Creator (song)

"Creator"
Single by Santogold featuring Switch & Freq Nasty
from the album Santogold
A-side	L.E.S. Artistes
Released	January 22, 2008 (2008-01-22) (see Release history)
Genre	Electronic, Hip Hop
Length	4:17 (original) 3:33 (album version)[1]
Label	Downtown Records (US) Atlantic Records (UK)
Writer(s)	Daryn McFayden, Santi White, David Taylor
Producer	Freq Nasty, Switch
Santogold featuring Switch & Freq Nasty singles chronology
"Creator" (2008) "L.E.S. Artistes" (2008)

"Creator" is the debut single by American artist Santogold (now Santigold), and along with "L.E.S. Artistes", the first to be taken from her then self-titled debut Santogold. It is written by Daryn McFayden, Santi White and David Taylor. The song features Santi singjaying.

Release and reception

"Creator" was released as a limited edition 12" vinyl in late 2007 and January 2008, with "L.E.S. Artistes" as its b-side.^[2] It was later released on the US iTunes Store on March 25, 2008.^[3] The song featured in an advert for Alberto Vo5 hair products in the UK throughout spring 2008 and summer 2009. It has also been played in the Bud Light: Lime advert, which premiered in May 2008.^[4] The song was also featured in an episode of Grey's Anatomy, Chuck (Season 4, Episode 9) and the final episode of Entourage season 4.^[5] Additionally, the song was featured on the July 1st, 2009 episode of 'So You Think You Can Dance'. The song is also featured on the video game NBA 2K9.

The song has received comparisons to material by M.I.A.. In September 2008, it featured in an episode of Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf walks in on Nate and her boyfriend's mom making out. Alex Denney of Drowned in Sound called the song's introduction "an audacious way of introducing yourself to the world; with one of the most irritating vocals ever committed to tape." Denney goes on to say that "Creator" sounds "like giant robots crushing epic landscapes underfoot, a thuddingly neo-tribal and achingly, even clownishly modern floor." At the end of the review, the "Creator/L.E.S. Artistes" EP was rated seven out of ten.^[6] Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times described the song as "an urban safari of warped electronic noises."^[4]

Music video

Director Ace Norton shot a video for "Creator" in the beginning of 2008;^[7] however, it did not get released since the single was changed to "L.E.S. Artistes". Santi explained that they had "shot a video for Creator and it was bad. The director didn't get the shots that we needed. ...And the video was not good enough for this song. ...I was like, we're not gonna use it. And they were like, we just spent all this money. So we changed the single to LES, and had a video, and people loved it, and it worked."^[8]

Track listing

• 12" vinyl:^[9][10]

(DWT70032; January 22, 2008 (US); February 24, 2008 (UK))

1. Creator – 3:32
2. L.E.S. Artistes – 3:43

• U.S. Digital download:^[3]

(March 25, 2008)

1. Creator – 3:32
2. L.E.S. Artistes – 3:43

Official versions and remixes

• Original Version — 4:17
• Album Version — 3:33
• Instrumental — 3:20
• Mumdance Mix feat. Jammer, Badness, Chronik Rage, Slikman & Tempz — 3:32 (appears on Top Ranking)
• Scottie B Remix — 4:12

Release history

Region	Date
United States	January 22, 2008 (2008-01-22)
United Kingdom	February 24, 2008 (2008-02-24)

Charts

"Creator" spent two nonconsecutive weeks in March 2008 at number forty-four on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales chart,^[11][12] before falling to number forty-nine.^[13]

Chart (2008)	Peak
U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales[11]	44

References

1. ^ "Santogold". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Santogold/dp/B0017T6FSY/. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
2. ^ "Creator [Single"]. Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Creator-Santogold/dp/B0010X75AO/. Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Creator / L.E.S. Artistes - Single". iTunes Store. 2008-03-25. http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=271957809&s=143441. Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Todd Martens (2008-04-15). "Santogold: When bad beer happens to good artists". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/extendedplay/2008/04/santogold-when.html. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
5. ^ "Entourage: The Cannes Kids". TV.com. http://www.tv.com/entourage/the-cannes-kids/episode/1048382/summary.html. Retrieved 2008-09-10. 
6. ^ Alex Denney. "Santogold: Creator/L.E.S. Artistes". Drowned in Sound. http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/11776. Retrieved 2008-04-19. 
7. ^ "BOOKED: Santogold - Ace Norton, director". Video Static. http://www.videostatic.com/vs/2008/week5/index.html#entry-44878922. Retrieved 2008-07-10. 
8. ^ Rebecca Nicholson. "Santogold talks race, age and being 'a bitch'". The Lipster. http://www.thelipster.com/articles/3347399. Retrieved 2008-07-10. 
9. ^ "Creator". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503064006/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=961927&aid=1097882. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
10. ^ "Creator". HMV. http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1&sku=779774. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Hot Single Sales Mar 01 2008". Billboard.com. 2008-03-01. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503064105/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=353&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Singles+Sales&ci=3091928&cdi=9680887&cid=03/01/2008. Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
12. ^ "Hot Single Sales Mar 22 2008". Billboard.com. 2008-03-22. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503064110/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=353&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Singles+Sales&ci=3092590&cdi=9702599&cid=03/22/2008. Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
13. ^ "Hot Single Sales Apr 05 2008". Billboard.com. 2008-04-05. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503064115/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=353&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Singles+Sales&ci=3093094&cdi=9718346&cid=04/05/2008. Retrieved 2008-04-13.