"If I Had a Heart" is a song performed, written, and produced by Swedish recording artist Fever Ray (Karin Dreijer). It was released as the lead single from their self-titled debut album, Fever Ray (2009), marking Ray's debut single as a solo artist, after their work with their previous band, The Knife. The track was first released digitally in Sweden and across Europe on 15 December 2008 by Rabid Records,[1] followed by a digital EP release on 26 January 2009.[2] It was later released on CD, 7", and 12" formats in early 2009.[3] The single's B-side premiered three days prior to the single release on Stereogum and is a remix of the track done by English experimental duo Fuck Buttons, the duo's maiden work as remixers.[4]
| "If I Had a Heart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| SinglebyFever Ray | ||||
| from the album Fever Ray | ||||
| Released | 15 December 2008 | |||
| Length | 3:50 | |||
| Label | Rabid | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Fever Ray | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Fever Ray singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "If I Had a Heart"onYouTube | ||||
The song takes on a generally unconventional, dark, and experimental style with its slow tempo, organ backing, repetitive synth beat, and distinct vocals. Dreijer teamed up with long-term production partner Christoffer Berg (well known for his work with The Knife) for the production of "If I Had a Heart". The single, like the rest of the tracks on Fever Ray, was written by Dreijer themself. The lyrics were inspired by observation of their young children — a motif evident in the lyrics "Dangling feet from window frame / Will they ever ever reach the floor / More give me more give me more".[5] Also featured on the single is a remix by Stockholm-based techno/electropop artist Familjen.[4] In a Q&A, Dreijer stated that they achieved the pulsating production in the song by sampling an acoustic guitar recording to make a loop.[6]
The official video, directed by Andreas Nilsson, was nominated for Best Indie/Alternative at the 2009 UK Music Video Awards.[7][8]
The single received universal acclaim from various music critics. Daily Music Guide likened the track to scenes from a film Jim Jarmusch would make, as well as to the Francis Ford Coppola film Apocalypse Now (1979). Their review went on to describe the song as "dark and hypnotic", and "[taking] an echo of a Native American cry, but still [...] maintaining the song's dark undertone."[9] Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork Media reviewed it as "a shivering, timely meditation on greed, immorality, and lust for power that dovetails nicely with AIG and Madoff."[10] Anthony Balderrama from Consequence of Sound positively opined that "the most notable quality of 'If I Had a Heart' is its similarity to some of the quieter tracks on Silent Shout, particularly 'From Off to On'", whilst describing it as "a four-minute dirge that bemoans inadequacy as much as it professes love."[11] PopMatters's Ian Mathers ranked "If I Had a Heart" among Ray's best work, boasting it as "[marrying her] more introspective side with something like the withdrawn inverse of Silent Shout's low, twinkling throb."[12] Graeme Thomson of The Observer labelled the track as an "ancient shamanic chant piped through an iPhone."[13]
In October 2011, NME placed it at number 145 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[14]
| Year | Category | Genre | Recording | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Music Video Awards | ||||
| 2009 | Best Indie/Alternative | Music Video | If I Had a Heart | Nominated |
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium Back Catalogue Singles (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] | 41 |