An Open Letter to NYC
{{infobox song
| name = An Open Letter to NYC
| cover = LettertoNYC.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Beastie Boys
| album = To the 5 Boroughs
| B-side = Instrumental / A cappella {{small|(12")}}
| released = November 2004
| recorded = 2004
| studio = Oscilloscope Laboratories (Tribeca, New York)
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|East Coast hip hop|rap rock|alternative hip hop|political hip hop|alternative rock}}
| length = 4:18
| label = Capitol
| writer = {{hlist|Michael Diamond|Adam Horovitz|Adam Yauch|Eugene O'Connor|David Lynn Thomas}}
| producer = Beastie Boys
| prev_title = Now Get Busy
| prev_year = 2004
| next_title = The Electric Worm
| next_year = 2007
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|ny6hwUOFvlw|"An Open Letter to NYC"}}}}
}}
"An Open Letter to NYC" is a song by American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was released in November 2004 by Capitol Records as the fourth and final single from their sixth studio album, To the 5 Boroughs (2004). The single entered and peaked at number 38 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was used during the opening credits of an episode of HBO's Taxicab Confessions, and is also included in the video game NBA Street V3. The group performed the song live during the 2004 MTV Europe Music Awards, on November 18, 2004 at the Tor di Valle Hippodrome, in Rome.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq_1cSA5xbI|title=Beastie Boys: "Open Letter to NYC"|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=2012-05-05}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}
Composition
The song's lyrics talk about the group's affection for their hometown, New York City. It alludes to the 9/11 terrorist attacks but also implies there are deeper flaws in the system people need to acknowledge and come together as a community, or suffer as a whole.
Track listing
=12" vinyl=
- Capitol — 7243 8 16523 1 2{{cite web | url=http://www.discogs.com/Beastie-Boys-An-Open-Letter-To-NYC/release/516635 | title=Beastie Boys - An Open Letter To NYC (Vinyl) | publisher=Discogs | accessdate=December 14, 2015}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side A
| title1 = An Open Letter to NYC
| length1 = 4:18
| title2 = MTL Reppin' for the 514
| length2 = 3:01
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side B
| title1 = An Open Letter to NYC
| note1 = Instrumental
| length1 = 4:13
| title2 = An Open Letter to NYC
| note2 = A cappella
| length2 = 3:19
}}
=CD=
- Capitol — 6189572, EMI/Parlophone — 70876 19857 2 8{{cite web | url=http://www.discogs.com/Beastie-Boys-An-Open-Letter-To-NYC/release/3591421 | title=Beastie Boys - An Open Letter To NYC (CD) | publisher=Discogs | accessdate=December 14, 2015}}
{{Track listing
| headline =
| title1 = An Open Letter to NYC
| note1 = Andy Wallace Mix
| length1 = 4:02
| title2 = An Open Letter to NYC
| length2 = 4:22
| title3 = An Open Letter to NYC
| note3 = A cappella
| length3 = 3:19
| title4 = An Open Letter to NYC
| note4 = Instrumental
| length4 = 4:13
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Chart (2004) !align="left"|Peak |
| align="left"|Dutch Singles Chart{{cite web |url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Beastie+Boys&titel=An+Open+Letter+To+NYC&cat=s|title=dutchcharts.nl - Beastie Boys - An Open Letter to NYC|publisher=|accessdate=2011-05-11}}
|align="center"|17 |
| align="left"|UK Singles Chart{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/|title=The Official Charts Company - Beastie Boys|work=Official Charts Company|publisher=|accessdate=2011-05-11}}
|align="center"|38 |
In popular culture
In the pilot of Succession one of the main characters, Kendall Roy, is introduced singing along to the song on headphones.{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolynlipka/2018/06/04/succession-premiere-promises-more-jokes-than-it-delivers/#45cc041c2710|title='Succession' Premiere Promises More Jokes Than It Delivers|last=Lipka|first=Carolyn|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Beastie Boys}}
{{Beastie Boys singles}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Open Letter To NYC, A}}
Category:Capitol Records singles
Category:Songs about letters (message)
Category:Songs about New York City
Category:Songs written by Ad-Rock
Category:Songs written by Mike D
Category:Songs written by Adam Yauch
{{2000s-US-single-stub}}