Watch Arctic Monkeys perform ‘Body Paint’ for Jimmy Fallon
Following the airing of Arctic Monkeys’ brand new single, ‘Body Paint’, on BBC Radio 1, the band hit the stage on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to give the track its televisual debut.
The performance, which aired last night, was recorded by the Sheffield band during their visit to play an intimate “phone free” concert at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. During the intimate show, Alex Turner sang ‘Body Paint’ live for the first time in front of 3,000 fans.
In his usual peacock fashion, Turner swaggered to Fallon’s stage to hold a power stance that could give Liam Gallagher’s ego a run for its money. From behind a large pair of Wayfarers, Turner crooned his way through a pin-point rendition of the new single using pre-recordings for the orchestral runs.
‘Body Paint’ follows the new album’s lead single, ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’, which arrived at the end of August alongside the announcement of The Car, marking Arctic Monkeys’ first release in four years. The track set the tone for the new album, which looks to be taking yet another step from Arctic Monkeys’ indie roots.
Where 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino took a turn towards piano-based, anthemic sci-fi hits, ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’ brought similar energy, or lack thereof, with its slow-burning orchestral sections and light, jazz-style drumming from Matt Helders.
Back in May, Helders said the new record “picks up where Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino left off”. While some deemed Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino a roaring success and a brave departure from the Sheffield band’s roots, others seemed upset with its dramatic deviation in sound and lunar theme.
In a note of reassurance to some fans, frontman Alex Turner told the Big Issue that Arctic Monkeys had come “back to earth” on The Car following its divisive predecessor. “On this record, sci-fi is off the table,” he added.
Watch Arctic Monkeys’ performance of ‘Body Paint’ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon below.
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