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I Disappear

( 2000 Singles )

Composition
Music video
Release
Critical reception
Track listing
Charts

Weekly charts
Year-end charts

Certifications
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Disappear Metallica Music Song

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" I Disappear" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on June 2, 2000 as the lead single from the . The music and lyrics were written by frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and they were joined by Bob Rock as producer. The song is the first appearance of the infamous snare drum on their eighth studio album, St. Anger (2003).

The single for "I Disappear" was only officially released in Germany, but reached the top 10 on charts in seven countries, and went to No 1 on US Mainstream Rock. The song's leak on the file-sharing service Napster prompted the band to sue the service. This inspired the song "Shoot Me Again".

Composition

"I Disappear" is a hard rock and heavy metal song, according to the music sheet published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group. Set in the time signature of common time and composed in a moderate tempo of 124 beats per minute, the track is set in the key of E minor with Hetfield's vocals ranging from E₄ to G₅. The song includes a "hey, hey, hey" hook by Hetfield, chugging drums on the chorus by Ulrich, and a guitar solo by Kirk Hammett.

Music video

Most of "I Disappears music video was shot in Monument Valley atop a sandstone butte on April 13, 2000. After accessing the butte by helicopter, Metallica and their instruments were alone on the plateau, circled by filming aircraft, for over twelve hours. By the end of the shoot, winds were so severe that the drum kit was blown over, footage of which appears in the video. Ulrich was later filmed on a skyscraper in Downtown Los Angeles for "action sequences, explosions, chaos and mayhem".

The 2000 music video also featured a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Metallica band member James Hetfield. Hetfield was given the car after filming, and in 2003, listed it on eBay. With on the odometer, the restored two-door car had an automatic transmission and was bidding at with seven days remaining in the auction; proceeds from the sale were earmarked for music education programs. The music video premiered on 4 May 2000.

Release

While still working on the song, Metallica learned in 2000 that a pre-release version was being aired on US radio stations. The band traced the source of the song to the peer-to-peer file sharing service Napster. After finding their entire catalog available on Napster, they became the first musicians to file lawsuit against the service ( Metallica v. Napster, Inc.). , "I Disappear" was available for streaming via the Napster streaming music service.

"I Disappear" was formally released with on May 9, 2000. The single was released as a CD maxi on June 2, 2000, under the Hollywood Records label. In Belgium and Italy, the song was released by Edel-Mega Records. In the chronology of Metallica singles, "I Disappear" was released between "No Leaf Clover" (March 20, 2000) and "St. Anger" (June 23, 2003). Metallica performed "I Disappear" 94 times from June 3, 2000, through May 17, 2023.

On April 23, 2021, Metallica released the two-track Disappear (Leaked and Live) through their Vinyl Club. The first song is "I Disappear (Leaked Napster Version)", and the second is "I Disappear (Live)", a live performance recorded at the West Hollywood House of Blues on July 18, 2000.

Critical reception

Mike McGuirk of San Francisco Bay Guardian described "I Disappear" as leaning on a reworking of "Enter Sandman" with an incorporation of some grunge aesthetic. He said that following Load (1996), which he called their "country music record", this new song with a "mega" riff and "catchy as hell" melodic choruses proved that the band was not afraid to change things up.

The Nu Metal Agenda ranked "I Disappear" at number 91 on a list of the 100 greatest nu metal songs of all time, with Holiday Kirk calling the band's first foray into the genre, "a summer blockbuster of a single." WMMR placed the song at number 13 in their ranking of every Metallica song, with Erica Banas labeling it "undeniable hard rock treasure," while Loudwire ranked the song at number 26 and stated it holds up "alongside the highlights of The Black Album."

Track listing

The CD maxi single of "I Disappear" has only two tracks, the title song and its instrumental version.

Charts

Weekly charts

+ Weekly chart performance for "I Disappear" !Chart (2000) !Peak position




Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)	22



Greece (IFPI Greece)	6


Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)	2