Virtual Reality (song)

Virtual Reality is a 2011 indie-rock single by Hayden Burke. The song tells the story of an outsider who is finally 'happy and free' within his own virtual reality.

As of 2014, the song retains the title of 'The Worst Song Ever'.

Conception
The idea for the single was conceived during early 2011, when Burke and his former Guitar were experiment with single notes during a lesson. Due to Burke's inability to play any complex melodies, his teacher allowed him to play a simple riff, which became the tapestry for the other instruments on the track.

Initially, the track was an instrumental piece entitled 'Frogger'. However, following the completion of the demo, Burke had contemplated the concept of turning the song into his first single and began writing lyrics for a track he described as, "Not about love."

Recording
The vocals and instrumentals for the track were recorded during October 2011, within the confines of Xavier College's music room. At this point in time, Burke thought the song was an instant hit and prepared a single cover with his former girlfriend, who designed the cover.

A roughly mixed version was presented to a fellow Guitar student during a recording session later that month.

Pre-Release
A version containing unmixed vocals found its way onto Soundcloud in November 2011, which was sarcastically praised by peers of Burke's. As he was mentally disabled at the time, Burke acknowledged the praise and believed he was 'the next Michael Jackson'.

Release
The song was officially released on iTunes in its entirety on November 6, 2011.

Disappearance
Due to its poor reception, the single was removed from iTunes by Burke in late November 2011. Whilst Burke deleted the track online, it was apparent that many individuals had obtained a copy whilst it was for sale, leading Burke on a wild goose chase in order to remove the song from existence.

Existing Copies
As of 2014, many individuals still own a low bit rate (LBR) copy of the single. However, the only master copy existing resides in Burke's cupboard.

2014 Remix
Burke's DJ group, The Sharer Connection, remixed the song's riff in their 2014 single. The song is a dubstep interpretation that relies on hard hitting snares in delivering its message.

Reception
The song received 0% positive reviews.

Chart Success
The song sold 76 copies within its week of existence and reached #197 on the iTunes Rock Charts in Australia, something Burke used to brag about.