"2021" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend. Alongside "Harmony Hall", it served as the double A-side lead single for their fourth studio album Father of the Bride, and was released on January 24, 2019, by Columbia Records.[2] "2021" was later re-released on December 22, 2021 as a collaboration 12" single alongside "Talking" by Haruomi Hosono.[3]

"2021"
Single by Vampire Weekend
from the album Father of the Bride
A-side"Harmony Hall" (double A-side)
ReleasedJanuary 24, 2019
Length1:38
Label
Composer(s)
Producer(s)
Vampire Weekend singles chronology
"Unbelievers"
(2013)
"Harmony Hall" / "2021"
(2019)
"Sunflower" / "Big Blue"
(2019)

Composition

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The "sparse lovelorn ballad" is built around a sample of the ambient track "Talking", composed in the 1980s by Haruomi Hosono for Japanese retail company Muji. It features a soft pulsing synth and fingerpicked guitars, along with a distorted vocal sample of the word "boy" sung by Jenny Lewis.[2][4][5]

Personnel

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Credits adapted from Qobuz.[6]

Musicians

Engineers

  • Ariel Rechtshaid – engineering, mixing
  • Chris Kasych – engineering
  • John DeBold – engineering
  • Ezra Koenig – mixing
  • Chris Allgood – assistant engineering
  • Emily Lazar – mastering

Charts

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Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[7] 38
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Japan (Oricon)[8] 69

References

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  1. ^ "ASCAP Repertory entry for this song". ASCAP. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Blistein, Jon (January 24, 2019). "Vampire Weekend Return After Six Years With 'Harmony Hall,' '2021'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  3. ^ "Watering A Flower". Light In The Attic Records. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  4. ^ Strauss, Matthew; Bloom, Madison (January 24, 2018). "Vampire Weekend reveal new album title Father of the Bride, share new songs: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  5. ^ Tencic, Nat (January 25, 2018). "First Spin: Vampire Weekend's '2021' and 'Harmony Hall' were worth the wait". Triple J. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  6. ^ "Harmony Hall / 2021 | Vampire Weekend". Qobuz. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  7. ^ "Vampire Weekend Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  8. ^ "Watering a Flower / 2021 Haruomi Hosono, Vampire Weekend" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 28, 2022.