"Maps" is a song by the American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was released on September 22, 2003 by Polydor in the United Kingdom. It was written and composed by the band and features on their debut album, Fever to Tell. The song is an art-punkballad about the relationship between Karen O, frontwoman of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and her then-boyfriend Angus Andrew, frontman of Liars. The title is alleged to stand for "My Angus Please Stay", which the band has not confirmed.
The song was initially released in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2003, reaching number 26 on the UK singles chart and number 9 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was then released in the United States on February 17, 2004 by Interscope, and became their first single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 87. Praised by music critics for its sound and Karen O's emotive vocals, "Maps" greatly boosted the sales of Fever to Tell, and its accompanying music video earned extensive play on MTV and four nominations at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards.
"Maps" is considered to be one of the band's signature songs, and is often ranked among the greatest songs of the 2000s and of all time. It has also been widely covered, remixed, and sampled by artists including Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, and the White Stripes. In 2009, NME declared "Maps" as the best alternative love song ever made; the same publication placed the single amongst the "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years" in 2011. Rolling Stone placed it on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list in 2011 and 2021. The song experienced renewed recognition on TikTok in 2024.
Recording
By the year 2002, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were sought after by many record labels who wanted to finance their debut album, Fever to Tell. However, the band financed the record themselves to maintain creative control.[1]
"Maps" was written and composed during the beginning stages of production of Yeah Yeah Yeahs's first album, Fever to Tell. A riff was played on a whim by Nick Zinner in the band's home, which Karen O heard and began writing lyrics to.[2] According to Karen O, the song was written in five minutes.[3] It was among several songs produced by the band with Dave Sitek (credited as David Andrew Sitek), who Karen O said was chosen because they "didn't know anyone else."[4]
Lyrically, "Maps" is about the relationship between Karen O and her then-boyfriend Angus Andrew, the frontman of Liars.[12][13] She told Rolling Stone in 2006 that both of their touring schedules were "hectic" and caused a rift in their relationship. She further explained that "The line 'They don’t love you like I love you’ was like, 'Why are you over there with them when you should be with me?' It's about missing someone."[11] It has been widely suggested that the song title is an acronym standing for "My Angus Please Stay," although this has never been addressed by the band.[14][15][16]
Release
The song was released in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2003, through Polydor Records;[17] the same label released the song in Australia on October 6, 2003.[18] However, the United States release was delayed because the band were hesitant on "Maps" earning a single release.[4] Interscope would wait until February 17, 2004 to release the song onto US alternative radio.[19]
Music video
The video, directed by Patrick Daughters, shows the band playing in an audition in a high school gymnasium with different light filters changing the color of the room. Karen O's crying in the video was not staged. She explains: "They were real tears. My boyfriend at the time (Andrew) was supposed to come to the shoot – he was three hours late and I was just about to leave for tour. I didn't think he was even going to come and this was the song that was written for him. He eventually showed up and I got myself in a real emotional state."[20]
Reception and legacy
Yeah Yeah Yeahs performing in 2013
"Maps" was met with success, heavily boosting the sales of Fever To Tell and receiving acclaim.[4] Its accompanying music video was played extensively on MTV; this, along with a notable performance by the band at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards, further heightened the single's success.[21] At the ceremony, "Maps" was nominated for Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and the MTV2 Award.[22]
In 2009, "Maps" was voted the best alternative love song of all time by NME.[23] The song was also listed at number six on Pitchfork Media's top 500 songs of the 2000s.[24]Rolling Stone ranked it as the 7th best song of the 2000s.[25] On April 7, 2011, Rolling Stone ranked "Maps" number 386 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time;[26] its 2021 list placed it at number 101.[27] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 55 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[28]NME ranked "Maps" at number 1 on their list of "Indie Weddings Songs: 20 Tracks Perfect For Your First Dance."[29]
A sped-up version of "Maps" gained popularity on TikTok in September 2024. A dance was created along with it where it used different contexts of wanting someone to stop and listen to them. As a result, the song charted at number one on the US TikTok Billboard Top 50 in October 2024.[30][31]
↑ "100 Best Songs of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. June 17, 2011. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022. How often do we get a fiery soul ballad and an art-punk classic in the same song?
↑ "100 Best Songs of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. June 17, 2011. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022. How often do we get a fiery soul ballad and an art-punk classic in the same song?
↑ Feldman, Brian (May 30, 2020). "mysteries of the Scatman". bnet.substack.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 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.
