Tokio Hotel Celebrates 15 Years With Synth-Pop Rendition of Global Mega-Hit 'Monsoon'

Multi-award-winning band Tokio Hotel look back on 15 years of unparalleled success and remarkable growth, releasing a modern synth-pop rendition of their epic worldwide hit "Monsoon" in English via Epic / Sony Music Germany. "'Monsoon' means change. It's the song that changed our lives completely." explains Bill Kaulitz. "When we decided to make a new version of 'Monsoon' the idea we had was to make an acoustic record, let's arrange it with an orchestra and do something nice with the 2020 version but it just felt boring. We had to do something special for 15 years of this track that started it all for us." added Tom Kaulitz. While notably a sonic departure from their early alt-rock roots, "Monsoon 2020" maintains its profound lyricism over a driving beat, mellow guitars, lush vocals, and a melody both close enough and yet entirely different to the original - all of which makes the song a nostalgic tribute to the past and a gorgeous glance into the future.

Amassing rapid international fame, the band - comprised of twins Bill and Tom Kaulitz , Gustav Schäfer, and Georg Listing - stormed the charts upon their 2005 debut in Germany and later skyrocketed to the top with their first English-language record Scream which included "Monsoon" in 2007. Tokio Hotel went on to garner 110 international award nominations and win a wealth of high-profile awards including MTV's 'Best New Artist' VMA in the USA (against Katy Perry, Miley Cryus, and Taylor Swift), 5 EMA's, among many others. Scream surpassed 7 million physical albums sold globally, and went Platinum (70x) and Gold (120x) in 68 countries. To date the band has released six studio albums, including their latest LP titled Dream Machine in 2017, and continue to have millions of dedicated listeners all over the world.

A re-release and remake of "Monsoon" wasn't originally intended. Just like many others in the music industry, Tokio Hotel's touring plans came to halt with the COVID-19 pandemic. The band members, who were already on the road for their 'Melancholic Paradise' world tour, headed back home to both Los Angeles, CA, USA and Magdeburg, Germany. Why not use the forced hiatus to take a breath, look within and maybe even reminisce on some cherished memories? So Bill, Tom, Gustav, and Georg spent days and nights diving into their archives, rummaging forgotten pictures and videos, revisiting old schedules, and taking their Instagram followers on a nostalgic journey back in time. They reposted early band photos, backstage snapshots, and screenshots of the single charts from the release week of "Monsoon" in 2005 and 2007. Then they topped off their #timemachine-trip with the announcement of a new version of their iconic song which has brought Tokio Hotel fans together once more from border to border.

"Everything that happened to us throughout these last 15 years had started with that song," Bill asserts. "'Monsoon' is not just about memories of 2005. It's a song that has always accompanied us during these last 15 years," Georg adds, "For us this song is closely tied to all of our major successes. We have played it live at the Eiffel Tower in front of 500,000 people on Bastille Day. We have played it at our very first gig in the US and during every single tour that followed. And it's always been the highlight of every show."

"Everyone remembers the lyrics and connects them to feelings they felt during a specific time in their lives. We wondered what 'Monsoon' would sound like if 2020 was the first time we ever recorded it. We wanted the new version to resonate with the here and now", Bill says, "I believe 2020 has been rough for a lot of people so the words of the song are still very relevant today."

In 2019 Tokio Hotel revealed new music including singles "Melancholic Paradise," "When It Rains It Pours," and "Chateau." "Monsoon 2020" is only the beginning of a new chapter and the band is working hard in the studio so watch this space.

Listen to "Monsoon" here:

Photo Credit: Dominik Wilzok

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