"Up to the Cloud" is a song by American electronica act Owl City. The song first premiered on November 21, 2022, before it was released as a single on November 25. The song serves as the theme song for the mobile game, Neural Cloud.[2] It is Owl City's first song in four years since the release of his sixth studio album, Cinematic.[3]

Background and composition

"Up to the Cloud" was written and produced by Adam Young. Young was recording his seventh studio album, Coco Moon when he was approached by the developer of Sunborn Network Technology to compose the track.[4][5] They stated that, "Adam Young's 'particular brand of upbeat yet wistful, mellifluous, and straight-up groovy synth-pop artistry' was a perfect match for Neural Cloud's theme of exploring consciousness."[1]

Lyrically, the song contains references of the game and the track has been described as "thematic and melodic."[6][1] The song's meaning is described as a track that, "dives into the game's philosophical ponderings on artificial intelligence and what it means to be 'human' in a world beyond the meat and bones of the natural body."[1]

Critical reception

"Up to the Cloud" was met with generally positive reviews. Nick Yopko of EDM.com stated, "Upbeat and happy, the track features a bouncy synth-heavy groove that highlights the vocal talents of the 'Fireflies' creator. The synth is especially pronounced at the end of the song where a fun keyboard solo takes center stage to close out the tune."[2] Kara Dennison of Otaku USA remarked, "Sometimes Owl City just says things... sometimes wordplay, sometimes evocative phrases that may not make complete sense, but take your brain where it needs to go. As metaphorical as it could be, we know by now he's referencing the primary mechanic and narrative hook of Neural Cloud.[7] Jack Rogers of Rock Sound called the track, "catchy as it is crisp." He praised the song for its, "Loud melodies, flipping synths and sky-high euphoria" that is likely to "put a smile on your face."[3] The song garnered more than half a million streams within the first week of its release.[1]

Music video

The music video for "Up to the Cloud" premiered via YouTube on November 21, 2022.[2] The video features characters and environments from the game grappling with "the idea of uploading his consciousness and the whole concept of humans and AI."[1]

Release history

Release history for "Up to the Cloud"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various November 25, 2022 Digital download Neural Cloud [8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f XC Enriquez (December 10, 2022). "Up to the Cloud – Owl City Teams Up with Neural Cloud". ClutchPoints. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Nick Yopko (November 26, 2022). "Owl City Dials Into The Neural Cloud Mobile Game With New Song, Up to the Cloud". EDM.com. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Jack Rogers (November 28, 2022). "Owl City Releases Energetic New Track Up To The Cloud". Rock Sound. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  4. ^ @owlcity (November 18, 2022). "I took a short break from recording the new Owl City album when I was invited to write the @NeuralCloudEN music video theme song. Neural Cloud is a new strategy RPG game with a sci-fi theme. The Neural Cloud X Owl City music video and the game will be released on Monday!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ^ Kara Dennison (November 18, 2022). "Owl City Pens and Performs Theme for Mobile Game Neural Cloud". Crunchyroll LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  6. ^ Kara Dennison (November 21, 2022). "Travel "Up to the Cloud" with New Owl City X Neural Cloud Music Video". Crunchyroll LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Kara Dennison (November 22, 2022). "How Neural Cloud Shines Through in Owl City's Up to the Cloud". Otaku USA. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  8. ^ "Up to the Cloud - Single by Owl City". Apple Music. Retrieved June 22, 2023.