Supermassive Black Hole (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Supermassive Black Hole


Caption = CD cover
Artist = Muse
from Album = Black Holes and Revelations
B-side = "Crying Shame"
Released = 19 June 2006
Format = 7", CD, DVD
Recorded =
Genre = Alternative rock, Dance-punk
Length = 3:32
Label = Helium 3, Warner Bros.
Producer = Rich Costey

Reviews =
Last single = "Butterflies and Hurricanes"
(September 2004)
This single = "Supermassive Black Hole"
(June 2006)
Next single = "Starlight"
(September 2006)
Misc =Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = Single


Lower caption = DVD Extra tracklisting
Album = Black Holes and Revelations
Type = studio
prev_track = "Starlight"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "Supermassive Black Hole"
track_no = 3
next_track = "Map of the Problematique"
next_no = 4

"Supermassive Black Hole" is a song by English rock band Muse and is the third track on their 2006 album "Black Holes & Revelations". The song was also released as the first single from that album on 19 June 2006, accompanied by the B-side "Crying Shame" (see 2006 in British music). The song has been available online since 9 May following a radio premiere the previous day. The single reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart, making it the highest charting single by the band to date. The track was mixed at Townhouse Studios, London. It was released as the third U.S. single on April 23, 2007.

Influences

Bellamy said that the song was "the most different to anything we've ever done". Influences included Belgian bands Millionaire, dEUS, Evil Superstars and Soulwax. Bellamy said that "these groups were the first to mix R&B rhythms with alternative guitar. We've added a bit of Prince and Kanye West. The drumbeat isn't rocky, with Rage Against the Machine riffs underneath. We’ve mixed a lot of things in this track, with a bit of electronica; it’s different, slow, quite funky."cite journal|journal=Rock Mag|issue=65|date=2006-03-03|title=Supermassive Black Hole]

Bellamy said his inspiration for the track was DJing at dance clubs in New York.citeweb|url=http://www.musicomh.com/interviews/muse_0706.htm|title=Muse – Intergalacticists Stride Our World|accessate=2008-07-23|date=July 2006|publisher=music OMH|author=Talia Soghomonian] In an interview with "NME", Bellamy said, "I was going out dancing in clubs around New York. That helped create tracks like "Supermassive Black Hole". Franz Ferdinand would have done it very well, with that dance type beat going on mixed with alternative guitar and I've always wanted to find that." [cite web|work=NME|title=Muse reveal all about new album|year=2006|url=http://www.nme.com/news/muse/22506|accessdate=2008-07-28]

Music video

The single's accompanying promotional video shows the band playing in a small furniture shop, clad in masks. This is intercut with images of dancers in Zentai suits which are then unzipped at the end to reveal beings made of space. The video was shot by Floria Sigismondi, who is also known for directing music videos for bands such as Marilyn Manson, The White Stripes, Interpol, Incubus and The Cure. The concept for the video has been stated by Floria Sigismondi as a replication of a recurring dream she has experienced, in which dancers wearing masks of their own faces or mirrors and full body suits fill a dark mirrored room. There are also flashes of a round black circle, which is symbolic of "The Supermassive Black Hole".

Release

"Supermassive Black Hole" was the first single released from the album in the UK, and was released on 19 June 2006. It peaked at #4 on the UK Top 40, making it their most popular single released in the UK to date.citeweb|url=http://www.everyhit.com|title=UK Charts Database|accessdate=2008-07-23|publisher=everyhit] In the US it was the third single to be released, on 23 April 2007. The single reached #6 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, making it the second highest charting Muse single in the US behind "Starlight".

The single was available on vinyl, CD, DVD and as a digital download. The DVD contained the music video for the single.

B-side

The single's B-side, "Crying Shame", was first played 19 December 2004 at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The key was changed during the 2005 tour, and the studio track omits the riff found in the earlier live version. The lyrics also appear to have changed, and this is the first studio release in which lead singer Matthew Bellamy uses profanity.

Before the release of Supermassive Black Hole, it was widely rumoured that "Crying Shame" would be the first single from the new album. Rolling Stone announced (and many websites carried this message) that it was to be the first single, [cite web|accessdate=2008-07-28|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9264477/from_the_police_to_pearl_jam?rnd=1139582651775&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1465|title=From the Police to Pearl Jam |work=Rolling Stone|date=2006-02-09 ] [cite web|accessdate=2008-07-28|url=http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/651030|title=aMUSEing rumours: new LP in May? |publisher=Drowned in Sound|date=2006-02-22|author=Roberts, Colin ] however these stories were proven false by a message from Muse. [cite web|accessdate=2008-07-28|url=http://www.microcuts.net/uk/news/archives/2006/02/|title=Message from the band on album progress |publisher=Microcuts|date=2006-02-23|author=Kirk, Tom ]

Track listings

*Promo CD PR015888
#"Supermassive Black Hole" - 3:32
*7" HEL3001, CD HEL3001CD
#"Supermassive Black Hole" - 3:32
#"Crying Shame" - 2:35
*DVD HEL3001DVD
#"Supermassive Black Hole" (video) - 3:32
#"Supermassive Black Hole" (audio) - 3:32
#"Supermassive Black Hole" (making of video) - 12:04
#"Gallery"

References

External links

* [http://www.muse.mu/ Official Muse website]