Pumped Up Kicks

"Pumped Up Kicks" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released as the group's debut single in September 2010, and the following year was included on their EP Foster the People and their debut album, Torches. "Pumped Up Kicks" became the group's breakthrough hit and was one of the most popular songs of 2011. The song was written and recorded by frontman Mark Foster while he was working as a commercial jingle writer. Contrasting with the upbeat musical composition, the lyrics describe the homicidal thoughts of a troubled youth.

The track received considerable attention after it was posted online in 2010 as a free download, and it helped the group garner a multi-album record deal with Columbia Records imprint Startime International. "Pumped Up Kicks" proved to be a sleeper hit; in 2011, after receiving significant airplay on modern rock stations, the song crossed-over onto contemporary hit radio stations. The song spent eight consecutive weeks at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, making it the first Billboard Alternative Songs number-one single to crack the U.S. top 5 since Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" in 2009. The song was widely praised by critics, and it has been licensed for use in a wide range of popular media since its release. "Pumped Up Kicks" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Jaden Smith

Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998) is an American actor and rapper. He is the son of actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, elder brother of singer Willow Smith and younger half-brother of Trey Smith. His first movie role was in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness, with his father. He has also appeared in the remakes of The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Karate Kid, as well as the 2013 film After Earth, also with his father.

Early life

Smith was born July 8, 1998 in Malibu, California, the son of Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. He has an older half-brother, Trey Smith (born 1992), and a younger sister, Willow Smith (born 2000).

Smith and his siblings are youth ambassadors for Project Zambi, which provides assistance in conjunction with Hasbro for Zambian children orphaned by AIDS.

Career

Smith made his major role debut in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness as Christopher, the son of Chris Gardner, Will Smith's character. For his role, Smith won the award for Breakthrough Performance at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. At the 79th Academy Awards, Smith presented the award for the Best Animated Short and the Best Live Action Short, along with acting nominee Abigail Breslin. Smith next appeared as Jacob in the 2008 Scott Derrickson science fiction film, The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 classic of the same name.

Foster the People

Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles in 2009. The group is composed of Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitar, programming, percussion) and Mark Pontius (drums, percussion). The group's music, described as melodic dance-infused pop and rock, spans many genres.

Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending several years in Los Angeles as a struggling musician and working as a commercial jingle writer. After Foster's song "Pumped Up Kicks" became a viral success in 2010, the group received a record deal from Startime International and gained a fanbase through small club shows and appearances at music festivals. After releasing their debut album Torches in May 2011, "Pumped Up Kicks" became a crossover hit on commercial radio in mid-2011 and eventually reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The record also produced the popular singles "Helena Beat" and "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)". The group received two Grammy Award nominations for Torches and "Pumped Up Kicks".

Foster the People (EP)

Foster the People is the debut EP by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released on January 18, 2011 in the United States.

Background

The EP includes three songs, "Houdini", "Helena Beat" and "Pumped Up Kicks", that were later featured on their debut studio album Torches.

Track listing

Release history

References

External links