"URL IRL" is a song by American rapper Cities Aviv, released on September 26, 2013, as the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

from his debut studio album, '' Come to Life''. Written and produced by Cities Aviv himself, the song takes inspiration from 1980s

electronic pop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a revi ...

and dance tracks, with the song's instrumental being made out of sample chops from the era. An accompanying

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

, directed by TerrorEyes, was released on December 9. The track's themes are heavily influenced by the internet and how it affects modern culture. Upon its release, "URL IRL" received positive reviews from music critics. They praised the track's production style, as well as Cities Aviv's vocal delivery.

Composition

An upbeat and energetic song, the instrumental of "URL IRL" is made out of "hyperactive" sample chops, which are arranged in an "off-kilter" rhythm. The song has a "1980s styled bounce", as well as featuring "distorted shouts" from Cities Aviv, who shout-raps affirmations that seem to race alongside the song's

beat Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...

. In a press release for "URL IRL", Cities Aviv would describe the purpose of the song's name, and what its lyrical content reflected. According to him, the song's name "is a pseudonym for YOU IN REAL and I IN REAL. To be fully realized." Cities Aviv stated the track was "a dichotomy of realizations involving modern worldly existence and total eternal existence. Blindly accepting self love in the face of your mirror."

Release

"URL IRL" was released as the lead single to ''Come to Life'' on September 26, 2013. An accompanying

, directed by TerrorEyes, was released on December 9. The video opens with a shot of a

boombox A boombox is a transistorized portable music player featuring one or two cassette tape players/recorders and AM/FM radio, generally with a carrying handle. Beginning in the mid-1990s, a CD player was often included. Sound is delivered thro ...

, where a tape is inserted, causing the song to begin playing.

Critical reception

"URL IRL" has received generally positive reviews from critics. 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 ...

'', Jonah Bromwich described the song as "a two-minute comet of energy that's a high-concept Technicolor paean to the power of cyberexistence." He felt that the song was as "unabashedly energetic as you’d expect a celebration of online culture to be." Writing for the same publication, David Turner described "URL IRL" as one of Cities Aviv's most "immediate" songs since the track "Float On", originating from his debut mixtape '' Digital Lows'' (2011). He noted that its name, along with the names of other tracks on ''Come to Life'', "shows Cities Aviv connecting digital dots and hashing through how it affects everyday life." Birkut of ''

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...

'' praised the song's "beautifully coiled samples and attention grabbing chants". ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

''s Graham felt the track was reminiscent of the "early days of hip-hop", comparing his delivery and lyricism to that of the American hip-hop group

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were an American hip hop music, hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. The group's members were Grandmaster Flash, Kidd Creole (not to be confused with Kid Creole), Keef Cowboy, ...

. Emilie Friedlander of '' Fader'' felt that the song "takes Dilla-style sampling to a hyperactive, joyful, almost

footwork Footwork may refer to: * Footwork (cricket) *Footwork (dance) *Footwork (genre), a genre of electronic music, also known as juke *Footwork (martial arts) Footwork is a martial arts and combat sports term for the general usage of the legs and ...

-fast extreme", opining that "while it may only further obfuscate the enigmatic inner workings of its creator's brain, Mays' explanation of the title paints him as something of a digital era

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

References

{{Reflist 2013 singles 2013 songs Experimental hip-hop songs