, let’s just hold off for a minute,” Dan said. “Now, we’re kind of dating, and it’s weird because we’re separated, but we’re dating. This song, I wrote with Aja. We wrote it right before we got separated.”
“As we were writing it, we knew what it was about, but we also kind of didn’t speak about what it was about,” Dan added. “Pretty wild, because the song is obviously about a tumultuous relationship. It starts out and it’s, ‘Hush, my dear. It’s been a difficult year.’ That really was where we were at. We couldn’t fake it. We couldn’t lie to each other and tell each other that it was okay, because it wasn’t. I think we kind of perceived this might be the end of us. It’s interesting because it was really hard for me to listen to for the last few months knowing it was going to come out, but now I listen to it and I love it, because me and Aja, we’re kind of back together right now.”
“Bad Liar” is also available to stream on Spotify and download on iTunes now!
Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (Full Audio)
Click inside to read the lyrics to Imagine Dragons’ brand new song…More Here! »
