Synopsis
Barcelona perform "Background" in a dark, stylized setting shaped by the song's themes of betrayal and emotional collapse. The visuals keep the focus on singer Brian Fennell and the band's dramatic delivery, using close-ups, restrained lighting, and performance imagery to underline the track's wounded intensity. Rather than presenting a detailed storyline, the video works as a mood piece: a portrait of someone confronting infidelity, heartbreak, and the realization that the pain will eventually pass.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Background" was released on November 25, 2013, as the lead single from Barcelona's three-part project, *The Melodrama*.
- The song appeared on the *Love Me* EP, the first installment of *The Melodrama*. The subsequent EPs were *Love You* and *Know Love*.
- The track marked a shift from Barcelona's earlier piano-rock sound toward a more synth-heavy, dance-rock-oriented style.
- The band's official video was published through the group's VEVO channel in January 2014, while the recording carries a 2013 NBD LLC copyright.
- Barcelona formed in Seattle in 2005 around singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Brian Fennell.
- The heartbreak narrative in the lyrics contrasts with the song's polished, propulsive production, creating the tension between emotional devastation and a beat-driven pop arrangement.
- Brian Fennell later pursued a solo career under the name SYML.