| "My Antarctica" | |
|---|---|
 "Ordinary World" UK single B-side label | |
| Song byDuran Duran | |
| from the albumLiberty | |
| Released | 20 August 1990 |
| Studio | Olympic (London) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 5:01 |
| Label | |
| Songwriters | |
| Producer | Chris Kimsey |
| Audio video | |
| "My Antarctica" onYouTube | |
"My Antarctica" is a song by the Englishpop rock bandDuran Duran from their sixth studio albumLiberty, released byParlophone on 20 August 1990. A mid-temposynth-popballad, the song features glacial synthesisers, ambient reversed guitars, and one of the lead vocalistSimon Le Bon's "most haunting vocal performances".
Although not released as a single, "My Antarctica" has been singled out by both critics and band members as a highlight ofLiberty, and has continued to receive retrospective acclaim. It was later included as aB-side to the 1992 single "Ordinary World". Despite its critical recognition, the song has rarely been performed live.
"My Antarctica" is a mid-temposynth-popballad that the author Steve Malins described as "pulsing" and "ethereal", featuring a "fine vocal performance" by the lead vocalistSimon Le Bon.[1][2] Jon O'Brien ofClassic Pop noted that the producerChris Kimsey allowedDuran Duran "room to breathe" on the track, which combines "glacial synths and a desolate piano hook" with "one of Le Bon's most haunting vocal performances".[3] The keyboardistNick Rhodes highlighted the guitaristWarren Cuccurullo's contributions, describing his "ambient reversed guitars" as "incredibly beautiful", and calling Cuccurullo "a magician, as well as a musician".[4] Lyrically, Le Bon has chosen not to reveal the song's meaning, stating that "the song is the statement" and that other people's interpretations are what matter.[5]
"My Antarctica" was released byParlophone on 20 August 1990 as the sixth track on Duran Duran's sixth studio album,Liberty. It was not issued as a single, though both Kimsey and Paul Sinclair ofSuperDeluxeEdition later expressed the view that it should have been.[6][7] Kimsey stated that "My Antarctica" and "Serious" should have been chosen as singles instead of "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)".[6] Sinclair similarly wrote that whileEMI Records may have been reluctant to release a slower song as a lead single, choosing "Violence of Summer" over "My Antarctica" was "madness". An instrumental variation of the song, titled "Throb", was used as theB-side to the "Violence of Summer" single.[7] "My Antarctica" was later selected as a B-side to the 1992 single "Ordinary World",[3] which helped revive the band's commercial success.
AlthoughLiberty is often regarded as one of Duran Duran's weaker albums,[1] "My Antarctica" has been singled out by both critics and band members as a highlight, continuing to receive praise.[2][4][5][7] Malins identified it as one of the three standout tracks on the album,[1] while Le Bon described it as "one of my favourite Duran Duran songs, ever", calling it "a beautiful and emotional song".[5] Rhodes referred to it as "a beautiful ballad", and while noting some reservations about the mix, described the song itself as "exquisite".[4] Sinclair called it "THE best song fromLiberty by a country mile", suggesting it "could have been a classic in the vein of 'Save A Prayer'" had it been released as a single, and praised Le Bon's lyrics as "brilliant".[7] Rik Flynn ofClassic Pop ranked it as the 26th best Duran Duran song, writing that "The Durans know how to nail a good ballad".[2] O'Brien noted that despite the band's apparent appreciation for the song, it has been largely absent from their live performances.[3]
Duran Duran[8]
Technical[8]