"Sexx Laws" is a song by American singer Beck, from his album Midnite Vultures (1999). It was released as the lead single from the album in October 1999.
| "Sexx Laws" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Beck | ||||
| from the album Midnite Vultures | ||||
| B-side | "This Is My Crew" / "Salt in the Wound" | |||
| Released | 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Genre | Funk rock | |||
| Length | 3:38 | |||
| Label | Geffen 497 181-2 (UK, CD1) 497 182-2 (UK, CD2) 497 182-7 (UK, 7") | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Beck Hansen | |||
| Producer(s) | Beck Hansen, Mickey Petralia | |||
| Beck singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Sexx Laws" on YouTube | ||||
Composition
editBeck said of the song's lyrics:
It's me playing with the ridiculousness of those entrenched ideas about what a man does and what a woman can do. A lot of soul music comes from a real masculine strength, but there's also this intense vulnerability about it. You have the masculine tough-guy exterior and the emotional openness, which is feminine, as well. I wanted to have fun with that, turn up that contrast a little bit without getting bogged down into preciousness and psychobabble.[1]
Of the song's music, he said:
I think my main interest in using the horns was for performance - so much music today is so guitar heavy. I sought other places to get muscle into the music. Many bands rely heavily on guitar to pump up the sound, but I thought it would be interesting to make the horns into the guitars. I think it was the L.A. Rams. I used to watch them when I was growing up, and it just reminded me of Monday Night Football in 1978.[1]
Reception
editIn 2014, NME named it the 260th Greatest Song of All Time.[2] Paste and The Guardian both ranked the song number 10 on their lists of the greatest Beck songs.[3][4]
In popular culture
edit"Sexx Laws" was used in the 2014 Renault Twingo advertisement. The song was also used in the Futurama episode "Bendin' in the Wind" and in Daria.
Live performances
editBeck has performed the song close to 300 times. Although it was released on Midnite Vultures in 1999, he performed the song live for the first time as early as June 1998.[5]
Music videos
editThe music video, directed by Beck himself, contains visual references to films such as Mr. Freedom, Anna, as well as the feature film adaptation of Ganbare!! Robocon.[6][7] Jack Black appears in the music video as a member of the Vision Warrior Men's Circle, along with Neil Strauss and Justin Meldal-Johnsen.[8] Surreal elements of the video include a refrigerator dry humping an oven, Kenny G (played by Meldal-Johnsen) in a room of football players, and a spinning mannequin of a zebra with a banjo.
There are several versions of the video. The original (once posted on Beck's website) was over 18 minutes long and extended the intro of the Men's Circle. The subsequent versions edited out the intro and ending, the latter truncating a pep rally speech by Jack Black's character.
Track listings
editCD1
- "Sexx Laws" – 3:38
- "Salt in the Wound" – 3:24
- "Sexx Laws" (Wizeguyz Remix) – 6:03
CD2
- "Sexx Laws" – 3:38
- "This Is My Crew" – 3:55
- "Sexx Laws" (Malibu Remix) – 6:51
7"
- "Sexx Laws" – 3:38
- "Salt in the Wound" – 3:24
12"
- "Sexx Laws" – 3:38
- "Sexx Laws" (Malibu Remix) – 6:51
- "Salt in the Wound" – 3:24
- "Sexx Laws" (Wizeguyz Remix) – 6:03
Personnel
edit- Beck - lead vocals, keyboard, horn arrangement
- Justin Meldal-Johnsen - bass
- Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - synthesizer, piano, tambourine, shaker
- Smokey Hormel - guitar
- David Arthur Brown - tenor sax
- Jon Birdsong - trumpet
- David Ralicke - trombone
- Jay Dee Maness - pedal steel
- Herb Pedersen - banjo
- Arnold McCuller - backing vocals
- Valerie Pinkston - backing vocals
Charts
edit| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[9] | 84 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 27 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[11] | 21 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Beck Song Information - Sexx Laws". whiskeyclone.net.
- ^ "Rocklist.net....NME The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.. 2014". rocklistmusic.co.uk.
- ^ Bort, Ryan (July 16, 2012). "The 20 Best Beck Songs". Paste. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (July 2, 2020). "Beck's greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ "Hijacked Flavors - Search Results". whiskeyclone.net.
- ^ "Beck's Sexx Laws | Tokusatsu References - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Video Hangover: Beck – "Sexx Laws"". Stereogum. January 8, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ^ "Beck - "Sexxlaws"". mvdbase.com. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- ^ "Beck – Chart History: Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
External links
edit- Sexx Laws -- a music video retrospective
- "Sexx Laws" at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
- "Sexx Laws" at MusicBrainz (information and list of recordings)