Exile Vilify
{{Infobox song
| name = Exile Vilify
| cover = Exile vilify.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the National
| released = {{Start date|2011|04|19}}
| recorded = 2011
| studio =
| genre = Ballad, Piano rock
| length = 4:45
| label =
| writer = Matt Berninger
| producer =
| prev_title = Conversation 16
| prev_year = 2011
| next_title = Demons
| next_year = 2013
}}
"Exile Vilify" is a song by indie rock band the National, written for the video game Portal 2 and released as a stand-alone single.{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/national-exile_vilify|title=The National "Exile Vilify"|website=exclaim.ca}}{{cite web|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/check-out-the-national-exile-vilify/|title=Check Out: The National – "Exile Vilify"|date=19 April 2011|publisher=}}
Background
The lyrics were composed by the group and reviewed by Valve, the company who made the game, to ensure they fit with the tone of one of the Rattmann's dens, where it appears in-game.{{cite book | title = Portal 2: Collector's Edition Guide | publisher = Gardners Books | year = 2011 | isbn = 978-3-86993-038-1}}{{cite web |url =http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/11/the-national-to-provide-song-for-portal-2/ | title = The National To Provide Song For Portal 2 | first = John | last = Walker | date = 2011-03-11 | accessdate = 2011-03-11 | publisher = Rock, Paper, Shotgun}}{{cite web | url = http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2011/04/the-national-release-exile-vilify-off-portal-2-sou.html | title = The National Release "Exile Vilify" off Portal 2 Soundtrack | first = Nathan | last = Spicer | date = 2011-04-19 | accessdate = 2011-04-19 | work = Paste Magazine | archive-date = 2011-04-24 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110424044748/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2011/04/the-national-release-exile-vilify-off-portal-2-sou.html | url-status = dead }} The National had expressed to Bug Music, their publishing label, an interest in doing music for Valve which the label forwarded on to Valve in discussing other music opportunities for the game. Valve and Bug Music identified that the National would fit well into Portal 2, as their "raw and emotive music evokes the same visceral reactions from its listeners that Portal does from its players" according to Bug Music's spokesperson Julia Betley.{{cite web | url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-11-the-national-write-song-for-portal-2 | title = The National write song for Portal 2 | first = Fred | last = Dutton | date = 2011-03-11 | accessdate = 2011-03-11 | publisher = Eurogamer }}
The track was originally to be used in one of several hidden "fake endings" of the game, but was later rewritten to be more sombre and included in the game as an Easter egg.{{Cite web|title=Mike Morasky Interview - Podcast 17|url=http://podcast17.com/interviews/audio/mike-morasky/|access-date=2020-07-28|website=podcast17.com|archive-date=2022-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401063320/https://www.podcast17.com/interviews/audio/mike-morasky|url-status=dead}}
Critical reception
Paste described the song as a "haunted, piano-lead ballad" similar to the band's song "Think You Can Wait" used in the film Win Win. Exclaim! described the song as a "sombre ballad that places Matt Berninger's melancholic croon atop gloomy piano chords, lush orchestral swells and some subtle percussion".
"Exile Vilify" (alongside other Portal 2 song "Want You Gone") was nominated for "Best Song in a Game" at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards.{{cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/38603/Portal_2_Leads_Spike_TV_VGA_Nominees_With_12_Nods.php | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111119014716/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/38603/Portal_2_Leads_Spike_TV_VGA_Nominees_With_12_Nods.php | url-status = dead | archive-date = November 19, 2011 | title = Portal 2 Leads Spike TV VGA Nominees With 12 Nods | first = Kyle | last = Orland | date = 2011-11-16 | accessdate = 2011-11-16 | publisher = Gamasutra }}
Music video
After the game's release, Valve and the National ran a contest encouraging users to create their own music video for "Exile Vilify", offering as prizes Valve merchandise and a guitar signed by members of the band.{{cite magazine | url = https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/06/15/valve-announced-portal-2-music-video-contest.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110619083200/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/06/15/valve-announced-portal-2-music-video-contest.aspx | url-status = live | archive-date = June 19, 2011 | title = Valve Announces Portal 2 Music Video Contest | first = Phil | last = Koller | date = 2011-06-15 | access-date = 2011-06-17 | magazine = Game Informer}} Of 320 videos submitted, Valve ultimately awarded two videos first prize. One video featured a sock puppet that "had nothing to do with Portal" but "managed to beautifully capture the spirit of the song", while the other provided an animated retelling of the Lab Rat comic.{{cite web | url = http://www.thinkwithportals.com/videocontest/ | title = Portal 2 Music Video Contest | date = 2011-08-09 | accessdate = 2011-08-10 | publisher = Valve}}{{cite web | url = http://ingame.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/09/7320676-sad-sock-puppet-wins-portal-2-contest | title = Sad sock puppet wins 'Portal 2' contest | first = Winda | last = Benedetti | date = 2011-08-09 | access-date = 2011-08-10 | publisher = MSNBC | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110904024116/http://ingame.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/09/7320676-sad-sock-puppet-wins-portal-2-contest | archive-date = 2011-09-04 }}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2011)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|UKindie|43|date=20110424|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 December 2020}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The National}}
{{Portal series}}
{{authority control}}
Category:The National (band) songs
Category:Songs written by Matt Berninger