Nick Miller has a way of making you feel like your heart is being ripped out and stitched back together at the exact same time. If you’ve ever been to an Illenium set, you know the vibe. Thousands of people, many in tears, screaming lyrics at the top of their lungs while melodic bass crashes over them like a tidal wave. It's intense. Among his massive discography, all that really matters illenium stands out as a track that basically defined an era of melodic dance music. It wasn’t just another festival banger; it was a shift toward something more organic, more singer-songwriter focused, but with that signature "sad boy" drop we all crave.
Released as a collaboration with Teddy Swims, the song dropped in 2022 and immediately became a staple. Teddy’s voice is soulful. It’s gritty. It’s the kind of vocal that doesn't usually live in the EDM world, which is exactly why it worked. Miller has this knack for finding voices that shouldn't fit—rock vocalists, folk singers, soul powerhouses—and wrapping them in layers of distorted synths and cinematic percussion.
The Story Behind the Sound
Most people think electronic music is just about the software. It’s not. For Nick, the process behind all that really matters illenium was about stripped-back vulnerability. At its core, the song is a love letter to the people who stick around when everything else goes to hell. It’s about the realization that fame, money, and the "grind" are secondary to human connection.
Teddy Swims actually brings a raw, Atlanta-bred soul energy to the track. When they performed this at Bonnaroo or during his massive Trilogy shows, the energy changed. It stopped being a rave for a second and felt more like a gospel session. You have to understand that Illenium was coming off the back of Fallen Embers, an album that solidified his Grammy-nominated status. He was under a lot of pressure to keep that momentum. Instead of going "harder," he went deeper.
The lyrics are simple. Honestly, they’re almost basic if you just read them on a page. But music isn't read; it's felt. When Teddy sings about how nothing else matters but "you," and then the drums kick in with that half-time, soaring Illenium drop, it hits a lizard-brain part of the subconscious. It’s catharsis.
Why This Track Defined the Self-Titled Album Era
When Illenium released his self-titled fifth studio album in 2023, all that really matters illenium served as a cornerstone. The album was a departure. He started incorporating more live guitar, more pop-punk influences, and a heavier emphasis on "the band" feel. He’s been vocal in interviews about how he grew up on bands like Blink-182 and Linkin Park. You can hear that DNA here.
It’s not just "EDM." It’s "Emotional Dance Music."
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The production on this specific track is surprisingly intricate. If you listen with high-quality headphones, you’ll hear the foley—the small, real-world sounds—tucked into the background. There’s a warmth to the low end that isn't just a digital sine wave. It feels like a physical room. This is what sets Miller apart from the sea of "Future Bass" producers who dominated SoundCloud in 2016. He evolved. He realized that to stay relevant in a landscape that was moving toward techno and house, he had to double down on the one thing those genres sometimes lack: blatant, unashamed sentimentality.
The Cultural Impact of the Illenials
You can't talk about all that really matters illenium without talking about the fans. The "Illenials" are a different breed. They wear jerseys like sports fans. They trade "kandi" with Nick’s logo (the Phoenix) on it. For this community, this song became a wedding anthem, a funeral tribute, and a breakup cure all rolled into one.
I’ve seen people at Red Rocks sobbing during the bridge of this song. It’s a collective release. In a world that’s increasingly digital and isolated, Nick’s music provides a space where it’s okay to be a wreck. The song validates the struggle. It says, "Yeah, things are messy, but this one person or this one feeling is the anchor."
- The Vocal Choice: Teddy Swims was a massive "get." His rise to mainstream stardom happened almost alongside this track's lifecycle.
- The Remixes: Naturally, the song got the remix treatment. From Kayzo taking it into hardstyle/rock territory to more chill acoustic versions, the song’s bones were strong enough to support any genre.
- Live Integration: During the Live and In Color tour, the visuals for this track featured intimate, home-movie style clips. It reinforced the "family first" message.
Technical Breakdown for the Nerds
For the producers reading this, the magic is in the sidechain. Illenium is the king of the "ducking" effect where the synths pump around the kick and snare. In all that really matters illenium, the sidechain is slightly more relaxed than his older stuff like Say It or Fractures. It breathes more.
The lead synth is layered—probably a mix of Serum wavetables and some organic guitar processed through heavy distortion and reverb. It creates a "wall of sound" that feels massive but doesn't drown out Teddy’s grit. That is a hard balance to strike. Usually, a voice that big competes with the mid-range of the saws. Nick carves out a specific hole in the frequency spectrum for the vocals to sit right in your forehead.
Misconceptions About the "Formula"
Critics often say Illenium just writes the same song over and over. They’re wrong. If you look at the chord progression of all that really matters illenium, it avoids the standard I-V-vi-IV pop tropes in favor of something that feels more circular and unresolved. It mirrors the feeling of longing.
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Also, people think he just presses play. If you’ve seen him lately, he’s up there with drum pads, guitars, and a full production suite. He’s trying to bridge the gap between a DJ set and a stadium rock concert. This track is the perfect "mid-tempo" bridge for that kind of show. It slows the heart rate down before the final chaotic finale.
Honestly, the "formula" works because it's rooted in songwriting. You could play this song on an acoustic guitar at a campfire and it would still be a good song. Most EDM tracks fall apart without the sub-bass. This one doesn't.
The Evolution of Nick Miller
Nick’s journey from a bedroom producer in Colorado to selling out SoFi Stadium is the stuff of legend. He’s been open about his past struggles with addiction, and that perspective colors everything he touches. When he writes about "all that really matters," he isn't guessing. He knows what it’s like to lose everything.
That’s the secret sauce. Authenticity. You can’t fake the kind of desperation and hope that lives in his music. Fans smell "industry plants" a mile away. Illenium feels like one of us who just happened to get really good at Ableton.
The 2023 self-titled album was a big risk. It was much rockier than people expected. But songs like this one kept the core fan base happy while pushing the boundaries of what a "rave" can be. It’s more of a festival-rock fusion now.
How to Experience the Song Properly
If you're just listening to this on phone speakers, you're doing it wrong. You're missing 60% of the art.
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- Find a Sound System with a Real Sub: The low-end frequencies in the second drop are designed to vibrate your chest.
- Watch the Trilogy Version: Go to YouTube and find the recording of him playing this at the Denver or LA Trilogy shows. The scale of the production—lasers, fire, fireworks—adds a layer of "epicness" that the studio version can't capture.
- Listen to the Lyrics: Don't just wait for the drop. Teddy Swims is telling a story about priorities.
What This Means for the Future of Melodic Bass
Where does the genre go from here? We’re seeing a lot of producers try to mimic this style, but they often forget the "soul" part. They get the loud drums and the big synths, but they forget the human element. all that really matters illenium proved that EDM can have a "heartland" feel. It can feel American, soulful, and rustic while still being high-tech.
Expect more collaborations like this. We’re already seeing it with artists like SVDDEN DEATH working with metal bands or Marshmello doing country tracks. Illenium was a pioneer in this "genre-blind" approach. He doesn't care if it's "cool" or "underground." He cares if it hits.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Creators
If you’re a fan or a burgeoning producer looking to tap into this energy, here’s how to actually apply the "Illenium mindset" to your own life or art:
- Focus on the "Why": Before Nick starts a track, there’s a feeling. If you’re creating something, don't start with the beat. Start with the emotion. What are you trying to purge?
- Collaborate Outside Your Bubble: If you’re a techno head, talk to a folk singer. If you’re a metalhead, talk to a rapper. The friction between genres is where the magic happens. Teddy Swims and Illenium are from two different worlds, and that’s why the spark was so bright.
- Invest in the Live Experience: If you have the chance to see the Phoenix live, do it. It’s a masterclass in emotional pacing. Watch how he uses silence. Watch how he builds tension.
- Analyze the Lyrics: Seriously. Go to a lyrics site and read the words to this track. Think about who that person is in your life. Use that as a prompt for your own journaling or creative work.
The reality is that all that really matters illenium isn't just a song on a playlist. It’s a marker of a specific time in music history where the lines between the "main stage" and the "confessional" finally blurred for good. It’s okay to cry at the rave. In fact, if you aren't, you might be doing it wrong.
Keep an eye on Nick’s socials and the Trilogy tour dates. The way he’s evolving the live show suggests that the next chapter will be even more instrumental and band-focused. We’re moving away from the "DJ behind a desk" era and into something much more visceral. And honestly? It’s about time.