"Animal" | ||||
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Single by Miike Snow | ||||
from the album Miike Snow | ||||
B-side | "Billie Holiday" | |||
Released | 17 February 2009 | |||
Studio | Robotberget (Stockholm, Sweden) | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 4:24 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Miike Snow | |||
Miike Snow singles chronology | ||||
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"Animal" is a song performed by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It was released as the first single from the band's 2009 self-titled debut album on 17 February 2009 through Columbia and Downtown Records. Written by the band alongside Henrik Jonback, "Animal" is a pop song with instrumentation provided by horns and staccato synthesizers. Lead singer Andrew Wyatt has explained that it has an ambiguous meaning; its lyrics can be interpreted as dealing with matters such as addiction, basic instincts or dissatisfaction when one's needs are not met by society.
Applauding its catchiness and pop sound, critics were positive towards "Animal". Following its release, the single managed to peak at number 50 in Scotland and number 98 on the UK Singles Chart. It was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Two music videos were made to promote the release of "Animal"; the first was directed by Sebastian Mlynarski and depicts the band wearing different animal masks, and the second video, directed by Anthony Dickenson, features a mixture of projections, animation and performance footage.
"Animal" was written by Miike Snow's three members, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Andrew Wyatt, in collaboration with Henrik Jonback. [1] In an interview with Dustin Fitzharris of Out , Wyatt explained that the song has an ambiguous meaning, "It can deal with addiction. It can deal with just the basic instincts – some of them are wonderful and some of them are very dangerous." [2] In a separate interview with Joe Zadeh for Clash , Wyatt deemed it a "very simple song" and elaborated on its subject matter, "Directing your attention to man's underlying nature and how sometimes things in society just don't work out to meet your needs. And a lot of people end up feeling very dissatisfied. And the way people feel the need to fit into certain circumstances without even thinking about what they want." [3] "Animal" was recorded at Robotberget, the band's own studio in Stockholm, Sweden. [1] [4] The band produced the track and then mixed it with Anders Hvenare. [1]
Downtown Records first released "Animal" as the band's debut single on 17 February 2009 via digital download in the United States. [5] [6] The record label then sent it for alternative airplay in the country on 12 April 2009. [7] In the United Kingdom, Columbia Records first released the single as a 12" remix vinyl on 27 July 2009. [8] The label later digitally released it on 7 August 2009, [9] and as a CD single on 10 August 2009. [10] The CD and digital releases in the UK include the song "Billie Holiday", written by Karlsson, Winnberg and Wyatt, [11] as a B-side. [12] A digital extended play (EP) with remixes by Crookers, Fake Blood, Fred Falke, Punks Jump Up and Style of Eye was released in European countries on 7 August 2009. [13] Two remixes by Peter Bjorn and John and Mark Ronson were digitally released in the US on 8 December 2009. [14] Ronson's remix also appears on the UK iTunes Store release of the band's next single, "Black & Blue" (2009), [15] and was featured on the soundtrack album of the film Crazy, Stupid, Love (2010). [16]
"Animal" is a pop song with horn and staccato synthesizer instrumentation. [17] [18] [19] [20] According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing, the song is written in the time signature of common time with a moderate beat rate of 118 beats per minute. It is written in the key of E major and Wyatt's vocal range spans the notes of B3 to C♯6. It has an E–F♯m7–C♯m chord progression and a verse-chorus structure. [21] Sam Richards of NME and Ben Hogwood of musicOMH compared the sound and rhythm of the song to works by English band The Police, [22] [23] while Paul Lester of The Guardian likened lead singer Wyatt's vocals to those of The Police's lead singer Sting. [24] Jason Lymangrover of AllMusic compared the hook to works by American band Vampire Weekend, and said that "dubby synths circulate around flighty vocals with heavy sentiments". [17] Wyatt sings lyrics such as "But I'm still trying to make my mind up, am I free or am I tied up?" with "unassuming cheeriness", [18] and the chorus contains the line "I change shapes just to hide in this place, but I'm still, I'm still an animal". [17]
"Animal" received a positive response from music critics. Natalie Kaye of Contactmusic.com described it as a "solid pop song", before adding that the "infectious" chorus is "irrefutably something you'll end up whistling in the shower". [25] Similarly, Ian Wade of BBC Music commented that it "takes approximately one play for its catchiness to cluster bomb your memory bank", [26] and John Bergstrom of PopMatters called it "sharp, catchy pure pop" with a chorus that "charm[s] [its] way into your brain". [27] Rudy Klapper of Sputnikmusic commended lead singer Wyatt's "chameleonic" vocals, calling them "a highlight from the beginning". [18] Klapper concluded, "['Animal'] bounc[es] along a deceptively catchy progression to a jangly chorus that hits immediate pop pay dirt." [18] Neil Ashman of Drowned in Sound commented that it "boasts a number of indelible hooks worked around its staccato synth blasts". [19]
Jordan Bimm of Now described "Animal" as "catchy and creative" and said that the horns and the "playful vocal hook" will appeal to listeners who enjoyed Britney Spears' "Toxic" (2003), a production of Miike Snow members Karlsson and Winnberg. [20] Sam Richards of NME viewed "Animal" as an "impressive piece of sleight of hand" and compared its sound to that of The Police, "while remaining bearable". [22] Ben Hogwood of musicOMH said that it sounds like a "lost Police song given a new, vividly coloured change of clothes". [23] He felt that the lyrical vignettes and hooks seem "awkward" during the first listen, and "gloriously different the next". [23] Hogwood furthermore said that this applied for the album as a whole. [23] Marc Hogan of Pitchfork Media called it a "kiddie-pop lilt". [28]
Commercially, "Animal" was a minor chart success. It made its first chart appearance on 16 August 2009, on the Scottish Singles Chart at number 50. [29] The single also peaked number 98 in the issue dated 22 August 2009 of the UK Singles Chart. [30] "Animal" achieved some airplay in Russia, spending five weeks in the lower ends of the Tophit airplay chart and peaking at number 297. [31] In December 2013, the single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the band's first certification, indicating 1,000,000 digital sales. [32]
Two music videos were released to promote "Animal". The first video, directed by Sebastian Mlynarski, was released in July 2009. [33] It opens with the band performing on a street at night, holding umbrellas. The band then appears wearing different surgical masks with animal prints throughout the video. Near the end, they are seen performing in a grass field. Anthony Dickenson directed the single's second music video, [34] released in August 2009. [35] Dickenson created projections and sculptures, utilizing both animation and performance footage. [36] The video features projections of a forest which turns into a city as the video progresses. It interspersed with shots of the band performing in a dark room. The video ends with the band's jackalope logo being projected onto the cityscape. The video was nominated in the category Best Visual Effects in a Video at the 2009 UK Music Video Awards. [37]
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Credits are adapted from the Miike Snow liner notes. [1]
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
---|---|
Russia Airplay (Tophit) [31] | 297 |
Scotland (OCC) [29] | 50 |
Switzerland Airplay (Schweizer Hitparade) [41] | 80 |
UK Singles (OCC) [30] | 98 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [42] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [32] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Country | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United States [5] [6] [7] | 17 February 2009 | Digital download | Downtown Records |
12 April 2009 | Alternative radio | ||
United Kingdom [8] [9] [10] | 27 July 2009 | 12" vinyl | Columbia Records |
7 August 2009 | Digital download | ||
10 August 2009 | CD single |
Bloodshy & Avant are a Swedish songwriting and production duo consisting of Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Pontus "Avant" Winnberg. They have worked with many prominent artists, including Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Ms. Dynamite, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Kelis, Girls' Generation, Christina Milian, Sky Ferreira, Hikaru Utada and BoA. In addition to their production work, Karlsson and Winnberg are also members of the synth-pop group Miike Snow, alongside lead vocalist Andrew Wyatt.
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Andrew Wyatt Blakemore is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Manhattan, New York, he began his career playing in New York bands such as The A.M. and Black Beetle. He gained wider notability as the frontman of the Swedish electronic pop band Miike Snow, which released its acclaimed debut album in 2009. Since that time, Wyatt has released two other albums with the band as well as his solo debut Descender on Downtown Records in 2013.
Miike Snow is a Swedish indie pop band formed in 2007. The band consists of producing team Bloodshy & Avant and American singer Andrew Wyatt. The band is often represented by a silhouette image of a jackalope. In their career, the band has released three studio albums: Miike Snow (2009), Happy to You (2012), and iii (2016).
Miike Snow is the debut album by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It was released in the United States on 22 September 2009 by Downtown Records and in the United Kingdom on 26 October 2009 by Columbia Records, reaching number ninety-five on the UK Albums Chart. A deluxe edition was released on the iTunes Store in the US and Australia on 13 April 2010 and in Japan on 26 May 2010, including remixes of past tracks and "The Rabbit".
Lars Christian Karlsson, also known by his stage name Bloodshy, is a Swedish DJ, percussionist, record producer and remixer known for his work with the musical groups Bloodshy and Avant, Miike Snow, Ingrid, and Galantis. He started his international music career as one half of the electro pop duo Bloodshy & Avant with Pontus Winnberg, producing and co-writing tracks for pop stars such as Madonna, BoA, Kylie Minogue, and Katy Perry. Bloodshy & Avant notably co-wrote and produced Britney Spears' single "Toxic", which earned them a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2005. While continuing to work with Bloodshy and Avant, Karlsson also became a member of the indie pop band Miike Snow around 2007. Miike Snow, the group's debut album, was released in 2009, and peaked at number 11 on the Top Electronic Albums chart in the United States. Miike Snow won the 2011 European Border Breakers Award, and their second album Happy to You reached No. 1 on the Belgian Heatseekers Albums Chart and 43 on the Billboard 200.
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The discography of Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow consists of three studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), twelve singles, fifteen music videos, and ten remixes for other artists. Formed in Stockholm in 2007, the band consists of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg of production duo Bloodshy & Avant and American vocalist Andrew Wyatt. The band began by sharing tracks and remixes on the free music website RCRD LBL that proved successful in the music blogosphere. The act preserved its anonymity by using a silhouetted jackalope avatar before revealing itself as a three-man band. The band released the debut studio album Miike Snow (2009) through Downtown Records to favorable reviews from music critics. The album spawned three commercial singles, two of which—"Animal" and "Black & Blue"—had moderate impact on charts in Belgium and the United Kingdom in 2009. The debut single "Animal" subsequently received a platinum certification in the United States.
"Speakerphone" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her tenth studio album X (2007). It was produced by Bloodshy & Avant duo Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, who co-wrote it with Henrik Jonback and Klas Åhlund. The song featured dance, electronic, and funk elements. It heavily used Auto-Tune and vocoder, which caused some critics to liken it to music by Britney Spears and Daft Punk. "Speakerphone" received mixed responses from critics. The song appeared on the Canadian Hot 100 and the Hot Canadian Digital Singles Billboard charts.
"Thankyou Whoever You Are" and "Most Toys" are songs recorded by British neo-prog band Marillion which appeared on their 14th studio album, Somewhere Else. They were released on a double A-side single in the United Kingdom and in the Netherlands in June 2007. "Thankyou" is a slow, slightly orchestral ballad arranged in the band's trademark style. In stark contrast, "Most Toys" is simple, rocky and fast, with an anti-consumerism message. It has a running time of 2:49, one of the band's shortest recordings to date, along with the musically similar "Hooks in You" from 1989).
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"The Heart of Me" is a song by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow from their third studio album, iii (2016). Written and produced by the band, the song was initially issued as a buzz single on 19 February 2016, in anticipation of the album's release. Subsequently, Atlantic Records sent it to alternative radio in the United States on 15 November 2016, as the fourth and final single off the album. Musically, "The Heart of Me" is a synth-laden chillwave song with indie rock elements and emotional lyrics. It features background vocals by English singer Charli XCX.
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