"Deny" is a song by Canadian post-grunge

Post-grunge

Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...

 band Default

Default (band)

Default is a Canadian post-grunge/alternative rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. Since forming in 1999 they have released four albums, and have sold more than a million records...

 and the second single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 from their 2001 debut album, The Fallout

The Fallout

The Fallout is the debut album by Canadian post-grunge/alternative rock band Default. Chad Kroeger, the frontman of Nickelback, contributed to the album's production and co-wrote six of its songs including its second single...

. It reached #7 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and was featured on the video game NHL 2003

NHL 2003

NHL 2003 is the eleventh edition of the popular EA Sports NHL series, a hockey video game, released on the successor to NHL 2002. Jarome Iginla appears as the cover athlete and spokesperson of the game. Iginla appears in the Behind The Scenes video to show the player how the game was...

. "Deny" is recognizable for its aggressive, hard-hitting style in contrast to the more melodic tones of Default's previous single

Wasting My Time (Default song)

"Wasting My Time" is a song by Canadian alternative rock band Default and the lead single from their 2001 debut album, The Fallout. The song made its radio and video debut in the fall of that year and the single was released in September 2001...

. It was marked an AMG Track Pick by Andy Hinds of Allmusic.

Music video

A music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 was produced for "Deny" which stars professional boxer

Professional Boxing

Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...

 Laila Ali

Laila Ali

Laila Amaria Ali is a retired American professional boxer. She is the daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali from his third wife Veronica Porsche Ali.-Boxing career:...

, daughter of Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...

, in a boxing contest. Default performs and represents Ali's motivation. As the song plays through, band members receive facial injuries in relation to the punches endured by Ali. This corresponds with the song's lyrics which deal with the demise of a relationship taking a metaphorically physical toll on a partner. Guitarist Jeremy Nora explained in an interview with LAUNCH:

"We're actually inside [Laila Ali's] head. We're her motivation. We're supposed to be the music in the background, whatever, like, the song's supposed to represent how the match is going. And so, when she gets hit, we also get hit at the same time."

Due to Default's touring schedule, the band shot their scenes separately from Ali and consequently were not able to meet her.

Chart performance

Chart (2002)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	7
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	14