{{short description|2019 single by AJR}} {{Infobox song | name = Dear Winter | cover = Dear_Winter_Single.jpg | type = single | artist = AJR | album = Neotheater | released = {{start date|2019|04|05}} | recorded = 2018 | studio = | genre = Pop | length = 2:48 | label = S-Curve | writer = * Ryan Met<ref>{{cite web |last=Met|first=Jack|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw2xBIYAdgs|title=AJR [LIVE Acoustic Performance]|website=YouTube|time=18:28|date=June 10, 2019|accessdate=August 17, 2023}}</ref> | producer = Ryan Met | prev_title = Birthday Party | prev_year = 2019 | next_title = Break My Face | next_year = 2019 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|ZUSI4n_74LA|"Dear Winter"}}}} }}
"'''Dear Winter'''" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on April 5, 2019 via S-Curve Records as the third single from the band's third studio album ''Neotheater''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://betterspins.co/ajr-dear-winter/|title=AJR's Dear Winter Hits All The Feels|publisher=Better Spins|last=Snyder|first=Brett|date=April 15, 2019|accessdate=August 17, 2023}}</ref>
==Background== Jack and Ryan Met attended Columbia University while writing and producing ''Neotheater''. After the release of "Dear Winter", AJR put out a statement that "the song was a letter to [Ryan's] future child about the awkwardness of dating".<ref>{{cite web |last=Coes|first=Keith|url=https://lightning100.com/newmusic/ajr-dear-winter/|title=AJR - Dear Winter|website=Lightning 100|date=October 19, 2019|accessdate=August 17, 2023}}</ref> Ryan Met explains in an interview with iHeartRadio he wrote "Dear Winter" "after I asked a girl to hang out and she said no. And it wasn't quite a song about her, it was more of a song to my future kid about how strange and difficult it was to find their mom, and how weird it is to date in 2019".<ref>{{cite web |last=Fields|first=Taylor|url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2019-10-31-ajr-opens-up-about-the-meaning-behind-their-candid-single-dear-winter/|title=AJR Opens Up About the Meaning Behind Their Candid Single 'Dear Winter'|website=iHeartRadio|date=November 8, 2019|accessdate=August 17, 2023}}</ref>
Ryan Met wrote the song in the living room of his and Jack's apartment in New York. When interviewed by Zach Sang on ''Zach Sang Show'' on the topic of him writing "Turning Out Pt. II" and "Dear Winter", Ryan says "I think my emotion, if it's used for something, to help someone else, or just to be out there, is a lot more valid than if it just disappears forever". Ryan also states that the song is his favorite on the album from a songwriting standpoint, while Jack states it's his favorite song Ryan wrote.<ref>{{cite AV media |last=Met|first=Ryan|date=April 29, 2019 |title=AJR Breaks Down Their New Album Neotheater |medium=YouTube video |language=English |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcT_PUmYJXE |access-date=August 17, 2023 |time=58:40 |publisher=Zach Sang Show}}</ref>
==Composition== "Dear Winter" is composed in {{music|time|4|4}} common time and in the key of F major, with a tempo of 94 beats per minute (bpm).
==Music video== The official music video was released on April 5, 2019. Jack Met appears alone on a boat in a lake and performs the song on acoustic guitar. As of August 2023, the music video on YouTube has received over 13 million views.
==Personnel== Credits adapted from Tidal.<ref>{{cite web |title=Credits / Dear Winter / AJR |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/104858547/credits |date=April 5, 2019 |publisher=Tidal |accessdate=October 14, 2023}}</ref>
{{div col}} * Adam Met – backing vocals, composer * Jack Met – main vocals, composer * Ryan Met – backing vocals, instruments, composer, producer * Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer * Joe Zook – audio mixing {{div col end}}
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Weekly chart performance for "Dear Winter" ! scope="col"| Chart (2019) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|30|artist=AJR|rowheader=true|access-date=August 17, 2023}} |- {{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|21|artist=AJR|rowheader=true|access-date=August 17, 2023}} |- {{single chart|Billboardrockairplay|39|artist=AJR|rowheader=true|access-date=August 17, 2023}} |}
==2.0 version== {{Infobox song | name = Dear Winter 2.0 | cover = Dear_Winter_2_Single.jpg | type = single | artist = AJR | album = Neotheater | released = {{start date|2019|10|25}} | recorded = 2019 | studio = | genre = Pop | length = 2:50 | label = S-Curve | writer = * Ryan Met | producer = * Ryan Met * Michael Mangini | prev_title = Break My Face | prev_year = 2019 | next_title = Bang! | next_year = 2020 }} On October 24, 2019, AJR announced on Twitter that a version of "Dear Winter" with different production would be released the next day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/AJRBrothers/status/1187481029373808642|title=We reimagined Dear Winter, changing the production and upping the emotion. Dear Winter 2.0 comes out tomorrow|website=Twitter|date=October 24, 2019|accessdate=August 17, 2023}}</ref> The version received additional production from Michael Mangini with vocal effects and added instruments such as drums, strings, and synths.<ref>{{cite web |last=Vagabond|first=Rick|url=https://www.rickvagabond.com/blog/ajrs-neotheather-review|title=AJR's "Neotheather" [Review]|website=Rick Vagabond|date=April 27, 2020|accessdate=August 17, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Snyder|first=Brett|url=https://betterspins.co/ajr-dear-winter-2-0/|title=AJR Releases Dear Winter 2.0|website=Better Spins|date=October 28, 2019|accessdate=August 17, 2023}}</ref> The single released October 25, 2019.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bosch|first=Eva|url=https://www.strifemag.com/uncategorized/ajr-release-new-version-of-dear-winter/|title=AJR Release New Version Of "Dear Winter"|website=Strife Mag|date=October 25, 2019|accessdate=August 17, 2023}}</ref> "Dear Winter 2.0" along with "Bang!" were intended for a deluxe edition of ''Neotheater'', but was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Met|first=Ryan|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdjqrBN9QHY|title=Breaking down the production of Three-Thirty, Next Up Forever and Bang!|website=YouTube|language=en|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=October 13, 2023|archive-date=April 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429052108/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdjqrBN9QHY&t=0s|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Composition=== "Dear Winter 2.0" is composed in {{music|time|4|4}} common time and in the key of F major, with a tempo of 94 beats per minute (bpm).
===Personnel=== Credits adapted from Tidal.<ref>{{cite web |title=Credits / Dear Winter 2.0 / AJR |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/119930587/credits |date=October 25, 2019 |publisher=Tidal |accessdate=October 14, 2023}}</ref>
{{div col}} * Adam Met – backing vocals, instruments, composer * Jack Met – main vocals, instruments, composer * Ryan Met – backing vocals, instruments, composer, producer * Michael Mangini – drums, producer, mastering engineer, programming * Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer * Joe Zook – audio mixing * Dillon Kondor – electric guitar * Emily Brausa – strings * Yasmin De Soiza – strings {{div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{AJR songs}} {{authority control}}
Category:AJR songs Category:2019 songs Category:2019 singles