A Symptom of Being Human
{{Short description|2023 single by Shinedown}}
{{Infobox song
| name = A Symptom of Being Human
| cover = A Symptom of Being Human - Live.jpg
| caption = Cover art for the 2024 live single release
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Shinedown
| album = Planet Zero
| released = February 22, 2023
| recorded = 2021
| studio = Big Animal Studio (Charleston, South Carolina)
| genre = Alternative rock
| length = 4:08
| label = Atlantic
| writer =
| producer = Eric Bass
| prev_title = Dead Don't Die
| prev_year = 2023
| next_title = Three Six Five
| next_year = 2025
| next_title2 = Dance, Kid, Dance
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|tmMOMK5c4EY|"A Symptom of Being Human"}}}}
}}
"A Symptom of Being Human" is a song by American rock band Shinedown. It was released on February 22, 2023, as the fourth single from their seventh studio album Planet Zero (2022).
The song was a crossover hit, reaching the Mainstream Top 40, topping the Mainstream Rock Songs charts, and becoming the first song to chart in the top 10 across 3 major Mediabase charts.{{Cite web|title=Iconic Shinedown Single Reaches New Milestone After Record-Breaking Success|last=DeRuyter|first=Hannah|url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2024-08-02-iconic-shinedown-single-reaches-new-milestone-after-record-breaking-success/|date=August 2, 2024|access-date=February 24, 2025|website=iHeartRadio}}
Background
Unlike all of Shinedown's previous singles, "A Symptom of Being Human" was initially not released to Mainstream Rock radio, and instead was released to Hot Adult Contemporary radio.{{Cite magazine |title=Shinedown Adult Pop Airplay Chart History |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/shinedown/chart-history/atf |access-date=2023-06-26 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} On June 23, a "Pop Remix" was released, which turns the song into an upbeat song in the style of modern top-40 hits.{{Cite magazine|date=June 23, 2023|title=Shinedown Score a Mainstream Hit with 'A Symptom of Being Human': 'It's a Song About Taking a Breath' (Exclusive)|url=https://people.com/shinedown-symptom-of-being-human-exclusive-interview-7552486|last=Despres|first=Tricia|access-date=January 13, 2024|website=People}} In January 2024, the song became the band's nineteenth to top the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, extending their record for the most number ones in the chart's history.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/shinedown-symptom-of-being-human-number-1-mainstream-rock-airplay-record-1235580840/|title=Shinedown Adds to Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 Record With 'A Symptom of Being Human'|last=Rutherford|first=Kevin|magazine=Billboard|date=January 12, 2024|access-date=January 13, 2024}} The song also entered the Billboard Pop Airplay chart on the week of March 2, 2024, becoming Shinedown's fourth song on the chart, and the first one since "If You Only Knew" in 2010.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2024/03/21/how-shinedown-and-iheartradio-teamed-up-to-bring-rock-back-to-charts/|title=How Shinedown And iHeartRadio Teamed Up To Bring Rock Back To Charts|last=Baltin|first=Steve|magazine=Forbes|date=March 21, 2024|access-date=February 24, 2025}}
Lyrics and composition
Frontman Brent Smith stated that "A Symptom of Being Human" is written about his struggles with mental illness and the social stigma surrounding it he endured throughout his life.{{Cite web |title=What Brent Smith Understands About Being Human {{!}} Psychology Today |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brick-by-brick/202303/what-brent-smith-understands-about-being-human |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=www.psychologytoday.com |language=en-US}} Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone described the song as a "mid-tempo piano ballad about self-doubt, anxiety, and anything that threatens our mental health".{{Cite magazine |title=Shinedown Are Outgrowing Hard Rock With an Unexpected Pop Hit |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/shinedown-brent-smith-symptom-of-being-human-1234950585/ |date=January 23, 2024 |access-date=February 2, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}
Charts
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "A Symptom of Being Human" ! scope="col"| Chart (2023–2024) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{single chart|Billboardcanadarock|22|artist=Shinedown|rowheader=true|access-date=April 6, 2024}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|16|artist=Shinedown|rowheader=true|access-date=August 6, 2024}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|15|artist=Shinedown|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2023|refname=adultpopsongs}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|17|artist=Shinedown|rowheader=true|access-date=May 14, 2024}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|19|artist=Shinedown|rowheader=true|access-date=June 17, 2024|refname=popairplay}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrockairplay|2|artist=Shinedown|rowheader=true|access-date=January 28, 2024|refname=rockairplay}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardradiosongs|46|artist=Shinedown|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2024|refname=radiosongs}} |
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2023 year-end chart performance for "A Symptom of Being Human" ! scope="col"| Chart (2023) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| US Adult Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/adult-pop-songs/|title=Adult Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 22, 2023}}
| 40 |
|---|
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2024 year-end chart performance for "A Symptom of Being Human" ! scope="col"| Chart (2024) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2024/adult-contemporary-songs/|title=Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2024|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 15, 2024}}
| 40 |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2024/hot-rock-songs/|title=Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2024|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 22, 2024}}
| 36 |
| scope="row"| US Rock Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2024/rock-airplay-songs/|title=Rock & Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2024|magazine=Billboard|access-date=January 17, 2025}}
| 8 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Shinedown}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Symptom of Being Human}}
Category:Atlantic Records singles
Category:Songs written by Brent Smith
Category:Songs written by Eric Bass
Category:Songs about mental health
{{2020s-single-stub}}