| "Animal" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byMiike Snow | ||||
| from the albumMiike Snow | ||||
| B-side | "Billie Holiday" | |||
| Released | 17 February 2009 (2009-02-17) | |||
| Studio | Robotberget (Stockholm, Sweden) | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:24 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Miike Snow | |||
| Miike Snow singles chronology | ||||
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"Animal" is a song performed by Swedishindie pop bandMiike Snow. It was released as the first single from the band's 2009self-titled debut album on 17 February 2009 throughColumbia andDowntown Records. Written by the band alongsideHenrik Jonback, "Animal" is apop song with instrumentation provided by horns andstaccato synthesizers. Lead singerAndrew 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.
Applauding itscatchiness and pop sound, critics were positive towards "Animal". Following its release, the single managed to peak at number 50 in Scotland and number 98 on theUK Singles Chart. It was later certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Twomusic videos were made to promote the release of "Animal"; the first was directed by Sebastian Mlynarski and depicts the band wearing different animal masks, and the second video, directed by Anthony Dickenson, features a mixture of projections, animation and performance footage.
"Animal" was written byMiike Snow's three members,Christian Karlsson,Pontus Winnberg andAndrew Wyatt, in collaboration withHenrik Jonback.[1] In an interview with Dustin Fitzharris ofOut, Wyatt explained that the song has an ambiguous meaning, "It can deal with addiction. It can deal with just the basic instincts – some of them are wonderful and some of them are very dangerous."[2] In a separate interview with Joe Zadeh forClash, Wyatt deemed it a "very simple song" and elaborated on its subject matter, "Directing your attention to man's underlying nature and how sometimes things in society just don't work out to meet your needs. And a lot of people end up feeling very dissatisfied. And the way people feel the need to fit into certain circumstances without even thinking about what they want."[3] "Animal" was recorded at Robotberget, the band's own studio inStockholm, Sweden.[1][4] The band produced the track and thenmixed it with Anders Hvenare.[1]
Downtown Records first released "Animal" as the band's debut single on 17 February 2009 viadigital download in the United States.[5][6] The record label then sent it foralternative airplay in the country on 12 April 2009.[7] In the United Kingdom,Columbia Records first released the single as a12" remix vinyl on 27 July 2009.[8] The label later digitally released it on 7 August 2009,[9] and as aCD single on 10 August 2009.[10] The CD and digital releases in the UK include the song "Billie Holiday", written by Karlsson, Winnberg and Wyatt,[11] as aB-side.[12] A digitalextended play (EP) with remixes byCrookers,Fake Blood,Fred Falke, Punks Jump Up andStyle of Eye was released in European countries on 7 August 2009.[13] Two remixes byPeter Bjorn and John andMark Ronson were digitally released in the US on 8 December 2009.[14] Ronson's remix also appears on the UKiTunes Store release of the band's next single, "Black & Blue" (2009),[15] and was featured on the soundtrack album of the filmCrazy, Stupid, Love (2010).[16]
"Animal" is apop song withhorn andstaccato synthesizer instrumentation.[17][18][19][20] According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com byAlfred Publishing, the song is written in the time signature ofcommon time with a moderate beat rate of 118beats per minute. It is written in thekey ofE major and Wyatt's vocal range spans the notes ofB3 toC♯6. It has an E–F♯m7–C♯mchord progression and averse-chorus structure.[21] Sam Richards ofNME and Ben Hogwood ofmusicOMH compared the sound and rhythm of the song to works by English bandThe Police,[22][23] while Paul Lester ofThe Guardian likened lead singer Wyatt's vocals to those of The Police's lead singerSting.[24] Jason Lymangrover ofAllMusic compared the hook to works by American bandVampire Weekend, and said that "dubby synths circulate around flighty vocals with heavy sentiments".[17] Wyatt sings lyrics such as "But I'm still trying to make my mind up, am I free or am I tied up?" with "unassuming cheeriness",[18] and the chorus contains the line "I change shapes just to hide in this place, but I'm still, I'm still an animal".[17]
"Animal" received a positive response from music critics. Natalie Kaye ofContactmusic.com described it as a "solid pop song", before adding that the "infectious" chorus is "irrefutably something you'll end up whistling in the shower".[25] Similarly, Ian Wade ofBBC Music commented that it "takes approximately one play for its catchiness to cluster bomb your memory bank",[26] and John Bergstrom ofPopMatters called it "sharp, catchy pure pop" with a chorus that "charm[s] [its] way into your brain".[27] Rudy Klapper of Sputnikmusic commended lead singer Wyatt's "chameleonic" vocals, calling them "a highlight from the beginning".[18] Klapper concluded, "['Animal'] bounc[es] along a deceptively catchy progression to a jangly chorus that hits immediate pop pay dirt."[18] Neil Ashman ofDrowned in Sound commented that it "boasts a number of indelible hooks worked around its staccato synth blasts".[19]
Jordan Bimm ofNow described "Animal" as "catchy and creative" and said that the horns and the "playful vocal hook" will appeal to listeners who enjoyedBritney Spears' "Toxic" (2003), a production of Miike Snow members Karlsson and Winnberg.[20] Sam Richards ofNME viewed "Animal" as an "impressive piece of sleight of hand" and compared its sound to that of The Police, "while remaining bearable".[22] Ben Hogwood ofmusicOMH said that it sounds like a "lost Police song given a new, vividly coloured change of clothes".[23] He felt that the lyrical vignettes and hooks seem "awkward" during the first listen, and "gloriously different the next".[23] Hogwood furthermore said that this applied for the album as a whole.[23] Marc Hogan ofPitchfork Media called it a "kiddie-pop lilt".[28]
Commercially, "Animal" was a minor chart success. It made its first chart appearance on 16 August 2009, on theScottish Singles Chart at number 50.[29] The single also peaked number 98 in the issue dated 22 August 2009 of theUK Singles Chart.[30] "Animal" achieved some airplay in Russia, spending five weeks in the lower ends of theTophit airplay chart and peaking at number 297.[31] In December 2013, the single was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the band's first certification, indicating 1,000,000 digital sales.[32]
Twomusic videos were released to promote "Animal". The first video, directed by Sebastian Mlynarski, was released in July 2009.[33] It opens with the band performing on a street at night, holding umbrellas. The band then appears wearing differentsurgical masks with animal prints throughout the video. Near the end, they are seen performing in a grass field. Anthony Dickenson directed the single's second music video,[34] released in August 2009.[35] Dickenson created projections and sculptures, utilizing both animation and performance footage.[36] The video features projections of a forest which turns into a city as the video progresses. It interspersed with shots of the band performing in a dark room. The video ends with the band'sjackalope logo being projected onto the cityscape. The video was nominated in the category Best Visual Effects in a Video at the 2009UK Music Video Awards.[37]
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Credits are adapted from theMiike Snow liner notes.[1]
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Russia Airplay (Tophit)[31] | 297 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[29] | 50 |
| Switzerland Airplay (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] | 80 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[30] | 98 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[42] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[32] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States[5][6][7] | 17 February 2009 | Digital download | Downtown Records |
| 12 April 2009 | Alternative radio | ||
| United Kingdom[8][9][10] | 27 July 2009 | 12" vinyl | Columbia Records |
| 7 August 2009 | Digital download | ||
| 10 August 2009 | CD single |
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