Myth (song)

Last updated

"Myth"
Myth-BeachHouse-Single.jpg
Single by Beach House
from the album Bloom
ReleasedMarch 7, 2012
Recorded2011
Studio Sonic Ranch (Tornillo, Texas)
Genre
Length4:19
Label Sub Pop
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Beach House singles chronology
"Zebra"
(2010)
"Myth"
(2012)
"Lazuli"
(2012)
Official audio
"Myth" on YouTube

"Myth" is a song by American dream pop duo Beach House. The song was released on March 7, 2012, on the band's website, as the lead single for the band's fourth studio album, Bloom . Written and produced entirely by the duo, along with co-production from Chris Coady, the song received acclaim from music critics upon release, who considered it a fascinating evolution in their musical style; it was also considered as one of the duo's best songs to date. [1]

Contents

Background and recording

In 2009, Beach House began working on their third studio album, Teen Dream , when they eventually signed a label contract with Sub Pop, departing from Carpark Records, where they released their first two studio albums. [2] [3] Aside from the entire album being leaked on the internet that same year, [4] it was released officially on January 26, 2010, through Sub Pop, garnering universal acclaim among several contemporary music critics. [5] [6] In 2012, the duo announced their fourth studio album, Bloom , including "Myth" as its opening track. [7] [8] The song, along with the rest of the album, was recorded within a seven-week period in 2011 at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas. [9]

Composition

Serving as the opening track of Bloom, "Myth" begins with a simple cowbell beat, [10] along with a bass synth that begins playing before Legrand starts singing about 45 seconds in. [11] She sings in the song's first verse, "Drifting in and out, you see the road you're on". [12] Marc Hogan from Spin referred to the song's instrumental arrangements as an "amalgam of sinuous guitars, glistening synths, galloping drums, hazy reverb". [3] Ace Ubas from Beats Per Minute described the song's outro to have used a "pedal combo of distortion and delay". [13]

Release

"Myth" was released on the band's website as a free download on March 7, 2012, through Sub Pop, [14] as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Bloom. [15] [16] On May 19, 2012, Beach House performed "Myth" on Late Show with David Letterman . [17] Three days later, they performed it on Later... with Jools Holland . [18] The song also appeared on international song charts, reaching a peak of number 41 on the Mexico Ingles Airplay chart, [19] number 40 on the UK Independent Singles chart, [20] and number 56 on the Ultratip Bubbling Under chart for Belgium's Flanders region. [21] On April 12, 2023, "Myth" received a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting a total of 500,000 units sold in the United States. [22]

Critical reception

Upon initial release, "Myth" received universal acclaim from contemporary music critics. An author from Billboard rated the song a 4.5 out of 5, stating that it is "the sonic equivalent of comfort food — a savory buffet spread of the musical trademarks the group has already perfected elsewhere". [23] Ace Ubas from Beats Per Minute rated it a 9 out of 10, complimenting its instrumental arrangement and concluding with, "This is Beach House at their best and shows that they look to top Teen Dream". [13] It was chosen upon release as "Best New Track" by Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork , who wrote, "What sets 'Myth' as another sonic evolution for Beach House, then, is all in the details." Fitzmaurice continues by saying, "The layers of echo surrounding Legrand's voice during its chorus, as well as the gauzy glow wrapped around everything, give the impression that the airy expansiveness of 2010's Teen Dream has contracted, but somehow the sound is just as 'big', if not bigger, than before." [24]

Most critics found "Myth" to be a highlight track from Bloom. J. Pace of Under the Radar considered it "a powerful opener, instantly on par with Teen Dream's finest". [25] Michell Eloy from Paste said that it "evokes a dream-like state with its simple, repetitive keystrokes and synth overlay", additionally "stand[ing] in contrast to Legrand's lyrics". [26] Responding favourably, Alex Denney of NME said that it "retains the hi-def sparkle of [Teen Dream] without especially adding anything new". [27] Somewhat less enthusiastic, Maddy Costa of The Guardian considered the song, along with "Other People", as a "conventional verse-chorus-middle-eight pop number[...]", which are "all more or less catchy". [28] "Myth" was named the eighth best song of 2012 by Brian Howe of Pitchfork, who considered it one of the band's "most powerful" songs to date. [29]

Track listing

  1. "Myth" (radio edit) – 3:59
  2. "Myth" (album version) – 4:19

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes of Bloom. [31]

Beach House

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for "Myth"
Chart (2012)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [21] 56
Mexico Ingles Airplay ( Billboard ) [19] 41
UK Indie (OCC) [20] 40

Certifications

Certifications for "Myth"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [22] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. Young, Alex (March 7, 2012). "Check Out: Beach House - 'Myth'". Consequence . Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  2. Lipshutz, Jason (April 20, 2012). "Beach House: The Story Behind 'Bloom' and Indie's Most Reliable Duo". Billboard . Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Hogan, Marc (March 7, 2012). "Teen Dreamy: In Praise of Beach House's Sublime 'Myth'". Spin . Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  4. "Premature Evaluation: Beach House – Teen Dream". Stereogum. November 20, 2009. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  5. Durham Wilson, Sarah (May 3, 2012). "Beach House". Interview . Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  6. Colombi, François (March 16, 2012). "Myth : le nouveau single de Beach House" [Myth: Beach House's new single]. Toute La Culture (in French).
  7. Battan, Carrie (February 24, 2012). "Beach House Announce New Album?". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  8. Hudson, Alex (March 8, 2012). "Beach House Return with New 'Bloom' LP". Exclaim! . Archived from the original on April 29, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  9. Colletti, Justin (May 17, 2012). "Behind The Release: Beach House Bloom". SonicScoop. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  10. Helman, Peter (May 12, 2022). "Beach House 'Bloom' 10th Anniversary Review". Stereogum. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  11. Wickman, Forrest (March 7, 2012). "Beach House release new song 'Myth'". Slant Magazine . Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  12. Phares, Heather. "Bloom – Beach House". AllMusic . Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Ubas, Ace (March 8, 2012). "Track Review: Beach House – 'Myth'". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  14. Fitzmaurice, Larry (March 7, 2012). "Listen: Beach House: "Myth"". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  15. Singh, Amrit (March 7, 2012). "Beach House – 'Myth'". Stereogum . Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  16. "Beach House unveil new track 'Myth' – listen". NME . March 7, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  17. Pelly, Jenn (May 19, 2012). "Watch Beach House on 'Letterman'". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  18. Pelly, Jenn (May 22, 2012). "Watch Beach House Play 'Myth' on 'Jools Holland'". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  19. 1 2 "Beach House Chart History: Mexico Ingles Airplay". Billboard . Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  20. 1 2 "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Beach House – Myth" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  22. 1 2 "American single certifications – Beach House – Myth". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  23. "Track Review: Beach House, 'Myth'". Billboard . March 31, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  24. Fitzmaurice, Larry (March 7, 2012). "Beach House: "Myth"". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  25. Pace, J. (May 10, 2012). "Beach House: Bloom (Sub Pop)". Under the Radar . Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  26. Eloy, Michell (May 15, 2012). "Beach House: Bloom". Paste . Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  27. Denney, Alex (May 15, 2012). "Beach House – 'Bloom'". NME . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  28. Costa, Maddy (May 10, 2012). "Beach House: Bloom – review". The Guardian . Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  29. "Staff Lists: The Top 100 Tracks of 2012". Pitchfork. December 17, 2012. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  30. Beach House (2012). Myth (CD liner notes). Bella Union. BELLACD342P.
  31. Beach House (2012). Bloom (CD liner notes). Sub Pop. SP 965.