Nihilist Blues
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{short description|2019 song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon featuring vocalist Grimes}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Nihilist Blues
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Bring Me the Horizon featuring Grimes
| album = Amo
| released = {{start date|2019|01|24|df=yes}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| length = {{Duration|m=5|s=25}}
| label = {{flatlist|
}}
| writer = {{flatlist|
- Jordan Fish
- Matt Kean
- Oliver Sykes
- Matt Nicholls
- Lee Malia
- Amy Lee
- Terry Balsamo
- Tim McCord
- William Hunt
}}
| producer = {{flatlist|
- Oliver Sykes
- Jordan Fish
}}
| chronology = Bring Me the Horizon
| prev_title = Mother Tongue
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = Sugar Honey Ice & Tea
| next_year = 2019
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Grimes
| type = single
| prev_title = We Appreciate Power
| prev_year = 2018
| title = Nihilist Blues
| year = 2019
| next_title = Pretty Dark
| next_year = 2019
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|iwzfR7-33Wc|"Nihilist Blues"}}}}
}}
"Nihilist Blues" (stylised in all lowercase) is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon featuring Canadian singer Grimes.{{Cite web|url=http://loudwire.com/bring-me-the-horizon-nihilist-blues-grimes/|title=Bring Me The Horizon release new song 'Nihilist Blues' with pop singer Grimes|date=24 January 2019|website=Loudwire|access-date=24 January 2019}} Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the fifth single from the album on 24 January 2019. Evanescence have a songwriting credit, as it lifts vocal melodies from "Never Go Back".{{Cite web|date=12 June 2019|title=Bring Me The Horizon Ripped Off These Artists for 'amo'|url=https://killthemusic.net/blog/bring-me-the-horizon-ripped-off-these-artists-for-amo|access-date=30 October 2020|website=Kill The Music}}{{Cite web|last=Trendell|first=Andrew|date=30 October 2020|title=Bring Me The Horizon got sued by Evanescence, but Amy Lee was a fan so they worked together|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/bring-me-the-horizon-sued-by-evanescence-amy-lee-duet-post-human-butterflies-2805293|access-date=30 October 2020|work=NME|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925092111/https://www.nme.com/news/music/bring-me-the-horizon-sued-by-evanescence-amy-lee-duet-post-human-butterflies-2805293|archive-date=25 September 2022|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/evanescence-amy-lee-bring-me-the-horizon-nihilist-blues-never-go-back-sued-powerful-true-story-2904184|title=Evanescence's Amy Lee shares the "powerful and cool" true story of her Bring Me The Horizon writing credit|work=NME|date=19 March 2021|access-date=29 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217195438/https://www.nme.com/news/music/evanescence-amy-lee-bring-me-the-horizon-nihilist-blues-never-go-back-sued-powerful-true-story-2904184|archive-date=17 December 2022|url-status=live}}
Composition and lyrics
"Nihilist Blues" has been described as a synth-pop,{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/bring-me-the-horizon-amo|title=Bring Me The Horizon - amo|website=Clash Magazine|date=21 January 2019 |access-date=25 January 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gigwise.com/reviews/3304380/track-by-track-review-bring-me-the-horizon-amo|title=Track By Track Review: Bring Me The Horizon - Amo - Gigwise|website=Gigwise.com|access-date=25 January 2019}} electronic rock,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/grimes-bring-me-the-horizon-new-song-nihilist-blues-783823/|title=Grimes Brings Ghostly Edge to Bring Me the Horizon's Song 'Nihilist Blues'|first1=Ryan|last1=Reed|date=24 January 2019|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=25 January 2019}} electropop,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8494644/bring-me-the-horizon-best-songs-top-10|title=Bring Me The Horizon's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks|magazine=Billboard|access-date=25 January 2019}} and trance song.{{cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/australia/rhythm/20190115/281749860494969|title=Bring Me The Horizon Amo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125073515/https://www.pressreader.com/australia/rhythm/20190115/281749860494969|archive-date=25 Jan 2019|via=PressReader|access-date=25 January 2019}} The song talks principally about nihilism, focusing on the meaninglessness of life, existential crises and pessimism.{{cite web | url=https://genius.com/Bring-me-the-horizon-nihilist-blues-lyrics|title=Bring Me The Horizon – nihilist blues Lyrics|work=Genius.com|access-date=25 June 2019}} According to an interview from Impericon, the song is Oliver Sykes' personal favourite one.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VlieSKwe5E&t=748|title=Bring Me The Horizon Talking About Their Upcoming Album Amo (Interview)|publisher=YouTube|date=24 January 2019|access-date=24 January 2019}} Musically, "Nihilist Blues" sets inspiration from old disco and EDM songs. Fish commented about the collaboration:
{{Quote|"This is an example of us really going for it on this record. It's like this dark rave song or something—it's absolutely mental, and it might be my favourite on the whole album. I'm sure people will hear it and go, "What the fuck?" but whatever. It's very different in sound for us. We're big fans of Grimes and she loved the song. She actually sent it back with all these added elements which we weren't expecting, but she's super-creative and she'd completely gone to town on it. That elevated the song to a whole new level. She's someone we respect, and not really someone you'd expect to find working with a metal band. Or a rock band. Or whatever it is we are..."{{cite web | url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/bring-me-the-horizon-talk-us-through-every-track-on-forthcoming-album-amo/|title=Bring Me The Horizon Talk Us Through Every Track On Forthcoming Album Amo|work=Kerrang!|date=23 November 2018 |access-date=23 November 2018}}}}
Music video
The music video for "Nihilist Blues" was released on the same day the single was streamed. AltPress described it as "a glitchy new way forward" for the band.{{cite web | url=https://www.altpress.com/news/bring-me-the-horizon-nihilist-blues-grimes/|title=Hear Bring Me The Horizon's dancey new song with Grimes|work=AltPress|access-date=24 January 2019}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.{{cite web| url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/102519387/credits |title=Credits / amo / Bring Me the Horizon |date=25 January 2019 |publisher=Tidal |access-date=11 December 2019}}
Bring Me the Horizon
- Oliver Sykes – lead vocals
- Jordan Fish – keyboards, programming, percussion, backing vocals
- Lee Malia – guitars
- Matt Kean – bass
- Matt Nicholls – drums
Additional musicians
{{div col}}
- Grimes – vocals
- Madilyn Eve Cutter – cello
- Gavin Kibble – cello
- Rachael Lander – cello
- Max Ruisi – cello
- Choir Noir – choir vocals
- Jessica Price – double bass
- Lewis Reed – double bass
- Alexander Verster – double bass
- Oliver Hickie – French horn
- Simon Dobson – strings, trumpet
- Parallax Orchestra – strings
- Ross Anderson – trombone
- Jane Salmon – trombone
- Victoria Rule – trumpet
- Anisa Arslanagic – viola
- Mark Gibbs – viola
- Benjamin Kaminski – viola
{{div col end}}
Additional personnel
{{div col}}
- Dan Lancaster – mixing
- Rhys May – mixing
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Roman Dodangoda – engineering
- Peter Miles – engineering
- Robbie Nelson – engineering
- Alejandro Baima – assistant engineering
- Francesco Cameli – assistant engineering
- Daniel Morris – assistant engineering
- Conor Panayi – assistant engineering
{{div col end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for "Nihilist Blues" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2019)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2019-02-01|title=NZ Hot Singles Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=4 February 2019|access-date=1 February 2019}}
| 29 |
| {{single chart|UK|77|date=20190201|rowheader=true|accessdate=2 February 2019}} |
| {{single chart|UKrock|5|date=20190201|rowheader=true|accessdate=2 February 2019}} |
| scope="row"| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard){{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bring-me-the-horizon/chart-history/ark/|title=Bring Me The Horizon Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=19 March 2023}}
| 45 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Bring Me the Horizon songs}}
{{Grimes}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Bring Me the Horizon songs
Category:Electronic rock songs
Category:Songs written by Oliver Sykes
Category:Songs written by Jordan Fish
Category:Song recordings produced by Jordan Fish
Category:Songs written by Amy Lee
Category:Songs written by Terry Balsamo
Category:Songs written by Tim McCord