"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. 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,peaking at number 87,and it also reached number nine on the BillboardModern Rock Tracks chart. 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.
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 conceived when frontwoman Karen O heard a riff played on a whim by Nick Zinner in the band's home,which she wrote lyrics to in five minutes.[2][3] It was intended to be a "love song that stands the test of time".[4]
"Maps" 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."[5] Sitek would later become the band's longtime collaborator.[6]
Composition
"Maps" is an indie rock,[7]art punk[8] and soulballad[9] written in the key of g major with post-chorus guitar breaks and middle eights.[4][10] Lyrically,the song is about missing someone,expressed through the repeated chorus line "They don't love you like I love you".[11][12] It was inspired by Karen O's relationship with her then-boyfriend Angus Andrew,the frontman of Liars,during a time when their touring schedules were "hectic" and caused a rift in their relationship.[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.[13][14][15]
Release
The song was released in the United Kingdom on September 22,2003,through Polydor Records;[16] the same label released the song in Australia on October 6,2003.[17] However,the United States release was delayed because the band were hesitant on "Maps" earning a single release.[5] Interscope would wait until February 17,2004,to release the song onto US alternative radio.[18]
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."[19]
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.[5] 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.[20] At the ceremony,"Maps" was nominated for Best Art Direction,Best Editing,Best Cinematography,and the MTV2 Award.[21]
In 2009,"Maps" was voted the best alternative love song of all time by NME;[22] the same publication ranked it at number 55 on its 2011 list of "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[23] Also in 2009,Pitchfork ranked it at number six on Pitchfork's "Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s".[24] In 2011,Rolling Stone ranked "Maps" at number seven on their "100 Best Songs of the 2000s" list and number 386 on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list;[25][26] its 2021 revision moved it up to number 101.[27] In 2025,Rolling Stone placed it second on their list of "The 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far".[28]
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.[29][30]
Covers and samples
Kelly Clarkson's 2004 single "Since U Been Gone," which was written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald,[31] is heavily inspired by "Maps" and features similar composition;Karen O said noticing the similarity was "like getting bitten by a poisonous varmint."[32][33] Beyoncé's "Hold Up," a song recorded by Beyoncé for her 2016 album,Lemonade,contains an interpolation of the "Maps" lyric,"Wait,they don't love you like I love you." When Beyoncéreleased the song on Lemonade,the Yeah Yeah Yeahs received songwriting credits.[34]
↑"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.
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