2021 (song)

For the Lauv song, see 2021 (Lauv song).

"2021"
Single by Vampire Weekend
from the album Father of the Bride
A-side	"Harmony Hall" (double A-side)
Released	January 24, 2019
Length	1:38
Label	Spring Snow Columbia
Composer(s)	Haruomi Hosono Ezra Koenig Ariel Rechtshaid [1]
Producer(s)	Ariel Rechtshaid Ezra Koenig
Vampire Weekend singles chronology
"Unbelievers" (2013) "Harmony Hall" / "2021" (2019) "Sunflower" / "Big Blue" (2019)

"2021" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend. Alongside "Harmony Hall", it served as the double A-side lead single for their fourth studio album Father of the Bride , and was released on January 24, 2019, by Columbia Records. ^[2] "2021" was later re-released on December 22, 2021, as a collaboration 12" single alongside "Talking" by Haruomi Hosono. ^[3]

Composition

The "sparse lovelorn ballad" is built around a sample of the ambient track "Talking", composed in the 1980s by Haruomi Hosono for Japanese retail company Muji. It features a soft pulsing synth and fingerpicked guitars, along with a distorted vocal sample of the word "boy" sung by Jenny Lewis. ^{[2] [4] [5]}

Personnel

Credits adapted from Qobuz. ^[6]

Musicians

• Ezra Koenig – vocals, guitar
• Jenny Lewis – additional vocals
• Ariel Rechtshaid – programming, synthesizer, bass guitar

Engineers

• Ariel Rechtshaid – engineering, mixing
• Chris Kasych – engineering
• John DeBold – engineering
• Ezra Koenig – mixing
• Chris Allgood – assistant engineering
• Emily Lazar – mastering

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [7]	38
Chart (2021)	Peak position
Japan (Oricon) [8]	69

References

1. "ASCAP Repertory entry for this song". ASCAP. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
2. Blistein, Jon (January 24, 2019). "Vampire Weekend Return After Six Years With 'Harmony Hall,' '2021'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved February 1, 2019.
3. "Watering A Flower". Light In The Attic Records. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
4. Strauss, Matthew; Bloom, Madison (January 24, 2018). "Vampire Weekend reveal new album title Father of the Bride, share new songs: Listen". Pitchfork . Retrieved February 1, 2018.
5. Tencic, Nat (January 25, 2018). "First Spin: Vampire Weekend's '2021' and 'Harmony Hall' were worth the wait". Triple J . Retrieved February 1, 2018.
6. "Harmony Hall / 2021 | Vampire Weekend". Qobuz . Retrieved February 1, 2019.
7. "Vampire Weekend Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
8. "Watering a Flower / 2021 Haruomi Hosono, Vampire Weekend" (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved March 28, 2022.