The Kings Of Leon's Unusual Success Story
Filed under: Music Minute
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A song that is almost two years old is burning up the charts in America!
Released FOREVER ago, the Kings of Leon's brilliant Use Somebody has just cracked the America's Top 10, in fact it landed all the way at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week.
We would not be surprised if the old song - new to most Americans - makes it all the way to #1.
That'd be awesome!
And with their newfound mainstream success and exposure in the U.S. comes new opportunities for the Kings of Leon, like big time TV appearances.
Check out the band performing Use Somebody on the Today show Friday morning (above).
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I love their music.
ughhhh KOL used to be so goood! they've lost all their southern rock roots and are totally selling out with this new generic alternative band a crap. i want my youth & young manhood/aha shake heartbreak boys back. eff this use somebody sex on fire shit.
and they used to be so much HOTTER.
that was actually really good.. love them and love the song. glad to know its not brand new.. i could've SWORN i'd heard that song before!!
that was actually really good.. love them and love the song. glad to know its not brand new.. i could've SWORN i'd heard that song before!!
Ew, they're horrible.
I absolutely love Kings of Leon.
I absolutely love Kings of Leon.
I find the lead singer's voice extremely irritating. Sounds too similar to the generic voices that sing jingles for tire commercials and the like on the radio. It's too banal for me.
I love love love KOL. ALL of their music is good. I can listen to every song on every album, which is very rare.
Yay, love them, congrats guys!
Wow, News Flash. It's already been watched 16 million times on YouTube. This site isn't worth shit anymore.
Mediocre. On the border of suck.
If you haven't, check out their cd, "Aha Shake Heartbreak," it's fantastic! That album is probably my favorite of their releases - not that you necessarily needed to know that, but none the less, enjoy !
there an amazingg bandd… theyy deserve # 1. there sooo goood & i can not wait to see them in concert !!!
Caleb is so HOT.
I HATE TO SAY THIS BUT THE BRITISH PEOPLE WERE THE ONES WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH KOL AND GAVE THEM THEIR HUGE SUCCESS AND NOW US AMERICANS HAVE DECIDED WE LIKE THEM TOO, BUT WHATEVER!
KINGS OF LEON RULE, YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
LOL
KOL ACTUALLY THANKED THE BRITISH FANS FOR GIVING THAT FIRST SUPPORT BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THE SUCCESS WHICH THEY HAVE NOW IN THE USA!
LOVE KOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
perez dont act like youve listened to kings of leon before their latest album, no one believes you
Wow, it's crazy to me that everyone is just now catching on to these guys. I've been a fan for years. I saw them a few months ago at Jazz Fest, and will see them again in October in Houston. I love Kings of Leon, and fuck off to all the haters. You wouldn't know good music if it hit you in the face.
Love them
Re: sftrash – I agree!
gross kol suck now. sell outs
WOW, YOU ACTUALLY POSTED A HALF WAY DECENT SONG ON YOUR STUPID BLOG AND HELL DIDN'T FREEZE OVER. WHAT HAS THE WORLD COME TO.
Pistol of Fire is their only good song
i also loved there older shit more i think they need to stick to there original sound
nooooo. i don't want them to go mainstream!! :[ my favorite bands die that way.. damn..
they are so so so so so good and i have loved them for a while, but i hate what MTV is doing to them - using their songs as the background for their stupid reality tv show promos. ugh!! ever since they performed on the mtv awards, mtv has been whoring them out! i no likey!
I love Kings of Leon I saw them back in April. They sound amazing live. However Perez this song isn't even a year old. The video for the song was realized in November and the single was released just this past December. The CD came out in September.
a lot of old songs make it to the top 100 late. it's not that unusual
Mmmm, Milk. My fav. song of theirs. This one is okay.
I love KOL. But did anyone see that girl with the pink hair?! I mean her whole head was the color of Perez's background!
Re: Tricia1013 –
agreeed .. theyve been around forrr sooooo longgg & beeeen amazingg the wholeee time !!!
Love their music! Specially Sex on Fire and Notion.. Use Somebody has been in the charts in Holland since forever.. It just stay's up there!
Every time I hear that singer I want to stick forks in me ears! He's a terrible winy singer.
Re: lovepunchx – Agreed!!!!! I love KoL But there starting to sell out. Jared looked the hottest durning Aha shake heartbreak. But caleb, matthew and nathan look hotter now then they used too.
correction… this song was released last september.
love them!!!
glad they r doing well in the US, just hope they stick to there roots.
anyone who has been a fan of kings for years CANNOT POSSIBLY enjoy their latest album. they should've changed their band name before releasing "only for the night." this is not the same band i used to love. sell out is an understatement. i'm heartbroken.
Song "Closer" is going to be soundtrack for New Moon.Even director himself,Chris Weitz said that Radiohead is def. and that KOL are also interested/pushing Closer..talking about sell-outs…
huh??? are the kings of leon somehow new?? my daughter and i dance to them all the time.. raise her on the good stuff!
this song is a year old, not two.
the Americans have completely ignored KOL up to now.
its us Brits and Europeans who've embraced them.
they deserve the success, and its nice to know that their homeland is now listening to them.
plus, theyre HOT.
I got their album agggeess ago and every single song on it is fantastic. KOL is awesome and the lead singer's voice is simply stunning. I can't believe you Americans are so behind… We Brits realized realized their talent years ago.
are you shitting me? it made #2 in like october over here in uk sex on fire got to #1 last year and is the most downloaded song in uk chart history and their album went 5xplatinum or something ridiculous. one of the best american bands in ages and the americans are only just discovering them!
cannot stand the guy's voice!!
HOW is this song only just making it big in america??!??! i'm from the UK and this reached number 2 (i think) in FEBRUARY! and they're an american band! surely you should have had it before us?
correction it was 6xplatinum in the uk and 8xplatinum in australia
I miss the times when they were just big in the UK.
Please Perez never post about them again, it's like you've tainted them with a big smutty comercial brush of fakeness.
mario quit acting like youve been listening to KOL before this album you fucking fat piece of shit, and this song wasnt released "forever" ago, its off their new album which came out last september you dumb peice of shit
Doesn't anyone find it odd that almost the moment Brooke White releases her cover of 'Use Somebody', suddenly the world cares about the Kings of Leon's version?
Hello?! Maybe there's a connection!
I loved their older albums, especially "Because of the Times." The new album is boring, middle of the road rock. I know they were seeking success in America, and because of their new sound, they've gotten it, so good for them. But be careful what you wish for.
Re: Rumor06 – i think you mean america suddenly cares, theyve been the one of the biggest bands in europe/oceania for years, and ive never heard of this girl you are saying has released a cover of it!
LOVELOVELOVE THEM! I like how everyone wants to hate on them just because they are really starting to make it for themselves now. what would u rather them do? crawl under a rock whenever they start getting attention? lol, honestly! They are so talented and great performers and I'm glad they are getting recognition. IF YA DON'T LIKE EM, DON'T LISTEN.
i know that the only reason i ever heard of them was because taylor swift used their song use somebody in a video blog earlier this year. that could be a reason why some more people have heard of them lately.
ohh every day i love u more and more…:D
i love this song and i saw them live on Opener they were greatttt
He wrote it two years ago, but it only came out a year ago x
Re: PFF –
That was a FANTASTIC way to put it!
And to agree with many others: KOL HAVE BEEN HUGE IN THE UK FOR YEARS - WAKE UP AMERICA!
Kings of Leon are brilliant ! I've been a huge fan for a long time, and I'm glad that they're FINALLY getting the recognition they deserve in the U.S.
seeing them in concert next month ! SO EXCITED!
They're awesome. Caleb and Jared are so fucking hot.
You bug the shit out of me. Kings of Leon's old music is extremely better then their new music. They have been around for a VERY long time and now you are jumping onto the band wagon and pretending like you know everything about their success and their story? Get a freakin life.
…seems to be a trend….love kings of leon, however i remember the last song that was like 2 - 3 years old was "hey there delilah" - great song in summer of 2006 - annoying in summer of 2008.
hope it doesnt happen to these guys.
Their first two albums were the shit. The last two, not so much. They totally lost something along the way.
Sounds like the same bland alt crap I've been hearing for the last 10+ years. Aren't there any creative geniuses left in the world?
Re: The Mancunian Candidate – wrong. they've been popular here for a couple of years, just not on the pop charts.
Not everyone considers making the Billboard 100 successful.
So glad to see Kings of Leon having American success. They deserve it .. finally
LOVE THEM!
Boring… Take an old U2 riff and put 4 posers on a stage and everyone thinks they are brilliant. Just like the White Stripes were a couple of years ago. "Rock music" for people who don't know sh*t about rock music.
AHHHH Praise for pay again huh mario?
Perez..That's only because they released Use Somebody in the UK&Ireland a few weeks ago..Obviously then America is gonna see the video
Re: lovepunchx –
agreed! aha shake heartbreak is still my favorite. i'm glad they're becoming more successful here, but i'm afraid i'm going to get sick of them if i keep hearing them everywhere. it also sucks that i saw them maybe a year ago at the tabernacle and now they're only playing big, shitty venues. good for them, bad for fans.
p.s. perez, dear, it's just "kings of leon," no "the." the "the" is irritating.
Love love love Kings of Leon
Re: sleezy*e – ok then if you want to be picky, they have been 'mainstream popular' with the masses for years over here and are one of the most successful bands in our charts, everyone has heard of them, will that do you?
Re: hmmwhatever – nope it was near the top of the charts over here last year
Re: lovepunchx –
Totally agree with you - I loved their previous look - long scruffy hair, generally not caring about their appearance! Why do Americans always take so long to realise the talent in their own country? I have been a KOL fan for 5 years now - they are MASSIVE in Europe!
anyone saying that KOL are sell outs is a sell out themselves. just because people are taking notice doesnt mean that they've sold out. get over yourselves
THEY'RE THE BEST!
i dunno if anyone else realizes and not that i want to give lil Zac Effron props, but i did see him on TV telling Much Music that he loved KOL ( who i had never heard of) and then they started popping up everywhere soooo Celebrity Endorsement?
uhhh…this song came out less that a year ago, Perez…….
God, they suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UGH God I fucking HATE THEM. The guy does nothing but fucking WHINE WHINE WHINE in every god damn song. It makes me want to put hot iron pokers in to my ears. God I can't fucking stand their music.
i agree with the comments regarding kol's previous albums and the fact that they are all great with an amazing southern sound…and that their new album does sound quite different, but i don't understand why people think they 'sold out'…
bands evolve, progress, change.
bands need to experiment, or else we would be listening to the exact same record over and over again.
sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't…and it all depends on who's listening.
because kol's new album reached north american commercial (not neccessarily critical) success, people seem to think they sold out. they didn't sell out…they got popular.
not in their control.
i look forward to their fifth album.
Perez, this is off Only By The Night, released last August. They're an amazing Southern rock group that is brilliant live, so I'm glad you're giving them some attention on the blog. Yet this song being on top is not some magical happenstance, its a great NEW album, not something that was just discovered. For that to happen check out their later album Aha Shake Heartbreak.
Love you Followills!
and caleb (lead singer) is fucking hot
That lead singer is pretty fuckin hawt.
Honestly i fucking hate that these guys have been around FOR FUCKING EVER!!! And NOW theyre being recognized, and its sorta becoming mainstream to like them, they got their huge start from the UK and theyre from tenessee!!!I feel like KOL are kinda selling out and apparently theyre gonna be on the New Moon sdtrk (not complaning ’cause i love everything twilight)And I want them to remain this sorta indie band that they are ….JMO
Perez check your facts this song was released last september which means its not even a year old.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE SHIT ABOUT KOL READ AUSTIN SCAGG'S COVER STORY IN ROLLING STONE A FEW MONTHS AGO. HE GETS THE BOYS TO REVEAL A LOT ABOUT THEIR VERY BIZARRE UPBRINGING AND RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER. IT'S AN AMAZING BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THESE THREE HOT BROTHERS, THEIR COUSIN AND HOW THEY VIEW THE MUSIC SCENE. BOTTOM LINE IS……… THIS BAND HAS A FABULOUS SOUND AND KILLER LYRICS AND THEIR HOT AS HELL.
First, this album came out last year. I have seen these guys 8 times. I have been a fan of them for years. I hate that these are the songs that are making them famous. There first two albums are far superior to the newest one. I think Use Somebody is one of the their weakest songs EVer. Give me Trani, Taper Jean Girl, Holyroller Novocaine, Red Morning Light, Black Thumbnail.
Re: LovesRyanGosling – Nathan has always been hot. I hate Jared's new hair cut, he was way hotter back in the day. I miss Caleb old locks too. Or his super back in the day porno stache.
That song isnt even 2 years old.
They released OBTN less then a year ago.
Sure it may have been in the works for longer but as a song being released, it's been out less than a year.
And while I do love that song, I have to admit, The older work by KOL is better.
Re: lovepunchx – I agree. Youth & Young Manhood/ Aha Shake Heartbreak AMAZING. I will say that I do like COld Desert on the new album. I hate Sex on Fire, Use Somebody, etc. Revelry is good too. The crowd has changed big time at their shows. Makes me sad to see Sorority Row singing along. I miss me dirty little indie rock/bonnaroo crowds…:(
Re: PFF – Oh so true!!!!!!!!!!
This is long overdue! These guys are amazing. Been a fan since 2005. I'm glad they are finally getting the attention they deserve. Love them. Finally a little love for them here at home. It's about time.
I LOVE them but i think they should have been recognized back when "Because of the times" was released……and Caleb's voice is AMAZING….by the way
WHY?!?! fuck the today show.. once u go on MTV u might as well stamp sellout on ur forehead and go fuck urself. its sad really.. i feel like i lost a friend. my heart is broken.
i LOVE the kings but i have to say that they should have been recognized back when "Because of the Times" came out……and Calebs voice is AMAZING!!
These guys were fameous down under years before dickhead americans decided they were cool. Kings are sell outs now… Im sure Americans the the dumest race on earth..
This shit is pathetic
People needs to stop hating. Oh they sold out. Please, every time a band wants to do something new and get some recognition, they have sold out. I love the new music just as much as their old music. Some people needs to grow the fuck up. If you are so good, make your own shity band and see if you can make it big as them.
thanks perez for finally posting something about these guys! they are amazing no question and totally deserve all their success!