Animal Collective return with “Love on the Big Screen,” their first track since 2023, underscoring their ability to blend genres while adding nuance to the broader conversation about what it means to be “mainstream” in the music industry today.
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“Love On the Big Screen” – Animal Collective
Known for their ability to transcend genre and create conversation, the experimental pop band Animal Collective have returned with their new single, “Love on the Big Screen.”
The single’s release coincides with the start of their tour on June 25 in Philadelphia. Fans expressed their excitement online, seeing as they haven’t released new music since 2023.
Animal Collective’s eccentric, simplistic nature holds true on the track and in their demeanor. In an age where it seems like there are announcements for announcements simply to capitalize on opportunities, “Love on the Big Screen” came as an exciting surprise to fans on a Wednesday morning.
The track’s sonic introduction is through a steady percussion. Much like other Animal Collective songs, such as “My Girls” and “Leaf House,” the first handful of seconds are dedicated to a sonic hook rather than a lyrical one.
“Love on the Big Screen” establishes a feeling through instrumentals — as soon as it begins, it’s obvious it’s an Animal Collective song. Elements of their early years as a lo-fi band uplift the repetition of their lyrics with the use of futuristic sounds.
The song opens with the chorus: “Love on the big screen.” Asides are embedded between the words and the synth, almost as if it’s a commentary on the overpowering, overwhelming feeling of love.
Much of the band’s music explores themes of human nature, both through environmental and mental aspects. “Love on the Big Screen” reemphasizes ideas they’ve highlighted in songs like “Good Lovin Outside” and “In The Flowers” about the whimsical, captivating nature of honest romance. Their latest single creates a sense of pleasant disorientation due to the emotional and chemical reaction of love.
The second verse comments on the anxieties that come with romance: “It can always feel new / Sometimes it feels like the love keeps dying / It’s love, there on the big widescreen / Love, there on the big widescreen.”
The lyrics tell a story beyond the simplistic nature of love, but rather what happens after the “honeymoon phase” in a relationship. The repetition of the chorus contrasted with the curious nature of the verses creates a jarringly honest yet joyful exploration of love.
The fourth verse continues: “Hard to express that thing called love / A thing written in fairy tales / Love, there on the big widescreen / Love, there on the big widescreen.”
The song leaves listeners to interpret the feeling in their own right, whether love is a stress-inducing chemical ritual or love is a far-off, dreamlike experience that only happens once in a lifetime. The outro reemphasizes this idea with the singular line: “Can there be a spell?”
Animal Collective’s ability to diversify their instrumentals across their discography is a large reason why they’ve withstood the test of time in the music industry.
“Love on the Big Screen” features a futuristic approach to percussion and synth pads, directly contrasting with its lyrics.
“Love on the Big Screen” solidifies Animal Collective’s position in the music industry; their eclectic mix of genres is pleasing to a wide range of listeners, and their themes remain relevant across decades.
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© Dave Portner
© Dave Portner
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