The 2nd Law: Unsustainable

Last updated
"The 2nd Law: Unsustainable"
Song by Muse
from the album The 2nd Law
Released15 June 2012
Recorded2011–2012
Genre
Length3:48
Label
Songwriter(s) Matthew Bellamy
Producer(s) Muse

"The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" is a song by English rock band Muse released on their 2012 album The 2nd Law . The song's music video was made downloadable on 9 August 2012, but only after buying the deluxe box set of the album on the band's official site. The song appears to feature in a trailer for The 2nd Law, released on 6 June 2012, making it the first song released from The 2nd Law. Despite assumptions, due to it being the first sampling from the album, the song was never released as a single for the album.

Contents

Composition

The song mixes various genres together. These include classical music, progressive rock, and dubstep. This mixture gained a mixed reaction from fans. However, despite the strong dubstep influences, the supposed electronic sound is produced through "real instruments". According to the band: "We went to see Skrillex in Camden around October. We went 'Fuck, it's so heavy', loved it. It was like a full metal gig, they had the circles of death, people were moshing, I hadn't seen a reaction like that to electronic music before. We took inspiration and came up with 'Unsustainable'. Some of that hard dubstep or brostep coming from America is capturing the imagination. The moshpit has moved from guitars and gone towards the laptop, so with that song we're trying to see if we can challenge the laptop. We created something that was dubsteppy but we wanted to see if we could do it with real instruments. We wanted to ask, 'Can rock bands compete with what these guys are doing?'" [2] The song has four distinct parts: a classical music section (with a glitching female speaking voice in the background), a dubstep breakdown, a progressive rock bridge (also containing the female voice), and another dubstep breakdown to finish the song.

Live performances

The song was first played live on October 16, 2012. These live performances usually contain the band grouped around the drummer (Dominic Howard) and play the speaking part in the background electronically. During The 2nd Law World Tour, the song was typically played as an opener before "Supremacy", or as the first song during the encore.

Usage in media

On June 6, 2012, Muse released a trailer for The 2nd Law containing a sample of the song, which received mixed reactions regarding the change in style for the band. This release of the trailer led many fans to assume that the song would be the first single from the album; however, this assumption was later proved to be incorrect. [3]

In 2013, the song was used by the Nine Network to promote the National Rugby League match between the Sydney Roosters and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, in which Sonny Bill Williams came up against his old club for the first time since walking out on them halfway through the 2008 NRL season. [4]

In 2014, Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast Viktoria Mazur used the tune for her clubs routine at the 2014 Izmir World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.

Charts

Chart (2012)Peak
position
France (SNEP) [5] 100
UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [6] 24

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muse (band)</span> English rock band

Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enter Shikari</span> British rock band

Enter Shikari are a British rock band formed in St Albans in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drummer Rob Rolfe. In 2003, guitarist Rory Clewlow joined the band to complete its current line-up, and it adopted its current name. In 2006, they performed to a growing fanbase at Download Festival as well as a sold-out concert at the London Astoria. Their debut studio album, Take to the Skies, was released in 2007 and reached number 4 in the Official UK Album Chart, and has since been certified gold in the UK. Their second, Common Dreads, was released in 2009 and debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 16; while their third, A Flash Flood of Colour, was released in 2012 and debuted on the chart at number 4. Both have since been certified silver in the UK. The band spent a considerable amount of time supporting the latter release through the A Flash Flood of Colour World Tour, before beginning work on a fourth studio album, The Mindsweep, which was released in 2015. Their fifth studio album The Spark was released in 2017. Their sixth album Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible was released in April 2020. Their seventh and latest album A Kiss for the Whole World was released on the 21st April 2023 which gave them their first-ever Number 1 album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passion Pit</span> American electropop band

Passion Pit is an American indie pop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, formed in 2007 by band members Michael Angelakos, Ian Hultquist (Guitar/Synth), Ayad Al Adhamy (synth), Thom Plasse (bass), and Adam Levinsky (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Prodigy</span> English electronic dance music group

The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional live keyboard player Leeroy Thornhill, dancer Sharky, and MC and vocalist Maxim. They were pioneers of the breakbeat-influenced genre big beat, and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. Howlett's rock-inspired drum rhythms infused with electronic rave music beats/breaks were combined with Maxim's vocals, Thornhill's shuffle dancing style, and Flint's later modern punk appearance. The Prodigy describe their style as electronic punk.

<i>The Resistance</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Muse

The Resistance is the fifth studio album by English rock band Muse, first released on 14 September 2009 through Warner Bros. Records and Muse's Helium-3 imprint. Produced by the band and mixed by Mark Stent, the album was recorded from September 2008 to May 2009 at Studio Bellini in Lake Como, Italy. Musically, the record is similar to some of the band's previous material, mixing orchestral elements with rock and electronic music. The album also saw the band craft a three-part, 13-minute long symphony piece titled "Exogenesis". Lyrically, it is a concept record, as well as a continuation of the themes from their previous records, being influenced by politics and more oppressive subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exogenesis: Symphony</span> 2010 single by Muse

"Exogenesis: Symphony", commonly known as simply "Exogenesis", is a composition by English alternative rock band Muse, featured on their 2009 fifth studio album The Resistance. Written by lead vocalist, guitarist and pianist Matthew Bellamy over the course of a number of years, the piece is presented as a symphony in three movements entitled "Overture", "Cross-Pollination" and "Redemption", respectively, each occupying a separate track at the end of the album and spanning nearly 13 minutes in total. "Exogenesis" was released as a single in the United States on 17 April 2010, with 500 copies to be made available by import in the United Kingdom through the band's official website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nero (band)</span> British electronic trio

Nero are a British electronic music trio composed of members Dan Stephens, Joe Ray and Alana Watson. On 12 August 2011, they released their debut studio album, Welcome Reality, which reached number one in the UK Albums Chart. In August 2012, "Promises" received a Gold certification in the United States. On 10 February 2013, Nero won a Grammy Award for their collaborative remix of "Promises" with Skrillex. Their second studio album, Between II Worlds, was released on 11 September 2015.

Electronicore is a fusion genre of metalcore with elements of various electronic music genres, often including trance, electronica, and dubstep.

<i>A Flash Flood of Colour</i> 2012 studio album by Enter Shikari

A Flash Flood of Colour is the third studio album by English rock band Enter Shikari, and was produced by Dan Weller. The album was recorded in May and June 2011 at Karma Sound Studios in Bang Saray, Thailand, and at the Fortress in London, United Kingdom. It was released internationally on 16 January 2012 by Ambush Reality, the band's record label in the United Kingdom, and Hopeless Records in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skrillex</span> American music producer and DJ

Sonny John Moore, known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead singer in 2004, and recorded two studio albums with the band before leaving to pursue a solo career in 2007. He began his first tour as a solo artist in late 2007. After recruiting a new band lineup, Moore joined the Alternative Press Tour to support bands such as All Time Low and the Rocket Summer, and appeared on the cover of Alternative Press's annual "100 Bands You Need to Know" issue.

<i>The 2nd Law</i> 2012 studio album by Muse

The 2nd Law is the sixth studio album by English rock band Muse, first released on 28 September 2012 through Warner Bros. Records and the band's own Helium-3 imprint. Recording of the album took place in studios between London and Los Angeles County, beginning in October 2011 and ending in August 2012. The 2nd Law was Muse's second album to be solely self-produced, following The Resistance (2009), and features a plethora of additional musicians that performed brass, strings, and choir vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 2nd Law World Tour</span> 2012–14 concert tour by Muse

The 2nd Law World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by English alternative rock band Muse. It was the band's eighth concert tour, which supported their sixth studio album The 2nd Law. Muse announced the tour via their official website and Twitter account on 7 June 2012. The European summer stadium tour was called The Unsustainable Tour, and saw the band's biggest stadium tour to that date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madness (Muse song)</span> 2012 single

"Madness" is a song by the English rock band Muse. It is the second track and second single from Muse's sixth studio album, The 2nd Law (2012), released as a download on 20 August 2012. It was written by singer and guitarist Matthew Bellamy and produced by the band. The music video premiered on 5 September 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panic Station</span> 2013 single by Muse

"Panic Station" is a song by English rock band Muse, released as the fifth single from their sixth studio album The 2nd Law on 31 May 2013. The song was written by Matthew Bellamy. It is featured as the third track on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Follow Me (Muse song)</span> 2012 single by Muse

"Follow Me" is a song by the English rock band Muse, written by Matthew Bellamy for their sixth studio album, The 2nd Law. It appears as the sixth track on the album. The song was released as the third single from The 2nd Law on 7 December 2012, just over two months after the album was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supremacy (song)</span> 2013 single by Muse

"Supremacy" is a song by English rock band Muse. It was released on 20 February 2013 as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, The 2nd Law. "Supremacy" peaked at number 58 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psycho (Muse song)</span> 2015 single by Muse

"Psycho" is a song by the English rock band Muse from their seventh studio album Drones, released on 12 March 2015 as a promotional single and the first from the album. It was later featured as the B-side to the official lead single later that month, "Dead Inside".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercy (Muse song)</span> 2015 single by Muse

"Mercy" is a song by English rock band Muse from their seventh album, Drones. It was released as the second single from the album on 18 May 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Bellamy</span> English musician (born 1978)

Matthew James Bellamy is an English singer, songwriter and producer. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and songwriter for the English rock band Muse. He is recognised for his eccentric stage persona, wide tenor vocal range and musicianship.

"Animals" is a song by English rock band Muse. It is the seventh track on their sixth studio album, The 2nd Law (2012). A music video for the song was released on 22 April 2013, which was fan-created during an open competition to create a music video for the song. The song had a positive reception from music critics.

References

  1. "Muse: The 2nd Law – review". The Guardian . 27 September 2012. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  2. "Muse: 'We tried to make 'anti-dubstep' with 'Unsustainable| News | NME.COM". NME . Archived from the original on 2012-08-25. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  3. "MUSE: The 2nd Law Album Trailer (Unsustainable) | MATT HAYSLETT". Archived from the original on 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  4. "Sonny Bill WIlliams - Round 6 Intro". 12 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2019 via YouTube.
  5. "Muse – The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  6. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 August 2016.