We Don't Have to Dance
{{Infobox song
| name = We Don't Have to Dance
| cover = We Don't Have To Dance art cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Andy Black
| album = The Shadow Side
| released = March 18, 2016
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = 3:14
| label = {{hlist|Lava|Republic}}
| writer = {{hlist|Andy Biersack|John Feldmann|Patrick Stump|Quinn Allman|Zakk Cervini|Matt Pauling|Ricky Reed{{cite magazine|title=Andy Black has posted a behind the song video|url=http://www.rocksound.tv/news/read/andy-black-has-posted-a-behind-the-song-video|magazine=RockSound|accessdate=22 April 2016}}{{cite web|title=We Don't Have to Dance – Andy Black|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/we-dont-have-to-dance-mw0002930667|website=AllMusic|accessdate=5 February 2017}}}}
| producer = {{hlist|Ricky Reed| John Feldmann{{cite magazine|title=Andy Black Reveals 'We Don't Have To Dance' Video|url=http://loudwire.com/andy-black-we-dont-have-to-dance-video/|magazine=Loudwire|accessdate=22 April 2016}}}}
| chronology = Andy Black
| prev_title = They Don't Need to Understand
| prev_year = 2014
| next_title = Ribcage
| next_year = 2016
}}
"We Don't Have to Dance" is a song by American singer Andy Black. It was released as the first single from his debut studio album, The Shadow Side, on March 18, 2016. The music video for the song directed by Patrick Fogarty was also released three days later. It charted on multiple Billboard charts, peaking number 23 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
Writing and composition
"We Don't Have to Dance" was produced by Ricky Reed and John Feldmann. The song is described as a "upbeat, dance-able" song and Black's "departure" from the musical style of Black Veil Brides.{{cite web|title=Black Veil Brides' Andy Black Debuts Solo Video, 'We Don't Have To Dance'|url=http://radio.com/2016/03/21/andy-black-we-dont-have-to-dance-video/|website=radio.com|accessdate=22 April 2016}} Black described the song as "poppier than his work with Black Veil Brides". The song's lyrics are about social anxiety, loathing social events and hatred of small talk.{{cite web|title=Black Veil Brides Frontman's Andy Black Project To Release 'The Shadow Side' Album In May|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/black-veil-brides-frontmans-andy-black-project-to-release-the-shadow-side-album-in-may/|website=Blabbermouth.net|date=16 March 2016|accessdate=22 April 2016}} The song was written by Black and his team of writers in collaboration with Fall Out Boy vocalist Patrick Stump and former The Used guitarist Quinn Allman. On writing with Stump, Black said that it was "very simple in that we just sat and talked about things that we mutually hated for like a half an hour and then we just put them in a list and that is the lyrics to the song.”
Release
On March 9, 2016, a 15-second teaser for "We Don't Have to Dance" was released.{{cite magazine|title=Andy Black Releases Teaser For New Single, We Don't Have To Dance|url=http://www.kerrang.com/41520/andy-biersack-releases-new-single-we-dont-have-to-dance/|magazine=Kerrang!|accessdate=22 April 2016}} A week later, the title for Black's debut album was confirmed to be titled as The Shadow Side and would be released on May 6.{{cite magazine|title=Andy Black confirms debut solo album title and release date|url=http://www.kerrang.com/41735/andy-black-confirms-debut-solo-album-title/|magazine=Kerrang!|accessdate=22 April 2016}} The song was released as the first single to the album on March 18,{{cite magazine|title=Andy Black streams new single, We Don't Have To Dance|url=http://www.kerrang.com/41823/andy-black-streams-new-single-we-dont-have-to-dance/|magazine=Kerrang!|accessdate=22 April 2016}} alongside a music video released three days later.{{cite web|last1=Gracie|first1=Bianca|title=Black Veil Brides' Andy Biersack says 'We Don't Have To Dance' in new video|url=http://www.fuse.tv/2016/03/black-veil-brides-andy-black-we-dont-have-to-dance-video|publisher=Fuse|accessdate=22 April 2016}}{{cite magazine|title=Andy Black posts We Don't Have To Dance video|url=http://www.kerrang.com/41841/andy-black-posts-we-dont-have-to-dance-video/|magazine=Kerrang!|accessdate=22 April 2016}} The song was the official theme song for WWE pay-per-view event Payback{{cite web|last1=Thomas|first1=Jeremy|title=WWE News: Natalya Set For ESPN This Week, Total Bellas Premiere Set, Payback Theme Song|url=http://411mania.com/wrestling/wwe-news-natalya-set-for-espn-this-week-total-bellas-premiere-set-payback-theme-song/|website=411mania.com|accessdate=22 April 2016}} and is included in the video game WWE 2K17.{{cite web|last1=Artus|first1=Matthew|title=Puff Daddy to provide in-game soundtrack for WWE 2K17|url=http://www.wwe.com/section/wwe-2k17/article/wwe-2k17-soundtrack-puff-daddy-sean-diddy-combs|publisher=WWE|date=August 8, 2016|accessdate=August 8, 2016}} At the 2017 Alternative Press Music Awards, it was named "Song of the Year".{{Cite news|url=https://www.altpress.com/features/2017_apmas_winners_list/|title=And the winners of the 2017 APMAs are... - Alternative Press|date=2017-07-17|work=Alternative Press|access-date=2018-10-23|language=en-US}}
Music video
The music video of the song was released on March 21, 2016 and was directed by Patrick Fogarty.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fEoWA9Vz3A|title=Andy Black – We Don’t Have To Dance (Official)|date=21 March 2016|publisher=|via=YouTube}} The video is in black and white and is described as "eerie" with "vintage horror film aesthetic".
Chart performance
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
!scope="col"|Chart (2016) !scope="col"|Peak |
| {{singlechart|Poland|11|chartid=2000|year=2016|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 13, 2016}} |
| scope="row"|US Alternative Digital Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Black Veil Brides' Andy Black Debuts on Rock Charts With 'We Don't Have to Dance'|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7318627/black-veil-brides-andy-black-debuts-rock-charts|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=April 22, 2016}}
|16 |
|---|
| scope="row"|US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=We Don't Have To Dance – Hot Rock Songs|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/7313197/andy-black/chart?f=902|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=April 22, 2016}}
|23 |
| scope="row"|US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=We Don't Have To Dance – Rock Digital Songs|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/7313197/andy-black/chart?f=1085|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=April 22, 2016}}
|16 |