Lost in Yesterday
"Lost in Yesterday" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Tame Impala | ||||
from the album The Slow Rush | ||||
Released | 8 January 2020 | |||
Length | 4:09 | |||
Label | Modular | |||
Songwriter(s) | Kevin Parker | |||
Producer(s) | Kevin Parker | |||
Tame Impala singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Lost in Yesterday" on YouTube |
"Lost in Yesterday" is a song by Tame Impala, the musical project by the Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. It was released through Modular Recordings on 8 January 2020, as the fourth single from the project's fourth studio album, The Slow Rush (2020). Parker wrote and produced it, and also performed all the instruments and vocals. With disco, dub, and funk elements, it predominantly contains a groovy bassline. Lyrically, the song deals with nostalgia and the passage of time, centering in Parker's complicated relationship with these topics.
The duo Terri Timely, composed of Ian Kibbey and Corey Creasey, directed the music video for "Lost in Yesterday", which was released on 30 January 2020. It has a single shot style and depicts Parker as a band's lead vocalist in a 1970s retro wedding. Tame Impala performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and included it in the set list of The Slow Rush Tour between 2020 and 2021.
The song was ranked fifth on the Australian Triple J Hottest 100, 2020 poll, and was nominated for Song of the Year and Most Performed Alternate Work at the APRA Music Awards of 2021. Commercially, "Lost in Yesterday" reached middle-low positions on the main national charts of Australia, Ireland, Lithuania, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. It received gold certifications by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Release and promotion
Tame Impala, Kevin Parker's musical project, first teased a then-upcoming song in the first days of 2020.[1] "Lost in Yesterday" was released through Modular Recordings on 8 January 2020, as the fourth single from the project's fourth studio album, The Slow Rush (2020).[2][3] It served as a follow-up to the singles "Borderline", "It Might Be Time", and "Posthumous Forgiveness", all released in 2019.[1] On 2 March 2020, Tame Impala debuted "Lost In Yesterday" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, alongside a performance of the album's fifth track, "Breathe Deeper".[4][5] The track was added to the set list of the project's fourth concert tour, The Slow Rush Tour,[6] which was then delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in the following year.[7][8]
Composition
Parker wrote, recorded, and produced The Slow Rush, including "Lost in Yesterday".[9] Musically, it has elements of disco,[10] funk,[11] and dub effects.[12] The song contains a "groovy" bassline, compared by Stereogum's Chris Deville to Tame Impala's 2015 single "The Less I Know the Better".[2] Pitchfork's Jill Mapes perceived similarities between the vocals of Parker and Daft Punk.[12]
The lyrical content of the song sees Parker reflecting on past memories and how they change with time: "Now even though that was a time I hated from day one / Eventually terrible memories turn into great ones".[10] It also deals with nostalgia, and Parker's complicated relationship with it.[13] Parker recalls the days when he was making music with friends in Perth ("When we were living in squalor, wasn't it heaven? / Back when we used to get on it four out of seven").[14] On a press release, Tame Impala described the song as "an examination of time's distorting effect on memories".[15] The song shares its concept with several other tracks on the album, which Parker described as an "idea of time passing, of seeing your life flash before your eyes, being able to see clearly your life from this point onwards".[13]
Reception
Christopher Roberts of Under the Radar named "Lost in Yesterday" as one of the best songs of its release week,[15] and Deville opined that it is one of the best The Slow Rush singles.[2] Al Newstead of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said that it is "more accessible" than the project's previous singles, and compared it to "Patience" (2019) and Currents' "The Moment" (2015).[13] In a less positive review, Mapes believed that the song "tries to edge up an aggressively beachy vibe [...] and ends up feeling a little dated".[12] It was nominated for Song of the Year and Most Performed Alternate Work at the APRA Music Awards of 2021.[16] The song was voted into fifth place on the Australian Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020, which was broadcast on 23 January 2021.[17]
Commercially, "Lost in Yesterday" appeared on five main national charts. It peaked at number 65 in Australia,[18] 78 on the Irish Singles Chart,[19] 80 in Lithuania,[20] 89 on the UK singles chart,[21] and 129 in Portugal.[22] It additionally reached the Canada Rock chart at number 23, and the Ultratip Bubbling Under charts in the Flanders and Wallonia regions of Belgium at number 4 and 22, respectively.[23][24] In the United States, the single reached number one on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs chart, becoming Tame Impala's first song to top an airplay chart in the United States.[25] It also peaked at number two on Rock Airplay[26] and five on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart,[27] and on the year-end rankings of both charts.[28][29] "Lost in Yesterday" received gold certifications by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[30][31] as well as a silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[32]
Music video
The duo Terri Timely, composed of Ian Kibbey and Corey Creasey, directed the four-minute music video for "Lost in Yesterday", which was released on 30 January 2020.[33][34][35][36] It stars Parker as the lead vocalist of a band in a retro wedding, singing along to the song, through various dimensions.[36][35] The video shows a scene representing the passage of time, following fashion trends.[36] With a single shot and 1970s style,[37] the camera moves several times through the event's venue,[33] showing the guests becoming more positive as the video progresses.[35] It depicts the attendees dancing on the dance floor as well as the bride and groom cutting a cake, and her mother smoking a cigarette.[33] At the end of the video, the main characters from previous versions reappear to ruin the event.[33] Jordan Darville for The Fader called the video "impressive" and "detailed".[35] NME's Charlotte Krol described it as a "nightmare Groundhog Day", which is mentioned in the song's lyrics ("You’ve been diggin' it up like Groundhog Day").[37]
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[30] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[31] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b Reilly, Nick (8 October 2020). "Listen to Tame Impala's new song 'Lost In Yesterday'". NME. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ a b c Deville, Chris (8 January 2020). "Tame Impala – "Lost In Yesterday"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Hussey, Allison (8 January 2020). "Listen to Tame Impala's New Song "Lost in Yesterday"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (3 March 2020). "Watch Tame Impala Perform "Lost in Yesterday" and "Breathe Deeper" on Kimmel". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Moore, Sam (3 March 2020). "Watch Tame Impala debut 'Breathe Deeper' and 'Lost In Yesterday' on 'Kimmel'". NME. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Moore, Sam (10 March 2020). "Watch Tame Impala cover Lady Gaga on the opening night of 'The Slow Rush' tour". NME. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Jones, Abby (22 June 2021). "Tame Impala Announce Rescheduled 2021 North American Tour Dates". Consequence. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Young, David James (9 September 2021). "Watch Tame Impala play their first full-band live show in 18 months in Chicago". NME. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Roberts, Christopher (30 January 2020). "Tame Impala Are a Wedding Band in the Video for "Lost In Yesterday"". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ a b Zemler, Emily (8 January 2020). "Hear Tame Impala Reflect on Time on New Single 'Lost in Yesterday'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Alston, Trey (8 January 2020). "Tame Impala Try to Save You from Sinking into the Past on 'Lost in Yesterday'". MTV News. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ a b c Mapes, Jill (14 February 2020). "Tame Impala: The Slow Rush Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ a b c Newstead, Al (7 January 2020). "First Spin: Tame Impala wrestle with nostalgia on 'Lost In Yesterday'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Stubbs, Dan (14 February 2020). "The Big Read – Tame Impala: "This band is the fantasy of music. It's The Lord Of The Rings"". NME. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ a b Roberts, Christopher (10 January 2020). "12 Best Songs of the Week: Destroyer, Jenny Lewis, Wild Nothing, Field Music, and More". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Triscari, Caleb (29 March 2021). "Tash Sultana, Tame Impala, Miiesha nominated for 2021 APRA Music Awards". NME. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ "Hottest 100 2020". Triple J. 23 January 2021. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 24 February 2020". Australian Recording Industry Association. No. 1564. 24 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Irish-charts.com – Discography Tame Impala". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ a b "2020 3-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100) - Agata" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Tame Impala – Lost in Yesterday". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Tame Impala – Lost in Yesterday" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Tame Impala – Lost in Yesterday" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Tame Impala Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Tame Impala Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ a b "Tame Impala Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Tame Impala – Lost in Yesterday". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ a b "British single certifications – Tame Impala – Lost in Yesterday". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d Mamo, Heran (30 January 2020). "Tame Impala Is 'Lost in Yesterday' & In Bad '70s Weddings in New Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Shaffer, Claire (30 January 2020). "Tame Impala Soundtrack Many, Many Weddings in 'Lost in Yesterday' Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d Darville, Jordan (30 January 2020). "Watch Tame Impala's "Lost In Yesterday" video". The Fader. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ a b c Bacior, Robin (30 January 2020). "Tame Impala share music video for "Lost in Yesterday", plus new tour dates: Watch". Consequence. Archived from the original on 4 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ a b Krol, Charlotte (30 January 2020). "Tame Impala pose as '70s wedding band in dizzying 'Lost in Yesterday' video". NME. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ "Tame Impala Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.