Reflektor

The title track of the 2013 album, with Haitian percussion, James Murphy and David Bowie on backing vocals.
Arcade Fire, from Reflektor (2013)

Written by
Will Butler, Win Butler, Regine Chassagne, Jeremy Gara, Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry
Released
2013
Album
Reflektor

Work began in 2011 in Louisiana with the Haitian percussionists Willinson Duprate and Verrieux Zile, and the song was recorded in 2013 at Sonovox in Montreal. Arcade Fire, Markus Dravs and James Murphy produced it. It runs 7:34 on the album, with a 4:59 radio edit. It was released on 9 September 2013, and a limited 12-inch was credited to The Reflektors.

Butler said the lyrics were shaped by differences between Haitian and Western life, and that the band were just trying to allow an experience to change you. Parry has said Bowie sang additional vocals after visiting the New York mix session. The song was the band's first Hot 100 entry at 99, and reached 44 in the UK and 20 in Canada and Ireland. It is certified platinum in Canada.

Anton Corbijn directed the video, which features papier-mache heads and won the MTV VMA for Best Art Direction in 2014, and Vincent Morisset made an interactive video. Pitchfork named it Best New Track, and NME ranked it the second best track of 2013.

More songs by Arcade Fire

Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies), No Cars Go, Ready to Start, The Suburbs, Keep the Car Running, We Used to Wait, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), Afterlife, Everything Now, Creature Comfort

Sources

  1. Reflektor (song), Wikipedia
  2. Reflektor, Wikipedia