Radio (Rammstein song)

"Radio"
Single by Rammstein
from the album Untitled
B-side"twocolors Remix"
Released26 April 2019
Recorded2018
StudioLa Fabrique (Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France)
GenreNeue Deutsche Härte
Length4:37
LabelUniversal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Olsen Involtini
  • Rammstein
Rammstein singles chronology
"Deutschland"
(2019) 		"Radio"
(2019) 		"Ausländer"
(2019)
Music video
"Radio" on YouTube

"Radio" is a song by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released as the second single from the band's untitled seventh studio album on 26 April 2019.

Lyrically, the song addresses the cultural situation of the German Democratic Republic, in which secretly listening to western radio stations and their music, which were deemed illegal by the East German government, was a way to escape the political restrictions.[1] Metal Hammer stated the song's riff may have been influenced by "Love Like Blood", by Killing Joke.[1]

Music video

The video, which is almost entirely black and white, was released online on 26 April 2019 at 11:00 CET following a 26-second black and white preview[2] for the video two days prior, containing Kraftwerk and Klaus Nomi references.[3] On selected radio stations the song premiered on 25 April 2019 at 21:00 CET,[4] while the video was shown exclusively on the wall of a house - without sound - in Berlin.[5] The video was directed by Jörn Heitmann.

The video opens with a radio announcement (absent in the album version) that says "Achtung, Achtung. Hier ist Berlin Königs Wusterhausen und der Deutsche Kurzwellensender. Wir senden Tanzmusik", which translates as "Attention, Attention. This is Berlin Königs Wusterhausen and the German shortwave transmitter. We're broadcasting dance music".[1] Königs Wusterhausen is the site where the first German radio transmitter was built, in 1920. In 1933, it was seized by the Nazi regime in order to broadcast propaganda. After the Reunification of Germany, it became a museum.[1]

It depicts the band dressed up in tuxedos from various decades (with the notable exception of bassist Oliver Riedel who wears a black turtleneck sweater like a 50's Beatnik and performs barefoot) at a radio performance set roughly in the 1920s. During the final chorus, the performance is set to be shut down by a police squad but it is revealed that the band members are holograms and thus unaffected by the use of violent force. The performance scenes are intercut with scenes of citizens being obsessed with their radios to a manic degree as well as riots demanding free and open airwaves, echoing the lyrical themes of the song.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Radio"4:37
2."Radio" (RMX by Twocolors)5:00

Charts

Chart (2019) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 13
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[7] 17
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[8] 36
Euro Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[9] 11
Germany (GfK)[10] 4
Hungary (Single Top 40)[11] 4
Scotland (OCC)[12] 47
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[13] 35
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 100
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] 17
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[16] 9
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[17] 27

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[18] Gold 15,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[19] Gold 200,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[20] Gold 25,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Various 26 April 2019
Universal

References

  1. ^ a b c d Edwards, Briony; Lewry, Lewry; Pattillo, Alice (19 May 2020). "Rammstein - Rammstein: your ultimate track-by-track guide". Louder. Future plc. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Rammstein - Radio (Official Trailer)". YouTube. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Rammstein - Radio (Official Facebook Trailer)". Facebook. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Rammstein - Radio (radio station premiere)". Facebook. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Worldpremiere - New Rammstein song on Radioeins". Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Rammstein – Radio" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Rammstein – Radio" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  8. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 18. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Rammstein Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Rammstein – Radio" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  11. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  13. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 18. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 18". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Rammstein – Radio". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  17. ^ "Rammstein Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  18. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Rammstein – Radio" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rammstein; 'Radio')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 March 2022.