Yi and iMi

File:SonicRanchNeveConsole.jpg began recording the song in 2014, yet didn't finish writing its lyrics until 2019, at the Sonic Ranch in Texas.]]

"Yi" is a phone recording from the winter of 2014 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon and his close friend Trever Hagen were experimenting with turning a radio on-and-off while sliding cardboard over it at the time, resembling a hip hop chop. Vernon immediately told producer Brad Cook that he wanted this fragmented recording to be the basis of the first track on their then-upcoming album, which later became "iMi".{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/arts/music/bon-iver-imi.html|work=The New York Times|date=September 6, 2019|access-date=December 21, 2019|author1=Joe Coscarelli|author2=Alexandra Eaton|author3=Antonio de Luca|author4=Alicia DeSantis|author5=Will Lloyd|author6=Eden Weingart|title=5 Years, 28 People, 1 Song: No One Writes Quite Like Bon Iver.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228134854/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/arts/music/bon-iver-imi.html|archive-date=December 28, 2019|url-status=live}}

Mike Noyce recorded his vocals for the track in 2015. That same year, Vernon met with British musician James Blake while the former was in London, where the latter played synthesizers for the track. The two had previously collaborated on the tracks "Fall Creek Boys Choir" from 2011 and "I Need a Forest Fire" from 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://genius.com/a/bon-iver-james-blake-reunite-on-imi|title=Bon Iver & James Blake Reunite On "iMi"|website=Genius|date=August 8, 2019|access-date=May 12, 2020|author=Caitlin Kelley|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809144829/https://genius.com/a/bon-iver-james-blake-reunite-on-imi|archive-date=August 9, 2019|url-status=live}} American singer Frank Ocean was present for Blake's contributions. In 2017, Vernon previewed "iMi" to American record producer Wheezy, where he offered to provide drum programming for the track. Prior to the collaboration, Wheezy did not know of Vernon or Bon Iver. In 2018, Rob Moose's Worms Crew recorded the horns on the track. Moose had made three different trips to Wisconsin for working on the song.

Vernon struggled to write his first verse for the song due to the pressure that "iMi" would be the album's first full track. In January 2019, recording continued at the Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas. Andrew Sarlo, who was a long-time fan of Bon Iver, provided additional production for the track while he was at the Sonic Ranch. Cook called Sarlo's work a "turning point" for the song, praising his chopping of the chorus and the bassline. The former then pressured Vernon to complete writing the lyrics to the song.

{{Listen

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|description=Audio sample of "iMi". The basis of the song was turning a radio on-and-off while sliding cardboard over it to resemble a hip hop chop.}}

The basis of "Yi" and "iMi" came from a snippet of Vernon and Hagen turning a radio playing the song "Clarity" by Zedd featuring Foxes on-and-off, all while sliding cardboard over it. Spencer Kornhaber, writing for The Atlantic, described "Yi" as an intro into "iMi" and stated that car wash-like noises "keep a lazy rhythm". Kornhaber elaborated, saying that the songs' busyness eventually "gives way to cozy strumming".{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/08/bon-iver-ii-album-review-nonsense-beauty/596026/|work=The Atlantic|author=Spencer Kornhaber|date=August 14, 2019|access-date=December 22, 2019|title=Bon Iver's Inexplicable Power|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222210602/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/08/bon-iver-ii-album-review-nonsense-beauty/596026/|archive-date=December 22, 2019|url-status=live}} The songs' elements cumulate, with Will Hermes, for Rolling Stone, stating that "all of it somehow gel[s] into a fantastic whole."{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/bon-iver-i-i-869539/|title=Bon Iver's 'i, i' is About Getting In Touch With Your Human Side|author=Will Hermes|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=December 22, 2019|date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200106211025/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/bon-iver-i-i-869539/|archive-date=January 6, 2020|url-status=live}}

Hermes described the beginning of the songs as "doubling-down on the future-pop abstractions" before making way for Vernon's raw vocals. Matthew Strauss of Pitchfork described Vernon's delivery as simple and his lyrics as him "locating peace within the ordinary and everyday"."{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/bon-iver-ii/|title=Bon Iver: i, i Album Review|work=Pitchfork|date=August 9, 2019|access-date=December 22, 2019|author=Matthew Strauss|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226015602/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/bon-iver-ii/|archive-date=December 26, 2019|url-status=live}} Zack Ruskin of Variety described Vernon's lyrics as "celebrating the comfort of familiarity".{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/music/reviews/album-review-bon-ivers-ii-1203319028/|title=Album Review: Bon Iver's 'i,i'|date=August 30, 2019|access-date=December 22, 2019|work=Variety|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212053051/https://variety.com/2019/music/reviews/album-review-bon-ivers-ii-1203319028/|archive-date=December 12, 2019|url-status=live|author=Zack Ruskin}} Mike Noyce, Velvet Negroni, Camilla Staveley-Taylor, and James Blake collaborate to sing across different frequencies within the song. Kornhaber stated that he believes the chorus "I am / I am / I am" ironically gives a sense of we.

On July 11, 2019, Bon Iver announced their fourth studio album I, I, and revealed a track list that included both "Yi" and "iMi".{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/bon-iver-announce-new-album-ii/|title=Bon Iver Announce New Album i,i, Share 2 New Songs: Listen|date=July 11, 2019|access-date=December 21, 2019|work=Pitchfork|author=Jazz Monroe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307184718/https://pitchfork.com/news/bon-iver-announce-new-album-ii/|archive-date=March 7, 2020|url-status=live}} On August 8, 2019, without prior announcement, eight of the album's nine remaining songs, including "iMi", were released digitally. The releases were hourly, while "Yi" was then shared exclusively on Reddit.{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/indie/bon-iver-icommai-imi-we-holyfields-naeem-marion/|title=Bon Iver Are Releasing Their New Album, 'i,i,' A Few Weeks Early|publisher=Uproxx|author=Derrick Rossignol|date=August 8, 2019|access-date=December 21, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812101128/https://uproxx.com/indie/bon-iver-icommai-imi-we-holyfields-naeem-marion/|archive-date=August 12, 2019}}

On September 1, 2019, Bon Iver started their I, I tour in Bonner, Montana. "iMi" was performed at the show and was included on the set list for the tour.{{Cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2019/09/bon-iver-plays-ii-songs-live-for-the-first-time-in-montana/|title=Watch Bon Iver Play i,i Songs Live for the First Time in Montana|author=Rob Arcand|date=September 1, 2019|access-date=December 22, 2019|work=Spin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127061636/https://www.spin.com/2019/09/bon-iver-plays-ii-songs-live-for-the-first-time-in-montana/|archive-date=January 27, 2020|url-status=live}} On October 1 of that year, Bon Iver performed in Brooklyn as the special guests for American morning television program CBS This Morning. The show highlighted the band's performance of "iMi", and the songs "Blood Bank" and "Salem".{{Cite web|url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/bon-iver-cbs-this-mornings-saturday-sessions/|title=Bon Iver Appears As Special Guests On 'CBS This Morning's Saturday Sessions [Watch]|date=October 20, 2019|access-date=December 22, 2019|work=Live For Live Music|author=Tom Shackleford|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222210605/https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/bon-iver-cbs-this-mornings-saturday-sessions/|archive-date=December 22, 2019|url-status=live}}

"iMi" charted in both the United States and New Zealand on non-primary charts. On the US Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, the song peaked at number 36, making it the fourth highest-peaking track from I, I, behind the singles "Hey, Ma" and "Faith", and the non-single track "Naeem".{{cite web|title=Bon Iver – Chart History – Hot Rock Songs|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bon-iver/chart-history/ark/|publisher=Billboard|access-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823080343/https://www.billboard.com/music/Bon-Iver/chart-history/rock-songs|archive-date=August 23, 2019|url-status=live}} However, "iMi" peaked higher than two of the album's singles, "U (Man Like)" and "Jelmore".{{Cite web|url=https://dancingastronaut.com/2019/06/bon-iver-return-with-two-new-singles-in-tow-hey-ma-and-u-man-like/|title=Bon Iver return with two new singles in tow, 'Hey, Ma' and 'U (Man Like)'|author=Rachel Nazorniak|date=June 6, 2019|access-date=January 23, 2019|publisher=Dancing Astronaut|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607121817/https://dancingastronaut.com/2019/06/bon-iver-return-with-two-new-singles-in-tow-hey-ma-and-u-man-like/|archive-date=June 7, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://logjampresents.com/2019/07/12/bon-iver-announce-new-album-ii-and-releases-two-singles-jelmore-and-faith/|title=Bon Iver Announce New Album "i,i" and Releases Two Singles|website=Logjam Presents|date=July 12, 2019|access-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510185118/https://logjampresents.com/2019/07/12/bon-iver-announce-new-album-ii-and-releases-two-singles-jelmore-and-faith/|archive-date=May 10, 2020|url-status=live}} In New Zealand, the song peaked at 36 on the NZ Hot Singles chart.{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2019-09-13|title=NZ Hot Singles Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=August 19, 2019|access-date=January 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430122121/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/hotsingles?chart=4736|archive-date=April 30, 2020|url-status=live}}

Credits adapted from liner notes.{{cite web|url=https://boniver.org/albumcredits/|title=Album Credits|publisher=Bon Iver|access-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522082523/http://boniver.org/albumcredits/|archive-date=May 22, 2019|url-status=live}} Credits for both songs:

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• Brad Cook – production
• Chris Messina – production, mixing
• Justin Vernon – production, lyrics
• BJ Burton – additional production, writing
• Marta Salogni – additional engineering
• Jerry Ordonez – assistant engineering, additional mixing
• Zac Hernandez – assistant engineering
• Alli Rogers – assistant engineering
• Zach Hanson – mixing
• Greg Calbi – mastering

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Additional credits for "Yi":

• Justin Vernon – radio
• Trever Hagen – additional production, additional engineering, barn, shoes, writing

Additional credits for "iMi":

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• Worm Crew – horns
• Rob Moose – violin, viola, fast piano, crew arrangement, writing
• CJ Camerieri – trumpet, flugelhorn, French horn
• Michael Lewis – tenor and soprano saxophones
• Hideaki Aomori – clarinets, alto saxophone
• Tim Albright – trombone
• Randy Pingrey – trombone
• Ross Garren – harmonicas
• Trever Hagen – slides
• Wheezy – drum programming, writing
• James Blake – Prophet 600, vocals, writing
• Mike Noyce – vocals, writing
• Jeremy Nutzman a.k.a. Velvet Negroni – vocals, writing
• Camilla Staveley-Taylor – vocals
• Aaron Dessner – piano, guitar
• Buddy Ross – synthesizer
• BJ Burton – programming, arrangement, additional engineering
• Andrew Sarlo – additional production, additional engineering
• Brad Cook – writing
• Mike Lewis – writing
• Channy Leaneagh – writing
• Josh Berg – writing

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"iMi"

{{Bon Iver}}

Category:2019 songs

Category:Bon Iver songs

Category:Songs written by Justin Vernon

Category:Songs written by James Blake (musician)