"Hypersonic Missiles" is a song written and performed by English musician Sam Fender and produced by Bramwell Bronte. The song was released as a digital download on 5 March 2019 by Polydor Records as the fifth single from his debut studio album Hypersonic Missiles.[2][3][4] It peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart. "Hypersonic Missiles" was voted Hottest Record of the Year 2019 by BBC Radio 1 listeners.[5]
| "Hypersonic Missiles" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sam Fender | ||||
| from the album Hypersonic Missiles | ||||
| Released | 5 March 2019 | |||
| Recorded | 2019 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | Polydor Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Sam Fender | |||
| Producer(s) | Bramwell Bronte | |||
| Sam Fender singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editIn a press release, Fender explained the name of the song was "inspired by a newly developed Russian missile that travels at something like nine times the speed of sound." When describing "Hypersonic Missiles", he said it is "In many ways, an unorthodox love song".[6] He further explained that
Its main focus is on the world around the narrator, who is a complete tin foil hatter. They are convinced the world is on its last legs; they know that it is rife with injustice but feel completely helpless and lacking the necessary intelligence to change it while remaining hopelessly addicted to the fruits of consumerism. Amongst all the chaos is love and celebration, there is this glimmer of hope that runs through the song, a little notion that no matter what happens, these two people are gonna have a fucking good time regardless of the tyrants that run their world, and regardless of the imminent doom from these 'Hypersonic Missiles'.[6]
The lyrics referred to the "bombings in Gaza", the "rising tensions in global politics" and the "corporate machine".[6]
Music video
editA music video to accompany the release of "Hypersonic Missiles" was first released onto YouTube on 4 April 2019.[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hypersonic Missiles" | 3:57 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hypersonic Missiles" (Patrick Topping Shields Remix) | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Hypersonic Missiles" (Patrick Topping Extended Shields Remix) | 7:45 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[9] | 13 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[10] | 37 |
| Billboard Mexico Ingles Airplay[11] | 11 |
| Scotland (OCC)[12] | 16 |
| Switzerland Airplay (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] | 92 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[14] | 48 |
| US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[15] | 15 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 5 March 2019 | Polydor | [2] | |
| Italy | 8 March 2019 | Radio airplay | Capitol | [17] |
References
edit- ^ Ainsley, Helen (13 September 2019). "Sam Fender talks songwriting ..." Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Hypersonic Missiles - Single by Sam Fender". Apple Music. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ "Sam Fender unveils new Hypersonic Missiles single". Radio X. 10 March 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "Sam Fender's 'Hypersonic Missiles' Is An "Unorthodox Love Song" | News". Clash. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "How Sam Fender wrote The Hottest Record of 2019". BBC Online. December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ a b c Daly, Rhian (6 March 2019). "Listen to Sam Fender's new "unorthodox love song" 'Hypersonic Missiles'". NME. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ "Sam Fender - Hypersonic Missiles". YouTube. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ^ "Hypersonic Missiles (Patrick Topping Shields Remix) - Single by Sam Fender". Apple Music. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
- ^ "Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles" (in French). Ultratip.
- ^ "Mexico Ingles Airplay". Billboard. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Schweizer Airplay Charts 24/2019 - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Sam Fender: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- ^ "Sam Fender Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "British single certifications – Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Gimigliano, Filippo (5 March 2019). "Sam Fender - 'Hypersonic Missiles' (Radio Date: 08-03-2019)". EarOne (in Italian). Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.