“Wings” by Birdy
Based on her own account Birdy had quite an exceptional childhood, complete with plenty of free-flowing quality time alongside friends and family. And the premise behind this song has her reminiscing on those days and missing said individuals. Thus the titular “wings” are basically symbolic of her desire to be back home with them. In other words, whereas the singer herself may be “in a foreign state”, unable to be with her loved ones physically, she is sending her heart and loving thoughts to them nonetheless. Or another way of looking at it is that she’s reminding those individuals just how much they mean to her life.
Basically Birdy greatly misses her loved ones and is using this song to send them her love.
Facts about “Wings”
This is the lead single from Birdy’s second album, which itself is entitled Fire Within. And the Warner Music Group, in collaboration with Atlantic Records and 14th Floor Records, put the tune out on 29 July 2013.
This song is noted as being the most-successful in Birdy’s catalog from her heyday of the early 2010s. For instance it marks the highest she achieved on the UK Singles Chart, with the (acoustic version of the) song peaking at number eight on that list. And it is also her highest-scoring tune in Ireland. There, it actually achieved number one on the Irish Singles Chart. And for the record, at the time “Wings” came out she was only 17 years of age.
The popularity of “Wings” has been buttressed by the fact that it has been used on the television show The Vampire Diaries. It was also used in the 2014 Colin Farrell flick Winter’s Tale. Another notable usage was in a commercial for the long-tenured Lloyd’s Bank in 2015 (celebrating their 250th anniversary). In fact the aforementioned acoustic version, which became a hit in the UK, was derived from said commercial.
Prolific music-video filmographer Sophie Mueller directed the official visual to this track. In keeping with the theme of the song, it features a number of Birdy’s family members and loved ones. For example, Caitlin, her little sister and Becky, the singer’s bestie appear in the video. Additionally it was filmed in a castle-like mansion called Pylewell House, which is located in Hampshire, England.
Did Birdy write “Wings”?
Yes. Birdy wrote “Wings” alongside hitmaker Ryan Tedder. And Tedder also produced the track, in that regard working alongside Rich Costey.
Does “Wings” sound like “Stop And Stare”?
If you think Birdy’s “Wings” sounds pretty similar to OneRepublic’s “Stop And Stare“, you are not alone! We totally think so too! And considering OneRepublic’s Tedder co-wrote both “Wings” and “Stop and Stare”, it really isn’t a surprise at all. Indeed one of the most challenging things about being a prolific songwriter is preventing your creations from sounding alike.
