"Never Say Die" is a song recorded by Scottish

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

band

Chvrches Chvrches (stylised CHVRCHΞS and pronounced "Churches") are a Scottish pop band from Glasgow, formed in September 2011. The band consists of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and, unofficially since 2018, Jonny Scott. Mostly deriving f ...

. Written by the band and its producer

Greg Kurstin Gregory Allen Kurstin (born May 14, 1969) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and written and produced four songs t ...

, it was released by

Glassnote Records Glassnote Records (also known as Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC) is a record label that was launched by American music executive Daniel Glass in 2007. The label primarily has a lineup of indie rock and alternative rock artists, most notably M ...

on 29 March 2018, as the third single from the band's third studio album, '' Love Is Dead'' (2018). The song is also featured in the soundtrack of the 2018 video game ''

Forza Horizon 4 ''Forza Horizon 4'' is a 2018 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released on 2 October 2018 for Windows and Xbox One after being announced at Xbox's E3 2018 conference. An enhanced version ...

''.

Composition

"Never Say Die" is a downtempo electro song that "features robust, linear-patterned synths that maintain the song's energy". Despite the band's well-known "airy synths", there is "a more abrasive-sounding synth leads the charge during the bridge leading into the anthemic chorus", according to Derrick Rossignol of ''

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''. In a statement, Lauren Mayberry said that it is "one of my favorite songs on the record because it really leans into the juxtaposition of what we do—the mixture between the dark and the light", describing it as "melodic and direct but uses some of the gnarliest sounds we've ever tried". "The chorus lyric came about very quickly but the verses took a lot longer. I really wanted to sum up a feeling of trying to be optimistic when you feel disillusioned by the people around you, but trying to keep going because 'Goonies Never Say Die.'"

Critical reception

Tom Breihan of ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

'' wrote that the song leans towards "almost-

EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...

synth sounds", calling it "a clear attempt to swing at crossover stardom while still keeping the group's personality intact". Similarly, Winston Cook-Wilson of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' opined that it features "a slinking R&B feel and a complementary, stuttering vocal cadence from Lauren Mayberry" while "retaining the band's typical arena-ready dynamics". Hayden Wright of

CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...

deemed the song "an intense electro track with Lauren Mayberry's signature pop-friendly vocals". Robin Murray of '' Clash'' regarded the song as "a dazzling return" and "a deft fusion of light and shade", driven by Mayberry's powerful vocal and Kurstin's seismic production.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

. Chvrches * Martin Doherty – composition, keyboard * Iain Cook – composition, keyboard * Lauren Mayberry – composition, vocals Studio personnel * Greg Kurstin – composition, production, keyboard, drums, record engineering *

Chris Gehringer Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered recordings such as Gwen Stefani's '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004), Rihanna's '' Loud'' (2010), Lady Gaga's '' Born This Way'' (2011) and Drake' ...

– master engineering * Michael Freeman – mixing assistance *

Spike Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sh ...

– mixing * Julian Burg – record engineering * Alex Pasco – record engineering

Charts

References

{{authority control 2018 songs 2018 singles Chvrches songs Songs written by Greg Kurstin Songs written by Iain Cook Songs written by Lauren Mayberry Songs written by Martin Doherty Song recordings produced by Greg Kurstin Glassnote Records singles Electro songs