New York (Snow Patrol song)
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| "New York" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Snow Patrol | ||||
| from the album Fallen Empires | ||||
| Released | 20 December 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:02 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Jacknife Lee | |||
| Snow Patrol singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "New York" on YouTube | ||||
"New York" is a song by Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol, released as the third single of their sixth album, Fallen Empires (2011). It was released as a digital download on 20 December 2011 in the US.
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody struggled with writer's block when penning Fallen Empires. Speaking to Q magazine, the singer explained how a chance meeting with R.E.M. vocalist Michael Stipe at a Californian studio rejuvenated his writing process.[2] He recalled, "I couldn't even write my name on a cheque. It was that bad at the time ... (Stipe arriving at the studio) was amazing because the first song I ever played live was R.E.M.'s 'Find the River' at a school concert." Although Stipe's input was minimal, it was enough to inspire Lightbody to rediscover his muse. He recalled, "Michael just made a few suggestions here and there. On a track called 'New York' there was a line, 'Your face has never left me.' He said, 'That sounds like you've got a girl's head in your bag.' So we changed that."[2]
Lightbody explained the story behind the piano ballad: "I always try to write about personal experiences - 'New York' is about a girl I was seeing over there. We both had strong feelings for one another, but we were never in the same place at the same time. It's about missed opportunities."[2] Lightbody penned this song with Snow Patrol pianist Johnny McDaid in his London studio.[2]
Promotion
The song was featured in Season 8 Episode 10 "Suddenly" of Grey's Anatomy, which aired on 5 January 2012.[3] Snow Patrol performed it live on 9 January 2012 on American late-night talk show Late Show with David Letterman.[4] This song was also featured in Season 4 Episode 10 "After School Special" of The Vampire Diaries, airing on January 17, 2013.[5]
Critical reception
Jon Young from Spin wrote that the somber "New York" calls out, "Come on / Come out / Come here," to a faraway lover with persuasive fervor.[6] Mike Haydock from BBC Music wrote that "New York and In the End are the massive, sweeping songs that form the heart of Fallen Empires."[7] Michael Tedder from Paste refers to "New York" as "a memorable melody, which will probably be in a million TV dramas".[8] Chad Grischow from IGN Music calls it a power-ballad and "one of many instantly memorable offerings" on the album.[9]
