Delusions of Grandeur
| "Delusions of Grandeur" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Alesha and Shell Ruin | |||||
| from the album Bigger Than God | |||||
| B-side |
"Trigger Happy" "Bear Honey (Revised)" | ||||
| Recorded | April 2008 | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Label | Ensemble | ||||
| Writer(s) | Alesha, Shell Ruin | ||||
| Producer | Alesha, Shell Ruin | ||||
| Certification | Platinum | ||||
| Alesha singles chronology | |||||
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| Shell Ruin singles chronology | |||||
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"Delusions of Grandeur" is a song performed by British recording artists Alesha and Shell Ruin, often referred to with the portmanteau "Shellesha". It was released on November 11, 2009, by Ensemble Entertainment, alongside the re-release of Alesha's sixth studio album Bigger Than God (2009) and Ruin's greatest hits collection The Agony and the Ecstasy (2009). After years of writing and producing together for each other's albums as well as other artists, Alesha and Shell Ruin finally recorded an original duet together.
"Delusions of Grandeur" marks a stylistic transition for Alesha and Shell Ruin, exploring a baroque pop sound with lyrics that draw influence from mythology and portray the duet partners as gods. This shift in style served as the basis for Alesha's Last Judgment (2010), doubling as a greatest hits collection and seventh studio album. Contemporary critics praised "Delusions of Grandeur," who felt that Alesha and Ruin had excelled further than previous chart-topping glories.
Alesha and Shell Ruin portrayed tribal warriors in the song's music video, directed by Chris Cunningham and filled off the coast of Chile. Alesha and Ruin performed the song live on The X Factor UK. After hosting the Urapopstar Awards 17 together, it was reported that Ruin had died in a tragic car accident. Mourning the loss of the icon, "Delusions of Grandeur" charted at number one, becoming Alesha's tenth number one and Ruin's second. It was revealed a year later in December 2010 that Ruin had staged her own death.
Background and composition[edit | edit source]
"Delusions of Grandeur" was written and produced by Alesha and Shell Ruin, shifting from their latest alternative and synthpop efforts respectively in favor of a more "baroque" pop sound. The song contains a brief lyrical interpolation of Radiohead's "4 Minute Warning". Alesha and Ruin instantly felt that the song ranked among their best, preparing it for single release in November 2009. It was announced at the second Save URAPS telethon. A minisite and Twitter account were launched to accompany the release.
The song's lyrics describe Alesha and Ruin as fallen gods who have seen their empires crumble, but warn "young idols" of their power which eventually strikes. The lyrical and musical style of the song served as the inspiration for new tracks composed for Alesha's greatest hits collection and seventh studio album Last Judgment (2010). "Delusions of Grandeur" bolstered a re-release of Bigger Than God (2009) alongside two other new songs: "Whore of Babylon" (featuring Putanovska) and "Nature's Child".
Upon its single release, Alesha and Ruin composed two new songs: "Trigger Happy" and "Bear Honey (Revised)". The former was in the vein of Shell Ruin's The Dirty Is Done (2007) and Alesha's The Second Coming (2008), while the latter echoed Ruin's Charm Offensive (2008) and Bigger Than God (2009). A remix of the song featuring Romo appeared on CD1, while Chase & Status and Major Lazer both remixed the track also.
Reception[edit | edit source]
The song has received acclaim from a wide variety of publications, and has been viewed as a highlight of Alesha's and Shell Ruin's careers. In a track-by-track review for Last Judgment, Eric Grandy of The Stranger noted that the song contained more conceptual layers, musical information, and lyrical self-reference than seemingly possible in a three-and-a-half minute pop song, saying it was "the standout track" on an album full of contenders, Alesha's "most exciting synthesis of the political and the pop" and its chorus, "a sly, funny acknowledgement of the economics behind fame and fortune in the pop world." The Observer's Emma Warren also marked the song as a highlight, calling it "a career high." Similarly, Evan McGarvey of Stylus Magazine called the song "narcotic, gorgeous."
Karim Maksoud of This Is Fake DIY called "Delusions of Grandeur" an "immediately listenable" track that "showcases all the coarse fatalism, superficiality and backstabbing acerbity of the modern pop life, both in veracious lyrics, the scratched aesthetic and the lethargic, sedated bassline and backing beat maintained throughout." He concluded that the song emanated Alesha and Ruin's talents and background "relentlessly" and presented a "tuneful amalgam of influences and exotic dynamic, one of the most promising for a while." A Pitchfork review wrote: "It's hard not to appreciate a song that can be so out there, so gloriously messy, and yet still take over radio stations and iTunes in an instant."
"Delusions of Granduer"" entered the official singles chart at number one, becoming Alesha's tenth number one-single and Shell Ruin's second (and first posthumous) number one. The single was extremely successful, selling a total of 385,639 copies. Despite being released just weeks before the end of 2009, the single was the 39th best-selling single of the year. "Delusions of Grandeur" won Best Collaboration at Urapopstar Awards 18.
Live performances[edit | edit source]
"Delusions of Grandeur" was first performed live by Alesha and Shell Ruin on The X Factor UK. The pair wore striking feathered mohawks and nude couture dresses, while a dozen eccentric dancers resembling the living dead also graced the stage. A "war-inspired" dance routine carried the performance, which ended with massive explosions of pyrotechnics and real live crows flying to the stage to perch themselves on the singers' shoulders. Simon Cowell said the performance was "incredible. There's no wonder you guys are where you are today with those kinds of performances." He also praised the girls for their star power. Alesha and Ruin also performed the song together at the 17th Urapopstar Awards on an elaborate stage with two white pyramids and a river running between them.
Alesha performed the song without Ruin as the opening number on 2010's The Reckoning world tour, a joint tour between Alesha and Putanovska. It also opened Alesha's one-off concert, Judgment Day at Wembley Stadium, and 2011's Heathen Tour.
Track listing[edit | edit source]
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Artwork[edit | edit source]
CD1
CD2
Banner
Charts[edit | edit source]
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Urapopstar Top 40 Singles Chart | 1 |
