| "Supernatural Superserious" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by R.E.M. | ||||
| from the album Accelerate | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | February 11, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2007 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:25 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| R.E.M. singles chronology | ||||
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"Supernatural Superserious" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. It is the first single and third track from the band's fourteenth album Accelerate and premiered on now defunct New York City radio station WRXP on February 5, 2008, without the consent of Warner Bros. Records. The single was first released on February 11, 2008 as an MP3, and February 25, 2008 on CD. Michael Stipe considers the song to be "one of the best things we've ever wrote."[2]
Like most of the songs on Accelerate, it made its debut during the band's "working rehearsals" at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin between June 30 and July 5, 2007, in an unfinished form with the name "Disguised"; the song appears on Live at The Olympia in this form. Its title was changed on the advice of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.[3]
The song itself proved an early success, entering the UK Singles Chart at number 54 on downloads, before its official physical release, although—unlike most of R.E.M.'s lead singles in the UK—it was not a hit there. It also became R.E.M.'s first song since 2001's "Imitation of Life" to enter more than two charts and to chart on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, with an entry position of number 36, eventually reaching 21. The other chart that the song charted was the Billboard Hot 100 where it reached number 85. It is also the band's final appearance on the Hot 100 chart.[4] The song reached number one in Norway, becoming the band's only chart-topper there, and also reached the top 30 in several other European countries, including Belgium, Italy, and Sweden.
The song was used by ESPN as part of their coverage of Major League Baseball's 2008 Opening Day. It was also featured in the film He's Just Not That Into You.
A special 7" single was released to commemorate Record Store Day on April 19, 2008, in the US. The single was made available exclusively for participating stores along with special releases from Björk and Death Cab for Cutie.
- ^ a b Breihan, Tom (September 29, 2020). "The Number Ones Bonus Tracks: R.E.M.'s "Supernatural Superserious". Stereogum. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
But there's also a real garage-rock crunch to the central riff, and there's some hip-shaking strut to the beat. It's an urgent rocker...
- ^ Jesse Thorn (May 24, 2022). "Michael Stipe: Michael Stipe on his new music, photography and more". npr.org (Podcast). Maximum Fun. Event occurs at 29:01. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
It's some of my best work.
- ^ "REM: Chris Martin named our new single". NME.com. March 26, 2008.
- ^ "R.E.M.: Supernatural Superserious (Track Review)". prefixmag.com. February 8, 2008. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.