It doesn’t take OneRepublic long to whip up a (very good) song. In fact, “Better Days” came together in less than a week as the band processed the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world. “Wakin’ up in California, but these clouds don’t go away,” Ryan Tedder begins the track. “Every day is like another storm yeah, I’m just tryin’ not to go insane.” Relatable isn’t a strong enough word. However, this isn’t a downer. The guys foresee an end to the chaos in the not-too-distant future.

“Oh I know that there’ll be better days, oh that sunshine bout’ to come my way,” Ryan sings on the chorus. “May we never ever shed another tear for today, ’cause oh I know that there’ll be better days.” Fingers crossed! How did the song come about? “We were in the final week of our fifth album deadline when a global pandemic was declared by the WHO,” the band’s frontman reveals. “A few of us unknowingly got exposed to somebody with COVID-19 in London and ended up in quarantine in LA at my studio for two weeks.”

“With only two songs left to finish, one of them happened to be ‘Better Days,’” Ryan continues. “We write about real experiences and events that happen to us — this is what happens when you write a song during a crisis.” The result is yet another great single that will raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund via MusiCares. “Better Days” was produced by Tyler Spry and joins “Didn’t I,” “Rescue Me,” “Wanted” and “Someone To Love” on OneRepublic’s Human album (due May 8). Listen to optimistic anthem below.

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