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Alligator (Of Monsters and Men song)
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Wikipedia article
"'Alligator'" is a song by Icelandic indie folk group Of Monsters and Men. It was released on 3 May 2019 by Republic Records as the lead single for their third studio album 'Fever Dream' (2019). Written by Nanna Brynds Hilmarsdttir and produced by the band and Rich Costey, "Alligator" is an uplifting yet aggressive indie rock, folk-pop, punk rock and electronic rock track about trying to break free from disillusion and confusion. Although its high energy, drums and forceful vocal performances recall the group's early sound, it is absent of their typical folk stylings. "Alligator" was well-received by reviewers of 'Fever Dream', who expressed disappointment that most of the album did not follow its style and sound. In addition to being a top-ten hit in the band's home country of Iceland, it was also in the top ten of various North American 'Billboard' rock and alternative charts and reached number-one on the Rock Airplay and Adult Alternative Airplay charts.
Background and release
"Alligator" was released on 3 May 2019. The release of the single was preceded by the group teasing it on their social media with alligator-related imagery. As Nanna Brynds Hilmarsdttir announced upon release, "We are so excited about Alligator, the first release from our upcoming album. The song very much speaks to the excitement and energy that we feel about being back. We can't wait to share more music and see everyone again." An official music video, filmed in two days "inside one of Icelands most haunted hotels" according to Hilmarsdttir, was released on 2 July 2019. It depicts the singer having a fever dream about a hotel with the other members wearing masks.
The group performed "Alligator" on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' on 16 May 2019, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on 31 July 2019, and 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' on 24 September 2019. They also performed the song on Night Two of KROQ's Absolut Almost Acoustic Christmas 2019, alongside "Mountain Sound", "Wars", and "Little Talks"; and Triple J's 'Like a Version' where they also played a cover of Post Malone's "Circles".
Composition
"Alligator" is an exultant yet aggressive indie rock, folk-pop, punk rock and electronic rock song in the style of Chvrches and with elements of 1980s power pop. Over a thick, pounding bass line, buzzing, hazy guitars a la Yeah Yeah Yeahs and "ominous, drifting, shapeshifting drums", Hilmarsdttir, in a stressful and anthemic manner, calls for liberation from the feelings of disillusion and confusion. As she belts in the chorus, "Wake me up / I'm fever dreaming / And now I lose control / I'm fever dreaming / Shake it out / It's just a-what Im feeling / And now I take control / I'm fever dreaming!"
Critics had dissimilar views over how similar "Alligator" sounded in comparison to their previous works. Some were reminded of the band's early sound through the song's "pulsating" and "hypnotic" drum beat, high energy, and forceful vocal performance. Others found it different to the point of being unrecognizable as a song from Of Monsters and Men, primarily due to its malicious tone. While the debut album 'My Head Is an Animal' (2011) established an upbeat folk pop sound for the group and 'Beneath the Skin' (2015) introduced guitar rock elements to it, "Alligator" is stripped of those records' folk stylings.
Critical reception
Several critical reviews of 'Fever Dream' considered "Alligator" to be the album's best track. Sophia Simon-Bishall of 'The Line of Best Fit' enjoyed it as "startling and thrilling", but also claimed it promised a diverse sound that the rest of the track list failed to live up to. 'DIY's Louisa Dixon and 'Slant Magazine's Graham Kervin were disappointed most of 'Fever Dream' followed a forgettable pop style instead of the "arena-ready punchiness" and powerful vocals of "Alligator". 'Paste's Andy Crump enjoyed "Alligator" as a "banger" and lamenting that "if, from start to finish, the whole record worked half as well as 'Alligator,' itd be a bold new chapter in Of Monsters and Men's narrative". More negatively, 'PopMatters' journalist Jordan Blum compared "Alligator" to "the latter-day stylistic deviations of Muse and Pure Reason Revolution". He argued that it is "catchy and iridescent enough to appeal in a commercial sense", but was absent of "almost all of what makes Of Monsters and Men exceptional in the first place", finding it similar to "countless generic empowerment anthems residing within modern pop music".
Commercial performance
On the Icelandic Singles Chart, "Alligator" debuted at number nine and rose to its peak of number six in its second week. On the 'Billboard' issue dated 13 July 2019, "Alligator" was at number four on the magazine's Rock Airplay chart, garnering 6.7 million listens according to Nielsen Music. Also that week, it went from 21 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, remaining at its peak for two weeks. This notched Of Monsters and Men a fourth number one on the chart, following "Crystals", "Mountain Sound", and "Little Talks". Reaching number-one in the ninth week, it also broke a record for a song by the Icelandic group with the lowest amount of weeks to get to the top; the previous holder was "Crystal" with ten weeks.
Upon 'Fever Dream's release, "Alligator" bolted from 159 on the Hot Rock Songs chart. This made it the second top-ten hit on the chart for "Of Monsters and Men" since "Little Talks" peaked number three in July 2012. In the issue dated 24 August 2019, "Alligator" became the band's first Rock Airplay chart topper, launching from 41 as a result of to its 8.8 million impressions, 9% higher than that of the previous week. Of Monsters and Men became the second act in 2019 to notch a Rock Airplay number-one for the first time, after Shaed with "Trampoline" in July. It was also the band third's Rock Airplay hit, after the number-two-peaking "Mountain Sound" and the top-three "Little Talks". Also on 24 August, "Alligator" went from 63 on the Alternative Songs; at the time, they were the only group with a song in the top five on the chart, as mostly solo acts were in the chart's top five.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of 'Fever Dream'.
'Of Monsters and Men'
*Nanna Brynds Hilmarsdttir vocals, writing
*Ragnar rhallsson vocals
*Brynjar Leifsson guitar, synthesizer
*Kristjn Pll Kristjnsson bass, synth bass
*Arnar Rsenkranz Hilmarsson drums, percussion
'Other'
*Rich Costey production, mixing
*Martin Cooke engineering
*Joe LaPorta mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Notes
References
Category:2019 songs
Category:2019 singles
Category:Of Monsters and Men songs
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