"Deadcrush" is a song by British indie rock band alt-J. It is the fifth track and fourth single from their third studio album, Relaxer, and was released as a digital single on 12 July 2017 by Infectious Music and Atlantic Records. The song was written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamiltion, and Thom Sonny Green and produced by Charlie Andrew. The song's title is based on a game the band played where they asked the question, "What historical figure would I want to take on a date if she were alive today?", and so the name "Deadcrush" is based on someone's "dead crush".[1] It features vocals from Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice. The song was also featured in the soundtrack for FIFA 18.[2]
| "Deadcrush" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by alt-J | ||||
| from the album Relaxer | ||||
| Released | 12 July 2017 | |||
| Genre | Indietronica | |||
| Length | 3:52 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Charlie Andrew | |||
| Alt-J singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Composition and lyrics edit
In an interview with NPR, the band said:[3]
As we were finishing writing our second album, This Is All Yours, we came up with a quick jam which we luckily captured on one of our phones. This turned into 'Deadcrush', which is a word we made up to describe someone who is no longer alive that you fancy. Thus the first verse is about Lee Miller, Joe's deadcrush, the second about Anne Boleyn, Gus's.
Music video edit
A music video for the song was released on 12 July 2017. It was directed by Young Replicant, who also directed the music video for "3WW".[4] It features the band's "dead crushes": Sylvia Plath, Lee Miller, and Anne Boleyn teaming up in a post-apocalyptic world.
Official video edit
The choreography was designed by Darcy Wallace, performed by Leah Marojević, Alana Everett and Natalia Iwaniec. [5]
Live performances edit
The band performed "Deadcrush" at the 2017 Mercury Prize ceremony at the Eventim Apollo in London on 14 September 2017. Relaxer was shortlisted for the prize.[6]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Deadcrush" | 3:52 |
Personnel edit
Credits adapted from Tidal[7]
alt-J edit
Additional musicians edit
|
Technical edit
Artwork and design edit
|
Charts edit
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[8] | 29 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ)[9] | 10 |
| UK Indie (OCC)[10] | 23 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[11] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Deadcrushed edit
| Deadcrushed | |
|---|---|
| EP by | |
| Released | 27 September 2017 |
| Length | 35:13 |
| Label | |
| Singles from Deadcrushed | |
Four remixes of "Deadcrush", by Spike Stent, Ben de Vries, Lea Porcelain, and Salute, were individually released by alt-J as digital singles in August 2017. A collection of the remix singles, excluding the remix by Spike Stent, was released as an EP on 27 September 2017 with additional remixes by Damian Lazarus, Otzeki, Miro Shot, and Vesica.[16]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Deadcrush" (Damian Lazarus Remix) | 8:54 |
| 2. | "Deadcrush" (Salute Remix) | 4:18 |
| 3. | "Deadcrush" (Lea Porcelain Remix) | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Deadcrush" (Otzeki Remix) | 4:22 |
| 5. | "Deadcrush" (Miro Shot Remix) | 4:30 |
| 6. | "Deadcrush" (Vesica Remix) | 4:34 |
| 7. | "Deadcrush" (Ben De Vrie Remix) | 4:26 |
References edit
- ^ "Man Ray went cray cray over you, capturing but never captured".
- ^ Connick, Tom (14 September 2017). "The FIFA 18 soundtrack is here". NME. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Boilen, Bob (2 June 2017). "alt-J's 'Relaxer,' Track By Track". NPR. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- ^ "Alt-J Debut 'Deadcrush' Video Featuring Historical Crushes « Radio.com". Archived from the original on 2017-07-16. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: alt-J - Deadcrush (Official Video). YouTube.
- ^ "BBC Radio 6 Music - Mercury Prize, alt-J - Deadcrush (Mercury Prize 2017)".
- ^ "TIDAL". Listen.tidal.com. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ "alt-J – Deadcrush" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- ^ "NZ Heatseeker Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player".
- ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player".
- ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player".
- ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player".
- ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player".