| "The Man" | ||||
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| Single by the Killers | ||||
| from the album Wonderful Wonderful | ||||
| Released | June 14, 2017 | |||
| Recorded |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Island | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Jacknife Lee | |||
| The Killers singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "The Man" on YouTube | ||||
"The Man" is a song by American rock band the Killers from their fifth studio album, Wonderful Wonderful (2017). It was released on June 14, 2017, as the lead single from the album.
Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. stated that the song's lyrics were "largely about how when we were younger we felt invincible. What it meant to be a 'man' in your 20's. Sort of your chest out, the breadwinner, nothing could stop you, invincible sort of thing. It's sort of tongue-and-cheeking that, how that is not really the point of being a man at all. It's actually more about compassion and empathy." [1] According to the band's vocalist Brandon Flowers, the song is a response to the more delicate songs of the album, including "Rut" and "Some Kind of Love": "Those songs came and it was like, 'These are more tender or contemplative than we've ever been, how did we get to this point?' Reflecting on that was where 'The Man' came from." [2]
The artwork for the single features Flowers's youngest son Henry and was shot by Anton Corbijn. [3]
"The Man" is a new wave, pop rock, [4] disco-rock, [5] and glam rock [6] song written by the Killers and Jacknife Lee, the latter of whom also produced it.
The track contains elements of the 1975 Kool & the Gang song "Spirit of the Boogie". [7]
Lyrically, the song is a self-reflection of Brandon Flowers' cockier early years and described by himself as a way of reconciling that wide-eyed character with the man he is now. [8] [9] Flowers intended for the album to capture where he was at the time, but realised towards the end of the album's sessions that he couldn’t do this without acknowledging his younger self, which is captured in "The Man". [10] The song was written by Flowers as a response to the album’s more delicate, quieter songs. [11]
Starting on May 6, 2017, the band tweeted a series of photographs and short videos to tease their then-untitled fifth studio album. [12] [13] Among the tweets was a photograph of Flowers wearing a silver jacket with gold lettering spelling out "The Man". On June 14, 2017, "The Man" was released as the lead single from Wonderful Wonderful . [14] BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac debuted the track as "Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World". [15]
On July 31, 2017, the band performed "The Man" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! . [16] On August 20, 2017, Showtime released a promotional video featuring the band performing "The Man" to promote Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor. [17] [18] [19]
The single received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Ryan Dombal from Pitchfork described "The Man" as an "over shiny, strutting funk descended from James Brown's '80s anthem 'Living in America'", saying Flowers brags about himself to the point of ridiculousness. He added: "The song is called "The Man", but its ideas of manliness are nothing but boyish. As American masculinity continues to evolve, and threatens to fall back on ugly old norms, The Killers try to have it both ways here, poking fun at dick-swinging supremacy while serving up something that could reasonably soundtrack a rough-and-dusted pickup truck commercial." [20] Writing for DIY magazine, Will Richards praised Flowers' confidence on the song and called it "huge, bombastic and fearless". [21] Robin Murray of Clash called the song "daft, delirious and completely addictive". [22]
The song debuted on Billboard 's Alternative Songs chart at number 26 the week after its release. On the same week, it ranked as Alternative Radio's most added song. [23] [24] [25] The track subsequently became The Killers' ninth song to reach the top 10 of the Alternative Songs chart, before entering the top five. [26] "The Man" subsequently reached number one on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs chart, their first song to do so in over 10 years since "Read My Mind". [27] The song also reached number one on Mediabase's alternative airplay chart. [28]
The accompanying music video for the single was directed by Tim Mattia and released on June 28, 2017. [29] The video, filmed in Las Vegas, features Flowers portraying five characters—a gambler, a lounge singer, a playboy, a motocross racer, and a karaoke singer—that are connected by their obsession with ego and fame. By the end of the video, all of Flowers' characters begin to fall apart as their success fades: the gambler loses his car; the curtains close on the lounge singer; the girls all ditch the playboy; the old tapes show the rider's career-ending accident; and the karaoke singer gets beaten up for flirting with a customer's wife. [30] [31] It includes a cameo by former Mayor of Las Vegas and current First Gentleman of Las Vegas Oscar Goodman. [32]
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Q Awards [33] | Best Track | Nominated |
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBC Radio 1 | United Kingdom | Annie Mac's Hottest Record of the Year 2017 [34] [35] | 2017 | 1 |
| Billboard | United States | The 25 Best Rock Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks [36] | 2017 | 17 |
| Billboard | United States | Billboard's 100 Best Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks [37] | 2017 | 99 |
| DIY | United Kingdom | The DIY List 2017 [38] | 2017 | — |
| NME | United Kingdom | Best Songs of the Year 2017 [39] | 2017 | 9 |
| NME | United Kingdom | Best Songs of the Decade: The 2010s [40] | 2019 | 93 |
| Radio X | United Kingdom | The 30 Best Songs of the Year 2017 [41] | 2017 | — |
| Triple J | Australia | Triple J Hottest 100 2017 | 2017 | 19 |
The song was featured in a trailer for Vice , a 2018 biopic of former Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney. [42]
The Jacques Lu Cont remix was featured in the 2018 video game Forza Horizon 4 .
The song is featured in the 2018 video game EA Sports UFC 3 . [43]
The song plays at the end of DC's Stargirl season 1, episode 2 ("S.T.R.I.P.E.").
The song was featured in the 2018 season of Hard Knocks. In a segment where a then free agent Dez Bryant tours the Cleveland Browns facility.
The song was used in the German tv show "Who steals the show from me" (Wer stiehlt mir die Show) presented by Joko Winterscheidt. (Since 2021)
The song was featured in the 2023 Netflix series Quarterback over a highlight reel of Patrick Mahomes.
The song was used in the intro for Comedy Central’s Roast of Alec Baldwin in 2019.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Wonderful Wonderful . [7]
The Killers
Additional personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [63] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [64] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada) [65] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [66] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) [67] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 14, 2017 | Digital download | Island | [44] |
A cover by English jazz-pop singer Jamie Cullum was released as the lead single from the soundtrack to the 2018 heist film King of Thieves . [68]
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in their early days, both Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. joined the band in 2002. The band's name is derived from a logo on the bass drum of a fictitious band portrayed in the music video for the New Order song "Crystal".
Brandon Richard Flowers is an American musician. He serves as the co-founder, lead vocalist, primary songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band the Killers, which he formed with Dave Keuning in 2001.
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"All These Things That I've Done" is a song by American rock band the Killers. The song was released as the third single from the band's debut studio album, Hot Fuss (2004), on August 30, 2004. It was written by frontman Brandon Flowers and features gospel choir The Sweet Inspirations. The song is about television host Matt Pinfield, and his work with the US Army, as part of a program that mentored wounded/PTSD-stricken soldiers returning from Iraq.
"Smile Like You Mean It" is a song by American rock band the Killers, written by lead vocalist Brandon Flowers and bassist Mark Stoermer. Originally released as a B-side of "Mr. Brightside" in September 2003, it is featured on their debut studio album Hot Fuss (2004). It was the third single from the album released in the United States and the fourth in the United Kingdom, reaching number 15 on the Billboard U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. It also received substantial radio airplay in Australia, where it was ranked number 39 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.
"When You Were Young" is a song by American rock band the Killers. It was released on September 18, 2006, as the lead single from their second studio album, Sam's Town (2006). The song was written and produced by The Killers and co-produced by Flood and Alan Moulder.
"Bones" is a song by American rock band the Killers, written by lead singer Brandon Flowers, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci. It is the eighth track on their second album Sam's Town, released in October 2006. It was originally titled "It's Only Natural" in its early stages. Eventually, the song was released as the second single from Sam's Town in late November 2006.
American rock band the Killers have released seven studio albums, one live album, four compilation albums, one extended play, 42 singles, four promotional singles, and 39 music videos. Part of the post-punk revival movement, the Killers are influenced by music styles of the 1980s and 1990s. The band has sold over 28 million records worldwide. The group's debut album, Hot Fuss (2004), brought the band mainstream success, spawning four UK top-20 singles, including "Mr. Brightside". The album has since been certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and height-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), selling seven million copies worldwide.
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