THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

892-Mike Posner-I Took a Pill in Ibiza. (SeeB remix.)

2015-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.38. You can’t please everyone. Ibiza’s tourism officials were annoyed, as they felt the songs lyrics contributed to the islands reputation for drug related debauchery. As a result Mike Posner was invited to the island to discover how much more it had to offer as a destination, apart from it’s nightlife.

Michael Robert Henrion Posner was born on February 12th, 1988, in Detroit, Michigan, United States. To date he has released four studio Albums between 2010-2020, and 25 singles between 2010-2022, he has also issued four ‘Mixtapes’ from 2009-2019, and a collaboration Album with the American musician ‘Blackbear’ in 2017, called ‘Mansionz.’ In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, four of his songs have reached the top 40, with this song charting the highest at Number 4, while in the UK, he has had three top 40 hits, including his featured artist appearance on the 2011 Number 4 hit ‘With Ur Love,’ by Cher Lloyd, a song that he also co-wrote. As well as writing and recording for himself, Mike Posner has several writing co-credits for other artists, including, ‘Sugar,’ for Maroon 5, (2014-Billboard Number 2, and UK Number 7) ‘Beneath Your Beautiful,’ for Labrinth featuring Emeli Sande, (2012-Billboard Number 34, and UK Number 1) and ‘Boyfriend,’ for Justin Bieber (2012-Billboard Number 2, and UK Number 2.)

The original version of ‘I Took a Pill in Ibiza,’ was written by Mike Posner, and produced by Posner, and the Swedish born music producer Martin Terefe, and was first issued on Posner’s second ‘EP’ ‘The Truth,’ in June 2015. The original version of ‘I Took a Pill in Ibiza,’ is a ‘Folk/Pop’ song, and has an extra verse, which doesn’t appear on the ‘SeeB’ remix. Both the original version, and the SeeB remix appear on Mike Posner’s second studio Album ‘All Night, Alone,’ from May 2016.

Mike Posner got the idea for the song when he was on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza with Avicii (1989-2018) (see also best songs 123.) Posner was watching Avicii doing a DJ set at his show, when he was offered a pill. Posner has explained,’I would go back and forth between the backstage and the VIP area, and then where the actual kids were. And most people didn’t know who the f–k I was in Ibiza, except for this one guy who recognised me. He was like, ‘Are you Mike Posner?’ and he was all excited. He holds up this little bag of pills and is like, ‘You want one?’ And drunk Mike Posner was like, ‘F–k it, yeah.’ So I took one, and I had never done that before, and I felt amazing. Then when I came down I felt ten years older.’

The lyrics to ‘I Took a Pill in Ibiza’ see Mike Posner reflecting on his career as a musician, and also on the pressures of fame. Posner had great success with his breakthrough hits ‘Cooler Than Me,’ and ‘Please Don’t Go,’ but then the hits dried up. Posner has said,’I made two records on RCA that got shelved, and remain on my laptop. In the industry, my career was generally considered over, and people were calling me a one-hit wonder. With that song, (‘I Took a Pill in Ibiza’) I was just trying to be honest about coming down from the mountaintop of success, people’s ascent to the top is always very well documented, and everybody wants to write about it, but I was interested in what it’s like to come back down again. I had to live that, and it was a great experience for me, it made me a much better person.’ Ironically a song which is about falling from a great height, and nearlly hitting the bottom, put Mike Posner right back at the top of the tree.

‘SeeB’ are the Norwegian duo of Simen Eriksrud, and Espen Berg, their working name is made up of the initials of the first letter of their name, and surname. Together they have released one studio Album,’Sad in Scandinavia,’ in 2021, and 30 singles, between 2015-2021. In their native Norway they have achieved 10 top 40 hits on the ‘VG-lista’ Norwegian record chart, with different featured artists on each hit, including ‘One Republic,’ and ‘Bastille.’

The ‘SeeB’ remix of ‘I Took a Pill in Ibiza’ is recorded in the genre of ‘Tropical House’ music, which is a sub-genre of ‘House Music.’ ‘Tropical House’ possesses typical house music characteristics, including synthesizer instrumentation, and a 4/4 kick drum pattern. It differentiates itself from ‘Deep House’ which can often have a very dark sound, whereas ‘Tropical House’ can be described as having a more uplifting and relaxing sound. ‘Tropical House’ usually includes tropical instruments such as steel drums, marimba, guitar, saxophone, or even pan flute, and can sometimes use ‘Dembow’ rhythm patterns, often attributed to genres such as ‘Dancehall’ and ‘Reggaeton.’

‘I took a pill in Ibiza, to show Avicii I was cool, and when I finally got sober, felt ten years older, but f..k it, it was something to do.’