Heroes (Conchita Wurst song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Heroes

| cover = Conchita Wurst Heroes.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Conchita Wurst

| album = Conchita

| released = 8 November 2014

| recorded = 2014

| studio =

| genre = *Baroque pop

| length = 3:43

| label = Sony Music Austria

| writer = Sebastian Arman, Joacim Persson, David Bronner, Thomas Neuwirth, Andreas Kleerup

| producer = Joacim Persson, Sebastian Arman

| prev_title = Rise Like a Phoenix

| prev_year = 2014

| next_title = My Lights

| next_year = 2014

}}

"Heroes" is a pop song by Austrian singer Conchita Wurst. It was released on 8 November 2014. Conchita revealed to fans via her Facebook page that the release of the single would occur on 20 October and revealed the song title. The song is included on Wurst's debut album.

Promotion and composition

Musically "Heroes" is a departure from Wurst's operatic pop style known from former singles like "Rise Like a Phoenix" or "That's What I Am". The composition still incorporates orchestral and classical elements but in a more minimal way. In contrast, the percussion elements are stronger than in her previous work. The song is mainly built of elements from baroque pop combined with parts of soul pop and world beat. Wurst pointed out that "Heroes" has invented a wholly different genre: "Ein ganz anderes Genre".{{cite web|url=http://steiermark.orf.at/news/stories/2674961/|title=Conchita Wurst: Single-Präsentation in Graz|date=21 October 2014|accessdate=18 March 2015}} It lasts for 3:43 minutes with support by a backing choir. Wurst called the song "... cooler than I thought I could sound like". The themes of "Heroes" are love, self empowerment and the battle against intolerance through the use of phrases such as, "Love is like a battle cry and we'll shine till our colours light up the sky and we'll dance to the sound of our battle cry".{{cite web|url=http://www.directlyrics.com/conchita-wurst-heroes-lyrics.html|title=Conchita Wurst "Heroes" Lyrics|accessdate=18 March 2015}}

"Heroes" was released with significant anticipation from fans and the media{{cite web|url=http://www.eurovision.de/news/Heroes-Neue-Single-von-Conchita-Wurst,conchitawurst254.html|title="Heroes" - Neue Single von Conchita Wurst|date=22 October 2014|accessdate=18 March 2015}} on 8 November with its first live performance on Wetten, dass..? in Graz. The release date occurred two days before her birthday: "Conchita Wurst has released 'Heroes', bringing to an end months of anticipation for her countless fans around the world. The song comes two days after her birthday, when she published a video thanking her fans for their support and talking about the song. It was directly made available to stream on multiple platforms.{{cite web|url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2014/11/08/heroes-lyrics-conchita-wurst/65450/|title=LISTEN: Conchita Wurst delivers new single Heroes|date=8 November 2014|accessdate=18 March 2015}} On November 8, she also released the lyric video on YouTube.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGMQrzzBXhg|title=Conchita Wurst – HEROES (Lyrics Video)|website=YouTube |date=8 November 2014|accessdate=18 March 2015}} Wurst proceeded to begin work on an album influenced by "mature ladies" like Cher, Shirley Bassey, and Tina Turner.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/06/conchita-interview-sensitive-insecure-eurovision-gay-pin-up-austrian|title=Conchita Wurst: 'Most artists are sensitive and insecure people. I am too'|work=The Observer |date=6 July 2014|accessdate=18 March 2015 |last1=Bromwich |first1=Kathryn }}

Critical reception

"Heroes" received generally positive reviews.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.de/product-reviews/B00PBXKDCG/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1|title=Conchita Wurst – Heroes|website=Amazon Germany |accessdate=18 March 2015}} Fans and critics alike complimented the genre shift from "Rise Like a Phoenix" to "Heroes".{{cite web|url=http://germancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Conchita+Wurst&titel=Heroes&cat=s |title=Conchita Wurst – Heroes |accessdate=18 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330142630/http://germancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Conchita+Wurst&titel=Heroes&cat=s |archivedate=30 March 2015 }} [https://web.archive.org/web/20141206092308/http://www.hollywood-news.net/conchita-wurst-wetten-dass-heroes-new-song-conchita-wurst/ Hollywood-News] applauded the quality of "Heroes" while writing of Wetten, dass..?, "With great power also is the world premiere of 'Heroes', the new song by Conchita Wurst, expected: "I'm glad I can be there yet, so to speak before the last impressions, for I have seen the show as a child!"{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood-news.net/conchita-wurst-wetten-dass-heroes-new-song-conchita-wurst/|title=Conchita Wurst – "Wetten dass..?" – 'Heroes', the new song by Conchita Wurst|date=8 November 2014|accessdate=18 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206092308/http://www.hollywood-news.net/conchita-wurst-wetten-dass-heroes-new-song-conchita-wurst/|archive-date=6 December 2014|url-status=dead}} [http://all-noise.co.uk/ All Noise] also applauded the song, "although 'Heroes' isn’t probably the best power ballad we have ever listened to, it is still a great track which has all the potential to find its place among chart-topping tracks. When you listen to this track you will feel the power and lift that you expect from Conchita Wurst’s music. The chorus makes it even more uplifting. Despite high-pitch delivery and bursts of energy, Conchita sings it so effortlessly that it naturally sounds brilliant."{{cite web|url=http://all-noise.co.uk/single-review-%E2%80%9Cheroes%E2%80%9D-conchita-wurst/9998/|title=Single Review: "Heroes" by Conchita Wurst|date=12 November 2014|accessdate=18 March 2015}}

Music video

The official music video has been released for stream on YouTube on November 21. The video version is slightly different using more string instruments and heavier backing vocals. It deals mainly with war, self empowerment and love by using strong images.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OYj9synuvk|title=Conchita Wurst – HEROES – Official Music Video|website=YouTube |date=November 21, 2014|accessdate=March 18, 2015}}

Charts

Chart (2014) ! Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
{{single chart\|Austria\|4\|artist=Conchita Wurst\|song=Heroes\|accessdate=November 21, 2014}}
{{single chart\|Flanders Tip\|80\|artist=Conchita Wurst\|song=Heroes}}
{{single chart\|Wallonia Tip\|47\|artist=Conchita Wurst\|song=Heroes}}