| "Valentine's Day" | ||||
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| Single byDavid Bowie | ||||
| from the albumThe Next Day | ||||
| B-side | "Plan" | |||
| Released | 19 August 2013 (2013-08-19) | |||
| Recorded | 24 July & 18 September 2012 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:59 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter | David Bowie | |||
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| David Bowie singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Valentine's Day" on YouTube | ||||
"Valentine's Day" is a song by English rock musicianDavid Bowie, the fourth single from his 25th studio albumThe Next Day. The single was released on 19 August 2013. This was to be Bowie's final 7-inch single issued from a new album released in his lifetime. The lyrics are based on the psychology of aschool shooter.[3]
"Valentine's Day" was one of the final songs recorded forThe Next Day. The backing track was recorded on 24 July 2012 at the Magic Shop in New York City, while Bowie's vocals were recorded on 18 September 2012 at Human Worldwide Studios in New York City.[4][5]
The single was released on 19 August 2013 in the UK and on the 20th in the US and other countries.[6] In early August 2013, the single was added to theBBC Radio 2's A-list.[7] The single entered UK's Airplay Chart Top 40 on 9 August 2013, making it the second most successful single fromThe Next Day (after "Where Are We Now?") in terms of airplay.[citation needed] It reached the 179th spot on the UK chart.[8]
The video for "Valentine's Day" was directed byIndrani Pal-Chaudhuri and Markus Klinko, who previously collaborated with Bowie on his 2002 albumHeathen. It features Bowie in the abandonedRed Hook Grain Terminal in theRed Hook neighbourhood ofBrooklyn,New York. In the video, Bowie plays a G2T Hohner guitar[9] while performing the song. Many commentators contrasted the video with the controversial preceding video for "The Next Day" and described it as more "subdued" in comparison.[10][11] However, visual hints towards gun violence and theNational Rifle Association of America were also noted,[12] suggesting the video was conveying a subtleanti-gun message.[13]
According to biographer Chris O'Leary:[4]
Production
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[14] | 59 |
| UK Singles Chart[8] | 179 |
