"Reapers"
Single by Muse
from the album Drones
Released16 April 2016 (2016-04-16)
Recorded2014
StudioThe Warehouse Studio
(Vancouver, British Columbia)[1]
Genre
Length5:59
Label
Songwriter(s)Matthew Bellamy
Producer(s)
Muse singles chronology
"Aftermath"
(2016) 		"Reapers"
(2016) 		"Dig Down"
(2017)

"Reapers" is a song by English rock band Muse. It was released as the second promotional single from the band's seventh studio album Drones, and was given a 7" single release, as part of Record Store Day 2016, on 16 April 2016 as the fifth and final single from Drones. It peaked at number 75 on the French Singles Chart, 71 on the Swiss Hitparade singles chart, 37 on Billboard's Hot Rock Songs, and became Muse's highest-charting single at the time on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs at number 2; it has since been surpassed on the latter chart by "Won't Stand Down," which reached number 1 in May 2022.

Release

"Reapers" was released a promotional single for Drones on 29 May 2015. It was released as a Record Store Day 7" picture disc vinyl on 16 April 2016. The A-side consists of the song's album version, while the B-side consists of a live performance at the Gloria Theater in Köln, Germany. The release also includes a fold-your-own paper plane (marketed as a "paper drone").[4][5]

Music video

A lyric video for the song was uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel on 29 May 2015.[6] A full video followed. Rolling Stone called it "brutal and chilling ... fittingly blunt, depicting a man caught in the crosshairs of a drone and running for his life while a woman with red lipstick waits to pull the trigger."[7]

Critical reception

In an album review for The Observer, Kitty Empire commented that the pacy song "exposes the overlap between the unfeeling destruction of drone warfare and the unfeeling destruction wrought by people tearing each other apart," referring to Muse frontman Matt Bellamy's break-up from fiancée Kate Hudson. She also compared Bellamy to Yngwie Malmsteen, noting that the song contains "meaty riffs."[8]

Track listing

Digital download

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Reapers"5:59

7" vinyl

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Reapers"5:59
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Reapers" (Live in Köln)5:59

Personnel

Personnel adapted from single liner notes.[9]

Charts

Chart (2015–16) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[10] 45
Canada Rock (Billboard)[11] 39
France (SNEP)[12] 75
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 71
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[14] 127
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[15] 37
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[16] 2

References

  1. ^ "MUSE ARE FINISH WITH THE FIRST SESSION OF THE NEW ALBUM!". Matter of Sound. 19 October 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Muse, ecco il nuovo 'Drones': un'opera rock oscura, tra JFK e Orwell". IlFattoQuotidiano. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  3. ^ Beaumont, Mark (27 May 2015). "NME Reviews - Muse - 'Drones'". NME. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Muse – "Reapers"". Record Store Day (via Internet Archive. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Record Store Day: Muse - Reapers". BBC Music (via Internet Archive. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Muse - Reapers [Official Lyric Video]". YouTube. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  7. ^ Blistein, Jon (2 June 2015). "Muse Rage Against 'Reapers' and 'The Handlers' on New Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  8. ^ Empire, Kitty (7 June 2015). "Muse: Drones review – an Orwellian breakup album". The Observer. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Reapers" (single liner notes). Muse (band). Warner Music UK / Helium-3. 2016.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ "Muse – Reapers" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Muse Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Muse – Reapers" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  13. ^ "Muse – Reapers". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  14. ^ "CLUK Update 13.06.2015". zobbel.de. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  15. ^ "Muse Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  16. ^ "Muse Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
Categories