"Exile Vilify" is a song by indie rock band the National, written for the video game ''

Portal 2 ''Portal 2'' is a 2011 puzzle-platform game developed by Valve for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The digital PC versions are distributed online by Valve's Steam service, while all retail editions are distributed by Elect ...

'' and released as a stand-alone single.

Background

The lyrics were composed by the group and reviewed by

Valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or Slurry, slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically Pip ...

, the company who made the game, to ensure they fit with the tone of one of the Rattmann's dens, where it appears in-game. The National had expressed to Bug Music, their publishing label, an interest in doing music for Valve which the label forwarded on to Valve in discussing other music opportunities for the game. Valve and Bug Music identified that the National would fit well into ''Portal 2'', as their "raw and emotive music evokes the same visceral reactions from its listeners that Portal does from its players" according to Bug Music's spokesperson Julia Betley. The track was originally to be used in one of several hidden "fake endings" of the game, but was later rewritten to be more sombre and included in the game as an

Easter egg Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian holiday of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are commonly used during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The ...

Critical reception

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...

'' described the song as a "haunted, piano-lead ballad" similar to the band's song "Think You Can Wait" used in the film '' Win Win''. ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'' described the song as a "sombre ballad that places Matt Berninger's melancholic croon atop gloomy piano chords, lush orchestral swells and some subtle percussion". "Exile Vilify" (alongside other Portal 2 song "

Want You Gone ''Portal 2'' is a physics-based puzzle-platform game created by Valve Corporation, Valve and released on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Linux in April 2011, followed by a Nintendo Switch version in June 2022. The game, se ...

") was nominated for "Best Song in a Game" at the 2011

Spike Video Game Awards The Spike Video Game Awards (in short VGAs, known as the VGX for the final show) was an annual award show hosted by American television network Spike from 2003 that recognized the best computer and video games of the year. Produced by '' GameT ...

Music video

After the game's release, Valve and the National ran a contest encouraging users to create their own music video for "Exile Vilify", offering as prizes Valve merchandise and a guitar signed by members of the band. Of 320 videos submitted, Valve ultimately awarded two videos first prize. One video featured a

sock puppet A sock puppet, sockpuppet, sock-puppet, or sock poppet is a puppet made from a sock or a similar garment. The puppeteer wears the sock on a hand and lower arm as if it were a glove, with the puppet's mouth being formed by the region between th ...

that "had nothing to do with Portal" but "managed to beautifully capture the spirit of the song", while the other provided an animated retelling of the ''

Lab Rat Laboratory rats or lab rats are strain (biology), strains of the rat subspecies ''Rattus norvegicus domestica'' (Domestic Norwegian rat) which are bred and kept for scientific research. While Animal testing on rodents, less commonly used for re ...

'' comic.

Charts

References

{{authority control 2010s ballads The National (band) songs 2011 songs Songs written by Matt Berninger Songs written for video games Portal (series)