Animals (Martin Garrix song)

"Animals" is an instrumental by Dutch DJ and record producer Martin Garrix, released as a digital download on 17 June 2013 on iTunes. The song quickly became popular within the EDM culture, leading to Garrix becoming the youngest producer to ever have a song reach number one on the electronic music store Beatport.[3] The track was a commercial success, reaching the top ten or topping on a number of electronic music charts, topping singles charts in the United Kingdom, French-speaking Switzerland and Belgium, and in the United States reaching number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Dance chart.

"Animals"
Single by Martin Garrix
from the EP Gold Skies
Released	17 June 2013 (2013-06-17)
Genre	Big room house[1]
Length	5:04 (original mix) 2:56 (US radio edit) 2:45 (UK radio edit)
Label	Spinnin'
Songwriter(s)	Martijn Garritsen[2]
Producer(s)	Martin Garrix
Martin Garrix singles chronology
"Just Some Loops" (2013) "Animals" (2013) "Wizard" (2013)
Alternative UK and US cover
Music video
"Animals" on YouTube

It is considered the most popular big room house song of all-time along with "Epic" by Sandro Silva and Quintino, "Spaceman" by Hardwell, "Tsunami" by Dvbbs and Borgeous and "Tremor" by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.

Composition and release

Prior to release, the track gained buzz after being played anonymously with speculation increasing about the author after Dutch record label Spinnin' Records released a clip of the track online only titled "Animals (Teaser)".[4] It started to reach even more speculation after a Vine video featuring Agnes from Despicable Me was posted.[5][6] The track was, at various times, attributed to other acts like Hardwell, GTA, Sidney Samson[7] and Bassjackers[8] before the actual identity of the producer was revealed.

According to Garrix, the melody was based on a previous, never-released track that he composed two years prior, and the "ruthlessly minimalist"[9] rhythmic sound (the drop) is an interpretation of Busta Rhymes' "What It Is".[10] and the first part is inspirating to a song by Aura Qualic called D.A.T.A. The song is mostly instrumental; the only sung verse to appear here is We're the fucking animals, which is spoken by a friend of Garrix[11], has low pitch and appears two times.

Critical reception

In 2016, Billboard named "Animals" Garrix's second-best song, behind "In the Name of Love". The review noted how Garrix "ushered in a new dance era and crowned the then-17-year-old, leader of the new school", further describing the song as "big, brash and infectious, everything a festival anthem should be. It still sounds dope so many years later".[12]

Commercial performance

Animals booked initial success at electronic music festivals and venues like Ultra Korea, Tomorrowland, Governors Beach Club, Amsterdam Dance Event, and Ultra Music Festival, to name a few. Subsequently, it rose to number one at the online music store, Beatport 100. In the period of August to October, the track began to climb up dance hit-lists as well as mainstream singles charts across continental Europe, getting all the way to top on Belgium's Ultratop 50.[13] In November, the single debuted at number one on UK's Official Singles Chart, ahead of tough competition from Lily Allen's 2013 John Lewis Christmas advert cover single "Somewhere Only We Know" and Ellie Goulding's Children in Need 2013 cover "How Long Will I Love You?".[14] Garrix became the second-youngest artist to enter at the top of the UK Singles Chart with their debut single behind Billie's "Because We Want To" in July 1998.

In the United States, "Animals" was the first instrumental track to reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 since Kenny G's "Millennium Mix" of "Auld Lang Syne" in 1999.[15]

As of June 2020, the song's music video has over 1.4 billion views on YouTube.[16]

Usage in media

"Animals" was used in a commercial for video game Madden NFL 25.[17] It was added in the March 2014 update of Asphalt 8: Airborne. In April, the track was also used in the Dior advertisement for their "Dior Addict Fluid Stick".[18] "Animals" is also featured on Just Dance 2016. The instrumental version of the song was also featured in FIFA Online 3, an online free-to-play version of the FIFA series.

Track listing

Digital download

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Animals" (original mix)	5:04

German CD single and digital download

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Animals" (radio edit)	2:56
2.	"Animals" (original mix)	5:04
Total length:		8:00

UK and Irish digital download – Remixes

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Animals" (UK radio edit)	2:44
2.	"Animals" (Grum Remix)	6:37
3.	"Animals" (Victor Niglio and Martin Garrix Festival Trap Mix)	3:18
4.	"Animals" (Isaac Remix)	4:15
Total length:		16:54

SPRS Remixes Part 1

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Animals" (Oliver Heldens Remix)	4:22
2.	"Animals" (Jay Ronko Remix)	4:13
3.	"Animals" (Victor Niglio and Martin Garrix Festival Trap Mix)	3:18
4.	"Animals" (Botnek Edit)	4:21
Total length:		18:54

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2013–2014) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[19] 29 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 5 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[21] 1 Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[22] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[23] 1 Belgium Dance (Ultratop Wallonia)[24] 4 Brazil (ABPD)[25] 17 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[26] 40 Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[27] 10 CIS (Tophit)[28] 30 Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[29] 8 Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[30] 25 Denmark (Tracklisten)[31] 12 Euro Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[32] 3 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[33] 2 France (SNEP)[34] 2 Germany (Official German Charts)[35] 4 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[36] 1 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[37] 7 Hungary (Single Top 40)[38] 5 Ireland (IRMA)[39] 3 Italy (FIMI)[40] 14 Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[41] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[42] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[43] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[44] 10 Norway (VG-lista)[45] 12 Romania (Airplay 100)[46] 11 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[47] 16 Poland (Dance Top 50)[48] 2 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[49] 1 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[50] 29 Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[51] 60 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[52] 6 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[53] 4 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[54] 2 Switzerland (Media Control Romandy)[55] 1 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[56] 1 UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[57] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[58] 21 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[59] 1 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[60] 3 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[61] 12 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[62] 23

Year-end charts Chart (2013) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[63] 40 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[64] 4 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[65] 7 Germany (Media Control AG)[66] 26 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[67] 19 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[68] 51 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[69] 16 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[70] 12 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[71] 21 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[72] 14 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[73] 64 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[74] 25 Chart (2014) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[75] 42 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[76] 70 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[77] 63 France (SNEP)[78] 95 Germany (Official German Charts)[79] 45 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[80] 15 Italy (FIMI)[81] 74 Russia Airplay (Tophit)[82] 45 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[83] 49 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[84] 33 US Billboard Hot 100[85] 71 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[86] 8 Decade-end charts Chart (2010–2019) Position US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[87] 42

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[88]	Platinum	70,000^^
Belgium (BEA)[89]	2× Platinum	60,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)[90]	2× Platinum	160,000^*
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[91]	Gold	15,000^^
Germany (BVMI)[92]	Platinum	300,000^^
Italy (FIMI)[93]	2× Platinum	60,000^*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[94]	Gold	7,500^*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[95]	2× Platinum	20,000^*
Sweden (GLF)[96]	Platinum	40,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[97]	Platinum	600,000
United States (RIAA)[98]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^^
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[99]	Platinum	1,800,000^^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[100]	Gold	4,000,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Country	Date	Version	Format(s)	Label	Ref.
Worldwide	1 July 2013	Single version radio edit	Digital download	Spinnin'	[101]
Germany	2 August 2013			Tiger	[102]
Scandinavia	8 October 2013			disco:wax	[103]
United Kingdom	10 November 2013			Silent Republic	[104]
	8 November 2013	Remixes – EP			[105]
United States	17 September 2013	Single version			[106]

Parodies

In December 2013, a SoundCloud user named McMaNGOS posted an edited version of "Animals" titled "Funnymals", which remixes the song's drop to the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm". The "Funnymals" edit gained prominence at the 2014 Ultra Music Festival, when Deadmau5 (who had made comments attacking Garrix on Twitter earlier in the day, and has been a prominent critic of "mainstream" electronic music) played the edit as part of his live set.[107][108]

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 2013 (U.S.)

References

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