Capital G

{{About|the Nine Inch Nails song|the Latin letter|G|the Canadian electoral area|Capital G, British Columbia|venture capital company|CapitalG}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Capital G

| cover = Capitalg.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Nine Inch Nails

| album = Year Zero

| B-side = "Survivalism" (Dave Sitek Mix)

| released = {{Start date|2007|6|11}}

| recorded = 2006

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{hlist|Electronic rock{{cite web | url=http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/singles/nine-inch-nails-capital-g | title=Nine Inch Nails – Capital G | work=The Skinny | date=June 10, 2007 | access-date=March 6, 2016 | author=Borthwick, Jamie}}|glam rock{{cite web | url=https://www.punknews.org/review/8671/nine-inch-nails-year-zero | title=Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero (2007) | publisher=Punknews.org | date=September 25, 2009 | access-date=December 27, 2015 | author=Pelone, Joe}}}}

| length = {{duration|m=3|s=49}}

| label = Interscope

| writer = Trent Reznor

| producer = {{hlist|Trent Reznor|Atticus Ross}}

| prev_title = Survivalism

| prev_year = 2007

| next_title = Discipline

| next_year = 2008

}}

"Capital G" is a song by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails from their fifth studio album, Year Zero (2007). It was released on June 11, 2007 as a limited-edition nine-inch vinyl in the United Kingdom, serving as the album's second and final single.

Music and lyrics

Though numerous reviews of the album speculated that "G" might refer to the first initial of George W. Bush, Trent Reznor has stated that the "G" stands for "greed".{{cite web | url = http://www.nypost.com/seven/04152007/entertainment/music/a_good_year_music_dan_aquilante.htm | title = A Good 'Year' | author = Dan Aquilante | work = New York Post | date = April 15, 2007 | access-date = April 19, 2007 | quote = Even though the "Year Zero" story is set 12 years in the future, the 16-song disc is anchored in the present with not-so-veiled references to President Bush, who's portrayed as a war monger in "Capital G." | archive-url = https://archive.today/20240526110934/https://www.webcitation.org/6DVyO7ROA?url=http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/music/item_Eedu2Bn8Uvvju1EUx9wwlI;jsessionid=D3AB4F943880DE7387F37F79988BC68F | archive-date = May 26, 2024 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}{{cite web | url = http://www.411mania.com/music/album_reviews/53107 | title = Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero Review [2] | author = James Munson | publisher = 411mania | date = April 18, 2007 | access-date = April 19, 2007 | quote = He mutters the insult "mo-tha-fu-ckers" in the most absurd manner possible on the 80's synth-pop, Bush-bashing "Capital G". | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120206204522/http://www.411mania.com/music/album_reviews/53107 | archive-date = February 6, 2012 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}{{cite web | url = http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21578506-5003421,00.html | title = Dark days ahead | author = Jason Nahrung | work = The Courier-Mail | date = April 19, 2007 | access-date = April 19, 2007 | quote = Nowhere is the target of his ire more obvious than on the bouncy little ditty, Capital G, which embraces the big end of town as well as Dubya. | archive-date = August 11, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110811063513/http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/music/dark-days-ahead/story-e6freqgx-1111113365534 | url-status = dead }}

Release and reception

"Capital G" was not released with a Halo number due to Reznor's increasing awareness of the overpricing of retail music, and his record label's alleged plans to overprice Halo releases to take advantage of Nine Inch Nails' dedicated fan base.{{cite news | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/05/14/nine-inch-nails-trent-reznor-slams-records-labels-for-sorry-state-of-the-industry/ | title = Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor Slams Records Labels for Sorry State of the Industry | author = Daniel Kreps | magazine = Rolling Stone | date = May 14, 2007 | access-date = June 2, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080406103223/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/05/14/nine-inch-nails-trent-reznor-slams-records-labels-for-sorry-state-of-the-industry/ | archive-date = April 6, 2008 | url-status = dead }} Art collaborator Rob Sheridan confirmed this fact:

{{quote|It will not be a halo. It's a simple 9" vinyl release the record company really wanted to put out—Europe only, I believe. Side A is Capital G, side B is the Dave Sitek Survivalism remix. It will be nice for the people who have the 9" collector box, but we kept a halo # off of it because it doesn't warrant one, and so regular collectors wouldn't feel any pressure to pick it up just for the sake of completeness.|author=Rob Sheridan|source=The Spiral fanclub}}

The song was first played on radio on April 4, 2007. As of April 27, 2007, "Capital G" is listed on the Mediabase Jump!{{cite web | url = http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Jump.asp?Chart=r3M | title = 7 Day Charts – Jump! – Alternative | publisher = Mediabase | date = April 19, 2007 | access-date = April 19, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070227192500/http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Jump.asp?Chart=r3M | archive-date = February 27, 2007 | df = mdy-all }} and Taking Off{{cite web | url = http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/takingoff.asp?chart=R3 | title = 7 Day Charts – Taking Off – Alternative | publisher = Mediabase | date = April 19, 2007 | access-date = April 19, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070710143841/http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/TakingOff.asp?chart=r3 | archive-date = July 10, 2007 | df = mdy-all }} charts, which record the track's increase in radio airplay over seven days. "Capital G" officially became available for airplay on May 14–15,{{cite web | url = http://fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16697 | title = Active & Mainstream Rock Available For Airplay | publisher = FMQB | date = April 2007 | access-date = April 27, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110711013858/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16697 | archive-date = July 11, 2011 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }} although it received the most adds in the alternative category during the week of April 27, according to Radio & Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/Formats/Charts/Alt_Chart.asp |title=Alternative Most Added |work=Radio & Records |date=April 27, 2007 |access-date=April 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505075341/http://www.radioandrecords.com/formats/charts/alt_chart.asp |archive-date=May 5, 2007 }}

The song was available for download as an "exhibit" in WAV format at exterminal.net, a website within the Year Zero alternate reality game revealed by decrypting a binary code sequence on the Year Zero{{'}}s thermochrome disc when heated.

On April 26, 2007, the official Year Zero website published the multitrack audio files of "Capital G" for GarageBand and Logic Pro, as well as WAV files for other applications.{{cite web | url = http://yearzero.nin.com/ | title = Year Zero | publisher = Nine Inch Nails | date = April 26, 2007 | access-date = April 27, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070429104909/http://yearzero.nin.com/ | archive-date = April 29, 2007 | df = mdy-all }}{{cite web | url = http://www.theninhotline.net/news/archives/backissue.php?y=07&m=4#1177625582 | title = Multitracks for 3 YZ songs posted on nin.com | publisher = The NIN Hotline | date = April 26, 2007 | access-date = January 10, 2008}}

The song is available for download in the video game Rock Band.

"Capital G" is Nine Inch Nails' fifth consecutive top 10 single on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Formats and track listings

UK limited-edition 9" single{{cite web |url=http://www.whatrecords.co.uk/items/45384.htm |title=Capital G Limited Edition 9 inch vinyl |publisher=What Records |access-date=April 27, 2007 |archive-date=September 17, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070917130843/http://www.whatrecords.co.uk/items/45384.htm |url-status=dead }}

:A. "Capital G" – 3:49

:B. "Survivalism" (Dave Sitek Mix) – 4:30

US promotional CD single {{small|(INTR-12130-2)}}{{cite AV media notes |title="Capital G" |type=US promotional CD single |others=Nine Inch Nails |publisher=Interscope Records |year=2007 |id=INTR-12130-2}}

"Capital G" (edit) – 3:49
"Capital G" (album) – 3:49

US promotional CD single {{small|(INTR-12230-2)}}{{cite AV media notes |title="Capital G" |type=US promotional CD single |others=Nine Inch Nails |publisher=Interscope Records |year=2007 |id=INTR-12230-2}}

"Capital G" (Phones 666 RPM Mix) – 7:23
"Capital G" (Switch Remix) – 5:01

German promotional CD single{{cite AV media notes |title="Capital G" |type=German promotional CD single |others=Nine Inch Nails |publisher=Interscope Records |year=2007 |id=NINCAPGCDP1}}

"Capital G" (album) – 3:51
"Capital G" (edit) – 3:49

European promotional 12" single{{cite AV media notes |title="Capital G" |type=European promotional 12" single |others=Nine Inch Nails |publisher=Interscope Records |year=2007 |id=CAPG12PRO}}

:A. "Capital G" (Phones 666 RPM Mix) – 7:23

:B. "Capital G" (Switch Remix) – 5:01

Credits and personnel

Trent Reznor – songwriting, production, vocals
Josh Freese – drums
Geoff "Double G" Gallegos – baritone saxophone
Matt Demeritt – tenor saxophone
Elizabeth Lea – trombone
William Artope – trumpet
Atticus Ross – production

Charts

scope="col"\| Chart (2007) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
{{single chart\|Billboardcanadianhot100\|89\|artist=Nine Inch Nails\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=December 25, 2016}}
{{single chart\|Scotland\|38\|date=2007-06-17\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=December 25, 2016}}
scope="row"\| UK Singles (Official Charts Company){{cite web \|url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_N.HTM \|title=Chart Log UK: 1994–2010: Nadanuf – Michael Nyman \|publisher=Zobbel \|access-date=December 25, 2016}} \| 140
{{single chart\|UKrock\|2\|date=2007-06-17\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=December 25, 2016}}
{{single chart\|Billboardalternativesongs\|6\|artist=Nine Inch Nails\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=December 25, 2016\|refname="US-alt"}}
{{single chart\|Billboardmainstreamrock\|25\|artist=Nine Inch Nails\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=December 25, 2016}}