Difference between pages "Starlight (song)" and "Will of the People (album)"

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{{Songbox |
[[File:WOTP_Art.jpg|thumb|right|Cover art]]
| Name = Starlight
[[File:WOTP_Monogram.jpg|thumb|right|The album's monogram]]
| Album = {{drop
[[File:MUSE 2022 2000-696x442.jpg|thumb|right|First WOTP promo pic for Won't Stand Down<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CYb-0PFL5xU/</ref>]]
|[[Black Holes and Revelations (album)|Black Holes and Revelations]] <small>(2)</small>, [[Starlight (single)|Starlight]] <small>(1)</small>
{{Discobox
|[[H.A.A.R.P. (live)|H.A.A.R.P.]] <small>CD (8), DVD (11)</small>
| Name = Will of the People<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CbLgvvBqtzI/</ref>
|[[Live at Rome Olympic Stadium (live)|Live at Rome Olympic Stadium]] <small>CD (13), DVD (20)</small>
| Tracks = 10
| Length = 37:35<ref>https://www.qobuz.com/nl-nl/album/will-of-the-people-muse/k02hnfrjhdxrc</ref>
| Recorded = 2021
| Writer = [[Matthew Bellamy]], [[Dominic Howard]], [[Christopher Wolstenholme]]
| Producer = Muse
| Art = Tiago Marinho<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CbNtmvVsK45/</ref>
| Publisher = [[Helium 3]], [[Warner Music Group|Warner]]
|Format = {{drop
|CD, LP, download, cassette
|LP+CD <small>(Signed Standard Bundle)</small>
|2LP <small>(Signed Vinyl Bundle)</small>
|3MC (3x cassette) <small>(Signed Cassette Bundle)</small>
|CD+LP+3MC <small>(Deluxe Music Bundle)</small>
}}
}}
| Length = 3:59
|CatNumber = TBA
| AltTitles = -
| Release = 26th August 2022<ref>https://willofthepeople.muse.mu/</ref>
| First = [[One Big Weekend 2006 (gig)|13{{supo|th}} May 2006]]
| Chart = N/A
| Latest =
| Previous = Simulation Theory
| Recorded = New York Avatar/[[Electric Lady Studios]] - 2005
| PreviousLink = Simulation Theory (album)
| Writer = [[Matthew Bellamy]]
| Next =  
| Producer = [[Rich Costey]]
| NextLink =  
| Chart position = 5 <small>(AU)</small>,  13 <small>(UK)</small><ref>[http://invictus.softmeg.com/forums.php?m=posts&q=17724 Muselive.com - Starlight reaches #13 20060911]</ref> <small>(UK download chart)</small>, 7 <small>(UK physical)</small><ref>[http://invictus.softmeg.com/forums.php?m=posts&p=501161#501161 Starlight #7 on physical copies - Muselive.com 20060912]</ref>, 1 <small>(NME)</small>
| single1 = Won't Stand Down | image1 = WontStandDown.jpg
}}
| single2 = Compliance | image2 = WOTP_Art.jpg
<flashmp3>http://www.musewiki.org/images/Starlight.mp3|rightbg=0xDDEEFF|leftbg=0xDDEEFF|bg=0xFFFFFF</flashmp3>
| Type = album
{{AlbumNav
| Previous = [[Take a Bow (song) | Take a Bow]]
| Current = Starlight
| Next = [[Supermassive Black Hole (song) | Supermassive Black Hole]]
}}
<br>
{{AlbumNav2
| Previous = [[Absolution (album) | Absolution ''(2003)'']]
| Current = [[Black Holes and Revelations (album) | Black Holes and Revelations ''(2006)'']]
| Next = [[The Resistance (album) | The Resistance ''(2009)'']]
}}
}}


==Description==
== Information ==
First described as "a souped-up cousin of the Strokes' '12:51'",<ref>{{cite/nme20060315}}</ref> according to [[Christopher Wolstenholme|Wolstenholme]], "Starlight" is "kind of a love song about missing someone, friends, family, someone you love".<ref>{{cite
 
|title=Muse Get Stuck At Sea — Without Unicorns — In 'Starlight' Clip
Matt first hinted at working on new Muse material in an interview with ALT 98.7 FM, backstage at the ALTerEGO Festival in January of 2020, where he said, that the goal for 2020 was to work on new Muse material, allthough the plans were probably halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, as the three were unable to get together due to the lockdowns. Bellamy instead focused on releasing his solo material. Matt also hinted on working on Muse material in a May interview with Zane Lowe, on Beats 1 Radio, saying that he has a few pieces written that are suited for Muse.<ref>https://youtu.be/wGHqxU-63HM?t=292</ref> In an interview with Rolling Stone, also in May, he said that that the idea would be to record the album in 2021 and potentially go on a tour in 2022.<ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/muse-matt-bellamy-interview-coronavirus-quarantine-999208/</ref>
|desc=Video review
 
|date=2006-09-08
Bellamy confirmed he started writing the new Muse album in an interview with [[The Jaded Hearts Club|The Jaded Hearts Club Band]] for The Sun.<ref>https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/12884819/matt-bellamy-thought-jaded-hearts-club-were-the-beatles/</ref> He also hinted at the band working on the next album in a brief Instagram comment in March 2021.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Muse/comments/lxdvdb/new_album_on_the_way_confirmed/</ref>
|auth=Corey Moss
 
|doc=Muse Get Stuck At Sea — Without Unicorns — In 'Starlight' Clip (20061003 VH1 article)
In the interview, Bellamy said the following: ''"I started writing when all the protests and all the chaos were kicking off. It’s a weird thing to say but it suits the music I write. It keeps you a little bit on edge."''
|type=int
 
}}</ref> It is in the key of B major.  
Bellamy jokingly said, in an Instagram comment reply on [https://www.instagram.com/p/COBjSGLhFzP/ Dom Howard's Instagram post], that the album would include "emotional gasps and many usages of the word ‘soul’.".
 
According to Muse, "''Will of the People was created in Los Angeles and London and is influenced by increasing uncertainty and instability in the world. A pandemic, new wars in Europe, massive protests & riots, an attempted insurrection, Western democracy wavering, rising authoritarianism, wildfires and natural disasters and the destabilisation of the global order all informed Will of the People. It has been a worrying and scary time for all of us as the Western empire and the natural world, which we have cradled us for so long are genuinely threatened. This album is a personal navigation through those fears and preparation for what comes next.''"<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CbLgvvBqtzI/</ref>


Matt said: “Starlight” is a more personal song about what it’s like to be on the road for a long period of time – you feel like you’re losing touch with who you are, and that kind of vibe.<ref>{{cite/undertheradar20060720}}</ref> also, Matt said: "It's a pretty simple love song really. You know, well - love song - sort of missing your girlfriend type of song, you know when you've been on the road for a while and you start to feel a bit like "Cor blimey, where am I going?" It's real cheesy really, kind of like... it's from the heart. It's honest, heart-on-sleeve vibe."<ref>BBC 2006-08-31 – Radio 1's Entertainment News</ref>
In an interview with Zane Lowe upon announcing the album on March 17th, 2022, Bellamy said about the album that "''it goes all the way, from metal, to pop, to my first version of an Adele piano-like song, to electronica''", that the last song, [[We Are Fucking Fucked (song)|We Are Fucking Fucked]] is "''the weirdest, darkest lost B-side of Muse's life''" and that [[Kill or Be Killed (song)|Kill or Be Killed]] is "''the best prog metal song they've ever done that could've been on [[Drones (album)|Drones]].''", saying that, after the label got to them wanting to release a "best of" compilation, they refused that, and instead made an entirely new album, in which they've looked back at the best things they've done, and wrote new material around that.


==Additional information==
In the same interview, he mentioned that he let Howard take the lead in terms of decisions on this album, jokingly saying that this is why the album, from start to release, took so long, since Howard, according to Matt, took time with the process. On top of that, he added that the album was self-produced by the band themselves,<ref>https://youtu.be/BiD9f59oo1w</ref> however it was made with help and assistance from [[Aleks Von Korff]].
As with several other the songs on ''[[Black Holes and Revelations (album)|Black Holes and Revelations]]'', Starlight was written before the [[Gigs, 2003-2005#2005|2005 tour]] in the USA:{{quote|text=Starlight was written in the practice studio at the end of 2004. It was a simple idea, stemming from a piano impro. We wanted to keep it as simple as possible, and that was very difficult to do. Starlight had to be spontaneous, unleashing an energy that was difficult to capture. It’s influenced by [[The Strokes]], on a drumbeat and basic bass lines. Its structure is simple, and its melodies are catchy. There’s a pop element in each of our albums, a simple bit, very melodic, like "[[Time is Running Out (song)|Time Is Running Out]]" on ''[[Absolution (album)|Absolution]]''. Today, Starlight is that one.|name=Christopher Wolstenholme|name2=Wolstenholme|ref=<ref>{{cite/rm200605}}</ref>}}Starlight is played for Edmontonians of Alberta, Canada on Sonic 102.9, as well as being the opening music for the Euro 2008 Football Qualifiers coverage on Sky Sports in the UK. In Scandinavia, the song is used in the commercial of the television channel Viasat.


The clapping at the beginning of "Starlight" can be written as "— ·· — ···" in Morse code, which spells out "TITS". However, this is probably a coincidence.
In Warner's short album review/recap, as found on The Music Universe, it says that "''The album’s title track brings playful provocation to a dystopian glam-rocker while there is an innocence and a purity to the nostalgic electronic textures of “Verona.” From the visceral thrill of “Won’t Stand Down,” to the industrial-tinged, granite heavy riffs of “Kill Or Be Killed,” or the lightning-bolt rush of “Euphoria,” the album concludes with the frenetic finale of the brutally honest “We Are Fucking Fucked.”''"<ref>https://themusicuniverse.com/muse-announces-will-people/</ref>


The lyric "of the people who care if I live or die" carries a strong similarity to a lyric in The Smiths song "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now".  Morrissey sings "...why do I give valuable time/to people who don't care if I live or die?  As Muse has covered The Smiths previously this lyric appears to be an homage to The Smiths. 
== Recording ==


Matt has stated in an interview that Starlight is his son's favourite Muse song.
In an interview with NME, Bellamy said that he'd like the idea of the band "totally resetting" and going back to their hometown of Teignmouth, Devon to rehearse and record the next album. It appears however, that this was not the case, as the first studio pictures that started to emerge were from Bellamy's own studio, located somewhere in downtown Santa Monica, California, and later sessions took place at [[Abbey Road Studios]]. The first proof of Muse being in the studio was an Instagram post of [https://www.instagram.com/p/CMT4hOxjpeI/ Matt playing a piano], posted in March of 2021, however work likely began earlier.


==Live==
Producer [[Aleks Von Korff]], who previously worked with Muse as an engineer on [[Simulation Theory (album)|Simulation Theory]], and produced Bellamy's solo material - songs like [[Tomorrow's World (Matthew Bellamy song)|Tomorrow's World]], also posted a picture from this L.A. studio, with the wooden Kawai piano. According to him, the studio, named by Von Korff as "The Black Lodge", had been fully built in early 2020.<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6KyANuNT8/</ref> The studio has previously been seen during the recording sessions for the debut album of Matt's cover band/supergroup [[The Jaded Hearts Club]], aswell as during the recording of [[Simulation Theory (album)|Simulation Theory]].
"Starlight" is played in B flat major live, instead of the recorded B. Starting sometime during the latter half of 2006, Bellamy started a routine of asking the people in a certain area, usually the back or top, how they are doing and dedicating "Starlight" to them. During the Resistance tour, Matt usually played a short Spanish guitar riff before the song. From the Unsustainable Tour onwards, Matt didn't play guitar  for the song and instead left the duty to touring member Morgan Nicholls. Then during the Psycho UK Tour and Drones Festival Tour Matt returned to playing guitar before once again not from the start of the arena tour.


[[Starlight (live) | More here]]
Between April and June 2021, the band took a break from recording, to work on a remix of [[Origin_of_Symmetry_(album)#Origin_of_Symmetry:_XX_Anniversary_RemiXX|Origin of Symmetry]]. In early June, Chris came to L.A. to join Dom and Matt continuing work on the album.<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CP6Xo7IjPs1/</ref>


==Alternate versions==
In November of 2021, [[Adrian Bushby]] posted a picture of him and Howard at [[Abbey Road Studios]], tracking drums, hinting at the album being partially tracked in there.<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CWBaoDFtHHk/?utm_medium=copy_link</ref> Prior to that, on July 24th, 2021, Muse also posted a picture of Bellamy holding one of his Manson guitars, posing infront of Abbey Road Studios with the caption saying "Good to be back".<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CRtsMriBtpm/</ref> Bellamy also posted a picture of his son, Bing, infront of Abbey Road Studios around that time.<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CTFAGKPjCx5/</ref> This makes the upcoming album the second LP to be (albeit partially) recorded at Abbey Road after 20 years, when [[Origin of Symmetry (album)|Origin of Symmetry]] was recorded at the studios.
An [[Track catalogue R-Z#Starlight|alternative mix of "Starlight"]], known as the "New Mix, "Radio Mix" or "Radio Version" was distributed on promotional media only.<ref>{{cite
|title=Starlight (New Mix) 
|desc=muselive.com forums post
|date=2006-09-02
|fetch=2008-07-15
|url=http://www.muselive.com/forums.php?m=posts&q=17238
|dom=muselive.com
|type=ext
}}</ref> This version was presumably created to give the song a sound more suitable for radio broadcast.


==Lyrics==
On December 1st, 2021, Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer at Sterling Sound Studios posted a picture of Bellamy and Howard sitting on a couch, with the entire album likely at the mastering stage during that time. <ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CW9SHCXPtJy/</ref>


{{lyrics
The album has been, compared to previous releases, recorded in almost complete secrecy, with very few images from the recording sessions themselves, and no real info as to what we might expect from it, up until Matt's snippet of [[Won't Stand Down (single)|Won't Stand Down]] was streamed live on Instagram.
|Far away
This ship has taken me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die


Starlight
== Release ==
I will be chasing a starlight
Until the end of my life
I don't know if it's worth it anymore


Hold you in my arms
On December 25th, 2021, Bellamy made up for the lack of a muse.mu Christmas present with a short livestream from his Tesla, on Muse's Instagram profile, showcasing part of [[Won't Stand Down (single)|Won't Stand Down]]. The 60 second stream was then screen-recorded by a few people, with copyright bots deleting the posts, hinting at the song being near its release. Matt's minute-long stream can be listened to [https://www.reddit.com/r/Muse/comments/romrcw/full_60_second_preview_of_new_song_wont_stand/ here]. The then-approaching release of the song was teased once again on Muse's New Years Eve Instagram post, when they wrote a caption saying "Looking forward to WSD. We'll see you on the other side!", before quickly replacing "WSD" with "2022". [[Won't Stand Down (single)|Won't Stand Down]] was subsequently announced a week later, on January 7th, 2022, on Muse's social media<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CYbuFCOKPfv/</ref>, with [https://wontstanddown.muse.mu/ wontstanddown.muse.mu] spotted being online a day earlier. Together with it also came the single artwork and a new promo image of the band. The song was released on January 13th, 2022, on digital platforms.
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms


My life
Almost two months later, on March 2nd, 2022, Bellamy posted an Instagram story in which he went over the guitar tuning for Won't Stand Down, while mentioning that a second heavy song will appear on the album.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Muse/comments/t5fv8w/from_matts_instagram_story/</ref>
You electrify my life
Lets conspire to ignite
All the souls that would die just to feel alive


I'll never let you go
On March 9th, 2022, Muse posted a short, half-minute album teaser video on their YouTube, simply titled "MUSE", which depicts statues of the band's heads being torn down by a group of rioters in the middle of a desert, while wearing mirror masks from the Won't Stand Down music video, with a choir of Matts chanting the line "The Will of the People", name of the album and title track, with album artwork displayed at the very end of the video.<ref>https://youtu.be/nzHnwHzp9o4</ref>
If you promise not to fade away
Never fade away


Our hopes and expectations
Two days later, on March 11th, 2022, it was discovered by Muse fans that the index code from [https://wontstanddown.muse.mu/api/v1/catalogue/new/ wontstanddown.muse.mu], contains basic album info, including the tracklist and anagrams for each song which will appear on the album. The same day, Muse announced a new song/single, [[Compliance (single)|Compliance]]. The song, and its music video, leaked on March 15th through Vimeo, before being deleted from the platform on the same day. A day later, anagrams from the wontstanddown index code were also resolved, leaking song titles and the tracklist. Compliance's music video was announced together with the album name on March 16th<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CbLgvvBqtzI/</ref>.
Black holes and revelations
Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations


Hold you in my arms
The album's release date has finally been announced, together with the release of [[Compliance (single)|Compliance]], on March 17th, 2022. It is available for pre-ordering via [https://willofthepeople.muse.mu/ willofthepeople.muse.mu] and is set to be released on August 26th, 2022.
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms


Far away
== "WOTP" Monogram & Artwork ==
The ship has taken me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die


And I'll never let you go
The monogram (shown in the picture), consisting of letters "W", "O", "T" and "P", first appeared on the single artwork for [[Won't Stand Down (single)|Won't Stand Down]]. It was already speculated at that time, that the monogram might be linked to the album name. The same monogram made appearances throughout the album's release campaign, included and displayed on characters' suits and various other places (like the car bonnet and the wheelchair) throughout Won't Stand Down's music video, aswell as the [[Compliance (single)|Compliance]] music video and promotional photos.
If you promise not to fade away
Never fade away


Our hopes and expectations
The artwork, made by Portuguese digital artist Tiago Marinho, is set somewhere in a post-apocalyptic deserty city (very similar to the post-apocalyptic London, shown on the [[Sing for Absolution (single)|Sing for Absolution]] single artwork), and shows demolished large stone statues of the band's heads, with a small group of rioters standing next to them. Each head has graffiti on them, displaying the monograms scattered on each of the heads, aswel as various song names. These include: "''Liberation''" & "''Will of the People''" on Dom's head, "''Kill or Be Killed''" on Matt's head and "''Ghosts''", "''Won't Stand Down''" & "''Euophoria''" on Chris's head. Other words written as graffiti include "''Die''" and "''Fuck off''" on Matt's head, both presumably lines from the songs. Dom's head also includes "''IX''" written on, in Roman numerals, standing for the album being their ninth one. This is also the first artwork since [[Black Holes and Revelations (album)|Black Holes and Revelations]] to not feature the Muse logo or the album name on the art itself, and the second album artwork in a row/second main album artwork alltogether, to feature the bands' faces.
Black holes and revelations, yeah
Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations


Hold you in my arms
== Tracklist ==
I just wanted to hold
<small>''Track lengths based on info from [https://www.qobuz.com/nl-nl/album/will-of-the-people-muse/k02hnfrjhdxrc Qobuz.com]''</small>
You in my arms
{{tracklist
I just wanted to hold
|01 = Will of the People | 01length = 3:18
|02 = Compliance | 02length = 4:10
|03 = Liberation | 03length = 3:06
|04 = Won't Stand Down | 04length = 3:29
|05 = Ghosts (How Can I Move On) | 05length = 3:37
|06 = You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween | 06length = 3:00
|07 = Kill or Be Killed | 07length = 4:59
|08 = Verona | 08length = 4:57
|09 = Euphoria | 09length = 3:23
|10 = We Are Fucking Fucked | 10length = 3:36
}}
}}


===Live alternative===
== Will of the People gallery ==
During some live performances, Bellamy alters the chorus to:
<gallery>
File:WOTP_Art.jpg|Front cover
File:WOTP_CD.png|CD
File:WOTP_Vinyl.png|Vinyl
File:WOTP_SpotifyVinyl.png|Spotify Exclusive Vinyl
File:WOTP_CollectorsVinyl.png|Collector's Edition Vinyl
File:WOTP_BluCassette.png|Blue Cassette
File:WOTP_RedCassette.png|Red Cassette
File:WOTP_YelCassette.png|Yellow Cassette
File:WOTP_SignedCassettes.png|Signed Cassette Bundle
File:WOTP_StandardBundle.png|Signed Standard Bundle
File:WOTP_VinylBundle.png|Signed Vinyl Bundle
File:WOTP_DeluxeBundle.png|Signed Deluxe Bundle
</gallery>


{{lyrics
== Personnel ==
|Our hopes and expectations
''Incomplete''
Black holes and revelations
Our trials and tribulations
Black holes and revelations
}}


During the intimate gig at Shepherd's Bush, London 2013, Bellamy changed the line: ''"I don't know if it's worth it anymore"'' into: ''"And now I know it's not worth it anymore"''
'''Muse'''
*[[Matt Bellamy]] - Vocals, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, co-production
*[[Chris Wolstenholme]] - Bass, backing vocals, co-production
*[[Dominic Howard]] - Drums, co-production


==References==
'''Production'''
<references/>
*[[Aleks Von Korff]] - Additional production, Engineering, Mixing (track 7), ATMOS Mixing
*[[Adrian Bushby]] - Engineering
*Joe Devenney - Engineering assistant
*[[Serban Ghenea]] - Mixing (tracks 1-3, 5-6 & 8-10)
*Dan Lancaster - Mixing (track 4)
*Bryce Bordone - Mixing assistance (tracs 1-3, 5-6 & 8-10)
*Rhys May - Mixing assistant
*Chris Whitemyer - Technical assistant
*Paul Warren - Technical assistant
*Andy Maxwell - Abbey Road assistance
*Tommy Bosustow - Abbey Road assistance
*Chris Gehringer - Mastering


==See also==
'''Art'''
*[[Starlight (video)|Starlight video]]
*[[Jesse Lee Stout]] - Creative direction
*[[Starlight (screensaver)|Starlight screensaver]]
*Tiago Marinho - Artwork
*Nick Fancher - Photography


== Ninth album recording gallery ==
<gallery>
File:2021_05_02_AVKVanHalen.jpg | "Might as well! Good way to spend a Friday, chasing one of the all time great synth sounds 🦾" (''video'') (5th February 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CK7TfsWhZl-/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021_16_02_AVKRack.jpg | "One of these kinda days ☺️❤️🍝" (16th February 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CLVKL00B2hg/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021_27_02_AVKMellotron.jpg | "Brought a few toys from home into work 🤗🎹" (27th February 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CLx1Mf6hoSb/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021-12-03_KKawaiAVK.jpg | "ty @kawaipianos for this beauty 🤍 sounding innnnnncredible 👌🏻" (12th March 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CMVDlJJhgc0/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021-12-03_MattExplorers.jpg.png | "Who can name that tune?" (''video'') (12th March 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CMT4hOxjpeI/ Matt's Instagram])
File:2021-06-04_AVKAmps1.jpg | "Havin a blast with the @uaudio OX Amp top box. Making some naaaasty 🤘🏻 things and the OX is coming through in a huge way!..." (6th April 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CNVrZ4yBNmJ/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021-06-04_AVKAmps2.jpg | "Havin a blast with the @uaudio OX Amp top box. Making some naaaasty 🤘🏻 things and the OX is coming through in a huge way!..." (6th April 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CNVrZ4yBNmJ/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021-06-04_AVKAmps3.jpg | "Havin a blast with the @uaudio OX Amp top box. Making some naaaasty 🤘🏻 things and the OX is coming through in a huge way!..." (6th April 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CNVrZ4yBNmJ/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021-12-04_RoxaneBettyDom.jpg | "Being Dom Malkovitch 🎨 @roxannebettycreative" (12th April 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CNlBWLHjCue/ Matt's Instagram])
File:2021-23-04_DomFloyd.jpg | "The producer still needs naps. He wanted to let you know the new album is sounding fat and to hope you are all keeping well and healthy 🙏🤟🏼🥁" (23rd April 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/COBjSGLhFzP/ Dom's Instagram])
File:2021-23-04_AVKBar.jpg | "Old fashioned time at the studio bar after a nice long week of tracking 🥃😌" (23rd April 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/COCFq66BHTW/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021-13-06_StudioDogAVK.jpg | "Studio dog best dog 😍" (13th June 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CQC7TPghyBx/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021-07-24_BellamyAbbeyRoad.jpg | "Good to be back" (24th July 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CRtsMriBtpm/ Muse's Instagram])
File:2021_08_11_BushbyInstagram.jpg | "Drum tracking with @muse at @abbeyroadstudios a couple months back. In my happy place with @domhoward77 and the gang 💕🎵" (8th November 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CWBaoDFtHHk/ Adrian Bushby's Instagram])
File:2021_24_11_DomDogAVK.jpg | "girl wouldn’t stop chewing on cables, so put her in my lap while working. not the most productive day but probs the cutest.🤍" (24th November 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CWo6DE3vq42/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021_01_12_ChrisGehringerMuse.jpg | "@muse" (1st December 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CW9SHCXPtJy/ Chris Gehringer's Instagram])
File:2021_12_25_AVKStudio1.png | "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (''video'') (25th December 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6KyANuNT8/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021 12 25 AVKStudio2.jpg | "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (25th December 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6KyANuNT8/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021 12 25 AVKStudio3.jpg | "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (25th December 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6KyANuNT8/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021 12 25 AVKStudio4.jpg | "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (25th December 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6KyANuNT8/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2021 12 25 AVKStudio5.jpg | "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (25th December 2021; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6KyANuNT8/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2022_01_10_AVKWSDBassScreen.png | "THURSDAY! 1.13 #wontstanddown @muse 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻" (''video'') (10th January 2022; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CYiXIHfrqOM/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2022_01_10_AVKWSDWahs.jpg | "THURSDAY! 1.13 #wontstanddown @muse 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻" (10th January 2022; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CYiXIHfrqOM/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2022_02_06_AVKMattMarshall.jpg | "Don’t let your memes be dreams. Also, cabinets def sound better with a few @mansonguitarworks headstock shaped holes in em courtesy of Matt." (6th February 2022; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CZnTUjGPock/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2022_02_07_BellamyGuitarViol.png | "I used this GuitarViol (Kind of half fretted mini cello with a guitar tuning) to record the pizzicato strings for the verse of #wontstanddown Recorded around 12-16 takes to sound orchestral. @muse" (''video'') (7th February 2022; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CZr0AqTJNt2/ Matt's Instagram])
File:2022_02_07_AVKGuitarViol.jpg | "Coupla DPAs, a 122v, some a-ha…and boy you got a stew goin’ 🎻👨🏻‍🍳 Pizz strings on the guitarviol for Won’t Stand Down 🤘🏻" (7th February 2022; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CZsNANIPK6Q/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
File:2022 03 18 AVKMoogVocoder.jpg.png | "@moogsynthesizers 16 channel Vocoder as featured on the new @muse single Compliance 💙💛♥️🤖 Plenty of amazing vocoders out there but there’s really nothing quite like this thing for me 🥰 I’ve had a ton of fun with it so far" (''video'') (18th March 2022; [https://www.instagram.com/p/CbQg2usA_co/ Aleks Von Korff's Instagram])
</gallery>


Back to [[Black Holes and Revelations (album)|Black Holes and Revelations]]
==References==
<references/>

Revision as of 12:44, 19 March 2022

Cover art
The album's monogram
First WOTP promo pic for Won't Stand Down[1]
Muse album
Name Will of the People[2]
Tracks 10
Total length 37:35[3]
Recorded 2021
Writer/composer Matthew Bellamy, Dominic Howard, Christopher Wolstenholme
Producer Muse
Art work Tiago Marinho[4]
Publisher Helium 3, Warner
Format(s)
  • CD, LP, download, cassette »
  • LP+CD (Signed Standard Bundle)
  • 2LP (Signed Vinyl Bundle)
  • 3MC (3x cassette) (Signed Cassette Bundle)
  • CD+LP+3MC (Deluxe Music Bundle)
Catalogue № TBA
Release date 26th August 2022[5]
Chart position N/A
album chronology
Simulation Theory
←
Will of the People[2]
Singles
WontStandDown.jpgWOTP Art.jpg


Information

Matt first hinted at working on new Muse material in an interview with ALT 98.7 FM, backstage at the ALTerEGO Festival in January of 2020, where he said, that the goal for 2020 was to work on new Muse material, allthough the plans were probably halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, as the three were unable to get together due to the lockdowns. Bellamy instead focused on releasing his solo material. Matt also hinted on working on Muse material in a May interview with Zane Lowe, on Beats 1 Radio, saying that he has a few pieces written that are suited for Muse.[6] In an interview with Rolling Stone, also in May, he said that that the idea would be to record the album in 2021 and potentially go on a tour in 2022.[7]

Bellamy confirmed he started writing the new Muse album in an interview with The Jaded Hearts Club Band for The Sun.[8] He also hinted at the band working on the next album in a brief Instagram comment in March 2021.[9]

In the interview, Bellamy said the following: "I started writing when all the protests and all the chaos were kicking off. It’s a weird thing to say but it suits the music I write. It keeps you a little bit on edge."

Bellamy jokingly said, in an Instagram comment reply on Dom Howard's Instagram post, that the album would include "emotional gasps and many usages of the word ‘soul’.".

According to Muse, "Will of the People was created in Los Angeles and London and is influenced by increasing uncertainty and instability in the world. A pandemic, new wars in Europe, massive protests & riots, an attempted insurrection, Western democracy wavering, rising authoritarianism, wildfires and natural disasters and the destabilisation of the global order all informed Will of the People. It has been a worrying and scary time for all of us as the Western empire and the natural world, which we have cradled us for so long are genuinely threatened. This album is a personal navigation through those fears and preparation for what comes next."[10]

In an interview with Zane Lowe upon announcing the album on March 17th, 2022, Bellamy said about the album that "it goes all the way, from metal, to pop, to my first version of an Adele piano-like song, to electronica", that the last song, We Are Fucking Fucked is "the weirdest, darkest lost B-side of Muse's life" and that Kill or Be Killed is "the best prog metal song they've ever done that could've been on Drones.", saying that, after the label got to them wanting to release a "best of" compilation, they refused that, and instead made an entirely new album, in which they've looked back at the best things they've done, and wrote new material around that.

In the same interview, he mentioned that he let Howard take the lead in terms of decisions on this album, jokingly saying that this is why the album, from start to release, took so long, since Howard, according to Matt, took time with the process. On top of that, he added that the album was self-produced by the band themselves,[11] however it was made with help and assistance from Aleks Von Korff.

In Warner's short album review/recap, as found on The Music Universe, it says that "The album’s title track brings playful provocation to a dystopian glam-rocker while there is an innocence and a purity to the nostalgic electronic textures of “Verona.” From the visceral thrill of “Won’t Stand Down,” to the industrial-tinged, granite heavy riffs of “Kill Or Be Killed,” or the lightning-bolt rush of “Euphoria,” the album concludes with the frenetic finale of the brutally honest “We Are Fucking Fucked.”"[12]

Recording

In an interview with NME, Bellamy said that he'd like the idea of the band "totally resetting" and going back to their hometown of Teignmouth, Devon to rehearse and record the next album. It appears however, that this was not the case, as the first studio pictures that started to emerge were from Bellamy's own studio, located somewhere in downtown Santa Monica, California, and later sessions took place at Abbey Road Studios. The first proof of Muse being in the studio was an Instagram post of Matt playing a piano, posted in March of 2021, however work likely began earlier.

Producer Aleks Von Korff, who previously worked with Muse as an engineer on Simulation Theory, and produced Bellamy's solo material - songs like Tomorrow's World, also posted a picture from this L.A. studio, with the wooden Kawai piano. According to him, the studio, named by Von Korff as "The Black Lodge", had been fully built in early 2020.[13] The studio has previously been seen during the recording sessions for the debut album of Matt's cover band/supergroup The Jaded Hearts Club, aswell as during the recording of Simulation Theory.

Between April and June 2021, the band took a break from recording, to work on a remix of Origin of Symmetry. In early June, Chris came to L.A. to join Dom and Matt continuing work on the album.[14]

In November of 2021, Adrian Bushby posted a picture of him and Howard at Abbey Road Studios, tracking drums, hinting at the album being partially tracked in there.[15] Prior to that, on July 24th, 2021, Muse also posted a picture of Bellamy holding one of his Manson guitars, posing infront of Abbey Road Studios with the caption saying "Good to be back".[16] Bellamy also posted a picture of his son, Bing, infront of Abbey Road Studios around that time.[17] This makes the upcoming album the second LP to be (albeit partially) recorded at Abbey Road after 20 years, when Origin of Symmetry was recorded at the studios.

On December 1st, 2021, Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer at Sterling Sound Studios posted a picture of Bellamy and Howard sitting on a couch, with the entire album likely at the mastering stage during that time. [18]

The album has been, compared to previous releases, recorded in almost complete secrecy, with very few images from the recording sessions themselves, and no real info as to what we might expect from it, up until Matt's snippet of Won't Stand Down was streamed live on Instagram.

Release

On December 25th, 2021, Bellamy made up for the lack of a muse.mu Christmas present with a short livestream from his Tesla, on Muse's Instagram profile, showcasing part of Won't Stand Down. The 60 second stream was then screen-recorded by a few people, with copyright bots deleting the posts, hinting at the song being near its release. Matt's minute-long stream can be listened to here. The then-approaching release of the song was teased once again on Muse's New Years Eve Instagram post, when they wrote a caption saying "Looking forward to WSD. We'll see you on the other side!", before quickly replacing "WSD" with "2022". Won't Stand Down was subsequently announced a week later, on January 7th, 2022, on Muse's social media[19], with wontstanddown.muse.mu spotted being online a day earlier. Together with it also came the single artwork and a new promo image of the band. The song was released on January 13th, 2022, on digital platforms.

Almost two months later, on March 2nd, 2022, Bellamy posted an Instagram story in which he went over the guitar tuning for Won't Stand Down, while mentioning that a second heavy song will appear on the album.[20]

On March 9th, 2022, Muse posted a short, half-minute album teaser video on their YouTube, simply titled "MUSE", which depicts statues of the band's heads being torn down by a group of rioters in the middle of a desert, while wearing mirror masks from the Won't Stand Down music video, with a choir of Matts chanting the line "The Will of the People", name of the album and title track, with album artwork displayed at the very end of the video.[21]

Two days later, on March 11th, 2022, it was discovered by Muse fans that the index code from wontstanddown.muse.mu, contains basic album info, including the tracklist and anagrams for each song which will appear on the album. The same day, Muse announced a new song/single, Compliance. The song, and its music video, leaked on March 15th through Vimeo, before being deleted from the platform on the same day. A day later, anagrams from the wontstanddown index code were also resolved, leaking song titles and the tracklist. Compliance's music video was announced together with the album name on March 16th[22].

The album's release date has finally been announced, together with the release of Compliance, on March 17th, 2022. It is available for pre-ordering via willofthepeople.muse.mu and is set to be released on August 26th, 2022.

"WOTP" Monogram & Artwork

The monogram (shown in the picture), consisting of letters "W", "O", "T" and "P", first appeared on the single artwork for Won't Stand Down. It was already speculated at that time, that the monogram might be linked to the album name. The same monogram made appearances throughout the album's release campaign, included and displayed on characters' suits and various other places (like the car bonnet and the wheelchair) throughout Won't Stand Down's music video, aswell as the Compliance music video and promotional photos.

The artwork, made by Portuguese digital artist Tiago Marinho, is set somewhere in a post-apocalyptic deserty city (very similar to the post-apocalyptic London, shown on the Sing for Absolution single artwork), and shows demolished large stone statues of the band's heads, with a small group of rioters standing next to them. Each head has graffiti on them, displaying the monograms scattered on each of the heads, aswel as various song names. These include: "Liberation" & "Will of the People" on Dom's head, "Kill or Be Killed" on Matt's head and "Ghosts", "Won't Stand Down" & "Euophoria" on Chris's head. Other words written as graffiti include "Die" and "Fuck off" on Matt's head, both presumably lines from the songs. Dom's head also includes "IX" written on, in Roman numerals, standing for the album being their ninth one. This is also the first artwork since Black Holes and Revelations to not feature the Muse logo or the album name on the art itself, and the second album artwork in a row/second main album artwork alltogether, to feature the bands' faces.

Tracklist

Track lengths based on info from Qobuz.com

  1. Will of the People – 3:18
  2. Compliance – 4:10
  3. Liberation – 3:06
  4. Won't Stand Down – 3:29
  5. Ghosts (How Can I Move On) – 3:37
  6. You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween – 3:00
  7. Kill or Be Killed – 4:59
  8. Verona – 4:57
  9. Euphoria – 3:23
  10. We Are Fucking Fucked – 3:36

Will of the People gallery

  • Front cover

  • CD

  • Vinyl

  • Spotify Exclusive Vinyl

  • Collector's Edition Vinyl

  • Blue Cassette

  • Red Cassette

  • Yellow Cassette

  • Signed Cassette Bundle

  • Signed Standard Bundle

  • Signed Vinyl Bundle

  • Signed Deluxe Bundle

Personnel

Incomplete

Muse

Production

  • Aleks Von Korff - Additional production, Engineering, Mixing (track 7), ATMOS Mixing
  • Adrian Bushby - Engineering
  • Joe Devenney - Engineering assistant
  • Serban Ghenea - Mixing (tracks 1-3, 5-6 & 8-10)
  • Dan Lancaster - Mixing (track 4)
  • Bryce Bordone - Mixing assistance (tracs 1-3, 5-6 & 8-10)
  • Rhys May - Mixing assistant
  • Chris Whitemyer - Technical assistant
  • Paul Warren - Technical assistant
  • Andy Maxwell - Abbey Road assistance
  • Tommy Bosustow - Abbey Road assistance
  • Chris Gehringer - Mastering

Art

  • Jesse Lee Stout - Creative direction
  • Tiago Marinho - Artwork
  • Nick Fancher - Photography

Ninth album recording gallery

  • "Might as well! Good way to spend a Friday, chasing one of the all time great synth sounds 🦾" (video) (5th February 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "One of these kinda days ☺️❤️🍝" (16th February 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Brought a few toys from home into work 🤗🎹" (27th February 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "ty @kawaipianos for this beauty 🤍 sounding innnnnncredible 👌🏻" (12th March 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Who can name that tune?" (video) (12th March 2021; Matt's Instagram)

  • "Havin a blast with the @uaudio OX Amp top box. Making some naaaasty 🤘🏻 things and the OX is coming through in a huge way!..." (6th April 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Havin a blast with the @uaudio OX Amp top box. Making some naaaasty 🤘🏻 things and the OX is coming through in a huge way!..." (6th April 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Havin a blast with the @uaudio OX Amp top box. Making some naaaasty 🤘🏻 things and the OX is coming through in a huge way!..." (6th April 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Being Dom Malkovitch 🎨 @roxannebettycreative" (12th April 2021; Matt's Instagram)

  • "The producer still needs naps. He wanted to let you know the new album is sounding fat and to hope you are all keeping well and healthy 🙏🤟🏼🥁" (23rd April 2021; Dom's Instagram)

  • "Old fashioned time at the studio bar after a nice long week of tracking 🥃😌" (23rd April 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Studio dog best dog 😍" (13th June 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Good to be back" (24th July 2021; Muse's Instagram)

  • "Drum tracking with @muse at @abbeyroadstudios a couple months back. In my happy place with @domhoward77 and the gang 💕🎵" (8th November 2021; Adrian Bushby's Instagram)

  • "girl wouldn’t stop chewing on cables, so put her in my lap while working. not the most productive day but probs the cutest.🤍" (24th November 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "@muse" (1st December 2021; Chris Gehringer's Instagram)

  • "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (video) (25th December 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (25th December 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (25th December 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (25th December 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Spent the last year and a half in this space after putting it all together in the summer of 2020. ⁣As this Christmas is pretty much the first full break I’ve had since then - been nice to scroll back and reflect on things! Feelin grateful 🙌🏻 Happy Holidays y’all 🙂" (25th December 2021; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "THURSDAY! 1.13 #wontstanddown @muse 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻" (video) (10th January 2022; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "THURSDAY! 1.13 #wontstanddown @muse 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻" (10th January 2022; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "Don’t let your memes be dreams. Also, cabinets def sound better with a few @mansonguitarworks headstock shaped holes in em courtesy of Matt." (6th February 2022; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "I used this GuitarViol (Kind of half fretted mini cello with a guitar tuning) to record the pizzicato strings for the verse of #wontstanddown Recorded around 12-16 takes to sound orchestral. @muse" (video) (7th February 2022; Matt's Instagram)

  • "Coupla DPAs, a 122v, some a-ha…and boy you got a stew goin’ 🎻👨🏻‍🍳 Pizz strings on the guitarviol for Won’t Stand Down 🤘🏻" (7th February 2022; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

  • "@moogsynthesizers 16 channel Vocoder as featured on the new @muse single Compliance 💙💛♥️🤖 Plenty of amazing vocoders out there but there’s really nothing quite like this thing for me 🥰 I’ve had a ton of fun with it so far" (video) (18th March 2022; Aleks Von Korff's Instagram)

References

  1. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CYb-0PFL5xU/
  2. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CbLgvvBqtzI/
  3. ↑ https://www.qobuz.com/nl-nl/album/will-of-the-people-muse/k02hnfrjhdxrc
  4. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CbNtmvVsK45/
  5. ↑ https://willofthepeople.muse.mu/
  6. ↑ https://youtu.be/wGHqxU-63HM?t=292
  7. ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/muse-matt-bellamy-interview-coronavirus-quarantine-999208/
  8. ↑ https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/12884819/matt-bellamy-thought-jaded-hearts-club-were-the-beatles/
  9. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/Muse/comments/lxdvdb/new_album_on_the_way_confirmed/
  10. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CbLgvvBqtzI/
  11. ↑ https://youtu.be/BiD9f59oo1w
  12. ↑ https://themusicuniverse.com/muse-announces-will-people/
  13. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6KyANuNT8/
  14. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CP6Xo7IjPs1/
  15. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CWBaoDFtHHk/?utm_medium=copy_link
  16. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CRtsMriBtpm/
  17. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CTFAGKPjCx5/
  18. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CW9SHCXPtJy/
  19. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CYbuFCOKPfv/
  20. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/Muse/comments/t5fv8w/from_matts_instagram_story/
  21. ↑ https://youtu.be/nzHnwHzp9o4
  22. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CbLgvvBqtzI/
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