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Zebra (Beach House song)

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"Zebra"
EP artwork
Single by Beach House
from the album Teen Dream
B-side
  • The Arrangement
  • Baby
  • 10 Mile Stereo (Cough Syrup Remix)
ReleasedApril 17, 2010
Genre
Length
  • 4:49 (album version)
  • 3:57 (UK radio edit)
Label
Songwriters
Producers
Beach House singles chronology
"Norway"
(2009) 		"Zebra"
(2010) 		"Myth"
(2012)
Music video
"Zebra" on YouTube

"Zebra" is a song by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released as the second single off their third studio album, Teen Dream, on April 17, 2010, with an EP of the same name which features a UK radio edit of the song along with new tracks "The Arrangement", "Baby" and a remix of "10 Mile Stereo". The three mentioned tracks were later released on their compilation album B-Sides and Rarities (2017).

"Zebra" was written by lead vocalist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally, with production also being handled by them along with Chris Coady. It received positive reviews from music critics.

Critical reception

[edit]

Consequence of Sound stated the song "grows and grows within the space it is given, and though we are not talking about the epic scale of, say, The Arcade Fire, they are not too far off either."[1] BBC said the song "slaloms to life on a loping, vertiginous riff that keeps sliding sideways when you think you know where it’s going. Over it, Legrand's vocals ooze like molasses before rising imperiously to deliver a swooning chorus hook-line, about the titular "black and white horse", that Bat for Lashes would kill for."[2] Pretty Much Amazing said the song is "a gorgeous highlight" off its parent album.[3] Zach Schonfeld of PopMatters said "Zebra" remains "one of Teen Dream’s most irresistible moments, buoyed by yearning vocal sighs and lyrics describing its eponymous "black and white horse arching among us"," as well as commenting on the other tracks of the EP, stating that between the "waltz-like, minor key "Baby" and the lilting, damn near sing-songy "The Arrangement", the latter is the clear highlight," while finishing the review saying the EP is "a worthy encore to an outstanding LP".[4] Impose Magazine said "the track elegantly blossoms into a gorgeous crescendo of oozy voices and crashing cymbals."[5]

Music video

[edit]

The official music video for "Zebra" was directed by Mark Brown and was uploaded to Sub Pop's YouTube channel on May 21, 2010.[6] The video features "reverberating colors, a fiery desert, perhaps, shrouded by smeared yellows and oranges pulsating erratically."[7]

Track listings

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Zebra"
Chart (2010) Peak
position
UK Physical Singles (OCC)[9] 96
US Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[10] 14

Personnel

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ "Album Review: Beach House – Teen Dream". Consequence of Sound. 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  2. ^ Sheppard, David. "BBC - Music - Review of Beach House - Teen Dream". Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  3. ^ "Beach House - "Zebra" (Music Video)". Pretty Much Amazing. Archived from the original on 2017-05-23. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  4. ^ "Beach House: Zebra EP". PopMatters. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  5. ^ "Teen Dream - Beach House - Reviews - Impose Magazine". Impose Magazine. 2010-01-29. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  6. ^ Sub Pop (2010-05-21), Beach House - Zebra [OFFICIAL VIDEO], retrieved 2017-05-10
  7. ^ Punknews.org. "Beach House - Teen Dream [CD/DVD]". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  8. ^ "Zebra - EP by Beach House on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  9. ^ "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  10. ^ "Beach House Hot Singles Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  11. ^ Beach House (2010). Teen Dream (LP liner notes). Sub Pop. SP 845.
  12. ^ Beach House (2010). Zebra (LP liner notes). Bella Union. BELLAV238.
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