Capricorn (song)

For other songs with same title, see Capricorn (disambiguation) § Songs.

"Capricorn"
Single by Vampire Weekend
from the album Only God Was Above Us
Released	February 16, 2024 (2024-02-16)
Genre	Indie pop chamber pop noise pop neo-psychedelia baroque pop post-punk revival
Length	4:08
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Ezra Koenig
Producer(s)	Ezra Koenig Ariel Rechtshaid
Vampire Weekend singles chronology
"This Life" / "Unbearably White" (2019) "Capricorn" / "Gen-X Cops" (2024) "Classical" (2024)
Music video
"Capricorn" on YouTube

"Capricorn" is a song by American rock band Vampire Weekend, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us . It was released on February 16, 2024, by Columbia Records as a double A-side with "Gen-X Cops", and is the band's first single since 2019's "This Life"/"Unbearably White". The track was written by lead singer Ezra Koenig, and was produced by Koenig and Ariel Rechtshaid.

Background

Vampire Weekend announced their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us on February 8, 2024. ^[1] "Capricorn" and "Gen-X Cops" were released the following week on February 16. ^[2]

Lyrically, the song depicts the "aching, unavoidable melancholy of growing old and discovering that adults feel just as powerless as kids do". ^[3]

Music video

The video was directed by the band's longtime creative director Nick Harwood, and features clips capturing the essence of life in New York City during the late 1980s, concluding with the band performing the song. ^[4] The video ends with a message of thanks to artist Steven Siegel, whose clips were used in the video, and whose photography inspired the title of the album. ^[5]

Charts

Chart performance for "Capricorn"

Chart (2024)	Peak position
US Adult Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [6]	4
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [7]	24
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [8]	41
US Rock Airplay ( Billboard ) [9]	24

Personnel

Credits adapted from Genius. ^[10]

• Chris Baio – bass guitar
• Will Canzoneri – orchestrations
• Ezra Koenig – vocals, production, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, orchestrations
• Jay Mumford – drums
• Ariel Rechtshaid – production, bass guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer, harmonica, programming, orchestrations

References

1. Rettig, James (February 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend Announce New Album Only God Was Above Us, Two Tracks Out Next Week". Stereogum . Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
2. Curto, Justin (February 16, 2024). "All Aboard the Vampire Weekend Comeback Train". Vulture .
3. Hudson, Alex (February 16, 2024). "Vampire Weekend Capture the Pains of Aging on "Capricorn" and "Gen-X Cops"". Exclaim! .
4. Dunworth, Liberty (February 16, 2024). "Check out Vampire Weekend's bold new singles 'Capricorn' and 'Gen-X Cops'". NME . Retrieved February 18, 2024.
5. Grow, Kory (February 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend Tease Only God Was Above Us Album With Noisy Montage". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
6. "Vampire Weekend Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
7. "Vampire Weekend Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
8. "Vampire Weekend Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
9. "Vampire Weekend Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
10. ""Capricorn" - Vampire Weekend". Genius . February 16, 2024.