| "Yi" and "iMi" | |
|---|---|
 "iMi" cover art | |
| Song byBon Iver | |
| from the albumI, I | |
| Released | August 8, 2019 |
| Recorded | 2014–2019 |
| Studio |
|
| Length | 0:31 ("Yi") 3:16 ("iMi") |
| Songwriter(s) | "Yi" writers:
|
| Lyricist(s) | Justin Vernon |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Lyric videos | |
| "Yi" onYouTube "iMi" onYouTube | |
"Yi" and "iMi" are songs by Americanindie folk bandBon Iver from their fourth studio album,I, I (2019). The songs are the first two tracks on the album, with the former being a 31-second phone recording that serves as an intro to the latter. Both songs were produced byJustin Vernon, Brad Cook, and Chris Messina, with additional production byBJ Burton. "Yi" and "iMi" feature additional production by Trevor Hagen and Andrew Sarlo, respectively.
"Yi" and "iMi" are built off an audio snippet ofcardboard sliding over a radio that is switched on-and-off. Vernon is credited as the sole lyricist on both songs, with him singing about the themes of comfort and familiarity. Recording of "iMi" took five years and nearly 30 collaborators to complete. "Yi" was recorded in the winter of 2014 at the April Base inEau Claire, Wisconsin, which began the recording process of "iMi" that was completed in 2019 at theSonic Ranch inTornillo, Texas. Credited composers and musicians includeJames Blake,Velvet Negroni,Camilla Staveley-Taylor,Aaron Dessner,CJ Camerieri, andWheezy, amongst others.
"Yi" is a phone recording from the winter of 2014 inEau Claire, Wisconsin. Bon Iver frontmanJustin Vernon and his close friend Trever Hagen were experimenting with turning a radio on-and-off while slidingcardboard over it at the time, resembling ahip hopchop. Vernon immediately told producer Brad Cook that he wanted this fragmented recording to be the basis of the first track on their then-upcoming album, which later became "iMi".[1]
Mike Noyce recorded his vocals for the track in 2015. That same year, Vernon met with British musicianJames Blake while the former was inLondon, where the latter playedsynthesizers for the track.[1] The two had previously collaborated on the tracks "Fall Creek Boys Choir" from 2011 and "I Need a Forest Fire" from 2016.[2] American singerFrank Ocean was present for Blake's contributions. In 2017, Vernon previewed "iMi" to American record producerWheezy, where he offered to provide drum programming for the track. Prior to the collaboration, Wheezy did not know of Vernon or Bon Iver. In 2018,Rob Moose's Worms Crew recorded the horns on the track. Moose had made three different trips to Wisconsin for working on the song.[1]
Vernon struggled to write his first verse for the song due to the pressure that "iMi" would be the album's first full track. In January 2019, recording continued at theSonic Ranch inTornillo, Texas. Andrew Sarlo, who was a long-time fan of Bon Iver, provided additional production for the track while he was at the Sonic Ranch. Cook called Sarlo's work a "turning point" for the song, praising his chopping of the chorus and the bassline. The former then pressured Vernon to complete writing the lyrics to the song.[1]
The basis of "Yi" and "iMi" came from a snippet of Vernon and Hagen turning a radio playing the song "Clarity" by Zedd featuring Foxes on-and-off, all while sliding cardboard over it.[1] Spencer Kornhaber, writing forThe Atlantic, described "Yi" as an intro into "iMi" and stated thatcar wash-like noises "keep a lazy rhythm". Kornhaber elaborated, saying that the songs' busyness eventually "gives way to cozy strumming".[3] The songs' elements cumulate, with Will Hermes, forRolling Stone, stating that "all of it somehow gel[s] into a fantastic whole."[4]
Hermes described the beginning of the songs as "doubling-down on the future-pop abstractions" before making way for Vernon's raw vocals.[4] Matthew Strauss ofPitchfork described Vernon's delivery as simple and his lyrics as him "locating peace within the ordinary and everyday"."[5] Zack Ruskin ofVariety described Vernon's lyrics as "celebrating the comfort of familiarity".[6] Mike Noyce,Velvet Negroni,Camilla Staveley-Taylor, andJames Blake collaborate to sing across different frequencies within the song.[3] Kornhaber stated that he believes the chorus "I am / I am / I am" ironically gives a sense ofwe.[3]
On July 11, 2019, Bon Iver announced their fourth studio albumI, I, and revealed a track list that included both "Yi" and "iMi".[7] On August 8, 2019, without prior announcement, eight of the album's nine remaining songs, including "iMi", were released digitally. The releases were hourly, while "Yi" was then shared exclusively onReddit.[8]
On September 1, 2019, Bon Iver started theirI, I tour inBonner, Montana. "iMi" was performed at the show and was included on the set list for the tour.[9] On October 1 of that year, Bon Iver performed inBrooklyn as the special guests for American morning television programCBS This Morning. The show highlighted the band's performance of "iMi", and the songs "Blood Bank" and "Salem".[10]
"iMi" charted in both the United States and New Zealand on non-primary charts. On the USBillboardHot Rock Songs chart, the song peaked at number 36, making it the fourth highest-peaking track fromI, I, behind the singles "Hey, Ma" and "Faith", and the non-single track "Naeem".[11] However, "iMi" peaked higher than two of the album's singles, "U (Man Like)" and "Jelmore".[12][13][11] In New Zealand, the song peaked at 36 on the NZ Hot Singles chart.[14]
Credits adapted from liner notes.[15] Credits for both songs:
Additional credits for "Yi":
Additional credits for "iMi":
"iMi"
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| NZ Hot Singles (Recorded Music NZ)[14] | 36 |
| USHot Rock Songs (Billboard)[11] | 36 |