We Appreciate Power

"We Appreciate Power" is a song by Grimes, featuring American musician Hana. It was released on November 29, 2018, billed as the lead single from her fifth studio album Miss Anthropocene,[1] however it is only available on the Japanese and digital releases. The song was written and produced by Grimes, Hana and Chris Greatti.

"We Appreciate Power"
Single by Grimes featuring Hana
ReleasedNovember 29, 2018 (2018-11-29)
Genre
Length5:35
Label4AD
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Grimes
  • Hana
  • Chris Greatti
Grimes singles chronology
"Kill V. Maim"
(2016)		 "We Appreciate Power"
(2018)		 "Nihilist Blues"
(2019)
Hana singles chronology
"Underwater"
(2016)		 "We Appreciate Power"
(2018)		 "Black Hole"
(2019)

Background and release

The song was supposed to be one of two collaborations between Grimes and American singer Poppy, for the latter's second studio album Am I a Girl?. In an interview, Poppy mentioned that she wrote two songs with Grimes; One about "destroying things" and another about "power".[2] The other song, "Play Destroy", was featured in the album. Grimes shared a lyric of the song with a photo of her with Poppy on Twitter on May of 2018.[3]. Following feuds between the two singers, the song was released by Grimes featuring singer Hana instead.

On November 26, Grimes announced she would be releasing new music on November 29.[4] Two days later, she revealed that the single is titled "We Appreciate Power" and features Hana, and shared the artwork.[5] The release of the song was accompanied by a lyric video directed by Grimes and her brother Mac Boucher.[6]

Music and lyrics

"We Appreciate Power" is an industrial rock[7][8][9] and nu metal song.[10][11] The track is regarded as a further step into Grimes's experimentation with guitars that started on 2015's Art Angels.[1] The track was compared to the works of Nine Inch Nails;[1][12] Jillian Mapes of Pitchfork described the song as "an immediate onslaught of mutilated noise—distorted metal guitar chug, bloody screams, a guitar loop that conjures fear and demands worship. Flashes of Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine reverberate through the drum programming and synths."[12] Brendan Klinkenberg of Rolling Stone placed the song "somewhere between power pop and straightforward industrial (with an extended bridge reminiscent of the most sweeping moments in a Final Fantasy score)" and "a distinctly 2018 take on Nine Inch Nails-esque hard-edged rock."[1]

A press release stated that the song was inspired by the North Korean band Moranbong and was written "from the perspective of a Pro-A.I. Girl Group Propaganda machine who use song, dance, sex and fashion to spread goodwill towards Artificial Intelligence."[6] In addition Grimes stated that by simply listening to the song you will be reducing your risk of ending up on any future AI overlord's hit list when it reigns supreme, mirroring the Roko's basilisk theory. Lyrically, the song touches on transhumanist ideas such as the betterment and future of the human race, the possibilities of merging consciousness with machines to extend life indefinitely through mind uploading, and the idea that reality may be simulated.[13] The song's chorus generated a spike in interest in the word "capitulate".[14]

Critical reception

Pitchfork critic Jillian Mapes wrote: "If "Freak on a Leash" isn't a dealbreaker, then the supervillain allure of "We Appreciate Power" might pull you in (it legitimately slaps), but it just as well may leave you weighed down by Grimes' commitment to the absolute darkest timeline."[12] Billboard's Gil Kaufman described the song as "a dystopian, aggressive dive into a more rock-leaning sound."[15] Similarly, Brendan Klinkenberg of Rolling Stone called it "the most aggressive single Grimes has released to date"[1] Noisey called the song "an absolute motherfucker of a single" and opined it sounds "like a K-pop band covering nu-metal".[16] Justin Kamp of Paste described the track as a "glitchy empowerment anthem that chugs along on screeching synths and Grimes' repeated exultations of power."[17]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[18]

  • Grimes – vocals, guitar, production, engineering
  • Hana – vocals, guitar, additional production
  • Chris Greatti – guitar, keyboards, production, engineering
  • Zakk Cervini – mixing

Track listing
Digital download[19]
No.TitleLength
1."We Appreciate Power" (featuring HANA)5:34
2."We Appreciate Power - Nightcore Remix" (featuring HANA)4:18

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[20] 35
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[21] 69
UK Download (Official Charts Company)[22] 94
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[23] 40
gollark: If you must use a compiled language use***__R U S T__***.
gollark: Transpilers are a subset of compilers.
gollark: There's a python→rust compiler anyway.
gollark: Make a prototype which works. Then complain about speed.
gollark: Whocares who cares.

References
  1. Klinkenberg, Brendan (November 29, 2018). "Hear Grimes' Assertive New Song 'We Appreciate Power'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  2. Trendell, Andrew (July 30, 2018). "Youtube sensation Poppy on her new album, gender fluidity, and working with Grimes and Marilyn Manson". NME. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  3. Grimes (May 2, 2018). "biology is superficial, intelligence is artificial". Twitter. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  4. Darville, Jordan (November 26, 2018). "Grimes announces new music release date, opens merch shop". The Fader. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  5. Renshaw, David (November 28, 2018). "Grimes shares artwork for new single 'We Appreciate Power'". The Fader. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  6. Alston, Trey (November 29, 2018). "Listen to Grimes' New Song "We Appreciate Power"". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  7. Bulut, Selim (November 29, 2018). "Grimes is back with new single 'We Appreciate Power'". Dazed Digital. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  8. Cetin, Marissa (November 29, 2018). "Listen to a new song from Grimes, 'We Appreciate Power'". Resident Advisor. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  9. Bruce-Jones, Henry (November 29, 2018). "Grimes pushes a pro-AI agenda on industrial rock anthem 'We Appreciate Power'". Fact. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  10. Beaumont, Mark (December 7, 2018). "Tracks of the week reviewed: Grimes, Los Unidades, Chance the Rapper". The Guardian.
  11. White, Adam (February 21, 2020). "Grimes review, Miss Anthropocene: A problematic fave finds her humanity on a masterful, genre-spanning triumph". The Independent.
  12. Mapes, Jillian (November 29, 2018). "Grimes: "We Appreciate Power" [ft. HANA]". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  13. Burton, Jack (November 29, 2018). "We deconstructed Grimes' AI manifesto on her new track, "We Appreciate Power"". A.Side. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  14. Clarke, Patrick (December 10, 2018). "Online searches for the meaning of the word 'capitulate' spike by 500 percent thanks to Grimes' new song 'We Appreciate Power'". NME. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  15. Kaufman, Gil (November 29, 2018). "Grimes Storms Back With Dark AI-Inspired 'We Appreciate Power' Featuring Hana". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  16. D'Souza, Shaad (November 29, 2018). "Listen to "We Appreciate Power," Grimes's Absolute Monster of a New Single". Noisey. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  17. Kamp, Justin. "Grimes Shares Video for "We Appreciate Power," Her First Proper Solo Single Since 2015". Paste. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  18. "We Appreciate Power / Grimes". Tidal. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  19. https://open.spotify.com/album/65hPTJNhxg9P2bIHyKkZUE
  20. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  21. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  22. "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  23. "Grimes Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
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