Welcome to the Circus
| "Welcome to the Circus" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Single by Five Finger Death Punch | ||||
| from the album AfterLife | ||||
| Released | June 10, 2022 | |||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label | Better Noise | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| Five Finger Death Punch singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Welcome to the Circus" on YouTube | ||||
"Welcome to the Circus" is a song by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. It was released on June 10, 2022, as the second single from their ninth studio album, AfterLife. It became one of the band's number-one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
Release
The song was released on June 10, 2022, with an accompanying lyric video,[1][2] and was made available for streaming ahead of the album's release.[3] It was the first and only song from AfterLife performed live by the band at the time of its release, debuting at the Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach.[4]
Composition and lyrics
"Welcome to the Circus" begins with melodies and laughter, before transitioning into guitar-driven sections and a vocal melody in the chorus. It has been described as unusual for the group while still remaining recognizable.[5] The song has been described as featuring chugging riffs and gruff vocals, with lyrics that are "daft but insidiously catchy".[6] It opens the album with what Ultimate Guitar described as "juvenile machismo and aggression".[7]
Critical reception
In an album review, the track was described as strong but noted for its familiar sound and recycled lyrics. Wall of Sound also stated that the song did not stand out.[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Five Finger Death Punch (Ivan Moody, Zoltan Bathory, Charlie Engen, Chris Kael, Andy James) and Kevin Churko.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Welcome To The Circus" (Explicit) | 4:16 |
| 2. | "IOU" (Explicit) | 4:27 |
| 3. | "AfterLife" (Explicit) | 4:03 |
| Total length: | 12:47 | |
Chart performance
It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart on March 4, 2023, their fourteenth song to reach the top. It became the band's tenth straight No. 1 on the chart, marking the longest run of consecutive chart-topping entries in the chart's history.[10] It also reached No. 1 on the U.S. Active rock radio chart (Mediabase), becoming their fifteenth consecutive chart-topping single on that chart.[11]
Personnel
Credits adapted from Apple Music.[12]
Five Finger Death Punch
- Ivan Moody – lead vocals, songwriter, producer
- Zoltan Bathory – guitar, songwriter, producer
- Charlie Engen – drums, songwriter, producer
- Chris Kael – bass guitar, songwriter, producer
- Andy James – guitar, songwriter, producer
Additional credit
- Kevin Churko – songwriter, producer, mixing engineer, engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[20] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ↑ Kielty, Martin (June 10, 2022). "Five Finger Death Punch release new track Welcome To The Circus". Metal Hammer. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Five Finger Death Punch Shares New Song 'Welcome To The Circus'". Blabbermouth. June 10, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ Kennelty, Greg (June 10, 2022). "Five Finger Death Punch Streams New Single "Welcome To The Circus"". Metal Injection. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ Schaffner, Lauryn (June 10, 2022). "Five Finger Death Punch Drop New Song 'Welcome to the Circus'". Loudwire. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ Knauß, Luisa (August 12, 2022). "Five Finger Death Punch - AfterLife Review". Metal.de (in German). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ Hobson, Rich (August 17, 2022). "Five Finger Death Punch's AfterLife". Metal Hammer. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ Lausch, Travis (August 29, 2022). "AfterLife review by Five Finger Death Punch". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ Walladmin (August 17, 2022). "Five Finger Death Punch - Afterlife (Album Review)". Wall of Sound. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Welcome To The Circus - Single by Five Finger Death Punch - Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- 1 2 Rutherford, Kevin (February 24, 2023). "Five Finger Death Punch Earns 10th Straight Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Five Finger Death Punch Earns 15th Consecutive No. 1 On The U.S. Active Rock Radio Chart With 'Welcome To The Circus'". Blabbermouth. February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Welcome to the Circus - Song by Five Finger Death Punch - Apple Music". Apple Music.
- ↑ "Five Finger Death Punch: Canada Rock". Billboard Canada. Archived from the original on November 21, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ "CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock". hitparada.ifpicr.cz. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- ↑ "Five Finger Death Punch Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Five Finger Death Punch Chart History (Rock & Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Rock & Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 17, 2026. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Mainstream Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 19, 2026. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ "American single certifications – Five Finger Death Punch – Welcome to the Circus". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 22, 2026.