I Disappear

This article is about the Metallica single. For the song by The Faint, see Wet from Birth.

"I Disappear"
Cover art of the single
Single by Metallica
from the album Mission: Impossible 2
Released	June 2, 2000 (2000-06-02)
Genre	Hard rock heavy metal nu metal
Length	4:26
Label	Hollywood
Songwriters	James Hetfield Lars Ulrich
Producers	Hetfield Ulrich Bob Rock
Metallica singles chronology
"No Leaf Clover" (2000) "I Disappear" (2000) "St. Anger" (2003)
Music video
"I Disappear" on YouTube

"I Disappear" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on June 2, 2000 as the lead single from the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack. The music and lyrics were written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and they were joined by Bob Rock to produce the song. The song's leak on the file-sharing service Napster prompted the band to sue the service. The soundtrack single was released on June 2, 2000; while only officially released in Germany, it reached the top ten on charts in seven countries, and went to number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

Composition

James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich wrote the music and lyrics for "I Disappear" ^{[1] [2]} The song is in the key of E minor, with a "moderate" tempo of 124 beats per minute; the vocals range from E4–G5, while the first guitar ranges from E3–B5. ^[2] Hetfield, Ulrich, ^{[1] [2]} and Bob Rock were producers for the song. ^[1]

Music video

Wayne Isham directed the music video for "I Disappear". He created four "mini-movies within the video", following each band member through a narrative. Released on May 4, 2000, Isham also incorporated clips of Tom Cruise into the video, tying it into Mission: Impossible 2 and that franchise's star. ^[3]

Most of the video was shot in Monument Valley atop a sandstone butte on April 13, 2000. After accessing the butte by helicopter, Metallica and their instruments were alone on the plateau, circled by filming aircraft, for over twelve hours. By the end of the shoot, winds were so severe that the drum kit was blown over, footage of which appears in the video. Ulrich was later filmed on a skyscraper in Downtown Los Angeles for "action sequences, explosions, chaos and mayhem". ^[4]

The music video also featured a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Metallica band member James Hetfield. Hetfield was given the car after filming, and in 2003, listed it on eBay. ^[5] With 77,000 miles (124,000 km) on the odometer, the restored two-door car had an automatic transmission and was bidding at US$70,100(equivalent to $119,822 in 2024) with seven days remaining in the auction; proceeds from the sale were earmarked for music education programs. ^[6]

Release

While still working on the song, Metallica learned in 2000 that a pre-release version was being aired on US radio stations. The band traced the source of the song to the peer-to-peer file sharing service Napster. After finding their entire catalog available on Napster, they became the first musicians to file lawsuit against the service ( Metallica v. Napster, Inc. ). ^[7] As of April 2025 ^[update] , "I Disappear" was available for streaming via the Napster streaming music service. ^[8]

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Performances of "I Disappear" as of October 16,2024 ^{[update] [9]}

Metallica performed "I Disappear" 94 times from June 3, 2000, through May 17, 2023. ^[9]

"I Disappear" was formally released with the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack on May 9, 2000. The single was released as a CD maxi on June 2, 2000, ^[10] under the Hollywood Records label. In Belgium and Italy, the song was released by Edel-Mega Records. ^{[1] [11]} Only in Germany was "I Disappear" officially released as a single. ^[3] In the chronology of Metallica singles, "I Disappear" was released between "No Leaf Clover" (March 20, 2000) and "St. Anger" (June 23, 2003). ^[12]

The sheet music, published by Universal Music Publishing, was also released in 2000, and spanned 14 pages. The sheet-music publishing website categorizes "I Disappear" as hard rock and heavy metal. ^[2]

On April 23, 2021, Metallica released the two-track Disappear (Leaked and Live) through their Vinyl Club. The first song is "I Disappear (Leaked Napster Version)", and the second is "I Disappear (Live)", a live performance recorded at the West Hollywood House of Blues on July 18, 2000. ^[13]

Critical reception

Music critic Mike McGuirk of the San Francisco Bay Guardian described "I Disappear" as leaning on a reworking of "Enter Sandman" with an incorporation of some grunge aesthetic. He said that following Metallica's Load, which he called their "country record", this new song with a "mega" riff and "catchy as hell" melodic choruses proved that the band was not afraid to change things up. ^[8]

In 2020, Loudwire published their ranking of all extant Metallica songs, listing "I Disappear" at number 26, saying it "[holds] up alongside the highlights of The Black Album . ^[14] In 2024, Holiday Kirk of The Nu Metal Agenda ranked "I Disappear" 91st in a list of the 100 greatest nu metal songs of all time, calling the band's first foray into the genre, "a summer blockbuster of a single." ^[15] That same year, WMMR's Erica Banas listed the "undeniable hard rock treasure" as Metallica's thirteenth best song, and attributed part of the song's longevity to "Hetfield's 'Hey, hey, hey' hook and Lars Ulrich's chugging drums on the chorus." ^[16]

Track listing

The CD maxi single ^[10] release of "I Disappear" has only two tracks, the title song and its instrumental version. ^[17]

All tracks are written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. ^{[1] [2]}

"I Disappear" CD maxi single track listing

No.	Title	Producer	Length
1.	"I Disappear"	Hetfield, Ulrich, and Bob Rock	4:26
2.	"I Disappear (Instrumental)"	Hetfield, Ulrich, and Bob Rock	4:26
Total length:			8:52

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "I Disappear" Chart (2000) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [10] 25 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [1] 12 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) [18] 15 Canada Rock/Alternative ( RPM ) [19] 11 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [20] 22 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [21] 2 France (SNEP) [22] 45 Germany (GfK) [23] 14 Greece (IFPI) [24] 6 Ireland (IRMA) [25] 31 Italy (FIMI) [11] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [26] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [27] 36 Norway (VG-lista) [28] 8 Scotland Singles (OCC) [29] 25 Spain (PROMUSICAE) [30] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [31] 25 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [32] 20 UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [33] 2 UK Singles (OCC) [34] 35 US Billboard Hot 100 [35] 76 US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [36] 11 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [37] 1

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "I Disappear" Chart (2000) Position US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard) [38] 3 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) [39] 36

Certifications

Certifications for "I Disappear"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [40]	Gold	5,641 [40]
Sweden (GLF) [41]	Gold	15,000^
United States (RIAA) [42]	Gold	500,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Metallica – I Disappear" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
2. "Metallica 'I Disappear' Guitar Tab in E Minor". Universal Music Publishing. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2026– via Musicnotes.
3. Armstrong, Chuck (May 4, 2000). "Metallica, 'I Disappear' – Official Music Video". Ultimate Metallica . Archived from the original on November 16, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
4. Ulrich, Lars [@larsulrich]; (April 13, 2019). "19 years ago today, April 13 2000, we shot the video for 'I Disappear' out in Monument Valley on The Navajo Nation Reservation". Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2021– via Instagram.
5. "Own a Piece of Metallica Video History". Metallica. September 22, 2003. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
6. Jones, Sefany (September 26, 2003). "Metallica's Hetfield Auctions Car on eBay; New Year's Eve Gig in Vegas". Los Angeles: KNAC. Reuters. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2019. Metallica's Hetfield Selling Restored Chevy on eBay
7. Ulrich, Lars (July 11, 2000). "Testimony of Mr. Lars Ulrich, Member and Co-founder, Metallica" (Interview). Interviewed by United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. United States Capitol: United States Senate. Archived from the original on November 29, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
8. "I Disappear by Metallica". Napster. August 22, 2006. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
9. "I Disappear". Metallica. Archived from the original on October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
10. "Metallica – I Disappear" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
11. "Metallica – I Disappear". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
12. "Releases: Singles". Metallica. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
13. "Disappear (Leaked and Live)". Metallica. April 23, 2001. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
14. "Every Metallica Song Ranked". Loudwire . September 23, 2000. Archived from the original on October 7, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
15. Kirk, Holiday (October 1, 2024). "The 100 Greatest Nu Metal Songs of All Time". The Nu Metal Agenda. Archived from the original on October 14, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2025. The essential guide to the most eclectic genre in heavy music in history.^{[ better source needed ]}
16. Banas, Erica (August 7, 2004). "Metallica: All Songs Ranked Worst to Best". WMMR. Archived from the original on September 16, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026. Metallica is one of the most revered bands of all time with a catalog any up-and-coming band could only dream of having. It's impossible imagining the rock/metal landscape without them.
17. "I Disappear". Metallica. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
18. "Metallica – I Disappear" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
19. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 7254". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
20. Legrand, Emmanuel, ed. (August 19, 2000). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 17, no. 34. London: BPI Communications. p. 23. OCLC   29800226. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
21. "Metallica: I Disappear" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
22. "Metallica – I Disappear" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
23. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
24. Legrand, Emmanuel, ed. (June 26, 2000). "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 17, no. 35. London: BPI Communications. p. 9. OCLC   29800226. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
25. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Metallica". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
26. "Tipparade-lijst van week 33, 2000" [Tipparade list of week 33, 2000] (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
27. "Metallica – I Disappear" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
28. "Metallica – I Disappear". VG-lista. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
29. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 12/8/2000 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
30. "Metallica – I Disappear". Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
31. "Metallica – I Disappear". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
32. "Metallica – I Disappear". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
33. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart on 6/8/2000 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
34. "Official Singles Chart on 12/8/2000 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
35. "Metallica Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved 2019-08-09.
36. "Metallica Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard . Retrieved 2019-08-09.
37. "Metallica Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard . Retrieved 2019-08-09.
38. "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard . Vol. 112, no. 52. December 30, 2000. p. YE-87. ISSN   0006-2510. OCLC   732913734.
39. "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard . Vol. 112, no. 52. December 30, 2000. p. YE-88. ISSN   0006-2510. OCLC   732913734.
40. "Metallica" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
41. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2000" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
42. "American single certifications – Metallica". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 28, 2025.