Creature Comfort
{{short description|2017 single by Arcade Fire}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Creature Comfort
| cover = Arcade Fire - Creature Comfort.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Arcade Fire
| album = Everything Now
| released = {{Start date|2017|6|16}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Synth-pop{{Cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/post/arcade-fire-creature-comfort-singles-going-steady/ |title=Arcade Fire - "Creature Comfort" (Singles Going Steady) |date=July 17, 2017 |website=PopMatters |access-date=July 30, 2017}}
| length = 4:43
| label = Columbia
| writer = {{hlist|Will Butler|Win Butler|Régine Chassagne|Jeremy Gara|Tim Kingsbury|Richard Reed Parry}}
| producer = {{hlist|Arcade Fire|Geoff Barrow|Steve Mackey}}
| prev_title = Everything Now
| prev_year = 2017
| next_title = Signs of Life
| next_year = 2017
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|xzwicesJQ7E|"Creature Comfort"}}}}
}}
"Creature Comfort" is a song by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. It was released on June 16, 2017, as the second single from the band's fifth studio album, Everything Now. The song was co-produced by Portishead's Geoff Barrow and Pulp bassist Steve Mackey.
Music video
The "Creature Comfort" music video was directed by Tarik Mikou. The video depicts the members of Arcade Fire wearing shiny golden suits performing in a plainly decorated room as a strobe light flashes intermittently. The song's lyrics scroll via a ticker with the lead vocals at the bottom and the backing vocals at the top.{{cite magazine|last=Leight |first=Elias |title=See Arcade Fire Revive Glossy New Wave in 'Creature Comfort' Video |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/see-arcade-fires-glossy-new-creature-comfort-video-w488292 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=June 16, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}}{{cite web|last=Thompson |first=Stephen |title=In 'Creature Comfort,' Arcade Fire Drowns In The Din Of Modern Life |url=https://www.npr.org/event/music/533218065/in-creature-comfort-arcade-fire-drowns-in-the-din-of-modern-life |publisher=NPR |date=June 16, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}} Stephen Thompson of NPR interpreted the video as complementing the band's narrative on the album: "unrealistic expectations, pressure to conform, and the exhausting din of modern life."
Promotion and release
Arcade Fire first performed "Creature Comfort" on June 1, 2017, at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona.{{cite web|last1=Strauss |first1=Matthew |last2=Sodomsky |first2=Sam |title=Watch Arcade Fire Perform New Song 'Creature Comfort' at Surprise Primavera Show |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/73909-watch-arcade-fire-perform-new-song-creature-comfort-at-surprise-primavera-show/ |publisher=Pitchfork |date=June 1, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}} On June 14, Arcade Fire posted a teaser for the studio version of the song on their Facebook page. The clip took the form of a mock advertisement for a 100% marshmallow breakfast cereal that contains methylphenidate, or Ritalin, and ended with a warning that the marshmallows "are not approved for consumption in the United States and Canada".{{cite web|last=Britton |first=Luke Morgan |title=Watch Arcade Fire preview new track 'Creature Comfort' in mock cereal advert |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/arcade-fire-creature-comfort-mock-cereal-advert-2088214 |website=NME |date=June 14, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}}{{cite magazine|last=Rettig |first=James |title=Arcade Fire Tease New Song 'Creature Comfort' With a Commercial For Ritalin Cereal: Watch |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7832866/arcade-fire-new-song-creature-comfort-commercial |magazine=Billboard |date=June 14, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}} The band also revealed that they had distributed Creature Comfort cereal boxes at several locations around Dublin. Fans who found the cereal received entry to an afterparty at Whelan's that night following the band's performance at Malahide Castle.{{cite news|last=Cummins |first=Steve |title=Watch: Arcade Fire play new track 'Creature Comfort' at secret gig in Whelan's |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/watch-arcade-fire-play-new-track-creature-comfort-at-secret-gig-in-whelan-s-1.3120719 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=June 15, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}} "Creature Comfort" was released as a download on June 16, 2017 on streaming and digital media services.{{cite web|last=Geslani |first=Michelle |title=Arcade Fire share rousing new single 'Creature Comfort' — listen |url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/06/arcade-fire-share-rousing-new-single-creature-comfort-listen/ |publisher=Consequence of Sound |date=June 15, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}}
Reception
The song received critical acclaim from critics and fans upon release, many noted its moving lyrics and tight instrumentation. Elias Leight of Rolling Stone likened the song to The Human League's "Seconds" and The Knife's "Heartbeats" and wrote: "Underneath the curtain of synthesizers, ringing power chords, pulverizing drums and cheerfully shouted backing vocals, lead singer Win Butler tells a grim tale about cultural pressures that lead men and women to hate themselves." In reviews for the song in The Independent, Jacob Stolworthy said the track "signals that Arcade Fire's best days may not be behind them", and Christopher Hooton remarked, "It's the kind of song where you don't know whether to cry or dance, and that's probably the best kind."{{cite web|last1=Hooton |first1=Christopher |last2=Stolworthy |first2=Jacob |title=Arcade Fire new song 'Creature Comfort' review: A disco anthem about not killing yourself |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/arcade-fire-new-song-album-review-creature-comfort-disco-anthem-a7793106.html |website=The Independent |date=June 16, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}} Jeremy Gordon of Spin described the synthesizer that sets the song's tempo as "the sonic realization of the band's decade-old dream about the dark mystery of the city."{{cite web|last=Gordon |first=Jeremy |title=Arcade Fire's 'Creature Comfort' Sounds Like the Band They've Been Trying to Be |url=http://www.spin.com/2017/06/arcade-fire-creature-comfort-review/ |website=Spin |date=June 16, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}} Pitchfork's Jillian Mapes said that while the song "will stop someone from doing something rash ... Arcade Fire are pompous about knowing that, throwing their arms wide around the problem and presenting their own music as the solution."{{cite web|last=Mapes |first=Jillian |title=Tracks: Arcade Fire - 'Creature Comfort' |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/arcade-fire-creature-comfort/ |publisher=Pitchfork |date=June 16, 2017 |accessdate=June 17, 2017}}
Credits and personnel
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
Arcade Fire
- Win Butler – vocals, electric guitar
- Régine Chassagne – vocals, keytar
- Richard Reed Parry – electric guitar, backing vocals
- William Butler – keyboards, backing vocals
- Tim Kingsbury – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Jeremy Gara – drums
Additional musicians{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/track/75095420|title=Arcade Fire - 'Creature Comfort'|website=Tidal|accessdate=June 17, 2017}}
- Geoff Barrow – synthesizer
- Akia Nevills – vocals
- Tracci Lee – vocals
- Kayla Jasmine – vocals
- Jelly Joseph – vocals
{{col-2}}
- Geoff Barrow – production
- Steve Mackey – production
- Arcade Fire – production
- Iain Berryman – engineering
- Korey Richey – engineering
- Mark Lawson – engineering
- Eric Heigle – engineering
- Max Prior – assistant engineering
- Craig Silvey – mixing
- Greg Calbi – mastering
{{col-end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2017–18)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Flanders Tip|6|artist=Arcade Fire|song=Creature Comfort|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 27, 2017}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardcanadarock|10|artist=Arcade Fire|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 24, 2018}} |
| scope="row"| France (SNEP){{cite web|url=http://www.snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-singles-telecharges/?ye=2017&we=25|title=Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 25, 2017)|publisher=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|language=French|accessdate=June 24, 2017}}
| 142 |
| {{single chart|Scotland|91|date=20180126|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 27, 2018}} |
|
{{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|28|artist=Arcade Fire|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 27, 2017}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Arcade Fire|title=Creature Comfort|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2017|certyear=2019|accessdate=March 27, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=yes|noshipments=yes}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Arcade Fire}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Columbia Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Mackey
Category:Songs written by William Butler (musician)
Category:Songs written by Win Butler
Category:Songs written by Régine Chassagne
Category:Songs written by Jeremy Gara