| Image | |
| Cover: | Image - Magdalena Bay.png |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Magdalena Bay |
| Album: | Imaginal Disk |
| Genre: | Disco |
| Length: | 3:32 |
| Label: | Mom + Pop |
| Producer: | Magdalena Bay |
| Prev Title: | Death & Romance |
| Prev Year: | 2024 |
| Next Title: | Tunnel Vision |
| Next Year: | 2024 |
"Image" is a song by American duo Magdalena Bay from their second album, Imaginal Disk (2024). It was released through Mom + Pop Music on July 10, 2024, as the album's second single. Both members of the band, Matthew Lewin and Mica Tenenbaum, wrote and produced the song. It is a disco track with bass guitar. A music video for "Image", directed by Amanda Kramer, premiered alongside the song.
Music critics received "Image" positively, noting similarities between the Tenenbaum's vocal affectations and Canadian musician Grimes, who was cited by Magdalena Bay as an inspiration for their early work. A remix version with Grimes was released on October 29, 2024. Magdalena Bay performed "Image" at their late-night show debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the following day.
Following the release of the single "Death & Romance", Magdalena Bay announced their second album Imaginal Disk and released its second single, "Image", through the Mom + Pop Music record label.[1] In a statement regarding the track, the duo shared: "Close your eyes. Imagine a brand new, better you. Now wait 22 minutes. Now open your eyes. Meet your brand new image! Isn't it amazing that the meat in our heads can do this?". On October 29, 2024, they shared a remix to "Image" with Canadian musician Grimes,[2] who inspired the beginnings of the band members' musical career.[3]
"Image" was written and produced by both members of Magdalena Bay, Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin. A disco track,[4] [5] it contains a 4/4 kick drum and haunted vocals from Tenenbaum. Eric Bennett from Paste noted similarities with the vocal affectations of Grimes. Flood Magazine Will Schube stated that it sounds "like [it] emanated from an alien spaceship", and the bass and snare slaps "give the chorus a biting edge". Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Matthew Kim opined that, as in other songs on Imaginal Disk, the instrumentals match the lyricism vibe, praising the "crunchiness" of the final chorus of the track.[6] Magazine Under the Radar named "Image" the best song of its release week.[7] In a review for Stereogum, critic Abby Jones described the track as both futuristic and nostalgic, beginning "as a mellower, vaporwave-meets-pop diva jam, until a delightfully blown-out bass crashes into the final chorus".[8] Evan Sawdey for Spin said that the song "showed the group still could make spacey bangers if they wanted to".[9]
Amanda Kramer directed the music video for "Image". It is a continuation of the video to "Death & Romance", which found True, a character played by Tenenbaum, getting an "imaginal disk" upgrade inserted into her forehead. The "Image" video "goes back in time to the waiting room where True stood by for her first fitting".[10] Glitter Magazine Lily Hart said that it "is a perfect example of the group's unique aesthetics".[11]
Magdalena Bay performed "Image" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 30, 2024, marking their late-night show debut.[12] The band transferred the "mystical imagery" from the music video to the stage,[13] with Tenenbaum wearing the same outfit and singing in front of a mirror-like video screen from their live concerts.[14]