"Animals" is a
big room house
Big room house or simply big room is a fusion subgenre of house music (notably progressive house and electro house) that gained popularity in the early 2010s. Characterized by its simple instrumentation yet complex structure, big room house soon ...
instrumental by Dutch DJ and record producer
Martin Garrix
Martijn Gerard Garritsen (; born 14 May 1996), known professionally as Martin Garrix and also as Ytram and GRX, is a Dutch disc jockey and music producer who was ranked number one on '' DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years—20 ...
, released as a
digital download on 17 June 2013 on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
. The song quickly became popular within the
EDM culture, leading to Garrix becoming the youngest producer to ever have a song reach number one on the electronic music store
Beatport
Beatport is an American electronic music-oriented online music store owned by LiveStyle. The company is based in Denver, Los Angeles, and Berlin. Beatport is oriented primarily towards DJs, selling full songs as well as resources that can be use ...
.
The track was a commercial success, reaching the top ten or topping on a number of electronic music charts and even some mainstream ones. It became number 1 on singles charts in the United Kingdom, French-speaking Switzerland and Belgium. In the United States it reached number 21 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot 100 and number 1 on the
Dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
chart.
It is considered one of the most popular
big room house
Big room house or simply big room is a fusion subgenre of house music (notably progressive house and electro house) that gained popularity in the early 2010s. Characterized by its simple instrumentation yet complex structure, big room house soon ...
songs of all-time, along with "
Epic" by
Sandro Silva and
Quintino, "
Spaceman" by
Hardwell
Robbert van de Corput (; born January 7, 1988), known professionally as Hardwell, is a Dutch DJ and music producer from Breda. He was voted the world's number one DJ by ''DJ Mag'' in 2013 and again in 2014. In 2022, he was ranked at number 43 i ...
, "
Tsunami" by
Dvbbs and
Borgeous
John James Borger Jr. better known by his stage name Borgeous (stylized as BORGEOUS), is an American DJ and music producer.
Career
The LA-based Platinum recording artist and DJ/producer has already accomplished three Billboard Dance Radio Top ...
and "
Tremor" by
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.
Composition and release
Prior to release, the track gained buzz after being played anonymously with speculation increasing about the author after Dutch record label
Spinnin' Records released a clip of the track online only titled "Animals (Teaser)". It started to reach even more speculation after a
Vine video featuring Agnes from ''
Despicable Me'' was posted.
The track was, at various times, attributed to other acts like
Hardwell
Robbert van de Corput (; born January 7, 1988), known professionally as Hardwell, is a Dutch DJ and music producer from Breda. He was voted the world's number one DJ by ''DJ Mag'' in 2013 and again in 2014. In 2022, he was ranked at number 43 i ...
, GTA,
Sidney Samson
Sidney V. Samson (born 2 October 1981) is a Dutch DJ. He is best known for his track, Riverside, which was released in 2009.
Career
Samson started DJing at the age of 13, focusing on hip hop music before working seriously on house music from ...
and Bassjackers before the actual identity of the producer was revealed.
According to Garrix, the melody was based on a previous, never-released track that he composed two years prior, and the "ruthlessly minimalist" rhythmic sound (the
drop) is an
interpretation of
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
' "
What It Is
What It Is may refer to:
Music
Album
* What It Is (Boogaloo Joe Jones album), ''What It Is'' (Boogaloo Joe Jones album), 1971
* ''What It Is'', a Cordelia's Dad album
* What It Is (Mal Waldron album), ''What It Is'' (Mal Waldron album), 1981
* W ...
". and the first part is inspiring to a song by Aura Qualic called D.A.T.A. The song is mostly instrumental; the only sung verse to appear here is ''We're the fucking animals'', which is spoken by a friend of Garrix, has a low pitch and appears two events.
Critical reception
In 2016, ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' named "Animals" Garrix's second-best song, behind "
In the Name of Love". The review noted how Garrix "ushered in a new dance era and crowned the then-17-year-old, leader of the new school", further describing the song as "big, brash and infectious, everything a festival anthem should be. It still sounds dope so many years later".
Commercial performance
Animals booked initial success at electronic music festivals and venues like
Ultra Korea
''Ultra Korea'' is an outdoor electronic music festival that is a part of Ultra Music Festival's worldwide expansion, which has now spread to twenty countries. Following Ultra Brasil's third edition in 2011, Ultra Korea made its debut as a two-da ...
,
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland is one of the many themed lands featured at all of the Magic Kingdom styled Disney theme parks around the world owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Each version of the land is different and features numerous attractions ...
, Governors Beach Club,
Amsterdam Dance Event
The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is a five-day electronic music conference and festival held annually in mid-October. The event, organised by The Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation, offers a full programme of daytime conferences at ADE Pro, ADE Tech ...
, and
Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival (UMF) is an annual outdoor electronic music festival that takes place during March in Miami, Florida, United States. The festival was founded in 1999 by Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes.
It was first held on Miami Beach, bu ...
, to name a few. Subsequently, it rose to number one at the online music store,
Beatport
Beatport is an American electronic music-oriented online music store owned by LiveStyle. The company is based in Denver, Los Angeles, and Berlin. Beatport is oriented primarily towards DJs, selling full songs as well as resources that can be use ...
100. In the period of August to October, the track began to climb up dance hit-lists as well as mainstream singles charts across continental Europe, getting all the way to top on Belgium's
Ultratop 50
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
. In November, the single debuted at number one on UK's
Official Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, ahead of tough competition from
Lily Allen's 2013
John Lewis Christmas advert
The John Lewis Christmas advert is an ongoing television advertising campaign released by British department store chain John Lewis & Partners in the build-up to Christmas. John Lewis & Partners launched their first Christmas advert in 2007. It ...
cover single "
Somewhere Only We Know
"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song composed and performed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as the first single from their debut album, ''Hopes and Fears'' (2004). The single peaked at number three on the UK Singles C ...
" (which reached number one the following week) and
Ellie Goulding's
Children in Need 2013 cover "
How Long Will I Love You?". Garrix became the second-youngest artist to enter at the top of the UK Singles Chart with their debut single behind
Billie
Billie may refer to:
People
* Billie Allen (1925-2015), American actress
* Billie Bird (1908-2002), American actress and comedian
* Billie Burke (1884-1970), American actress
* Billie Joe Armstrong (born 1972), American singer and guitarist for ...
's "
Because We Want To
"Because We Want To" is a song performed by British pop singer Billie. The song was written by Wendy Page, Jim Marr, Dion Rambo and Jacques Richmond, and produced by Page and Marr for Billie's debut album '' Honey to the B'' (1998). It was relea ...
" in July 1998.
In the United States, "Animals" was the first instrumental track to reach the top 40 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 since
Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artis ...
's "Millennium Mix" of "
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" (: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often ...
" in 1999.
As of June 2020, the song's music video has over 1.5 billion views on
YouTube.
Usage in media
"Animals" was used in a commercial for video game ''
Madden NFL 25
''Madden NFL 25'' is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League and published by EA Sports. It was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in August 2013. Instead of numbering it ''Madden NFL 14'' with the year li ...
''. It was added in the March 2014 update of another game, ''
Asphalt 8: Airborne.''
"Animals" was also featured on ''
Just Dance 2016
''Just Dance 2016'' is a 2015 dance video game developed and published by Ubisoft. Unveiled on June 15, 2015, during its E3 press conference as the seventh main installment of the
series, it was released in October 2015 for PlayStation 3, Play ...
'' along with an extreme routine. The instrumental version of the song was also featured in ''
FIFA Online 3
''FIFA Online 3'' is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online football game which was announced on 13 August 2012 and entered the 1st closed beta on 20 September 2012 to 23 September of that same year in South Korea. On December 18, 2012, it was ...
'', an online free-to-play version of the FIFA series video game.
In April, the track was also used in the
Dior advertisement for their "Addict Fluid Stick" lipstick and lipgloss range.
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
Release history
Parodies
In December 2013, a
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
user named McMaNGOS posted an edited version of "Animals" titled "Funnymals", which remixes the song's drop to the tune of "
Old McDonald Had a Farm
"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" (sometimes shortened to Old MacDonald) is a traditional children's song and nursery rhyme about a farmer and the various animals he keeps. Each verse of the song changes the name of the animal and its respective nois ...
". The "Funnymals" edit gained prominence at the 2014
Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival (UMF) is an annual outdoor electronic music festival that takes place during March in Miami, Florida, United States. The festival was founded in 1999 by Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes.
It was first held on Miami Beach, bu ...
, when
Deadmau5 (who had made comments attacking Garrix on
Twitter earlier in the day, and has been a prominent critic of "mainstream" electronic music) played the edit as part of his live set.
See also
*
List of number-one dance singles of 2013 (U.S.)
These are the United States ''Billboard'' Hot Dance'' ''Club Play and Singles Sales number-one hits of 2013.
See also
* List of number-one Dance/Mix Show Airplay hits of 2013 (U.S.)
* List of number-one Dance/Electronic Songs of 2013 (U.S.)
*D ...
References
{{authority control
2013 singles
Martin Garrix songs
Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles
Ultratop 50 Singles (Wallonia) number-one singles
Number-one singles in Scotland
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Electronic dance music songs
Spinnin' Records singles
2013 songs
Songs written by Martin Garrix