Lost in Paradise (song)

Background

"Lost in Paradise" was written by Amy Lee while production was handled by Nick Raskulinecz. The song was recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee in 2011. A snippet of the song premiered prior to the release of the album on July 15, 2011 on MTV News. During an interview Lee said, "That's the one that made us cry ... like, literally, just in here, working on it, there have been tears. I love that song. When I was writing it, it wasn't anything; it was just pure, it was just for me. I was literally just writing it for me, to soothe my own feelings by expressing them. And I just thought, 'Piano, vocals, I can record it by myself at my house, and that'll be the track. ... It'll be a B-side somewhere or something.'"

She further described the process of the recording of the song: "[But] then ... as we were working on other songs — focusing more on rock songs — I kept listening to it for fun, because it was mine, and I sent it to [producer] Nick [Raskulinecz] and I was like, 'I want you to listen to this. ... The more I listen to it, the more I think it means something'. And he, instantly, was like, 'We have to do that song.' And it was his idea to bring the band into it, and at first, I was totally like, 'I don't get that.' But once we did, it just blew the thing wide open, in a way I had never thought about before. It's perfect; it's meant to be the way it is." Lee went to Toronto's Liberty Studios on August 22, to preview five mastered songs from Evanescence to a selected crowd of thirty people. "Lost in Paradise" was one of the five previewed songs. During an interview with Fuse TV in May, 2012, the band revealed that it would be released as the album's third overall single. Wind-Up Records released the single on May 25, 2012.

Composition

"Lost in Paradise" is a symphonic rock, piano and power ballad, inspired by Lee's love for Evanescence and personal reflection on her past struggles. She revealed that after deciding to take a break, she spent a lot of time with her husband and doing normal things in her life, but still feeling like she was not "whole". Instead, she felt lost and missed her work with the band and the writing process. Later, she decided to write the song as an apology to her fans for being gone for so long. Starting with piano and Lee's vocals, the song slowly builds, "layering on stirring strings, booming timpani and, at the climax, some thunderous guitar chords" as stated by James Montgomery of MTV News. James Montgomery of MTV News stated that the song had similarities with the song "Jóga" (1997) by Icelandic recording artist Björk which Lee confirmed by saying, "That's a big inspirational song for me. That's a song through my life that I've listened to a whole bunch. And to me, Björk, what makes her style are the strings, the orchestral elements, and that passion that it creates. ... It makes your heart pour out. That totally inspired me, and that song inspired me." NME's Tom Goodwyn found similarities between "Lost in Paradise" and "My Immortal", a song by the band's first studio album Fallen, "before it was re-recorded with that massive guitar breakdown."

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics. James Montgomery of MTV News wrote that the song "is unapologetically epic and uncompromisingly raw, a song that manages to seem both all-encompassing and intimate, often at the same time." In his review of Evanescence, Rick Florino of Artistdirect concluded "The record's centerpiece is the elegantly dark ballad, 'Lost in Paradise'. It's in 'Paradise' that Lee's genius floats to the forefront most prominently. She paints a poignant picture of yearning for redemption from heartache crooning, 'We've been falling for all this time and now I'm lost in paradise.'" In another review, he called the song "the record's standout ballad." That was somewhat echoed by Kerrang!'s Steve Beebee who called the song a "majestic ballad." Dane Prokofiev of PopMatters said that the song was one of the two along with "Erase This" which "really caught" his attention. Edna Gundersen of USA Today put the song on her list of songs to consider downloading. Mark Lepage of Montreal's The Gazette concluded that Lee's intention was to write the song for the girls.

Chad Grischow of IGN wrote: "Lee's skyward vocals suit the album's obsession with the emotional frustration and devastation of a break-up well, ripe with romantically longing tunes like gorgeous power ballad "Lost In Paradise", where her breathy vocals in the beginning awaken as she passionately apologizes for not sticking with the guy who believed in her." Digital Spy's Lewis Corner said that the song "continues the trend as a black-eyed rock ballad of towering string sections and lyrics of despair and heartbreak." A more mixed review for the song was given by Marc Hirsh of The Boston Globe who wrote that the slow tempo of the song provided by piano and strings made it a drag where "the band itself gets very little breathing room." Billboard magazine's Christa Titus wrote that Lee's voice was "powerful and flexible as ever" in "the deep croons that introduce 'Lost in Paradise'."

Chart performance

Following the digital release of the album, "Lost in Paradise" peaked at number thirty nine on the Swiss Singles Chart on October 23, 2011. On the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, the song debuted at number ninety nine for the week ending October 16, 2011. The same week it peaked on the Hot Digital Songs and Canadian Hot 100 at numbers fifty three and eighty nine respectively. The song also debuted at number nine on the UK Rock Chart for the week ending October 22, 2011. After the song was released as a single, it debuted at number seventy one on the Austrian Singles Chart for the week ending June 8, 2012.

Music video

During an interview with Fuse TV in May, 2012, the band confirmed that a music video for the song will be released. The music video was planned for release after the Carnival Of Madness Tours which the band embarked on in the summer of 2012. By the end of the tour, Lee asked fans via Twitter to send live footage from the tour so that it can be part of the video. A lyric video was uploaded to the band's official YouTube account on May 11, 2012. The official music video for "Lost in Paradise", released on February 14, 2013, focuses on the band's live tour, featuring footage of the band performing the song filmed by fans in the crowd from around the world.

Live performances

The band added "Lost in Paradise" to the set list on their third worldwide tour in support of Evanescence. While reviewing a performance of the song, Rick Florino of Artistdirect said, "Speaking of vocal prowess, Lee reached the level of legends during 'Lost In Paradise'. Sitting at a piano center stage, she entranced with a shimmering melody and heartbreaking, hypnotic hook. Stripped of any pomp and circumstance, Lee's talents transfixed. As the song built, the band entered rounding out the timeless ballad with a distinct heaviness." Serene Dominic of The Arizona Republic wrote: "The biggest shrieks came when the piano movers made their first appearance and wheeled a baby grand onstage for 'Lost in Paradise.'" Joel Francis of The Kansas City Star described the performance of the song as "spellbinding". Along with "Bring Me to Life" (2003) the song was played in the band's performance with a live orchestra for the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway on December 11, 2011.

1. "Lost in Paradise" – 4:43
2. "Lost in Paradise" (Live) – 5:01
3. "My Immortal" (Live) – 4:25

1. "Lost in Paradise" (Album version) – 4:44