"Heartbeats" is a song by Swedish

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

duo the Knife. It was released in Sweden on 27 December 2002 as the lead single from their second studio album '' Deep Cuts'' (2003) and re-released on 4 October 2004. The song was listed at number 15 on

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's top 500 songs of the 2000s and at number 87 on ''

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 ...

s top 100 songs of the 2000s. In October 2011, ''

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'' placed it at number 95 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". Adjectives used to describe the music were "haunting" and "electro". In Robert Dimery's book ''1000 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die'', it was said: "The Stockholm siblings' love of synth pop, minimal beats and electronica create together a moving masterpiece. Singer

Karin Dreijer Karin Elisabeth Dreijer (born 7 April 1975) is a Swedish singer-songwriter and record producer. Dreijer was one half of the electronic music duo the Knife, formed with their brother Olof Dreijer. Dreijer released their Fever Ray (album), debut ...

Andersson's hypnotic vocals recall both

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

and

Siouxsie Sioux Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...

with her icy delivery of magical lines". The song has been covered by many acts such as José González,

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Scala & Kolacny Brothers Scala & Kolacny Brothers is a Belgian women's choir conducted by Stijn Kolacny, and arranged and accompanied by Steven Kolacny on the piano. They have made five studio albums (in multiple languages) starting with ''On The Rocks'' in 2002. Mos ...

, Amason and

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...

Critical reception

The song has received critical acclaim since its release.

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said that the song's "emotive lyrics merge with forward thinking production to create one of the most exciting electronica releases of the year", and Contactmusic.com stated the song had "clever synth beats and Björkesque vocals" with the ability to "instil some fun and nostalgia into music." Gigwise.com said that the song was "perhaps one of the most hypnotic and haunting electronic songs of recent times, ..innately infectious from the outset." Several reviews commented that the song had a 1980s feel.

Track listings

* UK CD # "Heartbeats" (original) – 3:53 # "Heartbeats (

Rex the Dog Jake Williams (born 1974) is a British electronic music producer and remixer, who currently records as Rex the Dog. Rex the Dog currently releases on Kompakt Records. As Rex the Dog, Williams is a proponent of DIY electronics and performs live ...

Remix)" – 6:12 # "Heartbeats (The Knife Techno Remix)" – 2:47 # "Afraid of You" – 3:48 * UK 12-inch vinyl # "Heartbeats" (original) – 3:53 # "Heartbeats (Style of Eye Remix)" – # "Heartbeats (Rex the Dog Remix)" – 6:12 # "Heartbeats (The Knife Techno Remix)" – 2:47

Personnel

* Christoffer Berg – mixing * Rex the Dog – re-mixing, producer * Linus Eklow – re-mixing

Charts

José González version

Argentine-Swedish singer-songwriter José González covered "Heartbeats" for his debut studio album, ''

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'' (2003), and released as its lead single in January 2006. In contrast to the electronic, synth-based original, González's cover features only an acoustic classical guitar. The song peaked at number nine on the

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following its use in an advertisement for the

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television, in which countless colorful balls bounce down a hill.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2002 singles 2002 songs 2004 singles 2006 debut singles The Knife songs Shock Records singles Songs written by Karin Dreijer Songs written by Olof Dreijer V2 Records singles