It was late 2014. You couldn't walk into a H&M or turn on a festival livestream without hearing those soaring, slightly melancholic chords. "Heroes (We Could Be)" wasn't just another track on the radio; it was the peak of the progressive house era. Honestly, if you closed your eyes back then, you could practically feel the confetti cannons at Tomorrowland hitting your face.
But here’s the thing about Alesso Tove Lo heroes. It shouldn't have worked as well as it did.
By the time it dropped, the "EDM bubble" was supposedly ready to burst. Critics were tired of big-room drops. Yet, Alessandro Lindblad (Alesso) and Tove Lo managed to bottle a specific kind of lightning. It’s a song about being a misfit, about supernatural potential, and—weirdly enough—about avoiding a massive lawsuit from David Bowie's estate.
The David Bowie "Scandal" That Wasn't
Let's get the legal drama out of the way first because it’s a trip. If you look at the writing credits for the song today, you’ll see David Bowie and Brian Eno listed. Did they sit in a studio with Alesso? Obviously not.
Alesso has been pretty blunt about this. He basically admitted they added the credits in 2015 just to be safe. "I just didn't want to get sued," he told the Daily Star. Even though the melody isn't actually a copy of Bowie’s 1977 classic, the "We could be heroes" refrain was close enough to make the lawyers sweat. It was a "better safe than sorry" move that now links a Swedish EDM titan to a Ziggy Stardust legend forever.
Why the Vocals Actually Mattered
Tove Lo was a different beast back then. She wasn't the polished pop star yet; she was the "Habits (Stay High)" girl who sang about eating dinner in the bathtub. She brought a grit to the track that most EDM vocalists lacked.
Most festival anthems use "session singers" who sound like they were generated in a lab to be as bright and loud as possible. Tove Lo sounds... tired. In a good way. She sounds human. When she sings about being a "different kind," you actually believe she’s hiding out in the daylight.
Breaking Down the Sound
The production is a masterclass in tension and release.
- The Key: F Major (but it feels more emotional than your standard "happy" major key).
- The BPM: 126. It’s slightly slower than the 128 BPM "heartbeat" of house music, giving it a bit of room to breathe.
- The Drop: It doesn't punch you in the throat. It’s a rolling, melodic wave.
Alesso used a mix of hardware and software (like the legendary Nexus and Sylenth1 synths that defined that decade) to create a wall of sound that felt massive without being messy.
The Music Video’s X-Men Vibes
If you haven't watched the video lately, go back and do it. Directed by Emil Nava, it’s basically a short film about a high-security institute for "supernatural" teens.
Tove Lo plays an angel-like being kept under sedation by scientists. Alesso plays... well, a guy who runs really fast and breaks her out. It ends with a literal leap of faith off a skyscraper. It’s melodramatic. It’s very 2014. But it captured the "us against the world" sentiment that made the song a staple at every high school graduation for the next three years.
Chart Domination and Real-World Impact
The numbers are still kind of staggering.
💡 You might also like: Why Dallas: War of the Ewings Was the Last Gasp of 80s Excess
- It hit #1 on the US Dance Club Songs.
- It peaked at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 (hard for a pure EDM track).
- It has surpassed a billion streams across platforms.
It wasn't just a club hit; it was a crossover monster. It paved the way for Alesso's debut album, Forever, and proved that Swedish producers were still the undisputed kings of melody.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often group "Heroes" with the "cheesy" EDM of that era. That’s a mistake. If you listen to the lyrics, it’s actually kind of dark. It’s about people who don't fit in, people who feel invisible. "Everyday people do everyday things, but I can't be one of them."
It’s an anthem for the weird kids. That's why it survived the "drop" of the EDM craze. While other songs from 2014 sound dated and "plastic," this one still feels like a gut punch in a dark room.
👉 See also: Throne of Glass Series in Order: How to Actually Read Sarah J. Maas’s Epic
How to Use This Knowledge
If you’re a producer, stop trying to make your drops louder. Alesso Tove Lo heroes succeeded because the melody did the heavy lifting, not the kick drum. Focus on the "topline" (the vocal melody).
If you're just a fan, put this on your "Late Night Drive" playlist. It hits different when you’re 25 or 30 than it did when you were 18. There’s a nostalgia there, sure, but there’s also a reminder that you don't have to be "normal" to be significant.
Practical Next Steps
- Listen to the Extended Mix: The radio edit cuts out the atmospheric intro that sets the mood.
- Check out the Remixes: The Axwell remix is a classic for a reason, but the Grandtheft remix gives it a trap flavor that surprisingly works.
- Study the Lyrics: Look at how Tove Lo uses "Love and a little light" as a counterpoint to the "secret side" she mentions earlier. It's solid songwriting.
The era of big-room house might be "over" according to the industry, but as long as people feel like outsiders, this track is going to keep finding its way onto main stages. It's not just a song; it's a mood that hasn't aged a day.