View source for Step (Vampire Weekend song)

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Step
| type       = single
| cover      = Vampire Weekend Step.jpg
| border     = yes
| artist     = [[Vampire Weekend]]
| album      = [[Modern Vampires of the City]]
| A-side     = "[[Diane Young]]"
| released   = March 19, 2013
| recorded   =
| genre      = * [[Indie pop]]
* [[baroque pop]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/may/09/vampire-weekend-modern-vampires-review|title=The Guardian - Modern Vampires of the City review|work=The Guardian|date=January 10, 2015}}</ref>
| length     = 4:11
| label      = [[XL Recordings|XL]]
| composer   = * [[Rostam Batmanglij]]
* [[Ezra Koenig]]{{efn|name=Sample|Contains elements from "[[Aubrey (song)|Aubrey]]" by [[David Gates]] and interpolates [[YZ (rapper)|YZ]]'s "Who's That Girl" in its hook, "every time I see you in the world you always step to my girl".}}
| lyricist   = * Ezra Koenig{{efn|name=Sample}}
| producer   = * Rostam Batmanglij
* [[Ariel Rechtshaid]]
| prev_title = [[Diane Young]]
| prev_year  = 2013
| next_title = [[Ya Hey (song)|Ya Hey]]
| next_year  = 2013
| misc       =
}}
"'''Step'''" is a song by American [[indie rock]] band [[Vampire Weekend]]. Written and composed by band members [[Ezra Koenig]] and [[Rostam Batmanglij]] and produced by [[Ariel Rechtshaid]] and Batmanglij, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the band's third studio album ''[[Modern Vampires of the City]]''. The song was inspired by American hip hop group [[Souls of Mischief]]'s song "Step to My Girl".<ref name="MusicBrainz Step">{{cite web|title=Vampire Weekend - Step|url=https://musicbrainz.org/recording/507ecc4d-e166-41e5-a833-3378f189dba8|publisher=MusicBrainz|accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref><ref name=SoMuchSilence>{{cite web|title=Vampire Weekend: Step, as Inspired by Souls of Mischief's Step to My Girl|url=http://somuchsilence.com/?p=6476|website=somuchsilence.com|accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref>
==Composition==
The lyrics and other elements of "Step" were inspired by the song "Step to My Girl" which was recorded as a demo by the [[Oakland, California|Oakland]]-based hip-hop group [[Souls of Mischief]]. The hip-hop group was contacted by Vampire Weekend's legal team to sample and use one of the lines from "Step to My Girl". One of the members of Vampire Weekend also spoke directly to Souls of Mischief about the song's sample.<ref name="TheDailySwarm">{{Cite web |url=http://www.thedailyswarm.com/swarm/rational-conversation-souls-mischief-discuss-their-vampire-weekend-connection-and-why-93-til-infinity-endures/ |title=A Rational Conversation: Souls of Mischief On Their Vampire Weekend Connection and Why '93 'Til Infinity' Endures... |last=Ducker |first=Eric |website=The Daily Swarm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130256/http://www.thedailyswarm.com/swarm/rational-conversation-souls-mischief-discuss-their-vampire-weekend-connection-and-why-93-til-infinity-endures/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref>
When Souls of Mischief member Tajai finally heard "Step" after it was completed, he expressed his approval stating that "it was so good; I was just happy we were able to be part of that." Impressed with the song's outcome, Souls of Mischief are contemplating on doing a collaboration with Vampire Weekend.<ref name="TheDailySwarm" />
The Souls of Mischief's song ,"Step to My Girl", samples [[Grover Washington Jr.|Grover Washington Jr.'s]] saxophone cover of [[Bread (band)|Bread's]] 1973 single, "[[Aubrey (song)|Aubrey]]". This is why [[David Gates]], founder of Bread and songwriter of "Aubrey", is credited as a songwriter of "Step".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2013/04/29/179854416/vampire-weekend-on-new-york-souls-of-mischief-and-the-secrets-of-its-new-album|title=Vampire Weekend On The Secrets Of Its New Album|work=NPR.org|access-date=2018-11-16}}</ref> The song also contains lyrical references to the musician [[Jandek]] and the band [[Modest Mouse]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Healy |first=Pat |date=2013-09-12 |title=Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend: The gloves are off – Metro US |url=https://www.metro.us/ezra-koenig-of-vampire-weekend-the-gloves-are-off/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=www.metro.us |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Release==
"Step" was initially released as a [[A-side and B-side#Double A-side|double A-side]] single with "[[Diane Young]]" on March 18, 2013, with both songs being promoted as the lead singles taken from the band's third studio album ''[[Modern Vampires of the City]]''.<ref name=NME>{{cite web|title=Vampire Weekend reveal new songs 'Diane Young' and 'Step' – listen|url=https://www.nme.com/news/vampire-weekend/69269|website=nme.com|publisher=NME|accessdate=August 31, 2014}}</ref><ref name=live105>{{cite web|title=Vampire Weekend Reveal Two New Songs, 'Diane Young' And 'Step'|url=http://live105.cbslocal.com/2013/03/18/vampire-weekend-reveal-two-new-songs-diane-young-and-step/|website=live105.cbslocal.com|publisher=CBS Local|accessdate=August 31, 2014}}</ref> "Step" premiered with "Diane Young" on [[Zane Lowe]]'s [[BBC Radio 1]] show in the UK.<ref name=NME/>
==Remix==
Vampire Weekend composed a [[remix]] of "Step", featuring guest verses from American rappers [[Danny Brown (rapper)|Danny Brown]], [[Himanshu Suri|Heems]] and [[Despot (rapper)|Despot]]. The remix was released December 31, 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/12/listen-danny-brown-jumps-on-remix-of-vampire-weekends-step/|title=Listen: Danny Brown jumps on remix of Vampire Weekend's "Step"|work=[[Consequence of Sound]]|date=December 31, 2013}}</ref>
==Commercial performance==
"Step" peaked at number 35 on the ''[[Billboard charts|Billboard]]'' [[Alternative Songs]] chart.<ref name=BillboardAlternative/> The single also reached number 170 in France.<ref name=France/> It also peaked at number 54 on the [[Ultratip]] charts in the [[Flanders]] region of Belgium.<ref name=Flanders/>
==Critical reception==
"Step" is widely regarded as one of the band's best songs. ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' and ''[[Far Out (magazine)|Far Out]]'' ranked the song number four and number eight, respectively, on their lists of the greatest Vampire Weekend songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/vampire-weekend/the-10-best-vampire-weekend-songs|title=The 10 Best Vampire Weekend Songs|first=Steven|last=Edelstone|work=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|date=January 25, 2019|accessdate=April 27, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/10-best-vampire-weekend-songs-ranked-ezra-koenig/|title=The 10 best Vampire Weekend songs|first=Joe|last=Taysom|work=[[Far Out (magazine)|Far Out]]|date=April 8, 2021|accessdate=April 27, 2023}}</ref>
==Music video==
The [[Music video#Lyric videos|lyric video]] to "Step" was uploaded on March 18, 2013 on YouTube and [[VEVO]]. The background of the video shows various shots of New York City with the lyrics being shown over the top.<ref name=VampireWeekendVEVO>{{cite web|title=Vampire Weeking – Step (Official Lyrics Video)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mDxcDjg9P4|website=youtube.com|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref>
==Personnel==
'''Vampire Weekend'''
* [[Chris Baio]] – bass
* [[Rostam Batmanglij]] – piano, guitars, banjo, vocal harmonies and backing vocals, drum and synth programming, keyboards, shaker
* [[Ezra Koenig]] – lead vocals
* [[Chris Tomson]] – drums
'''Technical'''
* [[Rich Costey]] –&nbsp;mixing
* Chris Kasych –&nbsp;mix assistance, [[Pro Tools]] engineering
* Eric Isip –&nbsp;assistance
* [[Emily Lazar]] – mastering
* [[Joe LaPorta]] – mastering
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (2013–2014)
!Peak<br>position
|-
{{single chart|Flanders Tip|4|artist=Vampire Weekend|song=Step|rowheader=true|refname=Flanders}}
|-
{{single chart|France|170|artist=Vampire Weekend|song=Step|rowheader=true|refname=France}}
|-
!scope="row"|[[Mexico Ingles Airplay]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/vampire-weekend/chart-history/min/ |title=Vampire Weekend Chart History |work=[[Billboard charts|Billboard]] |accessdate=January 10, 2019}}</ref>
|align=center|45
|-
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|35|artist=Vampire Weekend|song=Step|rowheader=true|refname=BillboardAlternative}}
|}
==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Vampire Weekend|title=Step|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2013|certyear=2021|access-date=January 27, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Vampire Weekend}}
[[Category:2014 singles]]
[[Category:2013 songs]]
[[Category:XL Recordings singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ariel Rechtshaid]]
[[Category:Vampire Weekend songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Rostam Batmanglij]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Ariel Rechtshaid]]
[[Category:Songs written by David Gates]]