Believe (The Chemical Brothers song) explained

Believe
Cover:The Chemical Brothers - Believe.png
Type:single
Artist:the Chemical Brothers
Album:Push the Button
B-Side:
  • "Giant"
  • "Spring"
Length: (album version)
Producer:The Chemical Brothers
Prev Title:Galvanize
Prev Year:2005
Next Title:The Boxer
Next Year:2005

"Believe" is the second single from English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers' fifth studio album, Push the Button (2005). The single was released on 2 May 2005 and peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart while reaching the top 20 in Italy and Spain. Kele Okereke, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party is featured on vocals. A remix of the song was featured in the 2005 snowboarding video "Flavor Country" by Sandbox.[1]

Composition

John Bush from AllMusic described: "[The song] agonizing over an energized electroshock production composed of equal parts Prince and Chicago acid house."[2]

Critical reception

While reviewing Push the Button, Robert Christgau called the song along with "The Big Jump", "rock the block."[3] Thump, "an electronic music and culture channel" from Vice, listed the song as one of the duo's 15 best collaborations, ranked at number 12.[4] Rolling Stones Bill Werde wrote that "the urgent yelp of Kele Okereke from Bloc Party makes 'Believe' a club-anthem-in-waiting."[5]

Music video

The video was premiered on MTV on 18 March 2005. The music video for the song was directed by Dom and Nic, contains scenes filmed at the now defunct MG Rover Longbridge plant (now owned by SAIC) and different parts of London. It starts out with a man watching women in an exercise video dance on a window TV in a store, possibly spoofing the then-recent video for Eric Prydz's single "Call on Me". The man turns out to be a paranoid factory worker terrified of the automated assembly robot he operates, possibly under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs or possibly painkillers, as he has a cast on his left arm.

He imagines the machines watching and threatening him, seeing them outside the factory, chasing him before disappearing. Finally, even after quitting his job, the man is pursued to the top of the building by one of the arms, where it lunges at him before disappearing. He runs onto the street, and sees multiple machines lumbering toward him, and his view of the world (in actuality the Welbeck Street car park) disintegrates into a mess of geometric shapes and colours. He collapses, laughing hysterically as robots disappear once again.

The video won a MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video at its 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards.

Track listings

UK CD1 and European CD single[6] [7]

  1. "Believe" – 3:48
  2. "Giant" – 4:32

UK CD2[8]

  1. "Believe" – 6:20
  2. "Spring" – 5:27
  3. "Believe" – 6:23
  4. "Believe" – 4:22

UK 12-inch single[9]

A1. "Believe"

B1. "Galvanize"

B2. "Giant"

Australian CD single[10]

  1. "Believe"
  2. "Spring"
  3. "Believe"

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
Australia2 May 2005CD[12]
United Kingdom[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sandbox - Flavor Country - Intro . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/TUlfMYdnbqY . 21 December 2021 . live. . 1 January 2013 . 5 August 2016.
  2. Web site: [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r725124|pure_url=yes}} The Chemical Brothers – ''Push the Button'' review]. Bush. John. AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. 23 August 2016.
  3. Web site: The Chemical Brothers . Robert Christgau . robertchristgau.com . 23 August 2016.
  4. Web site: Here are the Best the Chemical Brothers Collaborations Ever, Ranked.
  5. The Chemical Brothers – Push The Button review. Werde. Bill. Rolling Stone. 27 January 2005. 24 August 2016. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071124050639/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thechemicalbrothers/albums/album/6785039/review/6821623/push_the_button. 24 November 2007 .
  6. Believe. The Chemical Brothers. 2005. UK CD1 liner notes. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. CHEMSD22, 0724386992123.
  7. Believe. The Chemical Brothers. 2005. European CD single liner notes. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. 0724386996022; 0724386995223.
  8. Believe. The Chemical Brothers. 2005. UK CD2 liner notes. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. CHEMSDX22, 0724386992109.
  9. Believe. The Chemical Brothers. 2005. UK 12-inch single sleeve. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. CHEMST22, 7243 8 69921 6 1.
  10. Believe. The Chemical Brothers. 2005. Australian CD single liner notes. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. 724386995025.
  11. Web site: Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 5 May 2005. GfK Chart-Track. 20 June 2019.
  12. Web site: The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 2nd May 2005. ARIA. 29. 2 May 2005. dead. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20050519140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20050520-0000/issue792.pdf. 19 May 2005. 21 May 2021.
  13. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 27. 30 April 2005.