Kids (MGMT song)
Encyclopedia
"Kids" is the third single from MGMT
's album Oracular Spectacular
. It was released as a single on October 13, 2008.
The song was the center of a legal dispute with the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy
, over the "insulting" compensation he offered for his illegal use of the song during a party conference.
Rolling Stone
s Kevin O'Donnell described the song as, "a noisy New Order
-style synth jam".
The version that appears on Oracular Spectacular is updated from earlier versions that appear on the group's EPs Time to Pretend
(2005) and We (Don't) Care (2004). A track entitled "Kids (Afterschool Dance Megamix)" appears on the album Climbing to New Lows
(2005).
On December 1, 2009, the track was announced as a nominee at the 52nd Grammy Awards
in the category Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.
chart, where "Time to Pretend
" had previously peaked at #23.
NME
named it the number-one song on its list of the Best Singles of 2008. In October 2011, NME
placed it at number 99 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Two months after exiting the UK Top 40, the song was featured in an advertisement for the BBC1 program Waterloo Road
. From this the song gained renewed interest, re-entering the UK Top 40, and on January 16, 2009, the song reached its highest position to date of #16.
"Kids" came in at #5 on Australia's Triple J Hottest 100
countdown for 2008.
The single received considerable airplay in the U.S.
, UK
, Ireland
and Australia
before the release date, charting in the UK, Ireland and Australia. In Australia, "Kids" debuted before the release date at #89, and currently it has peaked at #30, playing on radio stations like Nova. A Soulwax
remix of the song was played heavily on UK radio ahead its official release as well.
The song got to the number one spot on the Norwegian chart, based on downloads alone. This made some controversy about how reliable the chart was, as the song had not been playlisted on any major radio stations and it disappeared from the chart the next week.
. The song was also featured in the Quiksilver
and Red Bull
snowboarding film, That's It, That's All, as the final song in Taylor Steele's surf movie Stranger Than Fiction, in episode 6 the BBC
's Survivors
, as the trailer song in the documentary American Teen
, a trailer for Channel 4 show Big Art, the skiing film Reasons, the 2008 film American Teen
, in the second episode of Paris Hilton's British Best Friend
, and in season 2 episode 19 of Gossip Girl
, "The Grandfather". The song has also made appearances as background music in the fourth and fifth series of the BBC One
British drama Waterloo Road
, on the BBC Three
show The Real Hustle
and in the Staples Center
at X Games XV
. It is also featured in the pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries
, played near the end of the 2009 film Whip It, and in the fifth episode of the third season
of The Secret Life of the American Teenager
. In the seventh series of Shameless
, part of the song was briefly played in one of the episodes. On the Nokia
's website, they promoted their newest phone, the Nokia N8
. In all videos (commercials and introductions to features), Kids was remixed by Nokia and played.
It is also featured prominently in the documentary "Tapped", about bottled water. It plays during several scenes near the end and over the credits. The song is also played in the trailer for the film "Africa United" and may be used in the sound track.
. Sarkozy's UMP
party used the song on several occasions, before offering the band a €1 gesture. Eventually, UMP reached an agreement on a €30,000 (US$38,000) settlement fee. The band donated the settlement to a charity for Haiti earthquake victims.
the following month. The video features two people lip-syncing to the song, which frequently cuts to various clips from other YouTube videos featuring people dancing. It has since been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube (link). MGMT later invited the participants to join them for the official video of "Electric Feel
".
On June 3, 2009, MGMT released the official music video for the song "Kids". It was directed by Ray Tintori
, who directed MGMT's previous videos for "Time to Pretend
" and "Electric Feel
." The video follows a toddler menaced by monsters that his inattentive mother (played by Joanna Newsom
) cannot see. The quote at the beginning of the video attributed to Mark Twain
is actually a quote from Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil
. The video has been criticized for its treatment of the toddler who appears to be truly frightened throughout the video, though it is stated on the MGMT website "No children were harmed in the making of this video." In addition, the band released a "behind the scenes" video through its official YouTube channel that shows the toddler laughing while interacting with the puppets and actors in monster costumes. The animated sequence was done by Christy Karacas, director of the Superjail! TV series, as well as Henry Thurlow and Lizzi Akana. It is an indubitable homage to the work of early French animator Emile Cohl
. The music video seems to personify the corruption of an innocent child by society, society being the monster, or "the abyss" as stated in the beginning of the music video.
The video was critiqued on the eighth season premiere of Beavis and Butt-head
, "Werewolves of Highland
".
in August 2008, to appear on the next volume of Triple J
's cover compilation Like a Version
. Another acoustic version by Australian singer Ben Lee
appears on the bonus CD from his 2009 album The Rebirth of Venus
. Cage the Elephant
covered the song as a b-side to their 2009 single Back Against the Wall. DJ AM and Travis Barker also used the song on their mix tape album "Fix Your Face Vol.2: Coachella 09". Sebastian Ingrosso
sampled the song in his 2009 house song, "Kidsos".
The song has been covered live by Weezer
(in a medley with "Poker Face
" by Lady Gaga
), Chiddy Bang
, The Moth and the Mirror, Mac Miller, Jack's Mannequin
, Our Lady Peace
, Lady Danville
, B.o.B
VIC
, A Modest Proposal, Matt Hires
The Neon Rush, and Swedish indie rock
band Vinklad.
Covered also by Cage The Elephant
during a BBC acoustic session.
In 2010, the funereal doom/death band Ankhagram from Russia did a unique cover of the song on their 2010 full length album, entitled "Where Are You Now."
As well as performing the song live, Chiddy Bang also remixed the song as Opposite of Adults
off their album Chiddy Bang: The Preview
in 2010.
In early 2011 a song entitled Opposite of Adults by Mac Miller was leaked onto the internet. The song features the same tune as Kids and also features some similar lyrics.
|-
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|UK Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|99
|-
|-
! Country
! Provider
! Certification
! Sales
|-
| United States
| RIAA
| Platinum
| 1,000,000+
|-
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
's album Oracular Spectacular
Oracular Spectacular
Oracular Spectacular is the first major label studio album by American psychedelic rock band MGMT, released digitally October 2, 2007 on Columbia Records, available in CD & LP formats from January 22, 2008 by Red Ink Records. The album, which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, was nominated...
. It was released as a single on October 13, 2008.
The song was the center of a legal dispute with the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
, over the "insulting" compensation he offered for his illegal use of the song during a party conference.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s Kevin O'Donnell described the song as, "a noisy New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
-style synth jam".
The version that appears on Oracular Spectacular is updated from earlier versions that appear on the group's EPs Time to Pretend
Time to Pretend EP
-Quotes:"MGMT finally forayed with their first single, 'Time to Pretend' -- an understated anthem among inhabitants of Athens." – Julia Norman...
(2005) and We (Don't) Care (2004). A track entitled "Kids (Afterschool Dance Megamix)" appears on the album Climbing to New Lows
Climbing to New Lows
-Reviews:*"Climbing to New Lows—a catchy demo set from their undergrad days—will make anyone see what attracted the bigwigs at Columbia in the first place. With music and lyrics centered around innocence and sincerity..." – Andrea Domanick, Tiny Mix Tapes Reviews -External links:*...
(2005).
On December 1, 2009, the track was announced as a nominee at the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
in the category Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.
Reception
To date, the single has peaked at #9 on the US Billboard Modern Rock TracksModern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart, where "Time to Pretend
Time to Pretend
-Reception:"Time to Pretend is a space-rock gem that mocks the clichéd coke-and-hookers rock-star lifestyle, over big synth whooshes." – Kevin O'Donnell, Rolling Stone...
" had previously peaked at #23.
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
named it the number-one song on its list of the Best Singles of 2008. In October 2011, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
placed it at number 99 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Two months after exiting the UK Top 40, the song was featured in an advertisement for the BBC1 program Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road (TV series)
Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
. From this the song gained renewed interest, re-entering the UK Top 40, and on January 16, 2009, the song reached its highest position to date of #16.
"Kids" came in at #5 on Australia's Triple J Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
The 2008 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on Australia Day, 26 January 2009. It was the sixteenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station, Triple J....
countdown for 2008.
The single received considerable airplay in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
before the release date, charting in the UK, Ireland and Australia. In Australia, "Kids" debuted before the release date at #89, and currently it has peaked at #30, playing on radio stations like Nova. A Soulwax
Soulwax
Soulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
remix of the song was played heavily on UK radio ahead its official release as well.
The song got to the number one spot on the Norwegian chart, based on downloads alone. This made some controversy about how reliable the chart was, as the song had not been playlisted on any major radio stations and it disappeared from the chart the next week.
Use in media
Kids was selected for the soundtrack for the video game FIFA 09FIFA 09
FIFA 09 is the 2008 installment of Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released in October 2008 for Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii,...
. The song was also featured in the Quiksilver
Quiksilver
Quiksilver, Inc. , is an American company based in Huntington Beach, California, one of the world's largest manufacturers of surfwear and other boardsport-related equipment...
and Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
snowboarding film, That's It, That's All, as the final song in Taylor Steele's surf movie Stranger Than Fiction, in episode 6 the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Survivors
Survivors (2008 TV Series)
Survivors is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC. It depicts the lives of a group of people who survived a virulent strain of heretofore unknown influenza which has wiped out most of the human race...
, as the trailer song in the documentary American Teen
American Teen
American Teen is a 2008 documentary film directed by Nanette Burstein and produced by 57th & Irving. It competed in the Documentary Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Directing Award: Documentary...
, a trailer for Channel 4 show Big Art, the skiing film Reasons, the 2008 film American Teen
American Teen
American Teen is a 2008 documentary film directed by Nanette Burstein and produced by 57th & Irving. It competed in the Documentary Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Directing Award: Documentary...
, in the second episode of Paris Hilton's British Best Friend
Paris Hilton's British Best Friend
Paris Hilton's British Best Friend is a British reality television show where Paris Hilton searches for her new British best friend and is the second incarnation of the My New BFF franchise....
, and in season 2 episode 19 of Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
, "The Grandfather". The song has also made appearances as background music in the fourth and fifth series of the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
British drama Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road (TV series)
Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
, on the BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
show The Real Hustle
The Real Hustle
The Real Hustle is a BBC television series made by Objective Productions and written by Alexis Conran and Paul Wilson. The show demonstrates confidence and magic tricks, distraction scams and proposition bets performed on members of the public by presenters Conran, Wilson and Jessica-Jane Clement...
and in the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
at X Games XV
X Games XV
X Games XV was the fifteenth annual X Games. It was an action sporting event which took place from July 30 - August 2, 2009 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and the Home Depot Center...
. It is also featured in the pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries (TV series)
The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW Television Network on September 10, 2009, and is currently in its third season that...
, played near the end of the 2009 film Whip It, and in the fifth episode of the third season
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (Season 3)
The third season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, an American television series created by Brenda Hampton, debuted on the ABC Family television network on Monday, June 7, 2010 at 8:00 PM....
of The Secret Life of the American Teenager
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
The Secret Life of the American Teenager is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton. It first aired on ABC Family on July 1, 2008. The show was renewed for a second season consisting of 24 episodes on February 9, 2009, which began airing on June 22, 2009...
. In the seventh series of Shameless
Shameless
Shameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
, part of the song was briefly played in one of the episodes. On the Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
's website, they promoted their newest phone, the Nokia N8
Nokia N8
The Nokia N8 is a Symbian^3 smartphone of the Nokia Nseries and Nokia's flagship device of 2010. It was released on 23 September 2010 at the Nokia Online Store before being released in markets around the world on 1 October 2010. The N8 features a 12 megapixel camera, a pentaband 3.5G radio and...
. In all videos (commercials and introductions to features), Kids was remixed by Nokia and played.
It is also featured prominently in the documentary "Tapped", about bottled water. It plays during several scenes near the end and over the credits. The song is also played in the trailer for the film "Africa United" and may be used in the sound track.
Legal proceedings
MGMT was involved in a legal dispute with the President of France, Nicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
. Sarkozy's UMP
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
party used the song on several occasions, before offering the band a €1 gesture. Eventually, UMP reached an agreement on a €30,000 (US$38,000) settlement fee. The band donated the settlement to a charity for Haiti earthquake victims.
Music videos
A fan made video was created in December 2007 and uploaded to YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
the following month. The video features two people lip-syncing to the song, which frequently cuts to various clips from other YouTube videos featuring people dancing. It has since been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube (link). MGMT later invited the participants to join them for the official video of "Electric Feel
Electric Feel
-Quotations:"Electric Feel is a shunting single that cobbles together the instrumental roving of Gary Numan, the high pitch vocal provocation of Scissor Sisters and tops it off with a Timo Maas vibe that varies in impact. Worldly, boundary crossing expressionism is the end result...
".
On June 3, 2009, MGMT released the official music video for the song "Kids". It was directed by Ray Tintori
Ray Tintori
Ray Tintori is an American director who has directed short films and music videos for bands MGMT, Chairlift, The Cool Kids, Boy Crisis, and The Killers. Tintori graduated from Wesleyan University in 2006, where he studied film, and from LaGuardia High School in Manhattan in 2001, where he was a...
, who directed MGMT's previous videos for "Time to Pretend
Time to Pretend
-Reception:"Time to Pretend is a space-rock gem that mocks the clichéd coke-and-hookers rock-star lifestyle, over big synth whooshes." – Kevin O'Donnell, Rolling Stone...
" and "Electric Feel
Electric Feel
-Quotations:"Electric Feel is a shunting single that cobbles together the instrumental roving of Gary Numan, the high pitch vocal provocation of Scissor Sisters and tops it off with a Timo Maas vibe that varies in impact. Worldly, boundary crossing expressionism is the end result...
." The video follows a toddler menaced by monsters that his inattentive mother (played by Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
) cannot see. The quote at the beginning of the video attributed to Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
is actually a quote from Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil
Beyond Good and Evil
Beyond Good and Evil is a book by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1886.It takes up and expands on the ideas of his previous work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, but approached from a more critical, polemical direction....
. The video has been criticized for its treatment of the toddler who appears to be truly frightened throughout the video, though it is stated on the MGMT website "No children were harmed in the making of this video." In addition, the band released a "behind the scenes" video through its official YouTube channel that shows the toddler laughing while interacting with the puppets and actors in monster costumes. The animated sequence was done by Christy Karacas, director of the Superjail! TV series, as well as Henry Thurlow and Lizzi Akana. It is an indubitable homage to the work of early French animator Emile Cohl
Émile Cohl
Émile Cohl , born Émile Eugène Jean Louis Courtet, was a French caricaturist of the largely forgotten Incoherent Movement, cartoonist, and animator, called "The Father of the Animated Cartoon" and "The Oldest Parisian".-Biography:Émile's father Elie was a rubber salesman, and his mother, Emilie...
. The music video seems to personify the corruption of an innocent child by society, society being the monster, or "the abyss" as stated in the beginning of the music video.
The video was critiqued on the eighth season premiere of Beavis and Butt-head
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
, "Werewolves of Highland
Werewolves of Highland
"Werewolves of Highland" is the first episode of Season 8 and 201st episode overall of the American animated television series Beavis and Butt-head. It is notable for being the first episode of the series' revival after its initial cancellation in 1997...
".
Cover versions
An acoustic version of "Kids" was recorded by The KooksThe Kooks
The Kooks are an English indie rock band formed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2001. Formed by Luke Pritchard , Hugh Harris , Paul Garred , and Max Rafferty , the lineup of the band remained constant until 2008 and the departure of Rafferty...
in August 2008, to appear on the next volume of Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's cover compilation Like a Version
Like A Version
Like a Version is a segment on the Australian radio station Triple J. It was created by Mel Bampton as part of the Mel in the Morning program. Currently the segment pops up whenever artists are available and willing to do it, though mainly on the Breakfast show...
. Another acoustic version by Australian singer Ben Lee
Ben Lee
Benjamin Michael "Ben" Lee is an ARIA Award winning musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake...
appears on the bonus CD from his 2009 album The Rebirth of Venus
The Rebirth of Venus
The Rebirth of Venus is the seventh studio album by Australian indie pop musician Ben Lee, released on 10 February 2009 by New West Records....
. Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in mid-2006. Since their formation, the band has gained a large following in the US as well as the UK and Canada for their sound and their high-energy live performances. The band released their self-titled debut...
covered the song as a b-side to their 2009 single Back Against the Wall. DJ AM and Travis Barker also used the song on their mix tape album "Fix Your Face Vol.2: Coachella 09". Sebastian Ingrosso
Sebastian Ingrosso
Sebastian Ingrosso is a Swedish DJ and producer of Italian descent. Born in Grahamstown, South Africa but raised in Solna, Sweden. Sebastian spent his teenage years in his fathers studio learning how to make music, with his first official remix released on Mega Records in 1999...
sampled the song in his 2009 house song, "Kidsos".
The song has been covered live by Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
(in a medley with "Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
" by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
), Chiddy Bang
Chiddy Bang
Chiddy Bang is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group consists of Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege and Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin. The duo was introduced through former band member Zachary Sewall in late 2008 during their freshman year at Drexel University, in...
, The Moth and the Mirror, Mac Miller, Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin is an American rock band formed in 2004, originally hailing from Orange County, California. The band began as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the frontman for Something Corporate, and is composed of guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey "The Kid" Wagner, and drummer Jay...
, Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
, Lady Danville
Lady Danville
Lady Danville is a Los Angeles based indie pop band that officially formed in 2007.- History :...
, B.o.B
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
VIC
VIC (band)
VIC were an Irish five-piece rock band from Dublin who had been described by Jackie Hayden of Hot Press Magazine as possessing a "pop sensibility which feels completely unique". On the 12th of September 2010, the members announced that they were "closing the VIC chapter" and relaunching as a new...
, A Modest Proposal, Matt Hires
Matt Hires
Matt Hires is an American singer-songwriter from Tampa, Florida. Drawing inspiration from influences as disparate as The Band, Sufjan Stevens, Wilco and Ryan Adams, Matt became the first artist to sign with F-Stop Music, an imprint of Atlantic Records.- Biography :As a cabinet store worker by day...
The Neon Rush, and Swedish indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Vinklad.
Covered also by Cage The Elephant
Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in mid-2006. Since their formation, the band has gained a large following in the US as well as the UK and Canada for their sound and their high-energy live performances. The band released their self-titled debut...
during a BBC acoustic session.
In 2010, the funereal doom/death band Ankhagram from Russia did a unique cover of the song on their 2010 full length album, entitled "Where Are You Now."
As well as performing the song live, Chiddy Bang also remixed the song as Opposite of Adults
Opposite of Adults
"Opposite of Adults" is a 2010 single from American band Chiddy Bang. It was released in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2010 and samples "Kids" by MGMT. It was released in the United States on April 20, 2010. It was released online to blogs under the name "Kids" approximately one year prior to...
off their album Chiddy Bang: The Preview
Chiddy Bang: The Preview
The Preview is an EP by American group, Chiddy Bang. It was released in early October, 2010. It will stand as a placeholder until their album Breakfast is released in late 2011. It did very well in sales and ranked #2 in iTunes sales for hip-hop/rap category...
in 2010.
In early 2011 a song entitled Opposite of Adults by Mac Miller was leaked onto the internet. The song features the same tune as Kids and also features some similar lyrics.
Track listing
Cover Versions and Remixes
- "Kids" featured on We (Don't) CareWe (Don't) CareWe Care was the first release by the rock band MGMT . Newer versions of the tracks "Love Always Remains" and "Kids" were later released on MGMT's Cantora Records release Time to Pretend EP and additional versions of "Kids" appear on both their major-label debut Oracular Spectacular and their...
(2004) (as The Management) – 5:11 - "Kids (Afterschool Dance Megamix)" featured on Climbing to New LowsClimbing to New Lows-Reviews:*"Climbing to New Lows—a catchy demo set from their undergrad days—will make anyone see what attracted the bigwigs at Columbia in the first place. With music and lyrics centered around innocence and sincerity..." – Andrea Domanick, Tiny Mix Tapes Reviews -External links:*...
(2005) (as The Management) – 6:07 - "Kids" featured on Time to Pretend (EP) (2005) – 5:28
- "Kids" featured on Oracular SpectacularOracular SpectacularOracular Spectacular is the first major label studio album by American psychedelic rock band MGMT, released digitally October 2, 2007 on Columbia Records, available in CD & LP formats from January 22, 2008 by Red Ink Records. The album, which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, was nominated...
(2007) – 5:02 - "Kids (Vocal Mix)" featured on CD Single (2008) – 5:03
- "Kids" (Soulwax remix)" featured on CD Single (2008) – 4:35
- "Kids" (Datsik remix) - 3:43
- "Kids" (performed by Mo Sabri)- 3:21
- "Kids (PSB Abstrakt Mix)" remixed by Pet Shop BoysPet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
and featured on their homepage (2008) – 5:39 - "Kids (PSB Synthpop mix)" remixed by Pet Shop Boys and featured on their homepage (2008) – 6:11
- "Kids (radio edit)" featured on Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
(2008) – 3:50 - "Kids" (performed by Cage The ElephantCage the ElephantCage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in mid-2006. Since their formation, the band has gained a large following in the US as well as the UK and Canada for their sound and their high-energy live performances. The band released their self-titled debut...
) Acoustic Live at BBC Radio 1 Lounge (2008) - "Kids" (performed by Dr. Fox's Old Timey String Band) featured on their homepage (2008) – 3:37
- "Kids" (performed by Jack's MannequinJack's MannequinJack's Mannequin is an American rock band formed in 2004, originally hailing from Orange County, California. The band began as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the frontman for Something Corporate, and is composed of guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey "The Kid" Wagner, and drummer Jay...
) Live at the LIVE 105 studios San Francisco (2008)- 3:03 - "Kids" (performed by Jack's MannequinJack's MannequinJack's Mannequin is an American rock band formed in 2004, originally hailing from Orange County, California. The band began as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the frontman for Something Corporate, and is composed of guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey "The Kid" Wagner, and drummer Jay...
) Live at the "Viper Room" (2008) - 2:42 - "Kids" (performed by The KooksThe KooksThe Kooks are an English indie rock band formed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2001. Formed by Luke Pritchard , Hugh Harris , Paul Garred , and Max Rafferty , the lineup of the band remained constant until 2008 and the departure of Rafferty...
) featured on Like a VersionLike A VersionLike a Version is a segment on the Australian radio station Triple J. It was created by Mel Bampton as part of the Mel in the Morning program. Currently the segment pops up whenever artists are available and willing to do it, though mainly on the Breakfast show...
: Volume Five (2009) – 2:55 - "Kids" (performed by Ben LeeBen LeeBenjamin Michael "Ben" Lee is an ARIA Award winning musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake...
) on the bonus CD from The Rebirth of VenusThe Rebirth of VenusThe Rebirth of Venus is the seventh studio album by Australian indie pop musician Ben Lee, released on 10 February 2009 by New West Records....
(2009) – 2:55 - "Kids" (performed by WeezerWeezerWeezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
) at the KROQ Weenie Roast (2009)- 4:43 - "Opposite of AdultsOpposite of Adults"Opposite of Adults" is a 2010 single from American band Chiddy Bang. It was released in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2010 and samples "Kids" by MGMT. It was released in the United States on April 20, 2010. It was released online to blogs under the name "Kids" approximately one year prior to...
" (performed by Chiddy BangChiddy BangChiddy Bang is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group consists of Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege and Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin. The duo was introduced through former band member Zachary Sewall in late 2008 during their freshman year at Drexel University, in...
samples Kids)- 3:14 - "Kids" (performed by Austin Geraci) live (2009) - 2:44
- "Kids" (performed by Lady DanvilleLady DanvilleLady Danville is a Los Angeles based indie pop band that officially formed in 2007.- History :...
) live (2010) - 4:17 - "Kids" (performed by B.o.B.B.O.B.B.O.B. is a video game that was released in 1993. It is a side-scrolling game developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Foley Hi-Tech Systems, and published by Electronic Arts. It is both a 2D shooter and a platform game, and is available for both the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega...
) live (2010) - "Kids" (performed by Vanilla Beans) (2010)
- "Kids" (performed by M0-AB ft. SeEnA) (2011)
Charts
| Chart (2008/2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
21 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 43 |
| Belgian Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... Singles (Flanders) |
19 |
| Belgian Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... Singles (Wallonia) |
32 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
44 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 33 |
| German Singles Chart | 48 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
9 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
29 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 43 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
16 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
91 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
17 |
End of year
| Country (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
136 |
End-of-year charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"|-
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
| style="text-align:center;"|99
|-
Sales and certifications
{| class="wikitable" border="1"|-
! Country
! Provider
! Certification
! Sales
|-
| United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
| RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
| Platinum
| 1,000,000+
|-
External links
- MGMT official site
- Kids song guide, lyrical and technical analysis, literary references, teacher's guide