Less Than (song)
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"Less Than" is a song by American
industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten a ...
band
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
from their EP ''
Add Violence ''Add Violence'' is the sixth extended play (EP) and eleventh major release by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Released through The Null Corporation and Capitol Records on July 19, 2017, it is the second in a trilogy of releases, f ...
'' (2017). It was released on July 13, 2017, becoming the band's first single since " Everything" in August 2013. The song's music video alludes to the video game ''
Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...
'', an
urban legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
about a video game used to mine information from people for the government. It peaked at No. 10 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 ...
'' US Mainstream Rock Songs chart.


Background

"Less Than" was announced and released as the lead single and opening track of the ''
Add Violence ''Add Violence'' is the sixth extended play (EP) and eleventh major release by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Released through The Null Corporation and Capitol Records on July 19, 2017, it is the second in a trilogy of releases, f ...
'' EP on July 13, 2017. The song's
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 ...
was released on the same day; it features an extreme close-up of a woman staring at a retro-styled video game which shows the song's lyrics in gameplay, her eyes gradually becoming glazed over as the video continues. The game featured is ''
Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...
'', created by English video game designer Jeff Minter and playable on the
PS4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in E ...
. The video game itself is based on an urban legend of the same name—an alleged
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
that existed in the 1980s which data mined people's personal information for the government—leading some publications to suggest a similarity in themes between the game and song.


Themes and composition

''
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 ...
'' noted the similarities between "Less Than" and other Nine Inch Nails songs, such as similar lyrical refrains between the song and 2013 single " Copy of A" ("Go and look what you've gone done" vs. "Now look what you've gone and done") and similarly structured ominous choruses between it and 1990 single "
Head Like a Hole "Head Like a Hole" is a song by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released as the second single from the group's debut album, ''Pretty Hate Machine''. Although one of the more rock-oriented tracks on the album, many elements of ...
", with both songs referring to "getting what one deserves". The song starts off relatively upbeat and simple, slowly becoming more ominous and cluttered before abruptly ending. ''
Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August of 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive ...
'' compared the song's sound to the band's ''
Pretty Hate Machine ''Pretty Hate Machine'' is the debut studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by TVT Records on October 20, 1989. Production of the record was handled by NIN frontman Trent Reznor and English producer Flood, among ...
'' era, noting that the song featured "a heavy synth base" and that "guitars still wail in the background over
Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...
's vocals ..a huge guitar chorus fires into focus, featuring a clean and catchy kind of riff". It also states that "things get noisy and weird as the song progresses, giving the best of both worlds with catchy, clean work found on the likes of ''
With Teeth ''With Teeth'' (stylized as '' ITH_TEETH') is the fourth studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by Nothing Records and Interscope Records on May 3, 2005. The album was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent R ...
'' while also showing Reznor letting loose before an abrupt ending". NPR described the song as having an "anthemic rock chorus".


Reception

The song was generally well received by critics. ''
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 ...
'' praised the song, calling it "comfort food for Trent Reznor fans" and concluding that it "may be the best that we can hope for from the mature, more dignified Nine Inch Nails in 2017". Multiple journalists singled out the song as the best or standout track from ''Add Violence''.


Personnel

*
Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...
– vocals * Atticus Ross – performance *Sharlotte Gibson – additional vocals * Allison Iraheta – additional vocals


Charts


References

{{authority control 2017 singles 2017 songs The Null Corporation singles Nine Inch Nails songs Songs written by Trent Reznor Songs written by Atticus Ross