"An Open Letter to NYC" is a song by American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was released in November 2004 by Capitol Records as the fourth and final single from their sixth studio album, To the 5 Boroughs (2004). The single entered and peaked at number 38 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was used during the opening credits of an episode of HBO's Taxicab Confessions, and is also included in the video game NBA Street V3. The group performed the song live during the 2004 MTV Europe Music Awards, on November 18, 2004 at the Tor di Valle Hippodrome, in Rome.[1]
| "An Open Letter to NYC" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Beastie Boys | ||||
| from the album To the 5 Boroughs | ||||
| B-side | Instrumental / A cappella (12") | |||
| Released | November 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2004 | |||
| Studio | Oscilloscope Laboratories (Tribeca, New York) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:18 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Beastie Boys | |||
| Beastie Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "An Open Letter to NYC" on YouTube | ||||
Composition
editThe song's lyrics talk about the group's affection for their hometown, New York City. It alludes to the 9/11 terrorist attacks but also implies there are deeper flaws in the system people need to acknowledge and come together as a community, or suffer as a whole.
Track listing
edit12" vinyl
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "An Open Letter to NYC" | 4:18 |
| 2. | "MTL Reppin' for the 514" | 3:01 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "An Open Letter to NYC" (Instrumental) | 4:13 |
| 2. | "An Open Letter to NYC" (A cappella) | 3:19 |
CD
edit- Capitol — 6189572, EMI/Parlophone — 70876 19857 2 8[3]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "An Open Letter to NYC" (Andy Wallace Mix) | 4:02 |
| 2. | "An Open Letter to NYC" | 4:22 |
| 3. | "An Open Letter to NYC" (A cappella) | 3:19 |
| 4. | "An Open Letter to NYC" (Instrumental) | 4:13 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Singles Chart[4] | 17 |
| UK Singles Chart[5] | 38 |
In popular culture
editIn the pilot of Succession one of the main characters, Kendall Roy, is introduced singing along to the song on headphones.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Beastie Boys: "Open Letter to NYC"". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-05-05.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ "Beastie Boys - An Open Letter To NYC (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ "Beastie Boys - An Open Letter To NYC (CD)". Discogs. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl - Beastie Boys - An Open Letter to NYC". Retrieved 2011-05-11.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company - Beastie Boys". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
- ^ Lipka, Carolyn. "'Succession' Premiere Promises More Jokes Than It Delivers". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
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