White Foxes
| "White Foxes" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Susanne Sundfør | ||||
| from the album The Silicone Veil | ||||
| Released | 24 February 2012 | |||
| Genre | Electronic | |||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label | Sonnet Sound | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Susanne Sundfør | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Susanne Sundfør singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "White Foxes" on YouTube | ||||
"White Foxes" is a song recorded by Norwegian singer-songwriter Susanne Sundfør. It was released on 24 February 2012 as the lead single from her third studio album, The Silicone Veil (2012).
Release
[edit]"White Foxes" was released as the lead single from Sundfør's third studio album, The Silicone Veil (2012).[1] It quickly became the most downloaded song on iTunes in Norway.[2] Its accompanying music video was filmed over two days in Stockholm and its surrounding forests, and detailed four different stories connected by a common theme – a fox.[3][4]
Composition
[edit]According to Sundfør, "White Foxes" is a love song about "wanting to be peaceful." She stated that, to her, the most idealistic place to cleanse oneself is in the middle of nowhere, where the only thing one can see is snow and white foxes.[5] Sundfør originally wrote the song for the Norwegian-Swedish film, Verden Venter (2014).[6] The song was produced by Sundfør and Lars Horntveth.[7]
While writing the song, Sundfør developed what she calls a "basic melody and basic chords."[5] The song opens with a "dark piano melody" that comes to include "menacing vocals."[8] Luke Slater of the BBC characterized it as an "invasively electronic track" that features soaring vocals accompanied by "meaty synthesisers and heavy electronics."[1] IndieWire's Daniel D'Amours described the song as "pretty spiritual," as "most of its lyrics talk about the apocalypse, love, faith, death, earth, and everything in between."[9] Pitchfork noted the presence of a "foggy bassline" as "the drum line lopes steady behind" Sundfør's "high and tense" voice.[10]
Critical reception
[edit]The song received highly positive reviews from music critics, with most highlighting Sundfør's voice. Pitchfork awarded the song with their "Best New Track" label, with Katherine St. Asaph stating: "Her vocal pirouettes and lyrics ("I wish to God that the earth would turn cold/ And all the pretty tulips would disappear") could have wandered in from a grief ballad, but the chorus's blooming synths and the electric-drill bridge suggest a tale far more contemporary and no less haunting."[10] IndieWire named it as their "Song of the Week", with Daniel D'Amours noting that the song was "well orchestrated, creatively written and beautifully sung," further stating: "I'd never heard Susanne Sundfør's name not too long ago, but now it's one I'm unlikely to forget."[9] Flux referred to it as a "majestic song" that possesses "rhythm and beats on the track coupled with the electronic blips and blurts are as delicious and catchy as they are complex"[3] Luke Slater of the BBC opined that "White Foxes" featured Sundfør "at her most versatile."[1] Glamour's Jason Lamphier added that Sundfør's voice "really gives 'White Foxes' its power, as it is filled with high-strung tension that perfectly complements the song's elusive lyrics,"[8] and later went on to call the song's chorus "nothing short of glorious".[8] Out named it the 33rd best song of 2012.[11]
In popular culture
[edit]In 2013, the song was used in a trailer for the BBC Police procedural television series, Line of Duty.[12] In 2020, the song was used in the opening credits for the Amazon Prime Video documentary series, Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer.
Track listing
[edit]
|
|
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norway (VG-lista)[17] | 19 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Slater, Luke (October 23, 2012). "BBC – Music – Review of Susanne Sundfør". BBC. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ^ Lunde Kristoffersen, Mathias (March 28, 2012). "Susanne Sundfør til Månefestivalen". Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (in Norwegian). Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Susanne Sundfør 'White Foxes' – New Single Release & Video". Flux. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "Susanne Sundfør - White Foxes (Official video)". YouTube. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ a b "An interview with Susanne Sundfør by Gimme Indie". SoundCloud. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ Rosenstand Svidt, Ole (1 March 2012). "Susanne Sundfør på vej med album og koncerter". Gaffa (in Norwegian). Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ Rønsen, Arild (27 March 2012). "Susanne Sundfør: The Silicone Veil". puls.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ a b c Woods, Mickey (October 1, 2012). "Morning Jam: Start Your Day Right With Susanne Sundfor's "White Foxes"". Glamour. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ^ a b D'Amours, Daniel (2 November 2012). "Song of the Week: Susanne Sundfør's 'White Foxes'". IndieWire. Snagfilms. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ a b St. Asaph, Katherine (25 September 2012). "Susanne Sundfør: "White Foxes"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ Lamphier, Jason (28 December 2012). "Top 50 Tracks of 2012". Out. Here Media Inc. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ BBC (9 October 2017). "Original British Drama: Autumn 2013 Trailer - BBC Two". YouTube. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "White Foxes - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "White Foxes - EP". iTunes. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "White Foxes (Remixes) - EP". iTunes. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "White Foxes" (Liner notes). Susanne Sundfør (Promo ed.). Sonnet Sound. 2012.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "VG-lista - Susanne Sundfør / White Foxes". VG-lista (in Norwegian). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2013.