"Sacrifice" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bebe Rexha from her second studio album, ''

Better Mistakes ''Better Mistakes'' is the second studio album by American singer Bebe Rexha, released on May 7, 2021, by Warner Records. It serves as the follow-up to her debut studio album, '' Expectations'' (2018) and contains guest features from Travis Bark ...

'' (2021). The song was written by Rexha,

Burns Burns may refer to: * Burn, an injury (plural) People: * Burns (surname), includes list of people and characters Business: * Burns London, a British guitar maker Places: ;In the United States * Burns, Colorado, unincorporated community in Eagle ...

, Pablo Bowman and

Peter Rycroft Peter Rycroft, known professionally as Lostboy, is a British songwriter and music producer. Active in the music fields since 2010s, he has written and produced music across multiple genres, working with Tiësto, Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha, Ellie Gou ...

, and produced by Burns. It was released as the second

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

from the album for digital download and

streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in ''Shatter Me s ...

in various countries on March 5, 2021. Combining

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 ...

eurodance Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...

, nü-disco and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

music, the song explores the desire to live a love and the pursuit of a man's attention. It garnered a warm reception from music critics for its music, lyrics and Rexha's vocal delivery. "Sacrifice" reached number two on the US ''

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 ...

Dance/Mix Show Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...

ranking and attained positions within the top 30 on the Adult Top 40 and

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

charts. It peaked at number one in Hungary and number five in Poland, earning a gold certification from the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV). The

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

-themed

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

, with references to '' Blade'' (1998) and '' The Matrix'' (1999), premiered on Rexha's

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel on March 5. The video displays the singer as a bloodthirsty vampire leading women through a hospital rampage and a ''Blade''-inspired club ambiance.

Background and composition

Leading up to its release, Rexha declared her intention to publish a song dedicated to the

LGBTQ community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and social ...

, affirming, "I'm gonna give the gays everything they want on this one song." This initiative was prompted by her best friend and stylist, Wilford Lenov, who advocated for the creation of a "gay anthem". On March 1, 2023, the singer announced the forthcoming release of "Sacrifice" and published its cover art across her social media channels. The artwork was distinguished by a futuristic design with references to the American film '' The Matrix'' (1999). Subsequently on March 5,

released "Sacrifice" for digital download and

as the second single from Rexha's second studio album ''

'' (2021). The song was written by Rexha,

, Pablo Bowman and

, with the production completed by Burns. Harmonising

, nü-disco and

music, it explores the desire to live a love and the pursuit of a man's attention. These emotions find expression in lyrics such as "Now you're mine, Tell me what you're willing to sacrifice, oh sacrifice, When it comes to me, I don't want no compromise."

Reception

Upon release, "Sacrifice" garnered a warm reception from music critics. In her critique for ''The Forty-Five'', Kate French-Morris highlighted the song as the standout song on the album, citing its compelling qualities and noting its distinctive "

Real McCoy "The real McCoy" is an idiom and metaphor used in much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article", e.g. "he's the real McCoy". The phrase has been the subject of numerous false etymologies. History The phr ...

-style" rap outro.

Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, Caramanica received his ba ...

from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' observed Rexha adopting a "whispering diva" persona and similarly recognising the inspiration of German group Real McCoy's single " Another Night" (1993). Caillou Pettis, contributing to Vinyl Chapters, acknowledged the enjoyment of the song, identifying it as his preferred "straight-up" song on the album. Sam Damshenas of ''

Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ commu ...

'' acclaimed the song as a "pulsating and club-ready anthem", underscoring Rexha's successful realisation of her commitment to meeting the desires of the LGBTQ+ community, as evident in the positive reception of the song. A writer for '' Billboard Argentina'' characterised the song as "electrifying". In a review for Equate, the writer commended Rexha's "shimmering" vocal delivery, highlighting the instrumental arrangement, and noting the song's potential to captivate both club audiences and the main stage of Coachella. A contributor for Laluna complimented Rexha as a notable and bold experimenter on the music industry, demonstrating a willingness to explore new directions. "Sacrifice" attained number two on the US ''

ranking, also entering the top 30 on the Adult Top 40 and

charts. Topping the charts in Hungary, the song reached number five in Poland, number 22 in the Czech Republic, number 45 in Croatia, number 62 in the Netherlands and number 65 in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In the year-end compilations of 2021, "Sacrifice" achieved placements in Hungary, Poland and the US Dance/Mix Show Airplay ranking. In July 2022, the song received a gold certification from the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) for shifting more than 25,000 units in Poland.

Music video and promotion

The

for "Sacrifice" premiered on Rexha's official

channel on March 5, 2021, with behind-the-scenes footage from the video published on March 16. Directed by Christian Breslauer, the two-minute and 49-second video incorporates a

-themed narrative with references to the American films '' Blade'' (1998) and ''The Matrix'' (1999). Rexha embodies a persona of bloodthirsty vampire presuming leadership over a group of women as they navigate through a hospital rampage and indulging within a ''Blade''-inspired club setting, marked by cascading blood from the roof. The video narrative commences with a sequence depicting an injured and restrained man coupled with Rexha's authoritative presence as she approaches and delivers a performance in close proximity to the captive individual. Then, it transitions to Rexha guiding the group through a hospital corridor, orchestrating a sequence involving the incapacitation of hospital staff, the assumption of control over the facility and the securing of access to a laboratory for the consumption of blood. The video culminates in a nightclub setting filled with partying people characterised by a display of floating blood from above. Leticia Romero from

Radiotelevisión Española The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española, S.A. (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española or RTVE, is the state-owned public corporation that assumed in 2007 the indirect management of the Spanish public radio and television service know ...

(RTVE) highlighted the video's aesthetic and its evocation of a domina-styled artist accompanied by a group of vampiric women, collectively portraying a narrative of a blood-stained mission involving the act of "sacrificing a man". The release of "Sacrifice" was accompanied by remixes from American duo Niiko x Swae, British duo Gorgon City and producer Nathan Dawe, with these versions being published between April and May 2021. On April 22, Rexha premiered the song for the first time during a virtual performance on the seventh season of American talk show ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...

''. During the performance, the singer, adorned in a black latex suit and gloves, was joined by her band and two dancers. Emily Zemler from ''

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

'' noted that the presentation conveyed a style reminiscent of "vintage

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Track listing

*Digital download and streaming #"Sacrifice"2:40 *Digital download and streamingRemixes #"Satellite" (Gorgon City Remix)3:44 #"Satellite" (Nathan Dawe Remix)2:28 #"Satellite" (Niiko x Swae Remix)2:32

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Bebe Rexha 2021 singles 2021 songs American eurodance songs Bebe Rexha songs LGBT-related songs Nu-disco songs Songs written by Bebe Rexha Songs written by Pablo Bowman Songs written by Peter Rycroft Vampires in music Warner Records singles