Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs
I think the reason why Muse has gained a massive following is because their music touches on so many different genres. Genres that usually have no business being associated with each other. Muse has used electro pop, prog rock, metal, classical, industrial rock and other musical expressions as springboards to create these epic-sized sonic statements for more than 25 years. I’ve never been to a Muse concert, but I can imagine how it might push one’s senses into overdrive. “Map of the Problematique” is a case in point.
The Black Holes and Revelations album was supercharged with some of Muse’s most renowned tracks, including ”Knights of Cydonia”, “Supermassive Black Hole” and “Starlight”. This made a song like “Map of the Problematique” drift slightly under the radar. It has drawn many comparisons to “Enjoy the Silence” in terms of musical arrangement and chord progressions. And Bellamy has unabashedly cited Depeche Mode as an influence on the song. The end result, however, I think it is much more epic than the aforementioned synth pop anthem. “Map of the Problematique” highlighted what Muse does best: effortlessly smashing genres together and eliciting an emotional response from a cerebral theme.
“Life will flash before my eyes. So scattered almost I want to touch the other side.”