"The Wave" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Miike Snow | ||||
from the album Happy to You | ||||
Released | 14 May 2012 | |||
Genre | Electropop | |||
Length | 3:43 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Miike Snow | |||
Miike Snow singles chronology | ||||
|
"The Wave" is a song performed by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It was released as the second single from the band's second studio album Happy to You (2012) on 14 May 2012, through Axtone, Columbia, Downtown and Universal Republic. The song was written and produced by the band. Musically, "The Wave" is an electropop song with marching band influences and autoharp, military drum and piano instrumentation. It features Swedish musician Gustav Ejstes on autoharp and the Swedish Army drum corps on military drums.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended its catchiness and musical direction. However, some critics were divided regarding lead singer Andrew Wyatt's falsetto vocals. The single failed to match the commercial performance of Happy to You's lead single "Paddling Out"; it charted on the Dutch Tipparade chart at number 21 and the Flemish Ultratip chart at number 43. Andreas Nilsson directed the single's accompanying music video, the second part in a continuous story that began in the "Paddling Out" video.
"The Wave" was written and produced by Miike Snow's three members: Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Andrew Wyatt. [1] The song was recorded alongside the rest of their second studio album Happy to You (2012) during the second half of 2011. [2] The band had more "creative freedom" while making the album, compared to their 2009 self-titled debut album. They felt they could "plan the process more", [2] which included inviting the Swedish Army drum corps to play military drums on several tracks, such as "The Wave". [2] [3] Karlsson told Billboard that his favorite part of the song occurs during the second verse, in which all band members are hitting the drums simultaneously. "We hit anything we could hit at the same time ... and it sounded kind of cool", he said. [2] Nils Törnqvist is credited for playing the drums, while David Lindberg, Jonathan Lundberg and Claes Malmberg played the military drums. [1] Swedish musician Gustav Ejstes of band Dungen played the autoharp, and the band provided additional instruments, arrangement and programming. [1] Niklas Flyckt mixed the track at Robotberget, Miike Snow's own studio in Stockholm, Sweden. [1] [4]
The song was selected as the second single from Happy to You. Initially, Thomas Gold's remix was released exclusively on the online music store Beatport on 14 May 2012, through Axwell's record label Axtone. [5] A mere week later, a digital extended play (EP) was released in Europe through Columbia. The release features the radio edit of the original song and remixes by Gold, Brodinski and Style of Eye. [6] The EP was released in the United States on 12 June 2012, through Universal Republic and Downtown. [7]
Prior to the release of both their second album and single, the band announced in February 2012 that they were going to play two UK shows in London and Manchester. [8] For their show at the O2 Academy Brixton in London, the band launched an interactive video of their performance of "The Wave" in which viewers could choose from where in the venue they could experience the show. [9]
"The Wave" is a piano-based electropop song with a "marching band vibe". [10] [11] [12] Chris Schulz of The New Zealand Herald described it as an "electro-anthem" with a "skittery dubstep throb". [11] Instrumentation is provided by an autoharp, drums, [1] handclaps, [13] military drums, [14] percussion [13] and a piano. [14] In an interview for Complex , Wyatt said that the song is built in "tsunami form", stating that "the real pay-off" does not come until the final refrain. [15] According to critic Josh Modell of Spin , the song "dips its toes in the kind of Brit-rock purveyed by Elbow but mixes in some organic, tribal fun à la Yeasayer". [16] Wyatt sings with falsetto vocals, which Chris Martins of The A.V. Club thought recalled a "sad-faced" Peter Gabriel. [13] In the chorus, Wyatt sings, "My love won't be saved / We'll all be staring at the wave". [17] Winnberg told Billboard that "The Wave" "kind of sums up a lot what Miike Snow is about". [2]
Critical reception of "The Wave" was generally positive. Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly named it one of the best tracks on Happy to You, [18] while Will Salmon of Clash and Amber Genuske of HuffPost called it a standout. [12] [19] Exclaim! 's Ashley Hampson deemed it "incredibly catchy", writing that it "capitalize[s] on the falsetto musings of vocalist Andrew Wyatt". [20] Andy Baber of musicOMH described the track as "much more like the Miike Snow that many came to know and love". [14] The writer praised the piano and marching drums for "giving the song a sense of direction that the opener lacked". [14] Caroline Sullivan, writing for The Guardian , commented that "a martial beat, contrastingly languid vocals and a snaggy hookline give 'The Wave' a toothsome kick", [21] and Slant Magazine 's Kevin Liedel wrote that the beat "succeeds". [22]
Chris Schulz of The New Zealand Herald said that the song, alongside the album tracks "Paddling Out" and "Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)", "will swirl around in your head for days and demand repeat plays". [11] Spin's Josh Modell named it a highlight of the album; he wrote that if the album as a whole sounded like "The Wave", "it could fill arenas". [16] Chris Martins of The A.V. Club wrote, "Though Wyatt's vocals recall a sad-faced Peter Gabriel, the song is steeped in the kind of effervescent magic that makes Lykke Li and Peter Bjorn and John stars in their own right." [13] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters was critical of Wyatt's vocal performance; he wrote that "we really get a sense of how Wyatt's voice hinders the group". [17] He said that the singer intones the lyrics "somewhat abstractly, but with absolutely no sense of gravity to be found in his voice at all". [17]
In the Netherlands, "The Wave" entered the Tipparade chart of the Dutch Top 40 at number 30 on 21 April 2012. [23] It peaked at number 21 and remained on the chart for five weeks. [23] The single also charted on the Flemish Ultratip chart in Belgium; it debuted at number 84 in the issue dated 30 June 2012. [24] The following week, the single rose 12 positions to number 72, [25] and to number 54 the next. [26] In the issue dated 28 July 2012, its fifth and final week on the chart, it obtained its peak position of number 43. [27] [28]
Andreas Nilsson directed the music video for "The Wave", a continuation of the video for Happy to You's lead single "Paddling Out". [29] Picking up where the first part left of, the video follows Jean Noel, a human man who has received plastic surgery from aliens to be transformed into the "perfect specimen". [30] In an interview for The Creators Project, Nilsson explained how the videos were conceptualized: "The concept of this was born after long evenings of me and the band talking about gene technology in contemporary science. We share a mutual excitement in what's happening on the medical scene right now." [30] "The Wave" was filmed before "Paddling Out", although the latter was released first. [2] Wyatt explained to Billboard, "We really liked [director] Andreas's images and I think they go together in a way that feels truthful with what we do ... and you can read into it in different ways." [2]
The video for "The Wave" begins with the aliens' spaceship crashing to Earth. The camera then hovers over a playground where dozens of children appear to be dead. Several policemen arrive at the scene and begin to remove the bodies by putting them in wheelbarrows. Meanwhile, Jean Noel is seen running on a desert road. The policemen then begin to dig graves for the corpses. Jean Noel then spots another specimen who looks just like him and the two begin to run. They are soon joined by more specimens before arriving at the playground. By chanting at the policemen, the specimens appear to mind control them into dance. [31] Jean Noel continues to run and stops when he sees the crashed spaceship. The video ends with the band's jackalope logo.
The video was made available for download through the iTunes Store on 13 March 2012, in conjunction with the digital release of Happy to You. [32] [33] It later premiered on YouTube on 14 March 2012. [34] [35] It received generally positive reviews. Amber Genuske of The Huffington Post stated that it lacked a plotline, but praised its production. [19] Tom Breihan of Stereogum called it "slapsticky absurdism" and wrote, "I don't think it's supposed to be depressing, but it totally is." [36]
|
|
Credits are adapted from the Happy to You liner notes. [1]
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [28] | 43 |
Netherlands Tipparade (Dutch Top 40) [23] | 21 |
Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Worldwide (Beatport) | 14 May 2012 | Remix download | Axtone | [5] |
Europe | 20 May 2012 | Digital EP | Columbia | [6] |
United States | 12 June 2012 | [7] |
Bloodshy & Avant are a Swedish songwriting and production duo consisting of Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Pontus "Avant" Winnberg. They have worked with many prominent artists, including Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Ms. Dynamite, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Kelis, Girls' Generation, Christina Milian, Sky Ferreira, Hikaru Utada and BoA. In addition to their production work, Karlsson and Winnberg are also members of the synth-pop group Miike Snow, alongside lead vocalist Andrew Wyatt.
Andrew Wyatt Blakemore is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Manhattan, New York, he began his career playing in New York bands such as The A.M. and Black Beetle. He gained wider notability as the frontman of the Swedish electronic pop band Miike Snow, which released its acclaimed debut album in 2009. Since that time, Wyatt has released two other albums with the band as well as his solo debut Descender on Downtown Records in 2013.
The Big Pink are an English electronic rock band from London, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Robertson "Robbie" Furze, Akiko Matsuura and Charlie Barker. Initially a duo, they signed to independent record label 4AD in 2009 and won the NME Philip Hall Radar Award for best new act. To date, they have released five singles, with their debut album A Brief History of Love released in September 2009 and its follow-up, Future This released in January 2012.
Miike Snow is a Swedish indie pop band formed in 2007. The band consists of producing team Bloodshy & Avant and American singer Andrew Wyatt. The band is often represented by a silhouette image of a jackalope. In their career, the band has released three studio albums: Miike Snow (2009), Happy to You (2012), and iii (2016).
"Animal" is a song performed by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It was released as the first single from the band's 2009 self-titled debut album on 17 February 2009 through Columbia and Downtown Records. Written by the band alongside Henrik Jonback, "Animal" is a pop song with instrumentation provided by horns and staccato synthesizers. Lead singer Andrew Wyatt has explained that it has an ambiguous meaning; its lyrics can be interpreted as dealing with matters such as addiction, basic instincts or dissatisfaction when one's needs are not met by society.
Lars Christian Karlsson, also known by his stage name Bloodshy, is a Swedish DJ, percussionist, record producer and remixer known for his work with the musical groups Bloodshy and Avant, Miike Snow, Ingrid, and Galantis. He started his international music career as one half of the electro pop duo Bloodshy & Avant with Pontus Winnberg, producing and co-writing tracks for pop stars such as Madonna, BoA, Kylie Minogue, and Katy Perry. Bloodshy & Avant notably co-wrote and produced Britney Spears' single "Toxic", which earned them a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2005. While continuing to work with Bloodshy and Avant, Karlsson also became a member of the indie pop band Miike Snow around 2007. Miike Snow, the group's debut album, was released in 2009, and peaked at number 11 on the Top Electronic Albums chart in the United States. Miike Snow won the 2011 European Border Breakers Award, and their second album Happy to You reached No. 1 on the Belgian Heatseekers Albums Chart and 43 on the Billboard 200.
"You Need Me, I Don't Need You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 August 2011 as the second single from his debut studio album, + ("Plus").
"This Isn't Everything You Are" is a song by Northern Irish–Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol, released as the second single of their sixth album, Fallen Empires (2011) and was released as a digital download on 14 October 2011.
Happy to You is the second studio album by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It was released in the United States on 13 March 2012 by Downtown Records and Universal Republic Records, and in the United Kingdom on 19 March 2012 by Columbia Records.
"Black & Blue" is a song performed by the Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It was released as the second single from the band's 2009 album, Miike Snow on 15 October 2009 by Columbia Records. The song was written by the band with Henrik Jonback and Juliet Richardson. Band members Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg of the production duo Bloodshy & Avant had conceptualized the chorus before forming the band with Andrew Wyatt in 2007, but saved the idea for the Miike Snow project rather than offering it to another artist. "Black & Blue" is a blue-eyed soul and electronica song that is sung in a breathy falsetto style with piano and synthesizer instrumentation.
"Silvia" is a song performed by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. Written and produced by the band, it is a six-minute electronic piano ballad that features drum and synthesizer instrumentation and electro house beats. Lyrically, it speaks of longing and lead singer Andrew Wyatt's vocals are edited with Auto-Tune. "Silvia" served as the third and final single from the band's 2009 self-titled debut album. Columbia Records first digitally released it as a remix extended play (EP) on 22 January 2010. Band members Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg contributed their own remix to the release, using the alias Robotberget.
"Paddling Out" is a song by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow from their second studio album, Happy to You (2012). It was released as the album's lead single on 23 January 2012 through Columbia, Downtown and Universal Republic. Written and produced by the band, the song was recorded in a studio previously occupied by Swedish pop group ABBA, which influenced its sound. Band member Pontus Winnberg dubbed the track an homage to dance floor disco. Musically, "Paddling Out" is a piano-driven electropop and house song with disco, Italo house and acid jazz elements, backed by a four on the floor beat.
The discography of Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow consists of three studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), twelve singles, fifteen music videos, and ten remixes for other artists. Formed in Stockholm in 2007, the band consists of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg of production duo Bloodshy & Avant and American vocalist Andrew Wyatt. The band began by sharing tracks and remixes on the free music website RCRD LBL that proved successful in the music blogosphere. The act preserved its anonymity by using a silhouetted jackalope avatar before revealing itself as a three-man band. The band released the debut studio album Miike Snow (2009) through Downtown Records to favorable reviews from music critics. The album spawned three commercial singles, two of which—"Animal" and "Black & Blue"—had moderate impact on charts in Belgium and the United Kingdom in 2009. The debut single "Animal" subsequently received a platinum certification in the United States.
"Remedy" is a song performed by Italian DJ duo Crookers featuring Swedish band Miike Snow. It was released on 19 February 2010 as the third single from Crookers' album Tons of Friends (2010).
iii is the third studio album by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It was released in the United States on 4 March 2016.
"Genghis Khan" is a song performed by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow from their third studio album, iii (2016). Written and produced by the band alongside Henrik Jonback, the song was conceived when lead singer Andrew Wyatt felt like a tyrant while in a long-distance relationship, comparing his cruelty to that of Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan. Wyatt did not want to commit to the relationship, while simultaneously not wanting her being involved with anybody else. Wyatt believed the public could relate to this irrational jealousy, recognizing it as a truth of human nature. Musically, "Genghis Khan" is an electropop song with funk and R&B influences and lyrics which see the protagonist likening his jealousy to the behavior of the Mongolian emperor.
"My Trigger" is a song performed by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow from their third studio album, iii (2016). Written and produced by the band, the song contains elements from J Dilla's "The Diff'rence" (2006), which samples "Fruitman" (1974) by Kool & the Gang. The writers of both compositions obtained writing credit. "My Trigger" is an electropop and indie pop song, the lyrics of which speak of spending a weekend with a stripper. Lead singer Andrew Wyatt also revealed that it comments on the sex industry in the United States. The song was released on 9 September 2016, through Jackalope and Atlantic as the third single from iii.
"Heart Is Full" is a song recorded by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow for their third studio album, iii (2016). Written by the band alongside Vincent Pontare, the song contains elements from Marlena Shaw's 1967 recording of "Waiting for Charlie to Come Home", penned by Bob Hilliard and Burt Bacharach. "Heart Is Full" is an electropop and hip hop song with instrumentation provided by drums, horn and Wurlitzer electric piano. Described by the band as different from their other work, the song was selected as the album's lead single as vocalist Andrew Wyatt deemed it a "jarring reintroduction" following the band's three-year break. The single was released on 30 October 2015 through Jackalope and Atlantic.
"Breakin' Point" is a song by Swedish band Peter Bjorn and John from their seventh studio album Breakin' Point (2016). It was released on 25 March 2016 through PBJ Musik and Ingrid as the album's second single. Written by the band and produced by Emile Haynie, "Breakin' Point" is a midtempo pop song with lyrics alluding to the protagonist's concerns about expecting a child. It features a whistling intro, which the band were initially hesitant to include as their breakthrough single "Young Folks" (2006) had a similar composition. They eventually decided "Breakin' Point" would represent a fitting tribute as it was conceived near the ten-year anniversary of "Young Folks".
"The Heart of Me" is a song by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow from their third studio album, iii (2016). Written and produced by the band, the song was initially issued as a buzz single on 19 February 2016, in anticipation of the album's release. Subsequently, Atlantic Records sent it to alternative radio in the United States on 15 November 2016, as the fourth and final single off the album. Musically, "The Heart of Me" is a synth-laden chillwave song with indie rock elements and emotional lyrics. It features background vocals by English singer Charli XCX.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)