Blood // Water
| "Blood // Water" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Grandson | ||||
| from the album A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1 | ||||
| Released | October 27, 2017 | |||
| Recorded | July–August 2017 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:35 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter | Jordan Edward Benjamin | |||
| Grandson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Blood // Water" on YouTube | ||||
"Blood // Water" is a song by American-Canadian musician Grandson. It was released on 27 October 2017 as the lead single from Grandson's first extended play, A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1, through the Fueled by Ramen label. The song is featured in EA Sports' NHL 19.
Background
The official audio video was released on Grandson's YouTube channel on October 27, 2017.[3]
Composition and lyrics
Gil Kaufman described the song as a "pop-spiked take on Rage Against the Machine's activist rap-rock".[1] The song is performed in a G-sharp minor. The song has a tempo of 154 beats per minute.[4]
In a May 2019 interview with Radio.com, Grandson described the lyrics of "Blood // Water" as "the first shot from a personal revolution, and it has been growing ever since. In the grand raw tradition of activist rock, grandson cut through the chaotic culture, urging people to pay attention."[5]
Live performances
On August 15, 2018, the first live television performance of "Blood // Water" aired on the US talk show Late Night With Seth Meyers. Billboard magazine described the performance as an anti-capitalist anthem where "complacency is not an option".[1]
Music video
The music video for "Blood // Water" was released on June 4, 2018, to coincide with the announcement of his debut extended play, A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1. Alex Darus of Alternative Press described the music video as "[referencing the] 1950s nuclear family idea and [juxtaposing] them with images of politicians profiting off problems such as prescription drug abuse."[6]
Track listings
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blood // Water" | 3:36 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blood // Water" (Awolnation remix) | 3:48 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blood // Water" (Awolnation remix) | 3:46 |
| 2. | "Blood // Water" (Tom Morello remix) | 3:33 |
| 3. | "Blood // Water" (Krupa remix) | 3:42 |
| 4. | "Blood // Water" (King Kavalier remix) | 2:59 |
| 5. | "Blood // Water" (22 Bullets & Ghost remix) | 3:18 |
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[11] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[12] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[13] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[14] | 3× Platinum | 240,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[15] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[16] | Gold | 200,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[17] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Poland (ZPAV)[18] | 2× Platinum | 100,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP)[19] | Gold | 5,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[21] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
References
- ^ a b c Kaufman, Gil (August 16, 2018). "Grandson Rages Against The Corporate Machine During Intense 'Blood//Water' Performance on 'Late Night': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "The 40 Best Hard Rock Songs of 2018". Loudwire. December 3, 2018.
- ^ "grandson – Blood // Water (Official Audio)". YouTube.
- ^ "Key & BPM for Blood // Water". tunebat.
- ^ Cerio, Michael (May 7, 2019). "Grandson Goes Inside the Lyrics of "Blood // Water" and Beyond". Radio.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ Darus, Alex (June 4, 2018). "Grandson Announces Politically Charged EP, Drops Music Video for "Blood // Water"". Alternative Press. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ "Grandson Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2019. [dead link]
- ^ "Grandson Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "Grandson Chart History (Rock & Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "Austrian single certifications – Grandson – Blood // Water" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Grandson – Blood // Water" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Grandson – Blood // Water". Music Canada. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ "French single certifications – Grandson – Blood // Water" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Grandson; 'Blood // Water')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Grandson – Blood // Water". Radioscope. Retrieved August 14, 2025. Type Blood // Water in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
- ^ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Grandson – Blood // Water" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "British single certifications – Grandson – Blood/Water". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 11, 2023. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Blood/Water Grandson in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "American single certifications – Grandson – Blood // Water". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
