Artwork by me: Enrique Seemann
Context: New York is regaining its status as one of the world's musical capitals, thanks in part to the success of The Strokes, who have propelled several New York bands to fame. Amid this vibrant revival, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs emerged as a defining force in the city's music scene.
The Formation of Yeah Yeah Yeahs Karen Orzolek (Karen O) and Nick Zinner met in a bar and instantly connected. During that time, they shared a loft with future members of the band Metric. Initially, Orzolek and Zinner formed an acoustic duo called Unitard, but they soon decided to "shake things up" and created a "trashy, punky, grimy" band known as Yeah Yeah Yeahs. After the drummer they initially recruited dropped out, Brian Chase, a friend of Karen's, joined the band.
Karen’s Relationship to Liar’s Frontman
In their first rehearsal, the band composed a series of songs and soon began opening for The Strokes and The White Stripes, generating significant buzz in the arty and garage punk scene. In late 2001, Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their self-titled debut EP and began touring extensively. They frequently performed with the Australian band Liars, and during this period, Karen started dating Angus Andrew, Liars' frontman.
There was even this time that Angus brought Karen onstage on a wheelchair. “After falling off the Metro stage a couple of nights earlier, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' frontwoman Karen O was lovingly pushed onto the Big Top stage in a wheelchair by her Australian boyfriend, the Liars' frontman Angus Andrew.” The Sydney Morning Herald 2003
The Story Behind ‘Maps’
However, music life had its sacrifices. The constant touring led to temporary separations, which tested their relationship—a struggle that would later be reflected in the creation of YYY's iconic song, "Maps."
The song’s name is rumored to stand for “My Angus Please Stay”, although this hasn’t ever been confirmed. It is basically about the intense feelings Karen felt while Angus and her were separated.
"The line ‘They don’t love you like I love you’ reflects the longing and desire to be together,” Karen O explained. The chorus, which has become an emotional mantra for many listeners, originated from an email Karen O sent to Angus Andrew. “He was on tour, and we never saw each other, and I hated it, so I emailed: ‘Why do they get to be with you? They don’t love you like I love you.’” Karen O to The Guardian 2019 Interviewer: Jude Rogers
She recalls that the song just came naturally. "Like Nick just had this sample, just kinda playing in his room and I was in the hallway... I was walking past his door, I heard the sample and came in and I was like, ‘What is that?’ And then five minutes later I was singing basically the lyrics to it then it was there. It was like one of those songs that wrote itself in like five minutes," Karen told Matt Everitt ~6 Music in 2019.
The music video for "Maps" became a phenomenon, noted for its intense emotion. The scene where Karen O sheds a tear was not acted; the singer revealed in an interview with NME in 2007: “They were real tears. My boyfriend at the time was supposed to come to the shoot – he was three hours late and I was just about to leave for tour... I didn’t think he was even going to come and this was the song that was written for him. He eventually showed up and I got myself in a real emotional state.” NME Karen O - 'Maps' video tears were real
The video was a huge hit on MTV, and both mainstream and alternative critics adored it. "Maps" has been immensely influential and famous. The song served as an inspiration for Kelly Clarkson's 2004 hit "Since U Been Gone" and has been covered by various artists, including Arcade Fire and Anderson .Paak. “It’s like a memento to a time. But it’s also left me long ago, and dived into the mainstream … taken on its own life,” Karen O told The Guardian in 2019 Karen O to The Guardian 2019 2019 Interviewer: Jude Rogers.
My personal thoughts and other YYY’s songs I’d recommend:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Boombastic to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.