Zero (Yeah Yeah Yeahs song)

Singer Karen O said, "We want to shake the unshakable, to stir things up, and that’s a lot of the spirit of ‘Zero’; it's like” ‘Come on man! Come on! Just feel something, escape, whatever, whatever the emotion is just feel it!’"{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/features/yeah-yeah-yeahs-interview|title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Interview |website= Clash|date=May 8, 2009 |accessdate=June 12, 2021}}

"Zero" received acclaim from music critics. Paula Carino of AllMusic described the song as "an exhilarating and wide-open expanse of pure electro-pop".{{cite web |last=Carino |first=Paula |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/zero-mw0000812621 |title=Zero – Yeah Yeah Yeahs |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=July 17, 2014}} Mary Bellamy of Drowned in Sound viewed the track as "the call to arms of a band who desperately want to teleport the refugees of fashion-fizzled pop, the hippest of hipsters and the weirdest outsiders to the dancefloor of their sweaty spaceship", stating it is "perhaps one of the band's finest moments ever committed to tape."{{cite web |last=Bellamy |first=Mary |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14146/reviews/4136384 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz! |work=Drowned in Sound |date=March 11, 2009 |access-date=July 17, 2014 |archive-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716000451/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14146/reviews/4136384 |url-status=dead }}

Slant Magazine{{'}}s Jonathan Keefe praised "Zero" as "flat-out phenomenal",{{cite web |last=Keefe |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/yeah-yeah-yeahs-its-blitz |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz! |work=Slant Magazine |date=March 16, 2009 |access-date=July 17, 2014}} while Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy called it "a saucy electro romp that makes even GaGa seem a tad coy".{{cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Alex |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/music/single-reviews/a150750/yeah-yeah-yeahs-zero/ |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 'Zero' |work=Digital Spy |date=March 29, 2009 |access-date=January 17, 2019}} Michael Hubbard of musicOMH dubbed the song "an all out visceral onslaught, a keening mix of battered synths, drum machines and Nick Zinner's typically bloodless guitar playing", and referred to it as "a mix of Show Your Bones{{'}} cleaner production with the grubbiness of the Is Is EP".{{cite web |last=Hubbard |first=Michael |url=https://www.musicomh.com/blog/new-single-yeah-yeah-yeahs-zero |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs back with a big Zero |work=musicOMH |date=February 18, 2009 |access-date=July 17, 2014}} Evan Sawdey of PopMatters opined that "[n]o YYY's song has ever been as disposable, replayable, or just outright fun as 'Zero'".{{cite web |last=Sawdey |first=Evan |url=https://www.popmatters.com/72372-the-yeah-yeah-yeahs-its-blitz-2496034809.html |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz! |work=PopMatters |date=March 22, 2009 |access-date=January 17, 2019}}

"Zero" was named the best track of 2009 by both the NME and Spin magazines,{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/list/50-best-tracks-of-2009/159979/page/5 |title=50 Best Tracks of 2009 |work=NME |date=December 2, 2009 |access-date=December 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213012159/http://www.nme.com/list/50-best-tracks-of-2009/159979/page/5 |archive-date=December 13, 2009}}{{cite web |url=https://www.spin.com/2010/01/20-best-songs-2009/ |title=The 20 Best Songs of 2009 |work=Spin |date=December 7, 2009 |access-date=December 17, 2009}} while Pitchfork ranked it the sixth best song of the year.{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7742-the-top-100-tracks-of-2009/?page=10 |title=The Top 100 Tracks of 2009 |website=Pitchfork |date=December 14, 2009 |access-date=January 17, 2019}} In October 2011, the NME placed the song at number 39 on its list of the "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/article/248500 |title=150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years {{!}} #39 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero |work=NME |date=October 6, 2011 |access-date=January 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015005440/http://www.nme.com/list/150-best-tracks-of-the-past-15-years/248648/article/248500#article |archive-date=October 15, 2011}} Writing in retrospect, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian cited "Zero" as proof of the band's difficulties at achieving commercial success, stating the song "sounded like a mammoth hit right up to the point it stalled at No. 49 in the singles chart."{{cite web |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |author-link=Alexis Petridis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/apr/11/yeah-yeah-yeahs-mosquito-review |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Mosquito – review |work=The Guardian |date=April 11, 2013 |access-date=November 8, 2015}}

The music video for "Zero" was directed by Barney Clay and premiered on March 9, 2009.{{cite web |last=Knight |first=David |url=https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2009/03/16/yeah-yeah-yeahs%E2%80%99-zero-barney-clay/2233 |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Zero by Barney Clay |publisher=Promo News |date=March 16, 2009 |access-date=January 17, 2019}}{{cite web |last=Robertson |first=Jessica |url=http://www.spinner.com/2009/03/09/yeah-yeah-yeahs-zero-video-premiere/ |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'Zero' – Video Premiere |publisher=Spinner |date=March 9, 2009 |access-date=July 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120190109/http://www.spinner.com/2009/03/09/yeah-yeah-yeahs-zero-video-premiere/ |archive-date=November 20, 2011}} It was filmed in the San Francisco neighborhoods of Tenderloin, North Beach, and Chinatown.{{cite web |last=Cipriano |first=Janelle |url=https://www.7x7.com/yeah-yeah-yeahs-hit-the-streets-of-sf-in-zero-video-1779158468.html |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hit the Streets of SF in "Zero" Video |work=7x7 |date=April 28, 2009 |access-date=January 17, 2019}}{{cite web |last=Port |first=Ian S. |url=https://archives.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2009/03/12/new-yyy-name-that-sf-bodega |title=New YYY: Name That S.F. Bodega |work=SF Weekly |date=March 12, 2009 |access-date=January 17, 2019}} Speaking to Spinner, lead singer Karen O explained the concept of the video: "The visuals had to be well paced with the slow ecstatic build of the song. It made sense that the visuals would take you on a journey and keep you on the move—no sitting still for too long in the city landscape of bright lights, dark alleys and glittering streets. 'Zero'{{'}}s sentiment is to revel in being you—you're a zero so screw it! It's the underdogs, the rebels, the outsiders that have always captivated me growing up so I decided why not flaunt that side of myself in the video."

The video opens with the band in the dressing room of The Warfield, getting ready for a show, at which point O walks through a curtain that takes her to the streets of San Francisco at night. Clad in a PVC dress and a studded leather jacket, O is seen walking around the streets and dancing atop cars. She soon joins her bandmates again as they perform the song in an alleyway. Towards the end of the video, the band play around with shopping carts in the Transbay Terminal, before playing in a local discount store.

"Zero" was used in the television shows 90210,{{cite episode |title=The Party's Over |series=90210 |series-link=90210 (TV series) |season=1 |number=22 |airdate=May 5, 2009 |network=The CW}} Ugly Betty,{{cite episode |title=In the Stars |series=Ugly Betty |series-link=Ugly Betty |season=3 |number=22 |airdate=May 14, 2009 |network=ABC}} Gossip Girl,{{cite magazine |last=Graff |first=Gary |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/268592/yeah-yeah-yeahs-leave-heads-rolling-on-the-road |title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Leave Heads Rolling On The Road |magazine=Billboard |date=May 19, 2009 |access-date=February 24, 2014}} and The L.A. Complex.{{cite web |author=Allison |url=http://blog.muchmusic.com/the-l-a-complex-music-ep-1-give-up/ |title=The L.A. Complex Music Ep. 1: Give Up |publisher=MuchMusic |date=January 10, 2012 |access-date=February 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301172155/http://blog.muchmusic.com/the-l-a-complex-music-ep-1-give-up/ |archive-date=March 1, 2014 |url-status=dead }} The song was also included in the soundtrack for the 2009 video game Tony Hawk: Ride.{{cite web |last=Crecente |first=Brian |url=https://kotaku.com/5375240/tony-hawk-ride-the-soundtrack |title=Tony Hawk: Ride: The Soundtrack |publisher=Kotaku |date=October 6, 2009 |access-date=February 24, 2014}}

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• US and UK CD single{{cite web |url=http://interscope.com/yeahyeahyeahs/news |title='Zero' physical singles available in the UK for 1 week only! |publisher=Interscope Records |date=April 2, 2009 |access-date=February 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429104942/http://interscope.com/yeahyeahyeahs/news |archive-date=April 29, 2009}}

1. "Zero" – 4:25
2. "Zero" (MSTRKRFT Remix) – 4:00

• UK 7-inch single #1

:A. "Zero" – 4:25

:B. "Zero" (Animal Collective Remix) – 4:27

• UK 7-inch single #2

:A. "Zero" – 4:25

:B. "Zero" (Erol Alkan Rework) – 5:58

• UK iTunes EP

1. "Zero" – 4:29
2. "Zero" (MSTRKRFT Remix) – 4:02
3. "Zero" (Animal Collective Remix) – 4:29
4. "Zero" (Erol Alkan Rework) – 6:00

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• US iTunes EP – Remixes

1. "Zero" – 4:25
2. "Zero" (N.A.S.A. Bloody Lobo Remix) – 5:32
3. "Zero" (Erol Alkan Rework) – 4:01
4. "Zero" (Animal Collective Remix) – 4:27

• US 12-inch single – Remixes

:A1. "Zero" (Album Version) – 4:26

:A2. "Zero" (N.A.S.A. Bloody Lobo Remix) – 5:32

:A3. "Zero" (MSTRKRFT Remix) – 4:00

:B1. "Zero" (Erol Alkan Rework) – 5:58

:B2. "Zero" (Animal Collective Remix) – 4:27

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of It's Blitz!{{cite AV media notes |title=It's Blitz! |type=liner notes |others=Yeah Yeah Yeahs |publisher=Interscope Records |year=2009 |id=B0012735-02}}

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• Nick Launay – production, recording
• David Andrew Sitek – production, recording
• Stuart Bogie – tenor saxophone
• Eric Biondo – trumpet
• Dan Huron – recording
• Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
• Matty Green – mixing assistance
• Ted Jensen – mastering

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Category:2009 singles

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Category:Songs written by Nick Zinner

Category:Yeah Yeah Yeahs songs