| "After Midnight" | ||||
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| Single by Blink-182 | ||||
| from the album Neighborhoods | ||||
| Released | September 6, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | April–July 2011 | |||
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| Length | 3:25 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker | |||
| Producer(s) | Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker | |||
| Blink-182 singles chronology | ||||
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"After Midnight" is a song by American rock band Blink-182, released on September 6, 2011 as the second single from the group's sixth studio album, Neighborhoods (2011). The song was written and produced very late in the recording process for Neighborhoods, following the cancellation of a European tour to complete the long-delayed album. Although the album was recorded primarily in separate studios, "After Midnight" came together quickly in a last-minute writing session when the trio were together.
The song originated from drummer Travis Barker, who laid down the song's distinctive percussion and labeled it "Travis Beat". Guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus were immediately inspired when Barker introduced the demo to them, and the song was nearly complete three hours later. While Hoppus and DeLonge wrote the track separately, both centered lyrically on romance. Lyrically, the song revolves around two broken individuals who fall in love. "After Midnight" is a midtempo song.
The song received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics, many of whom viewed it among the band's best work. The music video for "After Midnight", directed by Isaac Rentz, was released in January 2012. It combines a narrative following lovers sneaking around a youth psychiatric ward and performance shots of the band performing in a large hangar. "After Midnight" peaked at number seven on the US Billboard's Alternative Songs chart, and also within the top 20 on Canadian rock charts. In promotion of the single, Blink-182 performed the song live on late-night talk show Conan.
It is the last single to feature founding member Tom DeLonge until his return to the band in 2022.