Islands (The xx song)
"Islands" | ||||
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Young Turks | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | The xx | |||
The xx singles chronology | ||||
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"Islands" is a song recorded by English
Critically well received, "Islands" was praised for its melody and the vocal performances of Croft and Sim. It was later ranked at number 28 on
A
Background and composition
"Islands" was written by
The song was released as the third
Critical reception
"Islands" was critically well received. It was called a "top-notch indie pop song" by
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, "Islands" reached number 34 on the
Music video
Development and synopsis
The accompanying music video for "Islands" was directed by Saam Farahmand, who had previously worked with artists like Simian Mobile Disco and Klaxons.[14] It premiered on MTV on 21 April 2010.[15] Composed of a series of tracking shots, the video shows Croft, Sim, and Smith "listlessly" sitting on a couch with six dancers performing a choreographed dance routine behind them.[15] The dancers carry out the same routine with every next tracking shot, but a slight change in their expressions, gestures, and movement takes place.[14][15] Similarly, the band-members repeatedly change their positions and facial expressions "with differing fervour".[14] Near to the end of the video, the pattern begins modifying and "the comfortable habits get broken up/break up" as the dancers and band-members leave one by one.[14] The backdrop, which consists of several small "X" letters, also catches fire.[14]
Reception
The video received positive reviews from critics. Katie Hasty from HitFix praised the choreography, calling it "eye-popping", and labelled the video as "classy, contained, and borderline claustrophobic".[14] She complimented Farahmand for directing a risky concept and commented that the tracking shots were like "an inhale and exhale with each new take".[14] Furthermore, she felt that the video was representative of the xx's sound, calling it "morose and hypnotic, just like the band, the aural equivalent of a mumblecore movie", and opined that the end of the video showed how "love goes".[14] Chris Ryan from MTV also found the video similar to the band's musical style, and commented that the slight changes in its pattern "suggest unrest under the surface -- much like the band's pristine, subtly menacing sound".[15] He also noted that while "it's often hard to imagine what visuals would go well" with the xx's songs, the music video for "Islands" "trumps anything we could have ever imagined".[15]
Live performances and usage in media
On 2 October 2009, the xx performed "Islands" live on British music television show
"Islands" was played during the closing monologue of the fourteenth episode of the
Formats and track listing
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Charts
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
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Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[22] | 16 |
France ( SNEP)[23]
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90 |
34 | |
UK Indie (OCC)[25] | 3 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada)[26] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Shakira cover
"Islands" | |
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Song by Shakira | |
from the album Sale el Sol | |
Genre | |
Length | 2:43 |
Label | Epic |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Shakira's cover of "Islands" drew generally favourable reception from critics.
In June 2010, Shakira performed the cover live at the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset.[38] Alex Needham from The Guardian called the performance "a slinky cover" that "is a nod to the indie kids".[38] Maria Schurr from PopMatters felt the performance was "less intimate than the original", but "managed to amplify the tremendous pop sensibilities embedded beneath Romy Madley Croft"s and Oliver Sim's hushed coos".[39] She concluded by saying that "as great as The xx are, it’s probably safe to say that Shakira can cut a rug better".[39]
Weekly charts
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
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US | 39 |
References
- ^ IPC Media. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Xx - Islands". Muso's Guide. 7 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ "The xx - Islands (song)". Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ a b "The xx "Islands" Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. August 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ a b Thomas, Lou (2009). "The xx - xx - Review". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ a b Mackay, Emily (11 August 2009). "Album review: The XX - 'The XX'". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ Young Turks. Archived from the originalon 29 June 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ a b "YT035T - The xx - Islands (Remixes)". Young Turks. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ "10 clips of pop music dancing that will make you feel uncontrollably happy". BBC Music. 4 July 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ Official Charts. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ "2010 Top 40 Independent Singles Archive". Official Charts Company. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ "The xx - Islands" (in Dutch). Ultratop (Flanders). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hasty, Katie (21 April 2010). "The xx mesmerize with repetitious 'Islands' music video". HitFix. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ "Later with Jools Holland (TV Series) - Episode #35.3 (2009) - Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- Apple Inc. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Webb, Rob (7 January 2013). "The xx - O2 Academy, Leeds, December 10". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ "Grey's Anatomy (TV Series) - Valentine's Day Massacre (2010) - Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ "Parenthood (TV Series) - Happy Thanksgiving (2010) – Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ "Islands – EP". iTunes Store (UK). Apple Inc. 26 October 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ "The XX – Islands" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- Les classement single.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – The xx – Islands". Music Canada. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "British single certifications – Xx – Islands". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ Schnipper, Matthew (13 May 2010). "Shakira Covers The XX". The Fader. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- )
- ^ a b Schnipper, Matthew (14 August 2012). "The xx: What We Were Feeling". The Fader. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ Spin Media. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "Shakira – "Islands" (The xx Cover)". Pretty Much Amazing. 13 October 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Shakira - Sale el Sol". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (19 October 2010). "Sale el Sol Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- Spin Media. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ "Shakira - Chart History (Latin Digital Songs B)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- ^ a b Needham, Alex (26 June 2010). "Shakira at Glastonbury 2010". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ a b Schurr, Maria (30 June 2010). "Shakira covers the xx 's "Islands" at Glastonbury". PopMatters. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ "US Billboard Latin Digital Songs Sales Chart". Billboard. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2024.