Visitor (song)
{{Infobox song
| name = Visitor
| cover = VisitorOMAM.jpeg
| alt = Cover of "Visitor"
| type = single
| artist = Of Monsters and Men
| album =
| released = 9 September 2020
| genre =
| length = 3:27
| label = Republic
| writer =
| producer = Of Monsters and Men
| prev_title = Wars
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = Destroyer
| next_year = 2021
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|Bq1lpEC70Hg|"Visitor"}}}}
}}
"Visitor" is a song by Icelandic group Of Monsters and Men, released on 9 September 2020. The song was critically well-received and charted on various Billboard rock and airplay charts, in particularly giving Of Monsters and Men their fifth number-one hit on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart.
Background and composition
"Visitor" is Of Monsters and Men's first single since the release of their third studio album Fever Dream (2019). In addition to a positive critical reception, the album was number one on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, a top-ten hit on the Billboard 200, and had a number-one single on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart with "Alligator". According to vocalist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, "Visitor" is about alienation, only being able to observe the real world without any connection to it, hence the metaphor of being a "visitor at your parents' house".{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Sophie|date=9 September 2020|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/of-monsters-and-men-visitor/|title=Of Monsters And Men Share New Song, 'Visitor'|website=uDiscover Music|access-date=9 April 2022}}{{cite web|last=Neophytou|first=Nadia|date=13 October 2020|url=https://americansongwriter.com/fever-dream-of-monsters-and-men-album-interview/|title=Of Monsters and Men Gear Up to Mark 10 Years of Little Talks, Crystals and Fever Dreams|website=American Songwriter|access-date=11 April 2022}}
The song and its music video were released on 9 September 2020.{{cite web|last=Kenneally|first=Cerys|date=9 September 2020|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/of-monsters-and-men-unveil-first-new-single-of-2020-visitor|title=Of Monsters and Men unveil first new single of 2020 'Visitor'|website=The Line of Best Fit|access-date=9 April 2022}} The video was directed by Thora Hilmars and filmed in Iceland in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began.{{cite web|last=Peacock|first=Tim|date=7 October 2020|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/muna-remix-monsters-men-visitor/|title=Listen To MUNA Remix Of Monsters And Men's 'Visitor'|website=uDiscover Music|access-date=9 April 2022}}{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Sophie|date=9 September 2020|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/of-monsters-and-men-visitor/|title=Of Monsters And Men Share New Song, 'Visitor'|website=uDiscover Music|access-date=11 April 2022}} The video goes back and forth between shots of the group performing live and an old man dancing at the concert and walking in nature during sunrise. A remix by MUNA was released on 9 October 2020.
Reception
Indiependent highlighted "Visitor"'s mixture of indie and pop elements with an aggressive tone, where "the catchy guitar and drums are paired with vocals that are both electric and beautifully delicate at the same time".{{cite web|last=Marshall-Woods|first=Elle|date=20 October 2020|url=https://www.indiependent.co.uk/track-review-visitor-of-monsters-and-men/|title=Track Review: Visitor // Of Monsters and Men|website=The Indiependent|access-date=9 April 2022}} The webzine Euphoria called "Visitor" "compulsively listenable, energetic, and sensual", and noted Hilmarsdóttir's nuance in her performance, and QRO called it "a soaring piece of uplift".{{cite web|last=Lang|first=Amanda|date=9 September 2020|url=https://www.euphoriazine.com/blog/2020/09/music/videos-of-monsters-and-men-visitor/|title=Of Monsters and Men – Visitor|website=Euphoria|access-date=9 April 2022}}{{cite web|last=Chase|first=Ted|date=13 September 2020|url=https://www.qromag.com/of-monsters-and-men-visitor/|title=Of Monsters and Men – 'Visitor'|work=QRO|access-date=9 April 2022}} Global News named it one of "5 songs you must hear this week", and DuJour listed it on their "top five new favorite songs released this week".{{cite web|last=Cross|first=Alan|date=14 September 2020|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7333125/5-songs-you-must-hear-this-week-14-september-2020/|title=5 songs you must hear this week: 14 September 2020|website=Global News|access-date=9 April 2022}}{{cite web|last=Caminiti|first=Kasey|url=https://dujour.com/culture/sound-bite-janelle-monae-of-monsters-and-men-and-djo/|title=Sound Bite: Janelle Monáe, Of Monsters and Men, and Djo|website=DuJour| date=11 September 2020 |access-date=9 April 2022}} In Of Monsters and Men's country of Iceland, "Visitor" debuted at number 21 and last only three weeks in the top 40.{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012060002/http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/|archivedate=12 October 2020|url=http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/|title=Vika 40 – 25. sept. til 1. okt. 2020|language=is|website=Plötutíðindi|access-date=9 April 2022}}{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060729/http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/|archivedate=19 October 2020|url=http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/|title=Vika 40 – 25. sept. til 1. okt. 2020|language=is|website=Plötutíðindi|access-date=9 April 2022}} The track also appeared on the following Billboard charts for only one week each: number 48 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, seven on Rock Digital Song Sales, and 11 on Alternative Digital Song Sales. By 9 October 2020, the song had been streamed more than four million times worldwide.
In terms of Billboard{{'}}s rock and airplay charts, "Visitor" performed far better, lasting for around 16–20 weeks each.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/Of-Monsters-and-Men/chart-history/AAA|title=Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=9 April 2022}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/Of-Monsters-and-Men/chart-history/MRT|title=Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Alternative Airplay)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=9 April 2022}} It had been the greatest gainer on the Alternative Airplay and Adult Alternative Airplay charts within a month of its release. On the week on 12 December 2020, it reached number one on the Adult Alternative Songs chart, making it the group's fifth topper of the chart and the first since "Alligator"; it was also at number 27 on the Rock Airplay, having already established its number 26 peak, with a new high of weekly impressions for the song, 1.7 million. On the Alternative Airplay chart, it reached number 24.{{cite magazine|last=Rutherford|first=Kevin|date=10 December 2020|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/of-monsters-and-men-visitor-top-adult-alternative-songs-chart/|title=Of Monsters and Men Are Latest 'Visitor' to No. 1 on Adult Alternative Songs Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=9 April 2022}} It also was a top-ten hit on the Canada Rock chart.
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Visitor" !scope="col"|Chart (2020–2021) !scope="col"|Peak |
| {{single chart|Billboardcanadarock|10|artist=Of Monsters and Men|access-date=4 April 2022|rowheader=true|refname=Canadarock}} |
| scope="row"|Iceland (Tónlistinn){{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005055958/http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/|archivedate=5 October 2020|url=http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/|title=Vika 39 – 18. sept. til 24. sept. 2020|language=is|website=Plötutíðindi|access-date=9 April 2022}}
|21 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|48|artist=Of Monsters and Men|access-date=9 April 2022|rowheader=true|refname="hotrock"}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrockairplay|26|artist=Of Monsters and Men|access-date=9 April 2022|rowheader=true}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2021 year-end chart performance for "Visitor" !scope="col"|Chart (2021) !scope="col"|Position |
| scope="row"|US Adult Alternative Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/adult-alternative-songs/|title=Adult Alternative Airplay Songs |magazine=Billboard|access-date=9 April 2022}}
|48 |
|---|
{{col-end}}