"My Antarctica" is a song by the English pop rock band Duran Duran from their sixth studio album Liberty, released by Parlophone on 20 August 1990. A mid-tempo synth-popballad, the song features glacial synthesisers, ambient reversed guitars, and one of lead vocalist Simon Le Bon's most haunting vocal performances.
Although not released as a single, "My Antarctica" has been singled out by both critics and band members as a highlight of Liberty, and has continued to receive retrospective acclaim. It was later included as a B-side to the 1992 single "Ordinary World". Despite its critical recognition, the song has rarely been performed live.
Composition
"My Antarctica" is a mid-tempo synth-popballad that the author Steve Malins described as "pulsing" and "ethereal", featuring a "fine vocal performance" by the lead vocalist Simon Le Bon.[1][2] Jon O'Brien of Classic Pop noted that the producer Chris Kimsey allowed Duran Duran "room to breathe" on the track, which combines "glacial synths and a desolate piano hook" with "one of Le Bon's most haunting vocal performances".[3] The keyboardist Nick Rhodes highlighted the guitarist Warren Cuccurullo's contributions, describing his "ambient reversed guitars" as "incredibly beautiful", and calling Cuccurullo "a magician, as well as a musician".[4] Lyrically, Le Bon has chosen not to reveal the song's meaning, stating that "the song is the statement" and that other people's interpretations are what matter.[5]
Release
"My Antarctica" was released by Parlophone on 20 August 1990 as the sixth track on Duran Duran's sixth studio album, Liberty. It was not issued as a single, though both Kimsey and Paul Sinclair of SuperDeluxeEdition later expressed the view that it should have been.[6][7] Kimsey stated that "My Antarctica" and "Serious" should have been chosen as singles instead of "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)".[6] Sinclair similarly wrote that while EMI Records may have been reluctant to release a slower song as a lead single, choosing "Violence of Summer" over "My Antarctica" was "madness". An instrumental variation of the song, titled "Throb", was used as the B-side to the "Violence of Summer" single.[7] "My Antarctica" was later selected as a B-side to the 1992 single "Ordinary World",[3] which helped revive the band's commercial success.
Legacy
Although Liberty is often regarded as one of Duran Duran's weaker albums,[1] "My Antarctica" has been singled out by both critics and band members as a highlight, continuing to receive praise.[2][4][5][7] Malins identified it as one of the three standout tracks on the album,[1] while Le Bon described it as "one of my favourite Duran Duran songs, ever", calling it "a beautiful and emotional song".[5] Rhodes referred to it as "a beautiful ballad", and while noting some reservations about the mix, described the song itself as "exquisite".[4] Sinclair called it "THE best song from Liberty by a country mile", suggesting it "could have been a classic in the vein of 'Save A Prayer'" had it been released as a single, and praised Le Bon's lyrics as "brilliant".[7] Rik Flynn of Classic Pop ranked it as the 26th best Duran Duran song, writing that "The Durans know how to nail a good ballad".[2] O'Brien noted that despite the band's apparent appreciation for the song, it has been largely absent from their live performances.[3]
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