"Hollywood" is a song by American indie rock band Car Seat Headrest. It was released on April 16, 2020, by Matador Records, as the third single from their twelfth studio album, Making a Door Less Open (2020). The song was written and produced by bandleader Will Toledo and drummer Andrew Katz.[3]
| "Hollywood" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Car Seat Headrest | ||||
| from the album Making a Door Less Open | ||||
| Released | April 16, 2020 | |||
| Recorded |
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| Studio | Avast Recording Co. (Seattle) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:23 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Car Seat Headrest singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Hollywood" on YouTube | ||||
Composition and lyrics edit
The song was described by Spin as Car Seat Headrest's "aim to make a big leap into alternative rock". The staff further described the song to feature "familiar heavy riffs", "a big hook" and "heavy grooves".[1] Toledo commented that the song was "about Hollywood as a place where people go to make their fantasies come to life, and they end up exploiting other people and doing terrible things to maintain their fantasy".[4] In Pitchfork's review of the associated album, critic Ian Cohen described the lyrics as "Eephus pitch" and called it "something that destabilizes through counter-intuitive simplicity".[5]
Critical reception edit
Writing for Pitchfork, Ian Cohen compared the song as Toledo's "version of Weezer's 'Beverly Hills'" and described the concept as "catchy" and "banal".[5] Upon reviewing the associated album, Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone called the track as one of the most "divisive".[6] Writing for The Observer, Emily Mackay wrote that the song is "pleasingly punchy, but brought down by facile lyrics".[2]
In a less positive review, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian described the track as Making a Door Less Open's "dead thud". Petridis stated: "a conflation of guitar and raw-throated rapping in which the spirit of 1 Trait Danger seems rather too evident, self-consciously wacky shrieked vocals and all."[7]
Music video edit
The release of the track was accompanied by an animated music video. It was directed by Sabrina Nichols.[8] In the animated music video, Toledo appears as his alter ego, Trait, wearing a gas mask, as he takes a journey through Hollywood.[9][10]
Personnel edit
Credits adapted from Bandcamp.[11]
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Charts edit
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[12] | 31 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[13] | 29 |
| US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[14] | 45 |
References edit
- ^ a b "Car Seat Headrest Shares the Riff Heavy 'Hollywood'". Spin. April 16, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Mackay, Emily (May 3, 2020). "Car Seat Headrest: Making a Door Less Open review – Will Toledo in yet another guise". The Observer. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Hollywood by Car Seat Headrest on Spotify". Spotify. April 16, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ Gallagher, Alex (April 17, 2020). "Car Seat Headrest share new single 'Hollywood'". NME. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ a b Cohen, Ian (May 1, 2020). "Car Seat Headrest: Making a Door Less Open Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (May 1, 2020). "Car Seat Headrest's 'Making a Door Less Open' Follows a Forked Path to a Big Emotional Payoff". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (April 30, 2020). "Car Seat Headrest: Making a Door Less Open review – cult indie star in middle of the road". The Guardian. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (April 16, 2020). "Car Seat Headrest Share New Song "Hollywood": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (April 16, 2020). "Car Seat Headrest Caution Against 'Hollywood' in Animated Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ "Car Seat Headrest unleash new track 'Hollywood'". DIY. April 16, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Making A Door Less Open, by Car Seat Headrest". Car Seat Headrest. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Car Seat Headrest Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ "Car Seat Headrest Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ^ "Car Seat Headrest Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.