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Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (song)

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"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (The Remixes) vinyl label
Song by Skrillex
from the EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
ReleasedOctober 22, 2010
Recorded2010
Genre
Length4:06
Label
Songwriter(s)Sonny Moore
Producer(s)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. The song won the Best Dance Recording category at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012. In 2017, Vice named it the best electronic dance music song of all time.[1]

Background and composition[edit]

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,[2] in May 2010.[3] Noisia said that, after member Nik showed Skrillex the FM8 synthesizer, 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]

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" uses a vocal sample of exclamations from Rachael Nedrow (also known as "speedstackinggirl") shouting "Yes, oh my gosh!", after speedily stacking a set of cups in one of her YouTube videos. Although permission to use the sample was not initially granted nor was Nedrow aware of its use, she was later compensated an undisclosed sum.[4]

The song name was inspired by the David Bowie album and song Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and has been remixed by a variety of producers such as Zedd, Noisia, Kaskade among others.

Reception[edit]

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" was prominently used in the 2012 film Spring Breakers[5] and an ad for GoPro titled "Kayak Kiss with Ben Brown",[6] and also the video games MLB 2K12 and Ridge Racer Unbounded. On February 12, 2012, the song won Best Dance Recording at the 54th Grammy Awards.

In 2012, Spin named "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" the fifth greatest dubstep song of all time.[7] In 2015, the same magazine named it the second greatest electronic dance music (EDM) anthem of the first half of the 2010s.[8] In 2016, Kat Bein named it the best song in Skrillex's discography at the time.[9] In 2017, Vice named it the best EDM song of all time.[1] In 2019, Billboard staff considered it one of the 100 songs that defined the decade[5] and the ninth greatest dance song of the decade.[10] In 2022, Rolling Stone Australia named it the 64th greatest dance song of all time.[11] In 2023, NME felt it was one of Skrillex's key tracks.[12]

In 2019, a study published in Acta Tropica suggested that playing "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" could make Aedes aegypti mosquitoes 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.[13][14]

According to Billboard's Kat Bein, "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" was a "massive hit in the burgeoning EDM scene", but "many old school scenesters did not take kindly to a sound many considered crass, simple and grossly populist".[5] She also defined it as "a generational classic".[15]

Chart performance[edit]

In the United States, "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" spent fourteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 69.[5] It also peaked on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Digital Songs at number 4 and Heatseekers Songs at number 3. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America with 2 million certified units.[16] In Canada, the song received a platinum certification by Music Canada with 80,000 certified sales.[17] In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at 153 on Official Charts Company's UK Singles and 77 on their Official Streaming Chart, receiving a Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry with 200,000 certified units.[18]

Track listing[edit]

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"4:03

Charts and certifications[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "The 101 Best EDM Songs of All Time". Vice. July 12, 2017. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Noisia interview: Beyond The Outer Edges". Skiddle. July 4, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  3. ^ Dj Aroy. "Noisia - Interview". Actualites Electroniques. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Cunningham, Hailey. "Cup stacking champ Rachael Nedrow discusses the sport and Skrillex". The Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Bain, Katie (November 21, 2019). "Songs That Defined the Decade: Skrillex's 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites'". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "GoPro Official Website: The World's Most Versatile Camera". Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  7. ^ "The 30 Greatest Dubstep Songs of All Time". Spin. July 24, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  8. ^ "These Will Be the Years: The 100 Greatest EDM Anthems of the '10s". Spin. May 28, 2015. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  9. ^ Bein, Kat (December 1, 2016). "The 20 Best Skrillex Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "The 60 Greatest Dance Songs of the Decade: Staff List". Billboard. November 26, 2019. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  11. ^ Dolan, Jon; Lopez, Julyssa; Matos, Michelangelo; Staffe, Claire (July 25, 2022). "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone Australia. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  12. ^ Moore, Sam (February 15, 2023). "Skrillex: the influential DJ and producer's story in 10 tracks". NME. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  13. ^ 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. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.03.027. PMID 30922800.
  14. ^ "Dubstep artist Skrillex could protect against mosquito bites". BBC. April 1, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  15. ^ Bein, Kat (October 24, 2018). "Skrillex's Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites EP Turns 8, Exemplifies the Peak of a Moment". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "American single certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Recording Industry Association of America.
  17. ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Music Canada.
  18. ^ a b "British single certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  19. ^ "Issue 1114" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  20. ^ "ARIA Report: Issue 1117" (PDF). ARIA. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  21. ^ "Skrillex – Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  22. ^ "Skrillex – Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites". VG-lista. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  23. ^ "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: January 15, 2012 to January 21, 2012)". Gaon Chart. December 15, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  24. ^ "swedishcharts.com - Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites". Swedishchats.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  25. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  26. ^ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100 – 17th August 2013 The Official Streaming Chart Top 100 – Official Charts". Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  27. ^ The Hot 100 : Jan 07, 2012 | Billboard Chart Archive
  28. ^ "Skrillex". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  29. ^ "Skrillex > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  30. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 2011" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Swedish Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  31. ^ "Oct 2023 Single Accreds" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  32. ^ "Sverigetopplistan – Skrillex" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  33. ^ "Danish single certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". IFPI Danmark.
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