Never Meant Explained

Never Meant
Type:song
Artist:American Football
Album:American Football
Released:September 14, 1999
Recorded:May 1999
Label:Polyvinyl
Composer:Steve Holmes
Producer:Brendan Gamble
Year:1999

"Never Meant" is a song by American emo band American Football. The opening track on the band's eponymous 1999 debut LP, it is considered to be one of the greatest emo songs of all time.[1] [2] [3]

Release

American Football's self-titled debut album was released on Polyvinyl Record Co. on September 14, 1999.[4] Fans of the band were mostly fans of Cap'n Jazz,[5] a short-lived emo band that included American Football singer Mike Kinsella on drums. When American Football released, most of the band members had to move back home from college.[6] [7] The band then disbanded after recording the album. In later years, the album, with the help of word-of-mouth, gained cult status since its release.[8]

Reception

"Never Meant" has been critically acclaimed, with Variety and Vulture both ranking "Never Meant" as the greatest emo song of all time, with American pop culture website The Ringer ranking it as the greatest emo song of 1999.

Music videos

On June 5, 2014, a music video was released for "Never Meant".[9] Directed by Chris Strong, the video was filmed inside and around the house that features on the album cover artwork.[10] The video was set in Urbana, Illinois, around 1999. Strong revealed that the storyline was "about a brief relationship occurring between two characters at the end of their college experience". In December, a live video was released for "Never Meant", filmed in October at New York's Webster Hall.[11]

Personnel

Adapted from the liner notes.

American Football

Technical personnel

References

  1. Web site: Cohen . Ian . 2020-02-13 . The 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All Time . 2024-05-28 . Vulture . en.
  2. Web site: Shafer . William Earl,Angelique Jackson,Emily Longeretta,Pat Saperstein,Ethan Shanfeld,Katie Reul,EJ Panaligan,Maane Khatchatourian,Thania Garcia,Katcy Stephan,Ellise . Earl . William . Jackson . Angelique . Longeretta . Emily . Saperstein . Pat . Shanfeld . Ethan . Reul . Katie . Panaligan . E. J. . Khatchatourian . Maane . 2022-10-18 . The 25 Best Emo Songs of All Time . 2024-05-28 . Variety . en-US.
  3. Web site: Cohen . Ian . 2022-07-25 . The Best Emo Songs of Every Year, 1985 to Now . 2024-05-28 . The Ringer . en.
  4. Web site: American Football CD . https://web.archive.org/web/20010119123400/http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/acatalog/Catalog_PRC_025_23.html . January 19, 2001 . December 8, 2021 . Polyvinyl Recording Co..
  5. CMJ New Music Report 1999, p. 17
  6. Web site: Goggins, Joe . June 5, 2014 . Not So Emotional?: American Football's Mike Kinsella on reflection, reminiscence and resurrection - The Line Of Best Fit . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150617162641/http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/not-so-emotional-american-football-mike-kinsella-interview-2014 . June 17, 2015 . June 17, 2015 . The Line of Best Fit.
  7. Web site: Gormely, Ian . May 6, 2014 . Tim & Mike Kinsella . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150615170725/http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/tim_mike_kinsella-you_cant_miss_what_you_forget . June 15, 2015 . June 15, 2015 . Exclaim!.
  8. Web site: Montesinos-Donaghy, Daniel. Spotlight: American Football - S/T. Clash Magazine. May 29, 2014. June 15, 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150615170551/http://www.clashmusic.com/features/spotlight-american-football-american-football. June 15, 2015.
  9. Web site: Gordon, Jeremy . June 5, 2014 . American Football's "Never Meant" Video Released 15 Years Late . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150619071233/http://pitchfork.com/news/55457-american-footballs-never-meant-video-released-15-years-late/ . June 19, 2015 . June 15, 2015 . Pitchfork.
  10. Web site: Gotrich, Lars . June 5, 2014 . American Football, 'Never Meant' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150714155935/http://www.npr.org/event/music/317432831/american-football-never-meant . July 14, 2015 . June 15, 2015 . NPR.
  11. Web site: Adams, Gregory . December 24, 2014 . American Football "Never Meant" (live video) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150615174443/http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/american_football-never_meant_live_video . June 15, 2015 . June 15, 2015 . Exclaim!.

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