10 Best Rock Music Album Openers Of The 2020s So Far
9. There’d Better Be A Mirrorball - The Car (Arctic Monkeys)
In 2018, Arctic Monkeys released a record called Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino, which is a great title. In 2022, Arctic Monkeys released a record called The Car, which is... a title.
Much like on Tranquillity, the band expanded their musical repertoire with this release, drawing on a vast array of inspirations from art rock to bossa nova to old film scores. Critics, as they tend to do, went mad for it, praising the varied styles and themes of life in the public eye.
This is where the title of this first song comes from. The protagonist is walking his lover to a car, but insists that there is a mirrorball to shine on him. This is probably normal behaviour in Hollywood.
Whilst this is one of the less rocky tracks on the album, it's still gorgeously arranged, with special praise going to drummer Matt Helders and his terrific cymbal control. It sounds like something out of a black and white picture, which ties in nicely to its golden age-invoking lyrics.
Fans of the band's more upbeat stuff might not care for this, but in the context of this specific record, this was the perfect opener.