Reapers (song)
{{Distinguish|Reaper (song)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Reapers
| cover = Muse_-_Reapers_cover_art.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Muse
| album = Drones
| released = {{Start date|2016|04|16|df=yes}}
| recorded = 2014
| studio = The Warehouse Studio
(Vancouver, British Columbia){{cite web|url=https://matterofsound.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/muse-are-finish-with-the-first-session-of-the-new-album/ |title=MUSE ARE FINISH WITH THE FIRST SESSION OF THE NEW ALBUM! |publisher=Matter of Sound |date=19 October 2014 |access-date=29 May 2015}}
| venue =
| genre = *Progressive rock{{Cite web |date=June 11, 2015 |title=Review: ‘Drones’ a complex military-industrial concept from Muse |url=https://www.union-bulletin.com/archives/review-drones-a-complex-military-industrial-concept-from-muse/article_05e95d6a-3202-5d33-858e-d6e1069bd2e9.html |access-date=May 11, 2025 |website=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin}}
- progressive metal{{Cite web |last=Wellerlast |first=Phil |date=July 10, 2022 |title=Muse's proggiest moments |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/muses-proggiest-moments |access-date=May 11, 2025 |website=Classic Rock}}
- heavy metal
| length = {{Duration|m=5|s=59}}
| label = {{flatlist|
}}
| writer = Matthew Bellamy
| producer = {{flatlist|
}}
| prev_title = Aftermath
| prev_year = 2016
| next_title = Dig Down
| next_year = 2017
}}
"Reapers" is a song by English rock band Muse, first released as the second promotional single off their seventh studio album Drones, and later as a 7" single, as part of Record Store Day, on 16 April 2016, the fifth and final single from the album. The song peaked at No. 75 on the French Singles Chart, No. 71 on the Swiss Hitparade singles chart, No. 37 on Billboard{{'}}s Hot Rock Songs, and became Muse's highest-charting single at the time on Billboard{{'}}s Mainstream Rock Songs at No. 2; it has since been surpassed on the latter chart by "Won't Stand Down," which reached No. 1 in May 2022.
Release
"Reapers" was released a promotional single for Drones on 29 May 2015. It was released as a Record Store Day 7" picture disc vinyl on 16 April 2016. The A-side consists of the song's album version, while the B-side consists of a live performance at the Gloria Theater in Köln, Germany. The release also includes a fold-your-own paper plane (marketed as a "paper drone").{{cite web|url=https://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/8373 |title=Muse – "Reapers" |publisher=Record Store Day (via Internet Archive |access-date=16 April 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415122522/http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/8373 |archive-date=April 15, 2016 }}{{cite web|url=https://recordstoreday.co.uk/exclusive-releases/rsd-2016/muse/ |title=Record Store Day: Muse - Reapers |publisher=BBC Music (via Internet Archive |access-date=16 April 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309044008/http://recordstoreday.co.uk/exclusive-releases/rsd-2016/muse/ |archive-date=March 9, 2016 }}
Music video
A lyric video for the song was uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel on 29 May 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcNEC9NaJuE |title=Muse - Reapers [Official Lyric Video] |publisher=YouTube |date=29 May 2015 |access-date=10 June 2015}} A full video followed. Rolling Stone called it "brutal and chilling ... fittingly blunt, depicting a man caught in the crosshairs of a drone and running for his life while a woman with red lipstick waits to pull the trigger."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/muse-rage-against-reapers-and-the-handlers-on-new-songs-20150602 |title=Muse Rage Against 'Reapers' and 'The Handlers' on New Songs |first=Jon |last=Blistein |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=2 June 2015 |access-date=10 June 2015}}
Critical reception
In an album review for The Observer, Kitty Empire commented that the pacy song "exposes the overlap between the unfeeling destruction of drone warfare and the unfeeling destruction wrought by people tearing each other apart," referring to Muse frontman Matt Bellamy's break-up from fiancée Kate Hudson. She also compared Bellamy to Yngwie Malmsteen, noting that the song contains "meaty riffs."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/07/muse-drones-album-review-kitty-empire |title=Muse: Drones review – an Orwellian breakup album |first=Kitty |last=Empire |authorlink=Kitty Empire |work=The Observer |date=7 June 2015 |access-date=10 June 2015}}
Track listing
=Digital download=
{{tracklist
|headline = Digital download
| title1 = Reapers
| length1 = 5:59
}}
=7" vinyl=
{{tracklist
|headline = Side A
| title1 = Reapers
| length1 = 5:59
}}
{{tracklist
|headline = Side B
| title1 = Reapers
| note1 = Live in Köln
| length1 = 5:59
}}
Personnel
Personnel adapted from single liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title="Reapers"|others=Muse (band)|year=2016|type=single liner notes|publisher=Warner Music UK / Helium-3}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
- Tom Bailey – assistant engineer
- Matt Bellamy – composing
- Mario Borgatta – mix assistant
- Marc Carolan – engineering, mixing {{small|(live version)}}
- Tommasa Colliva – engineering, additional production
- Martin Cooke – assistant mixer
- Rich Costey – additional production, mixing
- Jacopo Dorici – assistant engineer
{{col-2}}
- Nick Fourier – assistant mixer
- Robert John "Mutt" Lange – production
- Eric Mosher – assistant engineer
- Muse – production
- John Prestage – assistant engineer
- Olle Romo – additional programming
- Giuseppe Salvadori – assistant engineer
- Giovanni Versari – mastering {{small|(album and live version)}}
{{col-end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
! scope="col"| Chart (2015–16) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{singlechart|Flanders Tip|45|artist=Muse|song=Reapers|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 June 2016}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcanadarock|39|artist=Muse|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 February 2020}} |
| {{singlechart|France|75|artist=Muse|song=Reapers|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 June 2015}} |
| {{singlechart|Switzerland|71|artist=Muse|song=Reapers|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 June 2015}} |
| scope="row"| UK Singles (Official Charts Company){{cite web | url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/150613cluk.txt | title=CLUK Update 13.06.2015 | publisher=zobbel.de | access-date=20 April 2016}}
| 127 |
|---|
| {{singlechart|Billboardrocksongs|37|artist=Muse|rowheader=true|accessdate=28 June 2015}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardmainstreamrock|2|artist=Muse|rowheader=true|accessdate=12 December 2015}} |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Muse}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Song recordings produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Category:Songs written by Matt Bellamy
Category:Warner Records singles