"Ya Hey" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend, taken from their third studio album Modern Vampires of the City. It was released as the second single from the album on May 3, 2013 through XL Recordings. An official music video of the single, featuring the lyrics, was uploaded on May 3, 2013.[1]
| "Ya Hey" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Vampire Weekend | ||||
| from the album Modern Vampires of the City | ||||
| Released | May 3, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Indie pop | |||
| Length | 5:12 | |||
| Label | XL | |||
| Composer(s) |
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| Lyricist(s) | Ezra Koenig | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Vampire Weekend singles chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
edit"Ya Hey" received very positive reviews from critics. Ian Cohen of Pitchfork described the song as "a staggering duality of childish innocence and poetic confidence" and an "impossibly catchy song that skips along while carrying the weight of the universe," and awarded it Best New Track.[2] Robert Leedham of Drowned in Sound praised the new directness of the lyrics compared to Vampire Weekend's earlier songs, saying, "Rather than dropping oblique reference points at every turn, Koenig adopts a magnificently blasphemous posture from start to finish." Musically, Leedham described the song as a "euphoric cocktail" and praised its "righteous swirl of drums, bass, plaintive piano, shrill vocoder and gospel chanting."[3] Pretty Much Amazing also compared the song favorably to the band's earlier work, arguing that, "unlike the absurdly catchy, frivolous 'ay ay ay's of "A-Punk", the 'ya-heys' of 'Ya Hey' are filled with meaning," and called the song "a brilliant stomp-along anthem."[4] The A.V. Club called "Ya Hey" "not the album's strongest song, but the one probably most destined to be talked about...In a way, "Ya Hey" feels like a bridge for whatever might be coming next for Vampire Weekend."[5]
Personnel
editVampire Weekend
- Chris Baio – bass
- Rostam Batmanglij – piano, guitars, banjo, vocal harmonies and backing vocals, drum and synth programming, keyboards, shaker
- Ezra Koenig – lead vocals
- Chris Tomson – drums
Technical
- Rich Costey – mixing
- Chris Kasych – mix assistance, Pro Tools engineering
- Eric Isip – assistance
- Emily Lazar – mastering
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
Charts
edit| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[6] | 34 |
References
edit- ^ Vampire Weekend - Ya Hey (Official Lyrics Video) on YouTube
- ^ Vampire Weekend: "Ya Hey" - Tracks - Pitchfork
- ^ "DiS Does Singles 6.05.13: Vampire Weekend - Ya Hey (XL) / In Depth // Drowned In Sound". Archived from the original on 2013-08-18. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ Review: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City <<PMA - Pretty Much Amazing
- ^ Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City | Music | MusicalWork Review | The A.V. Club
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Chart History". Billboard Mexico Ingles Airplay for Vampire Weekend. Retrieved January 10, 2019.