"King and Lionheart"
Single by Of Monsters and Men
from the album My Head Is an Animal
ReleasedMarch 3, 2013
Recorded2011
Genre
Length4:34
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir
Producer(s)
Of Monsters and Men singles chronology
"Mountain Sound"
(2012)		 "King and Lionheart"
(2013)		 "Crystals"
(2015)
Music video
"King and Lionheart" on YouTube

"King and Lionheart" is a song recorded by Icelandic alternative folk band Of Monsters and Men, written by co-lead vocalist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and produced by the band with Aron Arnarsson and Jacquire King for the band's debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal. The song maintains its position on both issues of the album, appearing as the second track on both the original Icelandic and international versions of the album. After reaching #1 on the Icelandic Tónlist singles chart in 2012,[1] the song was released as a radio-only single from My Head Is an Animal in the United States and the United Kingdom in March 2013. The song peaked at #17 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

Music video

A music video for "King and Lionheart", directed by video production group WeWereMonkeys, was produced and released on 23 January 2013.[2] The video, which mirrors the Nordic art style of the music video for "Little Talks",[3] also directed by WeWereMonkeys, blends in the visual art styles of two-dimensional rendered backgrounds with CGI and live action-imposed film sequences.[4]

Synopsis

The video starts with a pair of royal siblings of a sci-fi fantasy kingdom being separated from each other by invading savage warriors, "Dwellers". The warriors whisk the sister away to the middle of the bayou where they put her in a pit and leave her to sulk. Suddenly, a rabbit-like spirit guardian appears to the girl and sets her free. She soon is spotted by the warriors and chased by them through the bayou with the spirit leading the way. Meanwhile, the brother is locked in a cage sulking and watching the warriors beat themselves up. Suddenly, a small spirit dolphin appears to the boy and sets him free as well. Meanwhile, the spirit helps the girl safely across a broken bridge. However, the spirit is soon devoured by the warriors' monstrous vehicle. The girl presses on and enters the kingdom where the boy's spirit leads him away from the warriors by leading him into a four-faced rocket ship which he enters, whereupon it immediately blasts off. The girl returns just in time to see the rocket ship blast away, her brother crying on the window. She runs toward it still chased by the warriors. Then the screen blanks out as the video ends in a cliffhanger, their fates unknown.

Lyric video

A lyric video was released in 2014 in the music videos presence. The lyric video begins with a ruins of a kingdom where the camera moves backwards. Towards the main chorus, a violent thunderstorm breaks ahead. Two cloaked figures move toward it as the video ends.

Track listing

UK promotional single
No.TitleLength
1."King and Lionheart"4:34

Personnel

Adapted from My Head Is an Animal liner notes.[5]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom March 3, 2013 CD-R (Modern Rock / Alternative radio) Republic Records
United States March 4, 2013

References

  1. ↑ "Netlistinn viku 3, 2012". Tonlist.is. Archived from the original on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
  2. ↑ "Of Monsters and Men — King And Lionheart". OfMonstersAndMenVEVO. YouTube, Google. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  3. ↑ "Review: King and Lionheart – Of Monsters And Men (video)". ramblingaboutmusic. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Hohnen, Mike (25 January 2013). "Watch: Of Monsters and Men New Video 'King And Lionheart'". Musicfeeds.com.au. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  5. ↑ My Head Is an Animal (2012 Issue) (liner notes). Of Monsters and Men. Republic Records. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ "Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  9. ↑ "American single certifications – Of Monsters & Men – King and Lionheart". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
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