My Girls (Animal Collective song)
{{more citations needed|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox song
| name = My Girls
| cover = My Girls Animal Collective.jpeg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Animal Collective
| album = Merriweather Post Pavilion
| released = March 23, 2009
| recorded = February 2008
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Experimental pop
| length = 5:40
| label = Domino
| writer = Animal Collective
| producer = Ben H. Allen, Animal Collective
| prev_title = Fireworks
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = Summertime Clothes
| next_year = 2009
| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = single
| file =
| description = "My Girls"
}}
}}
"My Girls" is a song by Animal Collective, released as the first single from their critically acclaimed 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavilion. It was released on March 23, 2009 by Domino Records as a promo CD only.
During the tours of 2007 and 2008, the song was known as "House".{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} Panda Bear explained to Clash that lyrically the song is about his "desire on a basic level to own my own place and kind of provide a safe house for my family and the people I care about."{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=14190|title=My Girls by Animal Collective Songfacts|publisher=}}{{better source needed|date=July 2015}} The song resembles a seminal piece of early house music, "Your Love" (1984), by Frankie Knuckles and Jamie Principle.{{cite web | url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/your-love-the-evolution-of-a-house-classic | title='Your Love' - The Evolution Of A House Classic | work=NME Blogs | date=8 January 2009 | accessdate=27 April 2015}} The song's intro contains an audio sample from the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, which explored Saturn's atmosphere and rings and gathered information about its moons; as part of its mission, the probe was destroyed in September 2017.{{cite web | url=https://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/article/qvj83v/animal-collective-sampled-the-now-incinerated-cassini-probe-on-my-girls | title=Animal Collective Sampled the Now-Incinerated Cassini Probe on 'My Girls' | work=Noisey | date=18 September 2017 | accessdate=21 January 2018}}
Video
A promotional music video was created, showing the three members who worked on the album performing the song with samplers, synthesizers and percussion instruments. The video was animated by Jon Vermilyea, whose illustrations were used in the artwork for the band's live compilation Animal Crack Box. Only Avey Tare and Panda Bear's lips and Geologist's caving headlamp can be seen, with complete black bodies in colored scenarios, eventually becoming green and melting at the end of the video.{{original research inline|date=July 2015}}
Use in media
An edited version of the song was used in the BBC Panorama program The Secrets of Scientology.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}
An edited version of this song appears during Jake Johnson's part in Alien Workshop's skate film, Mindfield. The song can also be heard briefly during a party sequence in the 2012 film Project X.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} Beyoncé interpolated "My Girls" in her song "6 Inch" from her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016).
Accolades
- "My Girls" was named the #1 Song of 2009 by Pitchfork Media.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7742-the-top-100-tracks-of-2009/10|title=Staff Lists|work=Pitchfork}}
- In 2009, Pitchfork listed the song at #9 of their Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7693-the-top-500-tracks-of-the-2000s-20-1/2/|title=Staff Lists|work=Pitchfork}}
- NME named "My Girls" the 5th best song of 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/list/50-best-tracks-of-2009/159979/page/5|title=50 Best Tracks of 2009|author=NME.COM|work=NME.COM}}
- Slant Magazine named "My Girls" the best song of 2009.{{cite web | url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/best-of-2009 | title=The 25 Best Albums & Singles of 2009 | work=Slant Magazine | date=13 December 2009 | accessdate=27 December 2015}}
- The Village Voice named "My Girls" the third best-song of 2009 on their annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll.{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/singles/2009|title=New York News, Food, Culture and Events - Village Voice|work=Village Voice}}
- In October 2011, NME placed it at number 91 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/list/150-best-tracks-of-the-past-15-years/248648/page/6|title=150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years|author=NME.COM|work=NME.COM}}
- In 2014, NME named "My Girls" the 248th best song of all time.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/photos/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-300-201/330785#/photo/53|title=The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time - 300-201|author=NME.COM|work=NME.COM|date=31 January 2014 }}
Cover versions
- 2009 – Taken by Trees, East of Eden (as "My Boys")Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9wX3jg1p7Y
- 2011 – The Becca Stevens Band, WeightlessBandcamp - https://beccastevensband.bandcamp.com/album/weightless
- 2013 – Tears for FearsSoundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/tearsforfearsmusic/my-girls
- 2014 – Tall Tall Trees, The SeasonalBandcamp - https://talltalltrees.bandcamp.com/album/the-seasonal-ep
References
{{reflist|20em}}
{{Animal Collective}}
{{Pitchfork}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Animal Collective songs