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Chalk Outline (song)

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"Chalk Outline"
Single by Three Days Grace
from the album Transit of Venus
ReleasedAugust 14, 2012
StudioRevolution Studios, Toronto, Ontario
Genre
Length3:02
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Don Gilmore
Three Days Grace singles chronology
"Lost in You"
(2011) 		"Chalk Outline"
(2012) 		"The High Road"
(2013)

"Chalk Outline" is the lead single from Canadian rock band Three Days Grace's fourth album, Transit of Venus.[1] The band released many "snippets" of the song before August 14 to tease fans.[2] It reached No. 1 on the U.S. Active Rock chart for a total of 10 weeks[3] and won the "Rock Song of the Year" award given by Loudwire.[4] Billboard ranked the song at number 8 on their "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs" list.[5]

Background

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"Chalk Outline" is about being alienated and left behind. Drummer Neil Sanderson stated, "It's about being pushed aside by people close to you. A lot of people can relate. But it's not just about relationships. It's also about society. Society moves quickly, and not everyone is fortunate enough to be active members of society."[6]

Composition

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"Chalk Outline" was written by Adam Gontier, Barry Stock and Craig Wiseman while production was handled by Don Gilmore. The song was recorded at Revolution Studios in Toronto, Canada.[7] Bassist Brad Walst spoke with Billboard about recording the track stating, "I remember sitting in the control room with [producer] Don Gilmore for hours and hours and hours, trying to figure out how to get that punchy, heavy sound out of something other than a guitar."[8]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Evigshed[9]
Loudwire[10]

The song was mostly met with positive reviews. Chad Childers of Loudwire gave the song a 4/5 rating, saying that "Adam Gontier attacks the track with as much angst and aggression as ever."[10] Billboard calls the song, "a welcome change of pace that certainly piques interest in what else Three Days Grace gets up to on the rest of the album."[11] Sylvie Lesas of Evigshed gave the single 5/5, praising the fact the band took a different direction musically.[9]

Music video

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"Chalk Outline" has a lyric video, which shows the lyrics of the song over a clip of a man walking around a city.[12] The band also released an official music video for "Chalk Outline" on October 5.[13] The video shows Adam Gontier walking through a city, singing and gesturing to the camera while passing the other band members on the way, culminating with the four of them meeting in a dark room, performing the song.[14][13] The video was directed by Shane Drake and was filmed in Brooklyn, New York.[13] It was the band's last music video to feature lead singer Adam Gontier, who departed the band on January 9, 2013,[15] before returning to the group in October 2024.[16]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Three Days Grace 'Transit Of Venus' | The Official Three Days Grace Site". Threedaysgrace.com. August 20, 2010. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "Chalk Outline Snippet #1 | The Official Three Days Grace Site". Threedaysgrace.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  3. ^ Entertainment, Core. "Three Days Grace | Core Entertainment". www.coreentertainment.ca. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  4. ^ "Three Days Grace Win Rock Song of the Year in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards". Loudwire. January 16, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  6. ^ Kevin C. Johnson (October 7, 2012). "Three Days Grace nails industrial feel for new album". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Mary Ouellette (July 27, 2012). "Three Days Grace to Unleash Chalk Outline as First Single Off New Album Transit of Venus". Loudwire. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Kevin Rutherford (September 28, 2018). "How Three Days Grace Broke a Two-Decade Old Rock Radio Record". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Sylvie Lesas (August 13, 2012). "Three Days Grace Chalk Outline Single Review". Evigshed.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  10. ^ a b Chad Childers (August 13, 2012). "Three Days Grace, 'Chalk Outline' – Song Review". Loudwire. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  11. ^ "Singles Reviews: Mumford & Sons, Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding & more". Billboard. September 11, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  12. ^ "Chalk Outline Lyric Video | The Official Three Days Grace Site". Threedaysgrace.com. July 25, 2012. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c Childers, Chad. "Three Days Grace Take 'Chalk Outline' Video to the Streets". Loudwire. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  14. ^ "Three Days Grace - Chalk Outline". Three Days Grace. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  15. ^ Childers, Chad. "Singer Adam Gontier Leaves Three Days Grace, Replaced by My Darkest Days' Matt Walst". Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  16. ^ Childers, Chad (October 3, 2024). "Three Days Grace Reunite with Gontier (with a twist)?". Loudwire. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  17. ^ "Three Days Grace Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  18. ^ "Three Days Grace Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  19. ^ "Three Days Grace Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  20. ^ "Three Days Grace Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  21. ^ "Three Days Grace Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  22. ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  23. ^ "Rock Airplay Songs: Year End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  24. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Three Days Grace – Chalk Outline". Music Canada. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  25. ^ "American single certifications – Three Days Grace – Chalk Outline". Recording Industry Association of America.
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