"Hungry Child" is a song by British

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

band

Hot Chip Hot Chip is an English synth-pop band formed in London in 2000. The group consists of multi-instrumentalists Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard (musician), Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Owen Clarke, and Felix Martin. They are occasionally joined by former memb ...

. It is the fifth track on their seventh studio album, ''

A Bath Full of Ecstasy ''A Bath Full of Ecstasy'' is the seventh studio album by English synth-pop group Hot Chip. It was released on 21 June 2019 and was co-produced by Hot Chip, Philippe Zdar, and Rodaidh McDonald, marking the first time the group worked with out ...

'', and was released as its lead single on 4 April 2019 through

Domino Recording Company Domino Recording Company, or simply Domino, is a British independent record label based in London. There is also a wing of the label based in Brooklyn, New York that handles releases in the United States, as well as a German division called ...

Background

The single "Hungry Child" coincided with the announcement of their seventh studio album, ''

'' which was announced to be released on 21 June 2019. The song features Valentina Pappalardo on vocals.

Style

The song has been described a mixture of

alternative dance Alternative dance (also known as indie dance or underground dance in the United States) is a musical genre that mixes alternative rock with electronic dance music. Although largely confined to the British Isles, it has gained worldwide exposure ...

house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...

, and

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

. Jessica Mao, writing for ''Dancing Astronaut'' said that "Hungry Child" " eshesindie with electronic in a dreamy, yet groovy number, emitting heavy summer vibes."

Music video

A corresponding music video was released the same day of the track's release. The music video was recorded in the Fall of 2018, and was written and directed by Saman Kesh. Nicholas Weisnet served as the cinematographer. The two actors starring in the music video are Party Down's

Martin Starr Martin James Pflieger Schienle (born July 30, 1982), known professionally as Martin Starr, is an American actor. He is known for the television roles of Bill Haverchuck on the comedy drama '' Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000), Roman DeBeers on t ...

and

Milana Vayntrub Milana Aleksandrovna Vayntrub ( , Russian: ; born March 8, 1987) is an American actress, comedian, and activist. She began her career as a child actress and came to prominence for her appearances in AT&T television commercials as saleswoman L ...

. Starr and Vayntrub play a couple exchanging passive-aggressive banter before their lives become inundated with the song.

Critical reception

The track has been positively received by music critics. Philip Sherburne, writing for ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'', called "Hungry Child" a "dance-music aficionado's record par excellence, a collage of hallowed tropes: moody Reese bass, flashing piano stabs, gospel-house vocal harmonies, even squirrelly little synth riffs reminiscent of

Isolée Rajko Müller, better known by his stage name Isolée, is a German electronic music producer. He is noted for his work in the microhouse genre, reminiscent of indie electronic pop music of the early eighties and ambient techno from a decade on. Is ...

". Sherburne further explaining that the lyrics "meets the band's muscular four-to-the-floor throb, creating a sound that's as playful as it is lovelorn". Writing for ''

Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. It was founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, and its founders later launched the youth media company ...

'', Josh Terry called the song an "excellent single", describing it as "sprawling and pulsing". ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' included "Hungry Child" on its list of the 32 best dance songs in the first half of 2019.

Track listing

Personnel

;Music video The following individuals were credited for the creation of the music video. * Saman Kesh — Writer, Director * Ellis Bahl — Co-writer, Editor * Luga Podesta — Executive Producer * Sarah Park — Producer * Nicholas Weisnet — Cinematographer * Paola Ezarun — Wardrobe * Jessica Garrison — Production Design * London Alley — Production Company

References

External links

* * {{authority control 2019 singles 2019 songs Hot Chip songs Domino Recording Company singles Songs written by Alexis Taylor Songs written by Joe Goddard (musician) Songs written by Al Doyle