Symphonies (song)
Encyclopedia
"Symphonies" is a song by British wonky pop
musician Dan Black
, released as the first single from his 2009 debut album UN
.
Evolving from his previous single "HYPNTZ", the track was written, composed, and produced by Black himself. It is an alternative dance
track that features prominent use of sampling
from other artists such as the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
and Rihanna
.
The track was released as the U.S. iTunes "Single of the Week" for the week of December 28, 2009, and the video was released on iTunes for free for the week of March 15, 2010. A remix of the song was recorded with Kid Cudi
, and was released as a bonus track in the U.S.
.
The track has also been used in the "A More Exciting Place to Live" ad campaign by Virgin Media in the UK.
" and sampled the drum beat from Rihanna
's "Umbrella
". However, the night before the video was shot, Wallace's estate informed Black of its objection to the song. Black reworked new lyrics for the song and added vocals, retitling it "Symphonies".
The track prominently samples the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
's cover of the main theme from the film Starman
written by Jack Nitzche. The sample appears throughout the track, mainly during the chorus.
An instrumental version of the track currently features on the Virgin Media advertisement.
The song has also been used in 2k Sports NBA 2k11 videogame.
The video was nominated for Best Special Effects in a Video
and Breakthrough Video at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
, but lost in both categories.
Remix EP
Wonky Pop
Wonky Pop was a term used to describe a loose grouping of musical acts that played what the BBC called "quirky, catchy and credible pop", rooted in the eccentric side of 1980s pop music, which was briefly popular in the late 2000s...
musician Dan Black
Dan Black
Dan Black is a British wonky pop artist. He was also a member of alternative rock band The Servant, before their 2007 split. He has also been a guest vocalist for the Italian group Planet Funk....
, released as the first single from his 2009 debut album UN
UN (Dan Black album)
-Critical reception:Critical response to the album has been mixed, with some critics praising Black's blend of sounds and others criticizing his lack of originality. According to Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album holds a score of...
.
Evolving from his previous single "HYPNTZ", the track was written, composed, and produced by Black himself. It is an alternative dance
Alternative dance
Alternative dance or indie dance is a musical genre that mixes rock subgenres with electronic dance music...
track that features prominent use of sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from other artists such as the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional, philharmonic symphony orchestra, over 61 years old, predominantly it is composed of Czech and Slovak classical and jazz musicians...
and Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
.
The track was released as the U.S. iTunes "Single of the Week" for the week of December 28, 2009, and the video was released on iTunes for free for the week of March 15, 2010. A remix of the song was recorded with Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
, and was released as a bonus track in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The track has also been used in the "A More Exciting Place to Live" ad campaign by Virgin Media in the UK.
Conception and production
In 2008, Black originally recorded a song called "HYPNTZ", which interpolated lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G's "HypnotizeHypnotize (The Notorious B.I.G. song)
"Hypnotize" is the Grammy-nominated hip-hop song recorded by rapper The Notorious B.I.G. It was released as the first single from his album Life After Death in December 13, 1996. It was the fifth song to hit #1 posthumously for a credited artist....
" and sampled the drum beat from Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
". However, the night before the video was shot, Wallace's estate informed Black of its objection to the song. Black reworked new lyrics for the song and added vocals, retitling it "Symphonies".
The track prominently samples the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional, philharmonic symphony orchestra, over 61 years old, predominantly it is composed of Czech and Slovak classical and jazz musicians...
's cover of the main theme from the film Starman
Starman (film)
John Carpenter's Starman is a 1984 science-fiction fantasy film directed by John Carpenter that tells the story of an alien who has come to Earth in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.The screenplay was written by Bruce A. Evans,...
written by Jack Nitzche. The sample appears throughout the track, mainly during the chorus.
An instrumental version of the track currently features on the Virgin Media advertisement.
The song has also been used in 2k Sports NBA 2k11 videogame.
Music video
The song's music video features many fictional movie trailers, with each movie's title being the line of the song that is said while the trailer is shown.The video was nominated for Best Special Effects in a Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Special Effects in a Video....
and Breakthrough Video at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
2010 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year...
, but lost in both categories.
Track listing
CD single- "Symphonies" - 3:43
Remix EP
- "Symphonies" - 3:39
- "Symphonies" (feat. Kid CudiKid CudiScott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
) - 3:46 - "Symphonies" (Chris Lake Remix) (feat. Kid Cudi) - 6:44
- "Symphonies" (Dada Life Remix) (feat. Kid Cudi) - 4:24
- "Symphonies" (Gigi Barocco Remix) (feat. Kid Cudi) - 4:42
- "Symphonies" (Passion Pit Remix) - 4:22
Chart positions
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Alternative Songs | 34 |