"Venus Fly Trap" is a song written and recorded by Welsh singer-songwriter Marina for her fifth studio album, Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land (2021). It was released as the project's fourth single on 9 June 2021, through Atlantic Records, and was produced by Marina and James Flannigan. A Kito remix featuring Tove Lo was released on 16 July.
| "Venus Fly Trap" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Marina | ||||
| from the album Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land | ||||
| Released | 9 June 2021 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:38 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Marina Diamandis | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Marina singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Venus Fly Trap" on YouTube | ||||
Background and release
edit"Venus Fly Trap" was released for digital download and streaming on 9 June 2021, as the parent album's fourth single.[1] It was the final song to premiere ahead of the album's release, and was originally teased one month prior with previous single "Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land".[2][3] Marina is the sole songwriter of "Venus Fly Trap", and produced it with James Flannigan.[4] The music video for "Venus Fly Trap" debuted alongside the single, and was directed by Weird Life Films.[5]
On 16 July 2021, a remix by Australian producer and DJ Kito featuring Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo was released. Additional writing was handled by Lo.[6]
Composition and lyrics
edit"Venus Fly Trap" is a funk-influenced pop song.[5][7] The chorus consists of Marina asking: "Why be a wallflower when you can be a Venus fly trap?"[8] Other lyrics in the song are "unexpectedly" personal, particularly "I know that money ain't important, and it don't mean you're the best / But I earned it all myself, and I'm a millionairess", according to NME's Nick Levine.[5] He also summarized the message as a "tongue-in-cheek self empowerment banger" that makes reference to her second studio album, Electra Heart (2012).[9] Clash's Jessica Fynn shared a similar view, opining that Marina "lyrically revive[d]" herself from the era.[10] Feeling it was reminiscent of "Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land", Red Dziri from The Line of Best Fit said "Venus Fly Trap" shared the same energy, but that it was "more hectic" and sassy.[11]
Reception
editAccording to the Official Charts Company, "Venus Fly Trap" peaked at number 31 on the Singles Sales chart, which ranks the best-selling songs of the week.[12] It also reached number 3 on the Physical Singles chart, and was the highest-performing Vinyl Singles entry for the week of 20 May 2022, becoming her second number one on the chart following "Purge the Poison".[13][14] In the US, the song entered two Billboard radio charts. It debuted on the Rock Airplay chart at number 38 on the publication dated 10 July 2021.[15] On the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, a component chart of Rock Airplay, the song reached a slightly higher peak at number 34.[16]
Live performances
editMARINA first performed the "Venus Fly Trap" as part of the setlist of Ancient Dreams: Live from the Desert, a virtual concert broadcast a day after the album's release.[17] She also performed the song on Late Night with Seth Meyers on 14 June 2021.[18]
Track listing
edit- Digital download
- "Venus Fly Trap" – 2:38
- Blossom Remix
- "Venus Fly Trap" (Blossom Remix) – 3:28
- Kito Remix - Featuring Tove Lo
Charts
edit| Chart (2021-2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Sales (OCC)[12] | 31 |
| US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[15] | 38 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 9 June 2021 | Original | Atlantic | [1] | |
| 30 June 2021 | Blossom remix | [19] | |||
| 16 July 2021 | Kito remix | [20] |
References
edit- ^ a b References regarding the release of "Venus Fly Trap" by Marina on Amazon Music:
- "Venus Fly Trap by Marina". Amazon.co.uk (UK). Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- "Venus Fly Trap by Marina". Amazon.com (US). Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ Kenneally, Cerys (7 June 2021). "Marina to release 'Venus Fly Trap' this week". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ Kenneally, Cerys (12 May 2021). "Marina teases new track and confirms two singles will be released 'in the next month'". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ @marinadiamandis (9 June 2021). "'Venus Fly Trap'" – via Instagram.
- ^ a b c Reilly, Nick (10 June 2021). "Marina shares 'Venus Fly Trap' from new album 'Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land'". NME. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ Kenneally, Cerys (16 July 2021). "Tove Lo hops on Kito remix of MARINA's "Venus Fly Trap"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ Firth, Abigail (9 June 2021). "Marina – Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land". Dork. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ Graves, Shahlin (10 June 2021). "Marina shares new song 'Venus Fly Trap'". Coup de Main. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ Levine, Nick (10 June 2021). "Marina – 'Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land' review: serves aplenty from pop royalty". NME. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ Fynn, Jessica (8 June 2021). "Marina – Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land". Clash. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ Dziri, Red (8 June 2021). "Marina soars on the multi-threaded Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Official Vinyl Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Rock & Alternative Airplay: The week of July 10, 2021". Billboard. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ "Alternative Airplay: The week of July 10, 2021". Billboard. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ Marina on Twitter
- ^ .MARINA Scheduled To Perform "Venus Fly Trap" On June 14 "Late Night With Seth Meyers"
- ^ "Venus Fly Trap (Blossom Remix) by Marina". Apple Music (UK). Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Venus Fly Trap (Kito Remix) [feat. Tove Lo] by Marina". Apple Music (NZ). Retrieved 16 July 2021.