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"The Man"
Single by the Killers
from the album Wonderful Wonderful
ReleasedJune 14, 2017 (2017-06-14)
Recorded
Genre
Length
  • 4:10 (album version)
  • 3:41 (radio/Rebel Diamonds version)
Label Island
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jacknife Lee
The Killers singles chronology
"Peace of Mind"
(2016) 		"The Man"
(2017) 		" Run for Cover"
(2017)
Music video
"The Man" on YouTube

"The Man" is a song by American rock band the Killers from their fifth studio album, Wonderful Wonderful (2017). It was released on June 14, 2017, as the lead single from the album.

Background and artwork

Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. stated that the song's lyrics were "largely about how when we were younger we felt invincible. What it meant to be a 'man' in your 20's. Sort of your chest out, the breadwinner, nothing could stop you, invincible sort of thing. It's sort of tongue-and-cheeking that, how that is not really the point of being a man at all. It's actually more about compassion and empathy." [1] According to the band's vocalist Brandon Flowers, the song is a response to the more delicate songs of the album, including " Rut" and "Some Kind of Love": "Those songs came and it was like, 'These are more tender or contemplative than we've ever been, how did we get to this point?' Reflecting on that was where 'The Man' came from." [2]

The artwork for the single features Flowers's youngest son Henry and was shot by Anton Corbijn. [3]

Composition

"The Man" is a new wave, pop rock, [4] disco-rock, [5] and glam rock [6] song written by the Killers and Jacknife Lee, the latter of whom also produced it. The track contains elements of the 1975 Kool & the Gang song " Spirit of the Boogie". [7] Lyrically, the song is a self-reflection of Brandon Flowers' cockier early years and described by himself as a way of reconciling that wide-eyed character with the man he is now. [8] [9]

Release and promotion

Starting on May 6, 2017, the band tweeted a series of photographs and short videos to tease their then-untitled fifth studio album. [10] [11] Among the tweets was a photograph of Flowers wearing a silver jacket with gold lettering spelling out "The Man". On June 14, 2017, "The Man" was released as the lead single from Wonderful Wonderful. [12] BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac debuted the track as "Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World". [13]

On July 31, 2017, the band performed "The Man" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. [14] On August 20, 2017, Showtime released a promotional video featuring the band performing "The Man" to promote Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor. [15] [16] [17]

Critical reception

The single received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Ryan Dombal from Pitchfork described "The Man" as an "over shiny, strutting funk descended from James Brown's '80s anthem ' Living in America'", saying Flowers brags about himself to the point of ridiculousness. He added: "The song is called "The Man", but its ideas of manliness are nothing but boyish. As American masculinity continues to evolve, and threatens to fall back on ugly old norms, The Killers try to have it both ways here, poking fun at dick-swinging supremacy while serving up something that could reasonably soundtrack a rough-and-dusted pickup truck commercial." [18] Writing for DIY magazine, Will Richards praised Flowers' confidence on the song and called it "huge, bombastic and fearless". [19] Robin Murray of Clash called the song "daft, delirious and completely addictive". [20]

Commercial performance

The song debuted on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart at number 26 the week after its release. On the same week, it ranked as Alternative Radio's most added song. [21] [22] [23] The track subsequently became The Killers' ninth song to reach the top 10 of the Alternative Songs chart, before entering the top five. [24] "The Man" subsequently reached number one on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs chart, their first song to do so in over 10 years since " Read My Mind". [25] The song also reached number one on Mediabase's alternative airplay chart. [26]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the single was directed by Tim Mattia and released on June 28, 2017. [27] The video, filmed in Las Vegas, features Flowers portraying five characters—a gambler, a lounge singer, a playboy, a motocross racer, and a karaoke singer—that are connected by their obsession with ego and fame. By the end of the video, all of Flowers' characters begin to fall apart as their success fades: the gambler loses his car; the curtains close on the lounge singer; the girls all ditch the playboy; the old tapes show the rider's career-ending accident; and the karaoke singer gets beaten up for flirting with a customer's wife. [28] [29] It includes a cameo by former Mayor of Las Vegas and current First Gentleman of Las Vegas Oscar Goodman. [30]

Awards

Year Ceremony Award Result
2017 Q Awards [31] Best Track Nominated

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
BBC Radio 1 United Kingdom Annie Mac's Hottest Record of the Year 2017 [32] [33] 2017
1
Billboard United States The 25 Best Rock Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks [34] 2017
17
Billboard United States Billboard's 100 Best Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks [35] 2017
99
DIY United Kingdom The DIY List 2017 [36] 2017 —
NME United Kingdom Best Songs of the Year 2017 [37] 2017
9
NME United Kingdom Best Songs of the Decade: The 2010s [38] 2019
93
Radio X United Kingdom The 30 Best Songs of the Year 2017 [39] 2017 —
Triple J Australia Triple J Hottest 100 2017 2017
19

Usage in media

The song was featured in a trailer for Vice, a 2018 biopic of former Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney. [40]

The Jacques Lu Cont remix was featured in the 2018 video game Forza Horizon 4.

The song is featured in the 2018 video game EA Sports UFC 3. [41]

The song plays at the end of DC's Stargirl season 1, episode 2 ("S.T.R.I.P.E.").

The song was featured in the 2018 season of Hard Knocks. In a segment where a then free agent Dez Bryant tours the Cleveland Browns facility.

The song was used in the German tv show "Who steals the show from me" (Wer stiehlt mir die Show) presented by Joko Winterscheidt. (Since 2021)

The song was featured in the 2023 Netflix series Quarterback over a highlight reel of Patrick Mahomes.

The song was used in the intro for Comedy Central’s Roast of Alec Baldwin in 2019.

Track listing

  • Digital download [42]
  1. "The Man" – 4:08

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Wonderful Wonderful. [7]

Recording

  • Recorded at 11th Street Records (Las Vegas, Nevada), The Garage ( Topanga, California), Battle Born Studios (Las Vegas, Nevada), and The Phantasy Sound (London)
  • Mixed at Strongroom (London)
  • Mastered at Metropolis (London) and The Mastering Palace (New York City)

Personnel

The Killers

Additional personnel

  • Jacknife Lee – production, engineering, guitar, keys, programming
  • Matt Bishop – engineering
  • Robert Root – engineering
  • Malcolm Harrison – engineering assistance
  • Erol Alkan – additional production, drum programming, percussion, synth
  • Jimmy Robertson – production assistance
  • Becca Marie – additional vocals
  • Las Vegas Mass Choir – additional vocals
  • Nina Fechner – additional vocals
  • Justin Diaz – additional vocals
  • Dan Grech-Marguerat – mixing, additional programming
  • Joel Davies – mixing assistance
  • Charles Haydon Hicks – mixing assistance
  • John Davis – mastering
  • Dave Kutch – mastering

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "The Man"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia ( ARIA) [61] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Canada ( Music Canada) [62] Platinum 80,000‡
United Kingdom ( BPI) [63] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "The Man"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various June 14, 2017 Digital download Island [42]

Cover versions

A cover by English jazz-pop singer Jamie Cullum was released as the lead single from the soundtrack to the 2018 heist film King of Thieves. [64]

References

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  2. ^ Feeney, Nolan (June 22, 2017). "Inside the Killers' New Album Wonderful Wonderful: 'It's the Closest Thing We've Done to Sam's Town'". Entertainment Weekly.
  3. ^ "WATCH: Brandon Flowers Is "Proud" To Front The Killers". Radio X. July 8, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  4. ^ Grow, Kory (August 8, 2017). "The Killers Talk 'Grown-Up' New Album 'Wonderful Wonderful'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  5. ^ DeVille, Chris (June 28, 2017). "The Killers – "The Man" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  6. ^ Smith, Patrick (June 25, 2017). "The Killers deliver a formidable surprise set at Glastonbury – review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  7. ^ a b The Killers (2017). Wonderful Wonderful (liner notes). Island Records. B0027046-02.
  8. ^ Legaspi, Althea (June 16, 2017). "The Killers Release First New Song in Five Years, 'The Man'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  9. ^ Sharples, Grant (June 14, 2017). "The Killers Release New Single, Announce New Album Wonderful Wonderful". Paste. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  10. ^ Bell, Sadie (June 9, 2017). "The Killers Tease New Song". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  11. ^ White, Jack (June 12, 2017). "The Killers' new single is coming this Wednesday". Official Charts Company.
  12. ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (June 14, 2017). "Listen to The Killers' new single 'The Man'". NME. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
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  15. ^ Skiver, Kevin (August 21, 2017). "The Killers give Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight its own theme song". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
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