Miss Murder
Encyclopedia
"Miss Murder" is a song by American rock
band AFI
. It was released on April 3, 2006 as the lead single
from their seventh studio album Decemberunderground
. It was initially scheduled to premiere on LIVE 105 on April 13, 2006, however, it was released early due to overwhelming fan reaction. It was released in the United Kingdom
and Australia
on April 24 and July 29, 2006. It was written by Davey Havok
and produced by Jerry Finn.
Musically, "Miss Murder" is an alternative rock
song that has elements of pop music
and pop punk
, using guitar
s, drums
and synthesizers in its instrumentation. It also has contributing vocals from The Despair Faction, AFI's fansite. The song received favorable from music critics, who complimented its musicianship. It is the band's most commercially successful single to date, reaching number 24 on the Billboard
Hot 100 and topping the Alternative Songs chart. Internationally, the song was a moderate success, charting within the United Kingdom
, Australia
and Germany
. It won in the category Best Rock Song at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
. An accompanying music video
was directed by Marc Webb
(who has previously directed videos for AFI) and premiered on television
shortly after the single's release.
"Miss Murder" is a playable track on the video games Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
and Guitar Hero On Tour Modern Hits. It is also downloadable content
for the video game Rock Band
and the iPhone
application Tap Tap Revenge
.
for the song premiered on television
shortly after the track's release.
The music video opens with vocalist Davey Havok
finding a note, possibly written by Miss Murder. The note features the three black rabbits symbol featured on the cover of Decemberunderground
. Havok appears at his desk singing the song, while the band members are shown performing the song in a large room. Havok then appears on a balcony, rallying a chanting crowd below, and unfolds large posters of the band members themselves. During the bridge of the song, black rabbits surround Havok's desk. After he looks down the balcony, the crowd has disappeared and instead sees Miss Murder staring back at him. He returns to his desk where Miss Murder approaches. She places her hand on his shoulder, then he shuts his eyes, implying his death. The video ends with the black rabbit watching the murder.
An extended version of the music video was released afterward, featuring extra footage at the beginning of the video while the introductory track of Decemberunderground
, "Prelude 12/21" is playing. It features Miss Murder writing a note, then consuming the note, which appears in Havok's mouth. The band is shown performing the track as well.
7" vinyl picture disc
10" vinyl picture disc
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band AFI
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
. It was released on April 3, 2006 as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from their seventh studio album Decemberunderground
Decemberunderground
Decemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band AFI. The album was released on June 6, 2006 through Interscope Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 182,000 in its first week. The album certified Gold by the RIAA on August 30, 2006 and has sold...
. It was initially scheduled to premiere on LIVE 105 on April 13, 2006, however, it was released early due to overwhelming fan reaction. It was released in the 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...
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...
on April 24 and July 29, 2006. It was written by Davey Havok
Davey Havok
David Paden Marchand , more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the American rock band AFI and the electronic music band Blaqk Audio....
and produced by Jerry Finn.
Musically, "Miss Murder" is an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
song that has elements of pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
, using guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, drums
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
and synthesizers in its instrumentation. It also has contributing vocals from The Despair Faction, AFI's fansite. The song received favorable from music critics, who complimented its musicianship. It is the band's most commercially successful single to date, reaching number 24 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 and topping the Alternative Songs chart. Internationally, the song was a moderate success, charting within the 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...
, 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...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It won in the category Best Rock Song at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
. An accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Marc Webb
Marc Webb
Marc Preston Webb is an American music video, short film and major motion picture director. He directed the 2009 romantic comedy-drama Days of Summer and is currently directing the 2012 Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.-Life and career:Webb was born in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of...
(who has previously directed videos for AFI) and premiered on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shortly after the single's release.
"Miss Murder" is a playable track on the video games Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
and Guitar Hero On Tour Modern Hits. It is also downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
for the video game Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
and the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
application Tap Tap Revenge
Tap Tap Revenge
Tap Tap is a series of rhythm games by Tapulous available for the iOS of which several versions, both purchasable and free, have been produced. The goal of the game is to tap each of the colored balls when they reach a line at the bottom of the screen. If the ball is hit on the beat, the player...
.
Music video
A music video directed by Marc WebbMarc Webb
Marc Preston Webb is an American music video, short film and major motion picture director. He directed the 2009 romantic comedy-drama Days of Summer and is currently directing the 2012 Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.-Life and career:Webb was born in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of...
for the song premiered on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shortly after the track's release.
The music video opens with vocalist Davey Havok
Davey Havok
David Paden Marchand , more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the American rock band AFI and the electronic music band Blaqk Audio....
finding a note, possibly written by Miss Murder. The note features the three black rabbits symbol featured on the cover of Decemberunderground
Decemberunderground
Decemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band AFI. The album was released on June 6, 2006 through Interscope Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 182,000 in its first week. The album certified Gold by the RIAA on August 30, 2006 and has sold...
. Havok appears at his desk singing the song, while the band members are shown performing the song in a large room. Havok then appears on a balcony, rallying a chanting crowd below, and unfolds large posters of the band members themselves. During the bridge of the song, black rabbits surround Havok's desk. After he looks down the balcony, the crowd has disappeared and instead sees Miss Murder staring back at him. He returns to his desk where Miss Murder approaches. She places her hand on his shoulder, then he shuts his eyes, implying his death. The video ends with the black rabbit watching the murder.
An extended version of the music video was released afterward, featuring extra footage at the beginning of the video while the introductory track of Decemberunderground
Decemberunderground
Decemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band AFI. The album was released on June 6, 2006 through Interscope Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 182,000 in its first week. The album certified Gold by the RIAA on August 30, 2006 and has sold...
, "Prelude 12/21" is playing. It features Miss Murder writing a note, then consuming the note, which appears in Havok's mouth. The band is shown performing the track as well.
Track listings
UK / AU single- "Miss Murder" (Edit) – 3:24
- "Don't Change" (INXSINXSINXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
cover) – 3:16 - "Silver and Cold" (Live Acoustic) – 4:07
- "Miss Murder" (Music video)
7" vinyl picture disc
- "Miss Murder" – 3:20
- "Don't Change" (INXS cover) – 3:16
10" vinyl picture disc
- "Miss Murder" – 3:20
- "Rabbits are Roadkill on Route 37" – 3:51
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 24 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs | 28 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 1 |
| 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... |
13 |
| 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 ... |
44 |
| ARIA Singles | 14 |
| German Singles Charts | 93 |