Apocalypse (Cigarettes After Sex song)

Last updated

"Apocalypse"
Cigarettes After Sex - Apocalypse.png
Single by Cigarettes After Sex
from the album Cigarettes After Sex
Released27 March 2017 (2017-03-27)
Genre Slowcore [1]
Length4:50
Label Partisan
Songwriter(s) Greg Gonzalez
Producer(s) Greg Gonzalez
Cigarettes After Sex singles chronology
"K."
(2016)
"Apocalypse"
(2017)
"Each Time You Fall in Love"
(2017)

"Apocalypse" is a song by American band Cigarettes After Sex, released as the second single from their debut album Cigarettes After Sex on March 27, 2017. [2] It was written and produced by vocalist Greg Gonzalez. It did not chart internationally until 2022, following its use in TikTok trends. [3] The song, as of November 26, 2023, has amassed over 1 billion streams on Spotify. [4]

Contents

Background and composition

Gonzalez was inspired to write the song after he and two women he had dated had "big ambitions" but were "stuck" in their hometown, which felt "impossible" to get out of. Gonzalez then moved to New York City, but the two women remained in their hometown. He said the song is ultimately "about being there for people, when you're all alone. It was like a little affectionate statement to them." [5]

Charts

Weekly chart

Chart performance for "Apocalypse"
Chart (2017–2024)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [6] 35
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [7] 83
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [8] 169
Greece International (IFPI Greece) [9] 31
Lithuania (AGATA) [10] 27
Netherlands (Single Tip) [11] 12
Portugal (AFP) [2] 185
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [12] 20
UK Indie (OCC) [13] 25
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 ( Billboard ) [14] 16
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [15] 18

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Apocalypse"
Chart (2023)Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard) [16] 42

Certifications

Certifications for "Apocalypse"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [17] Gold45,000
France (SNEP) [18] Platinum200,000
Italy (FIMI) [19] Gold50,000
Portugal (AFP) [20] Platinum10,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [21] Platinum600,000
United States (RIAA) [22] 2× Platinum2,000,000
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece) [23] Platinum2,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beggin'</span> 1967 single by the Four Seasons

"Beggin'" is a song composed by Bob Gaudio and Peggy Farina and first released as a single by American band the Four Seasons in 1967. Initially charting at number 16 in the US Billboard Chart, the song became popular in the Northern soul scene in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. It has been covered multiple times, with versions by Norwegian hip-hop duo Madcon and Italian rock band Måneskin topping music charts in Europe and beyond. The Four Seasons' version was remixed in 2007 by French DJ Pilooski and re-released as a single, reaching number 32 in the UK Singles Chart, commercially outperforming the band's original release in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ride It (Jay Sean song)</span> 2008 single by Jay Sean

"Ride It" is the first single from Jay Sean's second album My Own Way and is also featured on his US debut album All or Nothing. It was written by Jay Sean himself and Alan Sampson, and produced by the latter. It was released on 21 January 2008. The song reached the top 20 in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 11. The single was also very successful and one of the most played songs in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, Bulgaria and Romania, where it became one of the top three best-selling singles of the year. A Hindi version of the song was also included in the Indian release of the album My Own Way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tik Tok (song)</span> 2009 single by Kesha

"Tik Tok" is the debut single by American singer Kesha, who co-wrote the song with its producers Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco. It was released on August 7, 2009, as the lead single from her debut studio album, Animal (2010). The opening line of the song came from an experience where Kesha woke up surrounded by beautiful women, to which she imagined P. Diddy being in a similar scenario. The experience prompted the writing of the song which she later brought to her producer, Dr. Luke, who was then contacted by P. Diddy in hopes of a collaboration; he came to the studio the same day and recorded his lines, and the song was completed. The official remix features American rapper Pitbull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweater Weather</span> 2012 single by the Neighbourhood

"Sweater Weather" is a song by American alternative band the Neighbourhood. The song was written by group members Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, and was produced by Justyn Pilbrow. It serves as the lead single from their debut studio album, I Love You (2013). "Sweater Weather" reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in June 2013, logging eleven non-consecutive weeks at the summit of the chart. Pentatonix covered the song for their 2018 album Christmas Is Here! with an accompanying music video. The song was also covered by Kurt Hugo Schneider, Alyson Stoner, and Max S in 2014. In mid-to-late 2020, the song experienced a resurgence in popularity due to it being used on the social media platform TikTok. The song gained over 5 million on-demand streams on Spotify within the month of November 2020. As of January 5, 2022, the song is ranked in the top 100 of the most streamed songs on Spotify. In late 2023, for the 35th anniversary of Alternative Airplay, Billboard ranked the song as the 16th-most successful in the chart's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cigarettes After Sex</span> American dream pop band

Cigarettes After Sex is an American dream pop band formed in El Paso, Texas, in 2008 by Greg Gonzalez. The band is known for their ethereal, limerent and often dream-like musical style, lyrics often based on the themes of romance and love, as well as Gonzalez's voice, which has been described as "androgynous". While marketed as an ambient pop band, Cigarettes After Sex are also considered to be shoegaze, slowcore and indie rock.

"Stargirl Interlude" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd featuring American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. Dubbed as an "interlude", the track comes from the Weeknd's third studio album, Starboy (2016). The track's title itself is a direct reference to the album's titular character, Starboy, with the lyrics focusing in on a female counterpart, similarly named Stargirl. The song was written by the artists alongside producers Martin "Doc" McKinney and Labrinth, It is the third of the four collaborations between the two artists, being followed by the title track from Lana Del Rey's fifth studio album Lust for Life (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elley Duhé</span> American singer (born 1992)

Elley Frances Duhé is an American singer.

Dardan Aliu, known professionally as Regard, is a Kosovo-Albanian disc jockey (DJ) and producer. Born and raised in Ferizaj, Aliu made his international breakthrough in 2019 with his remix of Jay Sean's 2008 single "Ride It", which resulted as a commercial success worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blueberry Faygo</span> 2020 single by Lil Mosey

"Blueberry Faygo" is a song by American rapper Lil Mosey. The song was made and leaked in 2019, when multiple imposters uploaded bootleg versions of the song on Spotify, racking up millions of streams, before being removed. The song's release was delayed due to a sample clearance agreement, and was eventually released on February 7, 2020, by Mogul Vision Music and Interscope Records. It was released concurrently with the reissue of Lil Mosey's second studio album Certified Hitmaker (2019), which the single appears on. It is Mosey's most successful song to date, peaking at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and is his only top 10 entry on the chart. On February 26, 2022, about two years after its release, it surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. The song's title refers to Faygo, a brand of soft drinks. The song has since come to be regarded as Lil Mosey's signature song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)</span> 2020 single by Powfu featuring Beabadoobee

"Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by Canadian recording artist Powfu, featuring Filipino-English singer-songwriter Beabadoobee. The song was initially uploaded to SoundCloud and YouTube in 2019; following Powfu signing to Columbia Records and Robots + Humans, the song was released on streaming services on February 8, 2020. The song samples the 2017 song "Coffee" by Beabadoobee, who is credited as a featured artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Party Girl (StaySolidRocky song)</span> 2020 single by StaySolidRocky

"Party Girl" is a song by American rapper StaySolidRocky, originally self-released on September 12, 2019, and then re-released by Columbia Records on April 21, 2020, as his third career-single. The song went viral on video-sharing app TikTok and became StaySolidRocky's first charting single. It was written by the rapper and its producer Nashi. The track was later included on his debut EP Fallin', released July 17, 2020. A remix with rapper Lil Uzi Vert was released on July 10, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)</span> 2020 single by Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo

"Savage Love ", originally known as "Savage Love", is a song by New Zealand music producer Jawsh 685 and American singer Jason Derulo. The song was officially released on 11 June 2020, following the resolution of sample clearance issues between the two artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Broke Me First</span> 2020 single by Tate McRae

"You Broke Me First" is a song by Canadian singer Tate McRae. It was released on April 17, 2020, through RCA Records as the lead single from her second extended play, Too Young to Be Sad (2021). The song gained popularity on the video-sharing platform TikTok, where it has featured in over a million videos. The song is the second most streamed song released by a female artist in 2020. The song impacted mainstream US radio on August 4, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Nwantiti</span> 2019 single by CKay

"Love Nwantiti" is a song by Nigerian singer and songwriter CKay, released in 2019 as the second track from his second extended play Ckay the First by Chocolate City through Warner Music Group. A remix of the song titled "Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)" featuring Nigerian singer Joeboy and Ghanaian singer Kuami Eugene, released as a single in 2020, became a commercial success in Nigeria, Middle East, North Africa and in many European club venues, as well as the subject of collaborations with few local artists for localised variations. The French version included vocals by French rapper Franglish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To the Moon (song)</span> 2021 single by Jnr Choi and Sam Tompkins

"To the Moon" is a song by Gambian-born England-based rapper Jnr Choi, released as a single on 5 November 2021 independently, and later through Epic and Black Butter Records. It is a drill track that samples British singer-songwriter Sam Tompkins's cover of Bruno Mars's "Talking to the Moon". It went viral on TikTok and was prominently playlisted by Spotify.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snap (Rosa Linn song)</span> 2022 song by Rosa Linn

"Snap" is a song by Armenian singer Rosa Linn, released on 19 March 2022. It was written and composed by Linn, with Larzz Principato, Allie Crystal, Kinetics, Courtney Harrell, and Tamar Kaprelian. The song represented Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, where it finished in 20th place with 61 points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunroof (song)</span> 2021 single by Nicky Youre and Dazy

"Sunroof" is a song by American singer Nicky Youre and Los Angeles-based musician and producer Dazy. It was released on December 3, 2021, through Thirty Knots and Columbia Records. By November 2022, the song had reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 10, and had been streamed 397 million times on Spotify. In September 2022, the song topped the Canadian Hot 100. It was the most popular song on TikTok UK in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doja (Central Cee song)</span> 2022 single by Central Cee

"Doja" is a song by British rapper and songwriter Central Cee. It was released as a single on 21 July 2022, Produced by LiTek and WhyJay. It went viral on TikTok for its lyrics, including references to its namesake, American rapper and singer Doja Cat. The song samples Eve's 2001 song featuring Gwen Stefani, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind". It debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart and number one in New Zealand and Greece. With a video produced by Lyrical Lemonade, this release made Central Cee the first UK artist to have a video directed by Cole Bennett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romantic Homicide</span> 2022 single by D4vd

"Romantic Homicide" is a song by American singer D4vd. It was released on July 20, 2022, through DistroKid. The song went viral on the app TikTok in September 2022, was rereleased through Darkroom and Interscope, and subsequently achieved commercial success.

"Shut Up My Moms Calling" is a song by American indie pop duo Hotel Ugly, originally released on February 10, 2020, as part of their 2020 EP, Hotel Ugly. Beginning in 2022, the song gained virality on TikTok, and it has since become a long stayer on many charts around the world, peaking around early-2023. It was re-released as a single on September 14, 2022 to coincide with this, along with a sped-up version.

References

  1. Deville, Chris (March 27, 2017). "Cigarettes After Sex – "Apocalypse"". Stereogum . Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  3. Zafer, Rizwana (June 16, 2022). "TikTok trend reminds people to be kinder to themselves". Mashable . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  4. "Spotify". Spotify .
  5. Shah, Mitali (January 2, 2023). "Exclusive: The story behind Cigarettes After Sex's 'Apocalypse' and more". Cosmopolitan India . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  6. "Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  7. "Canadian Hot 100: Week of October 22, 2022". Billboard . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  8. "Billboard Global 200: Week of January 27, 2024". Billboard . Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  9. "IFPI Charts Digital Singles Chart (International) Week 23 2022". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  10. "2022 41-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 7, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  11. "Dutch Single Tip 11/11/2023". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  12. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 41, 2022". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  13. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  14. "Bubbling Under Hot 100: Week of October 15, 2022". Billboard . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  15. "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Week of October 22, 2022". Billboard . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  16. "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  17. "Danish single certifications – Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  18. "French single certifications – Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  19. "Italian single certifications – Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  20. "Portuguese single certifications – Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa . Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  21. "British single certifications – Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  22. "American single certifications – Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  23. "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International)" (in Greek). IFPI Greece . Retrieved June 9, 2023.