Darkside

Darkside

"Darkside" is the sound of a world rebuilding itself. Released on 27 July 2018, the track is by Norwegian DJ and record producer Alan Walker, featuring Antiguan-German singer Au/Ra and Norwegian singer Tomine Harket. It was the second single from Walker's debut album, Different World, and it is part of the "World of Walker" trilogy, a series of music videos that tell a post-apocalyptic story about hope and survival.

The song is an electro house and glitch hop track with a driving beat and a chorus that feels both dark and uplifting. It reached number 1 in Norway and charted across Europe and North America, peaking at number 9 on the US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. The music video, directed by Kristian Berg, features several World War II monuments and memorials in Yugoslavia, including the Monument to the Revolution of the People of Moslavina and the Valley of Heroes.

A SongSense analysis describes the song as exploring "themes of escapism, finding belonging, and creating a personal sanctuary," with the "dark side" symbolizing "a shared, private universe where they can be fearless and authentic." The analysis notes that the song is "a key part of Alan Walker's larger narrative, the 'World of Walker' saga, where it represents a phase of rebuilding and hope in a post-apocalyptic setting." It also highlights the chorus lyric "We don't need the light, we'll live on the dark side" and describes the repetition of "fall into the dark side" as "a hypnotic chant."

User reviews on Album of the Year reflect a nostalgic reception. One user wrote, "I often come back to this song for the nostalgia," while another called it "Classic." Another user wrote, "OG 2018 song lol. Brings a lot of nostalgia to me and i will be grateful for that." A more critical user noted, "Although it's still in the realm of generic EDM and sounds similar to a lot of Alan Walker's other stuff... it's probably Alan Walker's best song." The album has a user score of 77 out of 100 based on 45 ratings, with 82% of users liking the album.

As a reviewer, I understand the nostalgia in those user comments. "Darkside" arrived at a moment when Alan Walker was becoming a global name, and for many listeners it is tied to a specific time in their lives ? school years, early internet days, the first time they discovered electronic music. The song's concept gives it a weight that most dance tracks don't carry: it is not just a drop and a hook, but part of a larger story about hope after destruction. The critical voices are fair to note that it sits comfortably in Walker's familiar sound, but the collective reception suggests that familiarity is part of the appeal. It is a song that knows exactly what it is, and it delivers it with confidence.