Paddling Out

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"Paddling Out"
Universal Republic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Miike Snow
Miike Snow singles chronology
"Remedy"
(2010) 		"Paddling Out"
(2012) 		"The Wave"
(2012)

"Paddling Out" is a song by Swedish

Universal Republic. Written and produced by the band, the song was recorded in a studio previously occupied by Swedish pop group ABBA, which influenced its sound. Band member Pontus Winnberg dubbed the track an homage to dance floor disco. Musically, "Paddling Out" is a piano-driven electropop and house song with disco, Italo house and acid jazz elements, backed by a four on the floor
beat.

"Paddling Out" received positive reviews from music critics, some of whom praised its dance production and hailed it as one of the best tracks on Happy to You. Commercially, the release is among the band's most successful singles. It achieved its highest national peak position on the

UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 90. Elsewhere, it managed to enter the Scottish singles chart and the Flemish Ultratip
chart.

The single's accompanying music video was directed by Andreas Nilsson, who created the concept after discussing genetic engineering and surveillance with the band. The visual tells the story of a man who is abducted and transformed into a "Perfect Human" by a group of childlike aliens dressed in Victorian fashion. The story continued in the video for Happy to You's follow-up single "The Wave" and concluded with the album's third single "Pretender". Miike Snow has performed live renditions of "Paddling Out" on several occasions, including Late Show with David Letterman and a session for BBC Radio 1.

Background

A drummer plays the drums on a stage.
Thomas Hedlund played the drums on "Paddling Out."

"Paddling Out" was written by

house song".[2] Winnberg described it as an homage to "a kind of dancefloor disco-inferno he's not heard in too long".[3] Wyatt first came up with the piano loop eleven years prior to finalizing the song.[4]

While working on their debut album,

mastered by Ted Jensen.[1]

Composition and lyrics

"Paddling Out"
A 22-second sample of "Paddling Out", showcasing its chorus and beginning of the second verse. Some critics noted Wyatt's vocals as "sex-less",[6][7] and others commented on the melancholic lyrics.[8][9]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Musically, "Paddling Out" is an

NME observed that it includes a "big beat bounce" and "sing-along melancholy".[9] The chorus begins with the lyric "There's someone here who laughs too hard at everything",[8] followed by the lines "You say isn't it hard / Paddling out, paddling out".[16][18] Sputnikmusic's staff writer Rudy K. commented that the contrast between the song's "infectious tone" and melancholic lyrics is similar to that of Miike Snow's debut single "Animal" (2009).[8]

Release and remixes

Miike Snow premiered "Devil's Work", the first offering from Happy to You, on 6 December 2011 on

Universal Republic issued a 7-inch vinyl subtitled The Remixes on 26 March 2012, containing the original track and the Gartner remix.[26][27] "Paddling Out" was sent to alternative radio in the United States on 27 March 2012.[28]

Prior to their digital release, the Lu Cont and Gartner remixes premiered online on 10 and 27 February 2012, respectively.

Pigeons & Planes wrote that Gartner "flips the tune with some heavy bass, some heart-wrenching build-ups, and hard-hitting thumps".[31] The remixes by Gartner, Lu Cont and Carli also appear on the Jackalope Edition of Happy to You.[32] A remix produced by Penguin Prison was made available for free download on RCRD LBL on 10 April 2012.[33] In March 2013, Sarah Polonsky of Vibe named it one of the DJ's best remixes.[34]

Critical reception

Several critics praised "Paddling Out" as one of the best songs on Miike Snow's album Happy to You.

"Paddling Out" was met with positive reviews from music critics. A writer for Pigeons & Planes opined that the song sees the band in their "most comfortable spot of creative, catchy pop music that's instantly likable and only more gratifying with each listen".[35] PopMatters critic Evan Sawdey regarded it the best track on Happy to You, while also deeming it the best Miike Snow song yet. Naming it "absolutely jaw-dropping", Sawdey went on to appoint it as "one of the best dance tracks that's not being played right now".[12] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian applauded its catchiness,[36] and Allison Stewart of The Washington Post described it as a "gem".[37] Both AllMusic's Jason Lymangrover and Metro's Arwa Haider deemed it a highlight on the album.[10][38] The New Zealand Herald's Chris Schulz said that "Paddling Out", along with two other Happy to You tracks, "will swirl around in your head for days and demand repeat plays".[39]

Moayeri of Under the Radar noted the band's "blatant acknowledgement of rave-y influences" on the track, and perceived it as a stand-out on the album.[14] Andy Baber, writing for musicOMH, felt the single showcased the band at "their electropop best", arguing its synthesizer instrumentation would make it "certain to be a dance-floor favourite".[11] Similarly, Las Vegas Sun writer Annie Zaleski viewed the song as "kicky disco" and felt it was made for the dance floor, hailing it as one of the best tracks on Happy to You.[13] Jonathan Donaldson of The Phoenix called the song an "upbeat dance number" and complimented the beat production, which he felt "most pop bands could get behind".[40] George Bass of Drowned in Sound commented that while the single "doesn't break any barriers", it is a good workout track.[41]

Chart performance

"Paddling Out" made its first chart appearance on 11 February 2012, on the Dutch

UK Dance Chart,[49] where it was listed for two weeks.[50] "Paddling Out" also entered the singles chart in Scotland, where it debuted and peaked at number 99.[51]

Music video

Andreas Nilsson directed the accompanying music video for "Paddling Out".[52] Miike Snow met with Nilsson to discuss the concept for the video.[53] In an interview for Creators, Nilsson revealed the concept was created after long discussions with the band about genetic engineering in contemporary science as they share a mutual interest in the medical scene.[54] Wyatt told Digital Spy that Nilsson's images "go together in a way that feels truthful" to the band's work.[52] He said, "I think that's one of the strengths of his work because ... you can read into it in different ways."[52] When asked about the concept of the video, Wyatt told Gigwise that "It's a pretty obscure story and I don't think we should explain too much. So we will leave that for people to piece together the puzzle".[55] Wyatt stated that the final product was mostly Nilsson's idea, noting that surveillance by companies such as Google and genetic engineering were key inspirations for the clip.[56]

A teaser clip of the video entitled "Birth to Death" was released on the band's promotional website The Tiimes in January 2012.[21] The full video then premiered on the website on 3 February 2012.[57] The following month, Wyatt revealed to Digital Spy that the visual is the first in a series of music videos.[52] The Nilsson-directed video for Happy to You's second single, "The Wave", premiered in March 2012 and continues the story established in the clip.[54] The final installment in the trilogy, the visual for the album's third single "Pretender", arrived in September 2012.[54] It was directed by Vern Moen, who Nilsson gave creative freedom to do "what he felt right in the moment".[54]

The "Paddling Out" video begins as a man awakens on the floor of his house. After drinking milk in the kitchen, a pair of shoes atop a pedestal suddenly appears in the bedroom. The man puts on the shoes and begins to dance. As he looks out the window, it is revealed he is in outer space aboard a house-shaped spaceship. Two Victorian-dressed children twins (played by the actresses Francesca and Therese Kortesmaki) then appear, attacking him with laser guns. The man is then given plastic surgery by the childlike aliens. He is transformed into a "Perfect Human" called Jean Noel, which includes a big nose, strong chin, erect nipples, "massive cock", shirtless upper body and leather pants.[54][56] Terrified of his new appearance, he starts to dance in the hallways of the spaceship, where he runs into a group of other specimens looking exactly like him. The spaceship then crashes to Earth as Jean Noel screams in horror.[57]

Live performances

Miike Snow performed a live rendition of "Paddling Out" and a cover version of Phil Collins' "Two Hearts" (1988) at Maida Vale Studios for BBC Radio 1 on 14 March 2012.[58][59] The following month, the band appeared on Late Show with David Letterman on 27 April 2012 to perform "Paddling Out".[60] Miike Snow also included the song on the set list for their 2012 tour in support of Happy to You.[61] It was later performed on the iii World Tour throughout 2016, promoting their third studio album iii (2016).[62][63] The set list mainly consisted of tracks from the band's debut album and iii, while "Paddling Out" was the only song included from Happy to You. During rehearsals, the band "rediscovered" its older work and felt it connected more naturally with the new material on iii; Winnberg commented that it was "a little more fun" to play songs from the debut album than Happy to You.[64]

Formats and track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the Happy to You liner notes.[1]

Charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[46] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[43] 32
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[42] 79
Scotland (OCC)[51] 99
UK Dance (OCC)[49] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[47]
 90

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
European countries 23 January 2012 Digital download Columbia [23]
United States 3 February 2012
  • Universal Republic
 [65]
Various countries 11 March 2012 Digital EP Columbia [25]
26 March 2012 7" Universal Republic [27]
United States 27 March 2012 Alternative radio
  • Downtown
  • Universal Republic
 [28]
Various countries 10 April 2012 Digital download (remix) RCRD LBL [33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Happy to You (Media notes). Miike Snow. Downtown. 2012. 001659502.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f Binkert, Lisa (29 March 2012). "Miike Snow, 'Happy To You': Video Track-By-Track". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Miike Snow". HuffPost. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  4. 3VOOR12. VPRO
    . 22 November 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Alk, Nell (26 March 2012). "Miike Snow". Interview. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  6. ^
    Consequence of Sound
    . Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  7. ^ a b c Marchese, David (19 January 2012). "First Spin: Hear Miike Snow's 'Paddling Out'". Spin. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d K, Rudy (14 March 2012). "Review: Miike Snow – Happy to You". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  9. ^
    NME
    . Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  10. ^
    All Media Network
    . Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Baber, Andy. "Miike Snow – Happy To You". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d Sawdey, Evan (15 April 2012). "Miike Snow: Happy to You". PopMatters. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  13. ^ a b Zaleski, Annie (4 April 2012). "CD review: Miike Snow's Happy to You". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  14. ^ a b c Moayeri, Lily (3 April 2012). "Miike Snow: Happy to You". Under the Radar. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  15. ^ Hampson, Ashley (25 March 2012). "Miike Snow Happy to You". Exclaim!. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  16. ^ a b c Lee, Amy (20 January 2012). "Miike Snow, 'Paddling Out': The Latest Track Off New Album 'Happy To You'". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 23 January 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  17. ^ a b Corner, Lewis (25 January 2012). "Miike Snow's new album 'Happy To You' – First listen". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  18. ^ a b c Lansky, Sam (27 February 2012). "Song Premiere: Miike Snow, 'Paddling Out (Wolfgang Gartner Remix)'". MTV. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  19. ^ Roffman, Michael (6 December 2011). "Check Out: Miike Snow – 'Devil's Work'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  20. ^ a b Murray, Robin (20 January 2012). "Listen: Miike Snow – Paddling Out". Clash. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  21. ^ a b Darke, Brayden (18 January 2012). "Watch: Miike Snow Reveal New Album 'Birth To Death'". Music Feeds. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  22. ^ Corner, Lewis (20 January 2012). "Miike Snow debut new single 'Paddling Out' – listen". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  23. ^ a b "Paddling Out (2012)" (in Swedish). 7digital. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  24. ^ Copsey, Robert (7 December 2011). "Miike Snow unveil new song 'Devil's Work'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  25. ^ a b c "Paddling Out (2012)". 7digital. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  26. ^ "Paddling Out – Miike Snow". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  27. ^
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    )
  28. ^ a b "Future Releases on Alternative Radio". All Access. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  29. Pigeons & Planes
    . Complex Media. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  30. ^ Hughes, Josiah (10 February 2012). "Miike Snow 'Paddling Out' (Jacques Lu Cont remix)". Exclaim!. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  31. ^ "Miike Snow – 'Paddling Out (Wolfgang Gartner Remix)'". Pigeons & Planes. Complex Media. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  32. ^ "Happy to you (Bonus CD)". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  33. ^ a b c Maness, Carter (10 April 2012). "Premiere: Miike Snow – Paddling Out (Penguin Prison Remix)". RCRD LBL. Downtown Music. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  34. ^ Polonsky, Sarah (28 March 2013). "5 Penguin Prison Remixes You Need To Hear". Vibe. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  35. ^ "Miike Snow – 'Paddling Out'". Pigeons & Planes. Complex Media. 19 January 2012. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  36. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (15 March 2012). "Miike Snow: Happy to You". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  37. ^ Stewart, Allison (16 March 2012). "Review: Miike Snow's 'Happy to You'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  38. ^ Haider, Arwa (16 March 2012). "Miike Snow's Happy to You is an enjoyably experimental effort". Metro. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  39. ^ Shchulz, Chris (14 April 2012). "Album review: Miike Snow, Happy to You". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  40. ^ Donaldson, Jonathan (21 March 2012). "Miike Snow | Happy to You". The Phoenix. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  41. ^ Bass, George (19 March 2012). "Album Review: Miike Snow – Happy to You". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  42. ^ a b "Miike Snow – Paddling Out" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  43. ^ a b "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 2012" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  44. ^ "Ultratip Bubbling Under – 18/02/2012" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  45. ^ "Ultratip Bubbling Under – 07/04/2012" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  46. ^
    Ultratip
    . Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  47. ^ a b c "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  48. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 – 25 March 2012 - 31 March 2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  49. ^ a b "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  50. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart – 25 March 2012 - 31 March 2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  51. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  52. ^ a b c d Copsey, Robert (21 March 2012). "Miike Snow interview: 'We can do what we want now'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  53. ^ "Interview: Miike Snow". Killing the Cabinet. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  54. ^ a b c d e Saeed, Abdullah (21 September 2012). "Behind The Twisted Tale Of Miike Snow's Jean Noel Music Video Trilogy". Creators. Vice Media. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  55. ^ Baggs, Michael (30 March 2012). "Miike Snow: 'All we want to achieve is world peace'". Gigwise. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  56. ^ a b Chrisfield, Bryget (17 July 2012). "No Business Like Snow Business". Themusic.com.au. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  57. ^ a b Coplan, Chris (3 February 2012). "Video: Miike Snow – 'Paddling Out'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  58. ^ Ahmed, Aymen (15 March 2012). "Miike Snow – Paddling Out (Live on Radio 1)". Hypebeast. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  59. ^ "Miike Snow – Paddling Out in session". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  60. Complex
    . Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  61. ^ Munzenrieder, Kyle (24 March 2012). "Miike Snow Brings Out the Animals at Ultra Music Festival 2012". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  62. ^ Brownlee, Bill (1 August 2016). "Despite its energy, Miike Snow can't replicate its perfect pop at the Midland". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  63. ^ "Miike Snow på Bråvallafestivalen" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  64. ^ Grebey, James (10 March 2016). "Q&A: Miike Snow Weren't Sure Whether They'd Ever Make a Third Album". Spin. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  65. ^ a b "Paddling Out – Miike Snow". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  66. ^ "Paddling Out" (CD promo). Miike Snow. Europe: Sony Music. 2012. 00162.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

External links

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