"Run2me" is a song by

The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...

, released as the fourth single from the band's ninth studio album ''

Monuments to an Elegy ''Monuments to an Elegy'' is the ninth studio album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on December 9, 2014 on Martha's Music. Band leader Billy Corgan noted that—like the band's previous release, ''Oceania''—the ...

''. The accompanying music video was premiered on

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on October 22, 2015.

Song description

Most music critics noted the song's deviating from the band's traditional guitar sound. In his review of the album,

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 ...

's Andrew Unterberger compared the song to the work of synthpop duo

Erasure Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...

. Speculating on possible influences, the

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

's Dan Hallman characterised the song as " Killers-ish". In similar vein,

Drowned In Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History '' ...

's Andrzej Lukowski described the track as a "blippy homage to Corgan’s beloved New Order". In contrast,

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

's Michael Roffman likened the track to the band's previous album

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...

Background and recording

The song was featured on several preliminary track listings for the album posted on the band's website. The final version that appears on the album seems to be considerably different from its early demo version. In an update on the recording process posted on the band's website on April 14, 2014, band leader Billy Corgan described the song's sound as being more

Big Country Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although it has retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music incorporated Scott ...

than The Smashing Pumpkins, with producer Howard Willing criticising the "80s drums" on the track, triggering a process of "deconstruction". In a later update on 16 May, Corgan described "stripping away previous guitars so that all that was left were .drums and ..bass", then adding an "arpeggiated figure" reminiscent of

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

's "Baba O'Riley" as well as strings reminiscent of the band's own song Tonight, Tonight. On June 18, 2014, Corgan announced the song as being "done" in another recording update on the band's website.

Music video

Directed by longtime Corgan collaborator

Linda Strawberry Linda Strawberry is an American artist, director, editor and musician, best known for her work on tours and music videos. Career Initially working under her birth name Linda Rowberry, Strawberry collaborated with Especially For Youth on ''I Kno ...

, the music video features "magical orbs, eerie incantations, and mysterious hooded women". Strawberry elaborated on the video's narrative: "The Magician is symbolic of transition and inspiration, while the protagonist in the video is afraid of who she is about to become, she learns, accepts and then lets go of whatever was holding her back."

Reception

General critical reception to the song has been mixed.

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's Kitty Empire noted the song "glides past appealingly" while " ryingout for a Euro-rave remix". In similar fashion,

's Andrzej Lukowski described the song as "gorgeous".

's Michelle Geslani even called the song a "standout" of the album. A number of critics, however, found less praising words in their reviews.

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

's Kevin Eg Perry considered the track one of the weaker on the album, calling it an " nsuccessfulstab ..at synthpop". Criticizing its "cringe-inducing text-speak title", he likened the song to "a forgotten 1980s Eurovision entry".

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 ...

's Michael Nelson called the song "skippable", while Clash's Mike Diver referred to it as "completely tiresome" in his verdict.

Personnel

;The Smashing Pumpkins *

Billy Corgan William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band the ...

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

, bass,

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

and

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

s *

Jeff Schroeder Jeffrey Kim Schroeder (born February 4, 1974, Los Angeles, California) is an American musician who plays guitar in the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins—initially replacing co-founder James Iha in 2007 and remaining in the band aft ...

– guitar ;Additional musicians *

Tommy Lee Thomas Lee Bass (born October 3, 1962) is an American musician and founding member of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap metal band Methods of Mayhem and has pursued solo musical ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

References

{{Smashing Pumpkins 2014 songs Songs written by Billy Corgan The Smashing Pumpkins songs Song recordings produced by Billy Corgan 2015 singles BMG Rights Management singles