"Eyes Closed" is the debut single recorded by In Real Life, released via Hollywood Records on August 25, 2017. It serves as the final track from their only studio album, She Do (2019). The acoustic version of the single was released on December 1, 2017, with production handled by Matthew Tishler.[1] Notably in the acoustic version, Chance Perez concluded the song, and when the band performed it live, Conor Smith altered his rap verse.
"Eyes Closed" was the song that the final five who were chosen by America would perform in the final aired episode of Boy Band (2017). The top eight contestants recorded their vocals for the entirety of the song, penned by Brandon Skeie, Jussi "Jussifer" Karvinen, Justin Tranter, and Wes Period. Once the members were announced, they performed it live as the concluding segment. IRL also performed the single in a number of their set lists, including for Starlight Children's Foundation, MTV's Total Request Live, Jingle Ball Village, and Summer Smash.
The band collectively agreed that the song sent a positive message, important for people to know that it is more than appearances.[2] "Eyes Closed" reached Top 10 on the overall charts on iTunes, and on September 24, 2017, the music video attained a million views on YouTube.[3][4]
Background[]
One of the songwriters, Justin Tranter, shared the track to the top eleven contestants of Boy Band. Drew Ramos recalled to Idolator, "We all walked into the office and sat down, and they played it and immediately everyone just started vibing to it." He added in a later interview that Tranter was "a legend" and "For him to write a song for us, we still can't believe it. He's such a prominent songwriter. We're super happy that he was apart of this."[5] When the single hit the charts overnight, Ramos stated, "I couldn't sleep that day, I was up until like two in the morning. I noticed that it was at number 38 or something like that and even then I was freaking out. Then I woke up, and I think it was top 12. I just jumped out bed and started texting the guys."[6]
Smith confessed that his inability to have any say in his rap verse deterred him from wanting to join the band, at first. After the single's release, he got to be involved in the band's subsequent music. On KiddNation he performed a newly-written verse, while on tour, he adapted it from his verse in the Six Track Boy Band performance.
Perez said of the track, ""Eyes Closed" is a song that celebrates strong women. Seeing someone who is beautiful because they're confident in who they are and the way they see the world. And that's really important, it needs to be celebrated."[7]
Music video[]
The accompanying music video premiered to the band's YouTube channel on September 15, 2017, directed by George Nienhuis.[8] They began to shoot the music video in late August, and wrapped up on the 30th.[9]
In the May 2018 issue of the Tremblay magazine, IRL were featured on the cover and had an interview. Smith revealed that one of his favorite moments was standing on the rooftop next to Drew Ramos when shooting the music video. He recalled, "Drew looks at me and goes 'Yo Michael, we're on a rooftop right now, shooting our first music video, we're in a band.' It hit me how far we had come in such little time, life has a crazy way of working."[10]
Credits and personnel[]
Song[]
- Benjamin Rice – engineer, studio personnel
- Brandon Skei – songwriter
- Erik Madrid – mixer, studio personnel
- Justin Tranter – songwriter
- Jussi "Jussifer" Karvinen – songwriter, producer
- Rob Ellmore – engineer, studio personnel
- Wes Period – songwriter
Video[]
- Alex Jones – editor
- Chris Pluchar – producer
- George Nienhuis – director
- Ian Van der Werff – 1st AD
- Justin McClain – production designer
- Mark DiCristofaro – line producer
- Quinn Alvarez – colorist
- Taki Kanelopoulos – director of photography
Trivia[]
★ Their "Eyes Closed" live performance on Boy Band was for fun, rather than the aim to impress.
★ In the acoustic version with the lyric, 'I'm a King, I've just been missing my Coretta,' Smith alludes to Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.
★ In their 2019 song "She Do," Smith may be referring to this single with the particular lyric, 'With my eyes closed, and you open them.'
★ In the video with J-14, "Go On a Date With In Real Life, IRL," Smith quotes the line 'Holy smokes, I'm lucky.'[11]
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1: Chance Perez]
Hey, love
What you doing later?
'Cause I've got a good place to take you
I'll be on, on my best behavior
'Cause I want you illuminated
[Pre-Chorus: Drew Ramos]
There's something 'bout the way your mind works
It might be how you're looking at the world
It's deeper than your looks and your curves
There's something 'bout you
[Chorus: All]
I can feel it in your heart
I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I can hear it in your words
And it feels so good, it hurts
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I wish you could see what, see what I'm seeing
Feel what I'm feeling
I can feel it in your heart
I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
[Verse 2: Brady Tutton]
God, help me
I'm wrapped around your finger
My friends think I'm hallucinating
When you're gone, all I do is think of you, lady
So, God, help me
[Pre-Chorus: Sergio Calderon]
There's something 'bout the way your mind works
It might be how you're looking at the world
It's deeper than your looks and your curves
There's something 'bout you
[Chorus: All]
I can feel it in your heart
I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark
Even with my eyes closed you're beautiful
I can hear it in your words
And it feels so good, it hurts
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I wish you could see what, see what I'm seeing
Feel what I'm feeling
I can feel it in your heart
I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
[Verse 3: Conor Michael Smith]
Holy smokes, I'm lucky
She the homie, she so funny
Watch 'em racing to the money
We just crashing on these dummies
From a princess to a queen
Still the finer things don't impress her
She a real one so I never gotta question
[Bridge: Drew Ramos]
I can feel it in your heart
I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
Even with my eyes closed
[Chorus: All]
I can feel it in your heart
I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I can hear it in your words
And it feels so good, it hurts
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I wish you could see what, see what I'm seeing
Feel what I'm feeling
I can feel it in your heart
I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark
[Outro: All]
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
Even with my, even with my, even with my eyes closed (Even with my eyes closed)
Even with my, even with my, even with my eyes closed
Even with my eyes closed
Acoustic[]
[Verse 1: Chance Perez]
Hey, love, what you doing later?
'Cause I've got a good place to take you
I'll be on, on my best behavior
'Cause I want you illuminated
[Pre-Chorus: Drew Ramos]
There's something 'bout the way your mind works
It might be how you're looking at the world
It's deeper than your looks and your curves
There's something 'bout you
[Chorus: All]
I can feel it in your heart, I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark, even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I can hear it in your words
Damn it feels so good, it hurts
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I wish you could see what, see what I'm seeing
Feel what I'm feeling
I can feel it in your heart, I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark, even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
[Verse 2: Brady Tutton]
God, help me, I'm wrapped around your finger
My friends think I'm hallucinating
When you're gone, all I do is think of you, lady
So, God, help me
[Pre-Chorus: All]
There's something 'bout the way your mind works (Way your mind works)
It might be how you're looking at the world (Looking at the world)
It's deeper than your looks and your curves
There's something 'bout you
[Chorus: All]
I can feel it in your heart, I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark, even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I can hear it in your words
Damn it feels so good, it hurts
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I wish you could see what, see what I'm seeing
Feel what I'm feeling
I can feel it in your heart, I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark, even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
[Verse 3: Conor Michael Smith]
Got me going crazy, baby I can never replace you
This is more to me than just love, girl
I got places I can take you
From a princess to a queen
Still the finer things don't impress her
I'm a King, I've just been missing my Coretta
I can feel it
[Bridge: Drew Ramos, Brady Tutton]
In your heart, I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark, even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
Yeah, you're beautiful (Oh)
[Chorus: All]
I can feel it in your heart, I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark, even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I can hear it in your words
Damn it feels so good, it hurts
Even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
I wish you could see what, see what I'm seeing
Feel what I'm feeling
I can feel it in your heart, I can hear it in your tone
I can see it in the dark, even with my eyes closed, you're beautiful
[Outro: All, Chance Perez]
Even with my, even with my, even with my eyes closed (Even with my eyes closed)
Even with my, even with my, even with my eyes closed
Even with my eyes closed you're beautiful
Alternate rap[]
KiddNation
Got me going crazy, baby I can never replace you
This is more to me than just love, girl
I got places I can take you
From a princess to a queen
Still the finer things don't impress her
I'm a King, I've just been missing my Coretta
Tour Version
How come everybody wanna test me
Like I ain't got a reason to be killin' them
Never keeping a hundred 'bouta keep a million
Ain't nobody was on now everybody be filling them
We're the best Real Life on the map now
Head a minute now they wonder where it's at now
Stand back 'cause we only attack now
Better know that nothing's ever holding me back now
References[]
- ↑ "In Real Life (@InRealLife)". Twitter. December 1, 2017.
- ↑ Booth, Ali (September 18, 2017). "In Real Life Members Reveal Their Favorite Lyrics from Debut Single 'Eyes Closed'". Tigerbeat.
- ↑ Cantor, Brian (August 25, 2017). "In Real Life's Debut Single "Eyes Closed" Enters Top 10 on US iTunes Sales Chart". Headline Planet.
- ↑ "In Real Life (@InRealLife)". Twitter. September 24, 2017.
- ↑ Mastrogiannis, Nicole (October 5, 2017). "INTERVIEW: In Real Life on Becoming America's New Boy Band & More". iHeartRadio.
- ↑ Wass, Mike (September 12, 2017). "In Real Life On Their Debut Single "Eyes Closed" & Boy Bands: Interview". Idolator.
- ↑ "In Real Life talks Eyes Closed, Boy Band and One Direction". YouTube. August 30, 2017.
- ↑ "In Real Life (@InRealLife)". Twitter. September 15, 2017.
- ↑ "In Real Life (@InRealLife)". Twitter. August 30, 2018.
- ↑ May 2018 Tremblay Magazine Issue. Tremblay Magazine. May 2018.
- ↑ "Go On a Date With In Real Life, IRL". YouTube. April 9, 2018.