MGMT apologizes for how bad their first single is, makes zany viral video
Published on Tuesday 3/16/2010 @ 1:47 PM by the ALT REPORT Robot
After the complete disaster when they released the song “Flash Delirium”, MGMT has gone on record as ‘being sorry’ about how terrible the song was.
“When we first wrote that song, we were laughing so hard,” MGMT’s Ben Goldwasser tells Spinner. “Andrew [VanWyngarden] just reminded me of that — that we thought it was the funniest thing we’d ever heard. And then we got used to it, it started to sound more normal. It’s not a single, but we thought it was a good way to entice people to listen to the whole record. I’m sure there are plenty of people who think it’s completely weird and not what they were expecting. I’m sorry.”
Wonder if they are authentically ’sorry’ or if they are just bullshitting bc of ‘pressure from their label.’ Maybe their major label record company Sony/Columbia was ‘totally let down’ by the blog and twitter response to the song, and frantically made them issue a public apology, letting consumers know that this song is supposed to be the ‘outlier’ of their album. Worried they are micromanaging to achieve critical acceptance.
Is MGMT ‘pissing away’ their opportunity because they are too free-spirited and don’t value consumerism enough to take their position as a well-monetized mainstream indie band seriously?
In addition, MGMT claims that they ‘do not fit in with this world/society.’
“We’re trying to come to grips with that world,” he admits. “It’s not our world. We don’t feel comfortable in it. But we didn’t want to make that typical second album either, about fame. So we’re definitely observing it, as opposed to revelling in it.”
The band bros recently made a zany viral video to prove that they don’t fit in with this world.
Is marketing around some sort of drug brand a good way to reach tweens + the mainstream?
Is MGMT ‘letting every1 down’?
Who is responsible for the failure of MGMT? Their record label? Their creative vision?
Will MGMT sell records if they don’t release authentic pop songs?
Is MGMT’s “Congratulations” destined to flop?
77 comments to “MGMT apologizes for how bad their first single is, makes zany viral video”
March 16th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
FIRST
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March 16th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
only mnstrms will b ‘let down’
tru ‘alts’ don’t ‘expect anything’ from mgmt
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//////////Reply by asdfasdf
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
@kevbro, true dat
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//////////Reply by Flipster ////
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
@asdfasdf, Second. i never really knew what to think of MGMT.
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//////////Reply by SP
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
@asdfasdf,I couldn’t agree more. It may take a few listens to vibe with this song, but it’s really good and original. It’s just not the shit you would hear on FM radio.
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//////////Reply by stvo
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
@kevbro, true ‘alts’ don’t ‘expect anything’ from ‘anything’ bro
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March 16th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
shouldve ’stuck to their guns’, to borrow an old gun metaphor. now they seem like they’re trying to ‘break out of the mold’ they created for themselves but dont have enough genuine self-awareness/talent to do it in an authentic/relevant way.
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//////////Reply by Bro Face
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
@bro noir, hit it on the spot.
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//////////Reply by Brandon
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
@bro noir, ‘ere, ‘ere
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//////////Reply by Tim
//////////Posted March 24th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
This article impressed me as emotionally affected. Like a vendetta thing.. or by someone that hasn’t really ever created much themself.. except maybe reviews of other people’s music.
Have fun with that.
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//////////Reply by Brandon
//////////Posted March 24th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
@Tim, neat observation bro.
March 16th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
we can all keep enjoying as long as we keep the acid going
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//////////Reply by Eddie R.
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
@danne, the drugs make my brain hurt now. They make me feel hella depressed when i come off them. I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to a 4 yr university in the fall. My brain will be completely fried if I don’t chill. Can’t music be good with out the help of chemicals?
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//////////Reply by ternative=riotgrlll
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 7:26 am
@Eddie R.,
yep, feel like I’m post acid/marijuana/mescaline right now
and I only listen to fin de siecle music like Erik Satie, Gustav Mahler, Shoenberg
plus good chill wave like Torio Y moi or bonobo
I meditate a lot and am considering alcoholism
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//////////Reply by Acid Midget
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
@danne, i hear u. i really do.
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March 16th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
I didn’t even think the single was that bad…
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//////////Reply by brotini
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
@greentea, me either, ‘grew on me’
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March 16th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
is MGMT becoming the new ratatat?
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//////////Reply by \\\\\\\\\\
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
@dave, who dat?
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//////////Reply by brotini
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
@\\\\\, u dont know ratatat? wtf bro
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//////////Reply by danne
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
@brotini, r@@@
//////////Reply by SP
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
@brotini, This is the furthest thing from Ratatat bro.
March 16th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
do you think MGMT r sell outs?
do you think being signed to a major label makes you less ‘authentic’?
do you think their live act is a complete waste of time?
r they rly srry, or is it just a response 2 criticz?
r they just ‘covering their asses’?
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//////////Reply by Acid Midget
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
@kbro, r u gonna supply some motherfucking answers?
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March 16th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Is it a bit early to be writing a thesis about this?
should’nt we create opinions after we listen to the whole album?
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//////////Reply by Cpt. Fap
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
@Matthew, ya let’s just wait until P4k / every other media outlet forms an opinion before us so we’re ‘in the clear’. ><
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March 16th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
I liked “Flash Delerium.” I think the album will be a good listen. most people will prob expect “kids” “time to pretend” tracks on it, so if it does’t have “that sound” they wont like it. Also it’s one single, if it is even a single, give them a chance
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March 16th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
i guess they need better management
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//////////Reply by Cpt. Fap
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
@subetaks, BOOSH.
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//////////Reply by AnarchyTears
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
@subetaks, lolz
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March 16th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Saying “I’m sorry if people don’t like it,” is not an apology. Get a clue, fools.
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March 16th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Hate how cool it is to hate MGMT. Why such hate for great pop songs? Why such hate for a trippy ‘joke’ track whose purpose was for people to go ‘wtf’? How do we all hate ‘Congratulations’ before its release/actually listening to it? Fckin hate you guys sometimes.
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//////////Reply by chong
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
@Cranky 40something VICER, dude im so cool cause i hate managment
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//////////Reply by AstroCandy
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
@chong, seriously bro. it’s like my respect for the hro community always drops when I read a MGMT post.
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March 16th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Feel like their label pressured them into releasing a track on the internet prematurely, thinking that alts will listen to ‘anything released on a blog’. they were wrong.
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//////////Reply by MGMT
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
@mmmmark, except everyone listened to it…and talked about it…so they were right…
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//////////Reply by mmmmark
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
@MGMT, true they all ‘heard’ it, but did they really ‘listen’? lol jk but srsly, the label wanted positive hype out of this mp3 and all they got was ‘meh’. the internet was going to talk about the next mgmt album anyway, and whether it was ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is irrelevant to that point. feel like the tepid response followed by a ‘we thought the song was funny LOL’ only warrants them a p4k 6.3 when the label wanted at least an 8.1. we can judge more after a 2nd mp3 comes out, but right now, hype factor not in mgmts favor.
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March 16th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
it’s a bit soon to just be releasing viral videos like that. if they’re truly sorry about the mp3 incident they’ll take some ‘time off to reflect’ and ’seek guidance’ via better producers. by 2K11 the blog cycle will be ready to offer them a shot at a redemption arc. these kids better get their shit together.
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//////////Reply by \\\\\\\\\\
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 11:12 am
@eric the chill, should they hire Timbaland or 9th Wonder?
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March 16th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
yeah, glad they apologized…that song was HORRIBLE
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March 16th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
i think everything they are doing is awesome. so funny. they are doing the complete opposite of what everyone wants them to do
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March 16th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
I loved this song, and it pisses me off that they are apologizing for it.
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March 16th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I like how fun, but totally conventional groups like MGMT think their music is too “edgy” and “weird” for main/alt-stream American. Bros: you made a boring song that only your diehard, buzzband-lovin’ fans praised. Deal with it. You aren’t, say, Liars and you didn’t release “Broken Witch” as a single (now *that* would qualify as a ’sry 4 being 2 weird 4 u’ song).
What’s next? Tarantino complaining that his work is too “avant-garde” for American audiences?
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March 16th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
fuck that shit. mgmt r fuckin pussies
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March 16th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Wow, just wow, MGMT is such a soap opera these days
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March 16th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
angry that album was recorded in mnstrm socal.
angry that oldster weirdo from Spectrum helped w/album.
angry that some indie bands are getting so weird – likes trad & twee indie pop w/touch of whimsy.
wishes that mgmt made album in bushwick or billyburg w/auth midwestern bearded alts helping.
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March 16th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
THIS COMMENT IS NOT RELATED TO THIS POST.
I love Avey Tare <3
ps MGMT suck, ever since Time to Pretend they sorta lost it. Sorry bros but y'all did.
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March 16th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
I liked Flash Delirium… but I guess I’ll have to wait until P4K tells me what to think!!!111lolz
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//////////Reply by brahtato chip
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 11:55 am
@pants, lulz me 2
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March 16th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
they will never be as good as limp bizkit
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//////////Reply by generk witty cmmnt
//////////Posted March 16th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
@fake name,
‘I did it all for the ______.’
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March 16th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
i havnt herd the trak, since i live on a ‘tug’ boat w/o 3g capabilities and only listen to cassettes [via authenticity]
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March 16th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
//i have nothing to say about this ’cause I dont care//
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//////////Reply by brahtato chip
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 11:56 am
@OhNoOhMy, i love you all the time
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//////////Reply by bbones
//////////Posted March 17th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
@brahtato chip, except when you are mine.
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March 16th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
why do u guys ‘put everything in quotes?’
and ‘ask a lot of questions?’
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//////////Reply by OhNoOhMy
//////////Posted March 22nd, 2010 at 1:53 am
@tilatequila, <<<WHY??
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March 16th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Feel like MGMT thought it was a ‘totally sweet song,’ so they/their label put it out, but when it was received negatively, they swiftly responded, calling the single a ‘joke’ to redeem themselves. Possibly….
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March 16th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
all their releases are shit, pls stop talking about them
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March 16th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
do not want.
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March 17th, 2010 at 2:33 am
I love this song so much. It just works.
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March 17th, 2010 at 7:15 am
Stupid post
The “sell out/not sell out” debate is clearly for third grade retards…anyone who manufactures records or puts them online on paying sites is here to sell ‘em anyways.
The guy from MGMT isn’t really “sorry” if you read correctly and arent just focused on having a saucy baseline
AND more importantly the song is actually pretty dope, and checking various blogs etc i didnt notice a particular “catastrophic” response…
Oh well, another silly blog trying to create “polemics” out of nothing, and not even being funny. Complete failure.
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March 17th, 2010 at 8:41 am
“Andrew [VanWyngarden] just reminded me of that — that we thought it was the funniest thing we’d ever heard. And then we got used to it, it started to sound more normal. It’s not a single, but…”
This just reeks of backpedaling. I really don’t think the song was that ‘out there’/bad. Feel like they/their record label takes themselves way to seriously. Don’t think this mp3 helped/hurt anyones opinion of MGMT.
They should have just let this “complete disaster” get lost in blogchatter. No one is going to remember this in 0.5 blogyears.
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March 17th, 2010 at 10:29 am
I genuinely think the song is pretty good. What if Of Montreal put it out?? The blogs would be abuzz…this is a perfect example of a major record label micromanaging and ‘calling the shots’. The band did/didn’t want to put out a single. They did because of label pressure/because they wanted to. The label doesn’t like the blogosphere response and tells them to run damage control in Spinner or any other lame zine they can geta n interview in.
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March 17th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
why is there so much hate in this world? Yall should be ashamed of yourselves for ‘hating’
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March 17th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
This song was great, original, and fun. From the beginning to end it was like a story. It started out one way and ended sounding totally different, which I thought was really good. The psychadelic sound was a great step up for MGMT. Only mainstreamers would not enjoy this. It wouldn’t work well on FM radio or Gossip Girl.
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March 17th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
I liked it? It took me to the third listen to really start getting into it but it grows on you. Mainstreamers are expecting the exact same things they heard before, they want another Kids or Time to Pretend, but if they do that, in the long run, everyone’s gonna be all “LOLOMGZ THUR SO NOT DIVERSE N SHIT. THEY DO THA SAME STUFF OVR N OVR.”
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March 19th, 2010 at 12:19 am
has the p4rk review it yet? because i don’t know how i feel about it until it does.
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March 21st, 2010 at 5:57 pm
I have been very annoyed for a week now, ever since I found out someone’s leaked the new album. Just because I want to listen to it so bad, but I don’t want to illegally download it and listen to the ‘not real thing’. I want to get a copy of the CD first. But then again I could go listen to the album and form an opinion RIGHT NOW if I wanted to…
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March 27th, 2010 at 8:55 am
This article is ridiculous. “After the complete disaster when they released the song “Flash Delirium”, MGMT has gone on record as ‘being sorry’ about how terrible the song was.” Sure, Flash Delirium may be a strange first release and sure, Congratulations may be an odd departure from their wildly successful Oracular Spectacular, but come on be a little more open minded. I’ve heard the new album and I am more than blown away. They are simply showing what else they are capable of musically, and I think it was the right move to release an album like this so they don’t pidgin hole themselves into one genre. This quote is the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever read: “Is MGMT ‘pissing away’ their opportunity because they are too free-spirited and don’t value consumerism enough to take their position as a well-monetized mainstream indie band seriously?” Are you serious? Fuck consumerism, and fuck taking their position as a well-monetized mainstream indie band seriously. I hope that quote was a joke. Since when has being free spirited been a bad thing? The best art comes from being free spirited and having a lot of courage to defy the bastards who say the bullshit just mentioned above. Listen to the album with an open mind and don’t compare it to Oracular Spectacular. That was Oracular Spectacular and this is Congratulations.
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//////////Reply by austin
//////////Posted April 14th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
@Redbeard,
Are you in the band?
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April 5th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
These guys are WeeN dressed up as kids.
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April 12th, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Fuck you MGMT, and your integrity. Do you people really think that “Kids” is a mainstream worthy pop song? Let alone “electric feel” and “time to pretend”? Guess what? They are NOT. I can understand if you don’t believe that, because it is likely that you are very far removed from the mainstream in general. MGMT has a pretty unique sound with those songs, and just because people like that “sound” it does nOt mean that it’s wrong to wish for more and not enjoy this psychedelic rock album. If you don’t understand that, then obviously you haven’t seen this video yet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAO4EVMlpwM
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//////////Reply by lisap
//////////Posted April 17th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
What’s all the fuss about the new album?
Why don’t we just all enjoy it?
And for all those people out there who don’t like it, get over it, it’s their style, it’s the kind of music they want to make.
I’m getting really tired of all this.
Flash Delirium is a masterpiece, in my opinion.
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//////////Reply by lisap
//////////Posted April 17th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
@Robosauce, Sorry this wasn’t supposed to be a reply to your comment.
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April 30th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Its not an apology at all, its a sarcastic way of saying FUCK YOU
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May 25th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
If mainstream society weren’t so #$%#$^ing STUPID, it might be easier to market music openmindedly. I’ll have you know that I bought Oracular Spectacular, listened to it, and felt so empty that I went and got Congratulations a few minutes later. The latter is much more memorable than anything on OS. It’s a shame that people can’t enjoy good music and expect everything to be dance-y. Give yourselves more credit, club kids. You weren’t born to be mindless; somewhere you just lost your way.
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