Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (song) explained

Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Type:song
Artist:Skrillex
Ep:Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Released:October 22, 2010
Recorded:2010
Genre:
Length:4:03
Producer:Sonny Moore

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" is a song recorded by the American producer Skrillex. It is the second track from his second extended play, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, released on October 22, 2010, through Mau5trap and Big Beat. The song began as a test for the Native Instruments synthesizer FM8 and was the first written for the EP. A dubstep track, critics noted the contrast between the beginning of the song and its drop. In 2012, it was used in multiple media and won the Best Dance Recording category at the 54th Grammy Awards. The song charted in multiple countries and received a double platinum certification in Australia, Sweden, and the United States (RIAA). It has since been named as a highly influential electronic dance music (EDM) and dubstep song.

Background and composition

The name "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" was inspired by the David Bowie album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980). According to Noisia, "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" started being worked on in their vocal booth when Skrillex was staying with them, writing songs together, in May 2010.[1] Noisia said that, after member Nik showed Skrillex the Native Instruments synthesizer FM8, Skrillex created "FM8 Test". This test song would later become "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Skrillex finished its first draft after he went back home.[2] It was the first track written for Skrillex's second extended play (EP) Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.[3]

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" is a dubstep track in the key of A♯ minor. It has a speed of 140 beats per minute.[4] Kat Bein of Billboard said that the track is "an aural sleight of hand"; though it begins with a high-pitched, "serpentine melody" and "pleasantly fragmented vocal samples", it takes a sharp and surprising turn when the drop occurs at about forty seconds into the track, with "a load of bass bombs sounding like [an] alien invasion". Similarly, Spin described the song as "a slow, disquietingly serene journey up to the top, then the most precipitous of falls, directly down". Jason Schreurs of Alternative Press described the drop as containing "massive breakbeat-breakdowns",[5] while Vice described it as concurrently aggressive and melodic.

Right before the drop, a vocal sample of Rachael Nedrow, also known as "speedstackinggirl", shouting "Yes, oh my gosh!", is used. The sample comes from a video where she speed stacks a set of cups in one of her YouTube videos. Although Nedrow was unaware of its use, she later received royalties.[6] Jon O'Brien of AllMusic said that the sample added a lighter touch to the track amidst its "towering beats and distorted bass".[7]

Release and reception

In August 2010, when "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" was still unreleased, 12th Planet played it in one of his shows.[8] The track was officially released as the second track from Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites on October 22, 2010, through Mau5trap and Big Beat. The EP itself contains remixes by Zedd and Noisia. In a negative review of the EP, Andrew Ryce of Resident Advisor said that the song's hook was comparable to "nails on a chalkboard" and criticized its bass.[9] Skrillex's next EP, More Monsters and Sprites (2011), includes remixes by Dirtyphonics, Phonat, The Juggernaut, and Kaskade.[10] On February 12, 2012, the song won Best Dance Recording at the 54th Grammy Awards.[11] That year, the song was used in multiple media, including in the film Spring Breakers, in an ad for GoPro featuring kayaker Ben Brown,[12] and in the video games Major League Baseball 2K12[13] and Ridge Racer Unbounded.[14]

Chart performance

In the United States, "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" spent fourteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 69, and also peaked on Billboard Heatseekers Songs at number 3. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America with 2 million certified units. In Canada, the song received a platinum certification by Music Canada with 80,000 certified sales. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at 22 on Official Charts Company's UK Dance Singles, receiving a Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry with 200,000 certified units.

In Australia, it topped the ARIA Charts's Hitseekers and peaked at 56 on their main singles chart. With 140,000 certified sales, it was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association. In Sweden, it peaked at 20 on Sverigetopplistan's singles chart and placed 50 on their 2011 year-end chart. It was certified double platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association, with 80,000 certified sales. "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" appeared in the main charts of France (SNEP) and Norway (VG-lista). Based on streaming figures, the song was certified platinum in Denmark by IFPI Danmark, with 1,800,000 certified units.

Legacy

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" has been described as a highly influential dubstep and electronic dance music (EDM) song; Valerie Lee of Billboard said that it helped the EDM industry to grow, while Michaelangelo Matos of Rolling Stone Australia said that it brought dubstep to the mainstream. Vice said that "it practically made 'the drop' a mainstream term". Billboard Kat Bein described it as "a generational classic"[15] and one of the most important Skrillex recordings. The song also helped popularize Rachael Nedrow, which is sampled in the track.[16]

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" has been ranked in multiple lists. In 2012, Spin ranked it as the fifth greatest dubstep song of all time.[17] In 2014, Pitchfork named it the 186th best song of the decade until then.[18] In 2015, Spin named it the second greatest electronic dance music (EDM) anthem of the first half of the 2010s.[19] In 2016, Kat Bein chose it as the best song in Skrillex's discography at the time.[20] In 2017, Vice ranked it as the best EDM song of all time.[21] In 2019, Billboard staff considered it one of the 100 songs that defined the decade[22] and the ninth greatest dance song of the decade.[23] In 2022, Rolling Stone Australia named it the 64th greatest dance song of all time.[24]

In 2019, a study published in Acta Tropica suggested that playing "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" could make Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit the dengue fever, attack hosts later and less often as well as mate "far less often". The song was chosen because it mixes very high and very low frequencies.[25] [26]

Charts

Weekly charts

2011–2013 weekly chart performance for "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"!Chart (2011–2013)!Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[27] 56
Australia Hitseekers (ARIA)[28] 1
US Heatseekers Songs (Billboard)[29] 3

Year-end charts

2011 year-end chart performance for "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"!Chart (2011)!Position
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 50

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dj Aroy . Noisia – Interview . 2024-04-21 . Actualites Electroniques.
  2. Web site: 2017-07-04 . Noisia interview: Beyond the outer edges . 2024-04-21 . . en . April 21, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240421110826/https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Noisia-interview-Beyond-The-Outer-Edges/31803/ . live .
  3. 24896776992 . Skrillex . Ok song #2 for the next Skrillex EP is now donezo! Track list so far: 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' and (the new one) 'Kill Everybody' . Moore . Sonny John . September 18, 2010 . 2024-06-13.
  4. Web site: Skrillex – "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" (Original Mix) [Big Beat Records] ]. 2024-06-12 . . en . June 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240612194744/https://www.beatport.com/track/scary-monsters-and-nice-sprites/3625299 . live .
  5. Web site: Schreurs . Jason . November 9, 2010 . Skrillex – Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites EP . 2024-06-13 . . en-US . October 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221007024510/https://www.altpress.com/skrillex_-_scary_monsters_and_nice_sprites_ep/ . live .
  6. Web site: Cunningham . Hailey . Cup stacking champ Rachael Nedrow discusses the sport and Skrillex . . 18 May 2022 . 21 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220521010642/https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2013/08/cup-stacking-champ-rachael-nedrow-discusses-sport-and-skrillex . live .
  7. Web site: O'Brien . Jon . Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites review . 2024-06-13 . . en . April 11, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190411060650/https://www.allmusic.com/album/scary-monsters-nice-sprites-mw0002094824 . live .
  8. 12th Planet dropping an unreleased Skrillex 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' at Control (^-^) . 2010-08-16 . . 2024-06-13 . . June 13, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613190130/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fwZpW_qEo . live .
  9. Web site: Ryce . Andrew . 11 November 2010 . Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites . 2024-06-13 . . April 25, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230425054635/https://ra.co/reviews/8266 . live .
  10. Web site: More Monsters and Sprites – Skrillex . 2024-06-13 . . en . April 11, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190411060655/https://www.allmusic.com/album/more-monsters-sprites-mw0002184737 . live .
  11. Web site: 2012-02-12 . Grammy Awards 2012: Complete winners and nominees list . 2024-06-13 . . en-US . September 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210928113259/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/grammy-awards-2012-winners-whitney-houston-death-adele-289778/ . live .
  12. Web site: Sherburne . Philip . May 8, 2012 . Dubstep selling candy, helping to stop human trafficking . 2024-06-13 . . December 21, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201221203903/https://www.spin.com/2012/05/dubstep-now-selling-candy-coke-and-soco/ . live .
  13. Web site: February 16, 2012 . Check out the Spin-curated soundtrack to Major League Baseball 2K12 . 2024-06-12 . . June 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240612173247/https://www.spin.com/2012/02/check-out-spin-curated-soundtrack-major-league-baseball-2k12/ . live .
  14. Web site: Hillier . Brenna . 2012-03-06 . Ridge Racer soundtrack features Skrillex, Crystal Method, more . 2024-06-12 . . en . June 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240612173243/https://www.vg247.com/ridge-racer-soundtrack-features-skrillrex-crystal-method-more . live .
  15. Web site: Bein . Kat . 2018-10-24 . Skrillex's Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites EP turns 8, exemplifies the peak of a moment . 2024-06-10 . . en-US . February 5, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240205072443/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/skrillex-scary-monsters-nice-sprites-ep-anniversary-8481434/ . live .
  16. Web site: Moore . Sam . 2023-02-15 . Skrillex: The influential DJ and producer's story in 10 tracks . 2024-06-10 . . en-GB . April 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240418151858/https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/skrillex-best-songs-3398308 . live .
  17. Web site: July 24, 2012 . The 30 greatest dubstep songs of all time . 2024-04-18 . . April 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240418152246/https://www.spin.com/2012/07/30-greatest-dubstep-songs-all-time/6/ . live .
  18. Web site: 2014-08-18 . The 200 best tracks of the decade so far (2010–2014) . 2024-06-18 . . en-US.
  19. Web site: May 28, 2015 . These will be the years: The 100 greatest EDM anthems of the '10s . 2024-04-09 . . September 29, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220929103808/https://www.spin.com/2015/05/these-will-be-the-years-the-100-greatest-edm-anthems-of-the-10s/2/ . live .
  20. Web site: Bein . Kat . 2016-12-01 . The 20 best Skrillex songs . 2024-04-14 . . en-US . 2023-07-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230718013852/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/skrillex-songs-best-hits-list-7596027/ . live .
  21. Web site: 2017-07-12 . The 101 best EDM songs of all time . 2024-04-12 . . en . November 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221122233556/https://www.vice.com/en/article/bjjdgv/the-101-best-edm-songs-best-dance-songs-of-all-time . live .
  22. Web site: Bain . Katie . 2019-11-21 . Songs that defined the decade: Skrillex's 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' . 2024-04-14 . . en-US . 2023-08-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818194002/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/skrillex-scary-monsters-and-nice-sprites-songs-that-defined-the-decade-8544238/ . live .
  23. Web site: 2019-11-26 . The 60 greatest dance songs of the decade: Staff list . 2024-04-14 . . en-US . May 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220519171836/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/best-dance-songs-of-the-decade-top-60-8544613/ . live .
  24. Web site: Dolan . Jon . Lopez . Julyssa . Matos . Michelangelo . Staffe . Claire . 2022-07-25 . 200 greatest dance songs of all time . 2024-04-14 . . en-AU . 2023-02-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230208001958/https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/-41563/skrillex-scary-monsters-and-nice-sprites-2010-41701/ . live .
  25. Dieng. Hamady. The. Ching Chuin. Satho. Tomomitsu. Miake. Fumio. Wydiamala. Erida. Kassim. Nur Faeza A.. Hashim. Nur Aida. Morales Vargas. Ronald E.. Morales. Noppawan P.. 2019. The electronic song 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' reduces host attack and mating success in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti. Acta Tropica. 194. 93–99. 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.03.027. 30922800.
  26. Web site: 1 April 2019 . Dubstep artist Skrillex could protect against mosquito bites . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230718013853/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-47770982 . 18 July 2023 . 1 April 2019 . BBC.
  27. Web site: July 2011 . The ARIA Report: Issue 1114 . dead . http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20110729140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20110730-0000/Issue1114.pdf . July 29, 2011 . 2024-06-11 . . en . .
  28. Web site: July 2011 . The ARIA Report: Issue 1117 . dead . http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20110729140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20110730-0000/Issue1117.pdf . July 29, 2011 . 2024-06-11 . . en . .
  29. Web site: Skrillex Chart History (Heatseekers Songs) . 2024-06-12 . . August 18, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818194000/https://www.billboard.com/artist/skrillex/chart-history/hts/ . live .
  30. Web site: Årslista Singlar – År 2011 . Swedish . . August 6, 2018 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131004222622/http://www.hitlistan.se/netdata/ghl002.mbr/lista?liid=43&dfom=20110001&newi=0 . October 4, 2013 .

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