Body Paint (song)

Last updated

"Body Paint"
Body-Paint-Arctic-Monkeys.jpg
Single by Arctic Monkeys
from the album The Car
Released29 September 2022 (2022-09-29) [1]
Recorded2021
Genre
Length4:35
Label Domino
Songwriter(s) Alex Turner
Producer(s) James Ford
Arctic Monkeys singles chronology
"There'd Better Be a Mirrorball"
(2022)		"Body Paint"
(2022)		"I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am"
(2022)
Music video
"Body Paint" on YouTube

"Body Paint" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys released on 29 September 2022, through Domino Recording Company. The song was included as the second single on their seventh studio album The Car . Written by lead singer Alex Turner and produced by James Ford, "Body Paint" is a baroque pop, orchestral pop, and art rock track.

Contents

Music critics praised "Body Paint"'s production, instrumental arrangenment, and vocals. Comparing the song to works by The Beatles, Burt Bacharach, and David Bowie. The song has been nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. It debuted at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.

The accompanying music video was directed by Brook Linder with Ben Chappell serving as creative director. The video features an editing room where a screen shows different scenes, interspersed with footage of the band playing in a film studio. Visually it is inspired by the works of Alan Pakula made in collaboration with director of photography, Gordon Willis. The video was shot on film, specifically on Ektachrome, as a requirement of Turner and Chappell. Arctic Monkeys performed the song on television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , The Jonathan Ross Show , Later...with Jools Holland and Late Night Berlin .

Composition and lyrics

Musically the song has been described as a "lounge-y piano ballad", and Beatlesque, [6] with "gorgeous string arrangements" reminiscent of Burt Bacharach and George Martin's work with said group. [2] The band has been said as being "in introspective lounge lizard mode over sparkling piano and slowed-down drums." [7] Robin Murray of Clash , thought there was a "sense of Bowie's mid 70s peak in the arrangement", and that the song "Split in two by that guitar solo", finds the band, "moving in a sensual, yet utterly insular, path." [8] The second half of the song features "gritty guitars" that "push the song into a slightly more rocking direction." [9]

About the chorus, "Straight from the cover shoot / There's still a trace of body paint / On your legs and on your arms and on your face", lead singer Alex Turner said, "Not exactly what you'd imagine singing over the loud bit–But it's as much about the musical ideas as the lyrics". [10]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Brook Linder with Ben Chappell serving as creative director. The video was filmed between London and Missouri, and features an editing room where a screen shows different scenes, such as a man looking at a helicopter, or a tanning booth, interspersed with footage of the band playing in a film studio. [11] [12] Consequence noted that the video "Uses motifs of going around in circles and screens-within-screens to tease out the themes of the lyrics." [7] Director Brook Linder said about the video: "Is very much about visualizing the process of filmmaking and specifically the creation of symbolic imagery (and where that process can fall apart). There is a code to be deciphered and everything has a specific meaning, but mostly it’s the code-making itself that’s on display." Visually it is inspired by 1960s live television performances and the works of Alan Pakula made in collaboration with director of photography, Gordon Willis, specifically The Parallax View. The sequence that recreates a zoetrope, came to Linder in a dream. [13] The video was shot on film, which Linder thought "became absolutely necessary because it was inextricable from the concept of the piece itself." Although he noted the difficulty of shooting on Ektachrome, which was a requirement of Turner and Chappell, he was happy with the final result: "I was dead wrong, basically. It looks like the thing we’ve been chasing forever. They were right." [14] The cameras used were the ARRI 416 and the Canon Scoopic or Bolex for the vignettes. [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]

For NME , Erica Campbell wrote, "[Body Paint] may conjure up all the stirring emotions from ‘TBH&C’ but the riveting track is proof that the band have no issue creating something otherworldly, even when the subject matter is far closer to earth." [15] Wren Graves of Consequence thought that "Despite Turner’s previous remarks that this album will be 'louder,' [Body Paint] suggests that they're still interested in beauty over bangers". [7] Matt Mitchell of Flood Magazine noted the track "Finds frontman Alex Turner exploring the open spaces of his own vocal range, opting for a lush falsetto mixed with a tenor croon draped in orchestral strings", and described "Body Paint" as "Anthemic and stadium-esque, as its slow-burn melodies transform suddenly into gigantic, pulsing guitars." [16] Robert Oliver of Metro found the song "featured the unexpected hallmarks of smooth soul acts from the 1970s: silky and sensual vocals from Alex Turner, lush and sweeping string flourishes, and an intimate and seductive rhythm section", and compared it to the earliest works of Minnie Riperton, The Stylistics, and Isaac Hayes. [17]

Accolades

The song has been nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. [18]

PublicationRankList
The Guardian 11The 20 Best Songs of 2022 [19]
NME 24The 50 best songs of 2022 [20]
Pitchfork 65The 100 Best Songs of 2022 [5]

Charts

Chart performance for "Body Paint"
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Greece International (IFPI) [21] 74
Ireland (IRMA) [22] 44
Lithuania (AGATA) [23] 97
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [24] 22
Portugal (AFP) [25] 54
UK Singles (OCC) [26] 22
UK Indie (OCC) [27] 1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic Monkeys</span> English rock band

Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley; bassist and co-founder Andy Nicholson left the band in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor</span> 2005 single by Arctic Monkeys

"I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" is a song by English rock band Arctic Monkeys released on 17 October 2005 through Domino Recording Company. The song was the band's debut single and the first from their debut studio album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006). Written by frontman Alex Turner and produced by Jim Abbiss, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" is a garage rock, indie rock, and post-punk song. It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 23 October 2005, and remains one of the band's best-known songs in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leave Before the Lights Come On</span> 2006 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Leave Before the Lights Come On" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. The song was released on 14 August 2006 as the band's third single in the United Kingdom. The song was not included on the band's debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, though Alex Turner has stated that it could have been on the album as it follows a similar theme to many of the album tracks. It was the band's final release before promotion began for their second album Favourite Worst Nightmare in spring 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brianstorm</span> 2007 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Brianstorm" is a song by the English rock band Arctic Monkeys. It is the opening track on their second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare. The song was released as the first single from the album on 2 April 2007, debuting at number 21 in the UK Singles Chart via downloads alone. The single was released in physical formats on 16 April, the week before the release of the album, and charted at number two on the UK Singles Chart behind Beyoncé and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar". In Scotland, the song became the band's fourth consecutive number-one single on the Scottish Singles Chart. "Brianstorm" is one of the band's most successful singles worldwide, reaching number four in Denmark, number seven in Ireland, and number 10 in Spain. It came in at number 62 on MTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Last Shadow Puppets</span> English band

The Last Shadow Puppets are an English supergroup consisting of Alex Turner, Miles Kane, James Ford, and Zach Dawes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles Kane</span> English musician

Miles Peter Kane is an English singer and musician, best known as a solo artist and the co-frontman of the Last Shadow Puppets. He was also the former frontman of the Rascals, before the band announced their break-up in August 2009.

<i>Suck It and See</i> 2011 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Suck It and See is the fourth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 6 June 2011 by Domino Recording Company. The album's songs were written by frontman Alex Turner in 2010 on an acoustic guitar in his, at the time, Brooklyn home. It was produced in Los Angeles at Sound City Studios by the band's longtime collaborator James Ford in early 2011, using mostly live takes. The album's title, a British phrase meaning "give it a try", was viewed as provocative in the United States due to being misinterpreted as referencing fellatio, and was subsequently censored in some locations. The artwork features the album title in black over a cream colored background.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala</span> 2011 single by Arctic Monkeys

"The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" is a song by the English rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released 15 August 2011 by Domino Recording Company as the second single of their fourth album Suck It and See. Produced by James Ford and written by Alex Turner, the song was recorded at Sound City, Los Angeles in early 2011. The song refers to an unknown place frequented by Turner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suck It and See (song)</span> 2011 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Suck It and See" is a song by English band Arctic Monkeys. It was released on 31 October 2011 by Domino Recording Company as the third single and title track of their fourth studio album Suck It and See. Produced by James Ford and written by Alex Turner it was recorded at Sound City, Los Angeles in early 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R U Mine?</span> 2012 single by Arctic Monkeys

"R U Mine?" is a song by the English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It features lyrics written by frontman Alex Turner, as well as music composed by the entire band. The song was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2012 and was released physically for the Record Store Day on 21 April 2012 on a limited edition double A-side purple 7" vinyl along with new song "Electricity". The vinyl was limited to a run of only 1,750 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do I Wanna Know?</span> 2013 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Do I Wanna Know?" is a song by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, with lyrics written by frontman Alex Turner. It was released on 19 June 2013 by Domino Recording Company as the second single from their fifth studio album, AM (2013). It received a digital download release through iTunes as well as an accompanying music video. Before its release as a single, the song was premiered by the band live in May 2013 on the AM Tour, where it was often played as the opening number. It is an indie rock, psychedelic rock, stoner rock, blues rock and alternative rock song, and is built around a stomping guitar riff.

<i>AM</i> (Arctic Monkeys album) 2013 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

AM is the fifth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was produced by longtime collaborator James Ford and co-produced by Ross Orton at Sage & Sound Recording in Los Angeles and Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California, and released on 9 September 2013 through Domino Recording Company. The album was promoted by the singles "R U Mine?", "Do I Wanna Know?", "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?", "One for the Road", "Arabella", and "Snap Out of It". It features guest appearances by Josh Homme, Bill Ryder-Jones, and Pete Thomas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One for the Road (song)</span> 2013 single by Arctic Monkeys

"One for the Road" is a song by English band Arctic Monkeys from their fifth studio album, AM. It was released on 9 December 2013 as the fourth single from the album. The single is available in the 7" vinyl format, and as a digital download, and features a B-side titled "You're So Dark". On 6 December 2013, Arctic Monkeys released the B-side's official audio track onto YouTube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snap Out of It</span> 2014 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Snap Out of It" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys from their fifth studio album, AM. The song was released as the album's sixth overall single on 9 June 2014, impacting contemporary hit radio in the United Kingdom.

<i>Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino</i> 2018 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is the sixth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 11 May 2018 by Domino Recording Company. The album was written by frontman Alex Turner in 2016 on a Steinway Vertegrand piano in his Los Angeles home. It was produced in Los Angeles, Paris and London by frequent Arctic Monkeys collaborator James Ford and Turner, alongside a wide array of guest musicians including Tom Rowley, Loren Humphrey, James Righton, Zach Dawes, Tyler Parkford and Cam Avery. Turner designed the album artwork himself, which depicts the eponymous resort with cardboard cut-outs and a tape recorder. Its title refers to Tranquility Base, the site of the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (song)</span> 2018 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released on 23 July 2018 as the second single from their sixth studio album of the same name, along with an accompanying music video. On 16 October 2018, it was announced that a 7-inch vinyl version of the single would be released on 30 November 2018, alongside the previously unreleased B-side "Anyways".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Out of Five</span> 2018 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Four Out of Five" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018), on 13 May 2018, with an accompanying music video.

<i>The Car</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

The Car is the seventh studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 21 October 2022 by Domino Recording Company. The album's songs were primarily written by frontman and guitarist Alex Turner in his Los Angeles home and Paris. It was produced in Suffolk, Paris and London by frequent Arctic Monkeys collaborator James Ford, alongside frequent guest musicians Tom Rowley, Loren Humphrey and Tyler Parkford, and arranged by Bridget Samuels, Ford and Turner. Drummer Matt Helders took the picture on the album cover, which depicts a white Toyota Camry in an otherwise empty parking garage on a Los Angeles rooftop. Its title refers to said cover and the abundance of vehicular references in the lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There'd Better Be a Mirrorball</span> 2022 single by Arctic Monkeys

"There'd Better Be a Mirrorball" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys released on 29 August 2022, through Domino Recording Company. The song was included on their seventh studio album The Car (2022). Written by lead singer Alex Turner and produced by James Ford, "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball" is a traditional pop and jazz track. While composing it, Turner thought the song felt like the start of the record.

"Sculptures of Anything Goes" is a song by English rock band Arctic Monkeys released on 21 October 2022 by the Domino Recording Company. The song is the third track on their seventh studio album The Car (2022). It was produced by James Ford and written by lead singer Alex Turner and guitarist Jamie Cook.

References

  1. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys Release New Single "Body Paint": Listen". 29 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 Sacher, Andrew (29 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys release new song & video, "Body Paint"". Brooklyn Vegan.
  3. ↑ Gleadow, Ewan (29 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys – Body Paint Review". Cult Following.
  4. ↑ NME Staff (5 December 2022). "The 50 Best Songs of 2022". NME . Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  5. 1 2 "The 100 Best Songs Of 2022". Pitchfork . 5 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Golsen, Tyler (29 September 2022). "Drawing comparisons between the Arctic Monkeys song 'Body Paint' and The Beatles". Far Out Magazine .
  7. 1 2 3 Graves, Wren (29 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys Share Lovely New Song "Body Paint": Stream". Consequence . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  8. ↑ Murray, Robin (29 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys Channel Their Inner Bowie For 'Body Paint'". Clash .
  9. ↑ Hudson, Alex (29 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys Share Orchestral Rocker "Body Paint"". Exclaim! .
  10. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (30 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner: 'I'm comfortable with the idea that things don't have to be a pop song'". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  11. ↑ Mier, Tomás (29 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys Splice Together a Vintage Video for 'Body Paint'". Rolling Stone .
  12. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys - Body Paint (Official Video)". YouTube . 29 September 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Frank Mobilio and Brook Linder on capturing the celluloid world of Arctic Monkeys' "Body Paint"". British Cinematographer. February 2023. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023.
  14. ↑ "Body Paint' Arctic Monkeys by Brook Linder". Directors' Library. October 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  15. 1 2 Campbell, Erica (30 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys' new song 'Body Paint' is an ambitious, swaggering rock ballad". NME . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  16. ↑ Mitchell, Matt (30 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys Release Crooning Single "Body Paint"". Flood Magazine. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Oliver, Robert (30 September 2022). "Arctic Monkeys prepare for new album The Car with lush, romantic new single Body Paint". Metro . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "2024 Grammy Nominations: See The Full Nominees List". The Recording Academy . 10 November 2023. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "The 20 Best Songs Of 2022". The Guardian . 5 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "The 50 Best Songs Of 2022". NME . 5 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  21. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  22. ↑ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  23. ↑ "2022 43-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  24. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  25. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys – Body Paint". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  26. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  27. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.