"Superposition" is a song by American

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band

Young the Giant Young the Giant is an American rock band that formed in Irvine, California, in 2004. The band's line-up consists of Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Payam Doostzadeh (bass guitar), and Francois Comtois ...

, promoted as the second single off of the band's fourth album, ''

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''. It was released on August 23, 2018, through Elektra Records.

Background and recording

Beyond the original version, two remakes were released: the first one was dubbed "Superposition (Reprise)", recorded in a single day in the Layman Drug Company Studio in Nashville, and uploaded to

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on January 16, 2019 while the second was named "Superposition (Reflection)" and posted online on April 12, 2019. On

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posts, the band has described "Superposition" as "a song about quantum physics that has defied odds". On the ''Reprise'' version, they stated it is "a deconstructed negative of the original: a flipper zip on the

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". Furthermore, on the ''Reflection'' version, they added it "is about recognizing the constant that hides behind infinite variations".

Critical reception

While parent album ''Mirror Master'' received mixed reviews, "Superposition" was generally well-regarded. Neil Yeung, of

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, said it was an album highlight, "the gorgeous opener that balances alluring beats and heartfelt emotion." Chris Bach, of WRBB, called its lyrics "bland" but praised the "unique and dynamic instrumental", adding that it is "the centerpiece of this album". The "extensive physics metaphors" such as "superposition" and "black stars", plus "the atmospheric sound", were emphasized by Kerry Rork of The Chronicle.

Chart performance

Commercially, "Superposition" climbed to number 2 in the US Alternative Songs chart, tying it with " It's About Time" for the highest-charting single to date by the band, while hitting the top spot in the

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Alternative chart. Additionally, the song hit number 10 in the US

Rock Songs Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alterna ...

chart, number 3 in the US

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chart, and number 4 in the US

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Music video

The music video for the track was released on August 23, 2018, the same day it was released as a single. Directed by Computer Team, who also directed "Something To Believe In", it evokes reflection, among other physics-related concepts mentioned throughout the song.

Usage in media

"Superposition" was used in TV shows such as ''

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'' and '' Roswell, New Mexico'', and was made available as a playable song in the video game ''

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''. The band performed the song live on '' Late Night with Seth Meyers'', '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', and ''

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''.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Young the Giant 2018 singles 2018 songs Young the Giant songs Elektra Records singles