"Goodbye"
Single by Slipknot
from the album .5: The Gray Chapter
ReleasedJanuary 5, 2016 (2016-01-05)
GenreHard rock[1]
Length4:35
LabelRoadrunner
Songwriter(s)Corey Taylor
Producer(s)
Slipknot singles chronology
"Killpop"
(2015) 		"Goodbye"
(2016) 		"All Out Life"
(2018)

"Goodbye" is the fifth single from the American heavy metal band Slipknot from their fifth studio album .5: The Gray Chapter.

Background

"Goodbye" was initially going to be the introductory song for .5 The Gray Chapter but ended up becoming a full track.[2] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Corey Taylor, the lead singer of Slipknot, explained that "Goodbye" was a song he had written about the death of Paul Gray, one of Slipknot's members. On the other hand, Slipknot's percussionist Shawn Crahan originally believed that "Goodbye" was about Taylor leaving the band.[3] Taylor extended his explanation of the song to multiple magazines by saying that "Goodbye" was about the loss of words the band experienced after Gray's death[4] and coming back together after "one of the darkest days of this band’s career".[5]

Composition

In an opinion piece by Slipknot's guitarist Jim Root, Root revealed that his performance in "Goodbye" was inspired by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's playing style. Root also highlighted that the bass played by Corey Taylor was from the demo version of "Goodbye".[6]

Release

Although the audio for "Goodbye" was released in October 2014, the track was picked by Slipknot as an official single in December 2015.[7] "Goodbye" was officially released as a single in January 2016.[8]

Reception

On one hand, critics praised Corey Taylor for his vocals in "Goodbye". Ray Van Horn Jr. of Blabbermouth.net praised Taylor for "staying largely in soar mode once the heavier masses take over the song"[9] while Emilee Yaw of New-Transcendence complimented Taylor for establishing an emotional connection with the listener.[10]

Alternatively, reviewers criticized Slipknot's music style in "Goodbye". Dave Hanratty of Drowned in Sound said the song was "a lumbering mix of balladry and stadium metal" [11] while Mike Lawrence of Metal Descent heavily panned the song by accusing Slipknot of being arrogant in the track.[12]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Goodbye" (Edit)3:22

Personnel

Slipknot

Charts

Chart performance for "Goodbye"
Chart (2016) Peak
position
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[13] 22

References

  1. ^ Krovatin, Chris (August 28, 2020). "Every Slipknot Song, Ranked from Worst to Best". We Are The Pit. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  2. ^ Daultrey, Stephen (5 January 2015). "Slipknot talk new album, Paul Gray and overhauling their tones". musicradar.com. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  3. ^ Grow, Kory (17 October 2014). "Gray Matters: Slipknot Open Up About Their Most Devastating Record Ever". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  4. ^ Street, Andrew P (29 January 2015). "Fade To Gray Slipknot: Fade To Gray". bluntmag.com.au. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Death! Disaster! and Defiance!". Kerrang!. No. 1539. 15 October 2014. p. 6.
  6. ^ Root, Jim. "How Paul Gray's Death Shaped Slipknot's New Album". themusic.com.au. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  7. ^ "SLIPKNOT's New Single 'Goodbye' To Impact Rock Radio This Winter". Blabbermouth.net. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  8. ^ McGeever, Neale (5 January 2016). "Slipknot release 'Goodbye' ahead of UK tour". Ramzine. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  9. ^ Van Horn Jr., Ray (29 October 2014). "CD Reviews - .5: The Gray Chapter Slipknot". blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  10. ^ Yaw, Emilee (22 November 2014). "Review: Slipknot – Goodbye (Single)". new-transcendence.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  11. ^ Hanratty, Dave (21 October 2014). "Album Review: Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter". drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  12. ^ Lawrence, Mike (15 October 2014). "SLIPKNOT .5: The Gray Chapter: Album Review". metaldescent.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Slipknot Chart History (Mainstream Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
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