"Syndicate" is a song by Denver-based rock band the Fray. It is the opening track and the third single from their eponymous second studio album. It was released on January 12, 2010, for radio airplay, while the music video was released on February 9, 2010. Despite a generally positive critical reception, the song is the lowest charting single from the album.
AbsolutePunk stated the song had "a winning piano line" and commented upon its musical style, saying it "pushed out into a grander, denser sound than found before."[1] Sputnikmusic called it an "uplifting opener."[2]
The music video, directed by Mark Pellington, premiered on February 9, 2010, on Yahoo! Music.[3] The video is abstract in concept. It makes use of the multiple exposure technique: most scenes feature the band members' faces overlapping, rather than showing each of them individually. However, a few scenes do show the band members performing separately. Various miscellaneous objects and people are interspersed in the sequences, while the entire video is set against a glittering blood red and yellow background.[4] This is the second time Pellington is working with the band; he had earlier directed a video for "How to Save a Life" in 2007.
The music video uses the "Radio Remix Version" of the song which adds extra vocals towards the end of the song, although the length of the remix is the same as that of the album version.
"Syndicate" debuted at No. 25 on the Adult Top 40 chart for the week ending January 17, 2010, and peaked at No. 16 on the chart dated April 11, 2010.[5] The song also charted at No. 40 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart, entering the chart the week ending March 13, 2010, and dropping out the following week.[6]
