Subtle Thing

“Subtle Thing” is a song recorded by American electronic duo Marian Hill. The song was released on February 9, 2018 as the lead single from the band’s second album, Unusual. The song was written by both of the duo’s members, Samantha Gongol and Jeremy Lloyd, with production handled by the latter of the two. The song peaked at number 42 on the US Dance/Electronic Songs Chart.

Release and Promotion
Marian Hill performed “Subtle Thing” during their Down Tour in the spring of 2017. On February 6, 2017, the band announced the song via twitter along with the Unusual Tour. They released the song on February 9, 2018, the same day tickets went on sale for the Unusual Tour.

Composition
“Subtle Thing” lasts three minutes and one second. Musically, the verses are simple, composed of a few simple sounds and finger snaps, when the chorus explodes into a deep harmony of bass and a booming drum machine. The song is performed in the key of C major with a tempo of 166 beats per minute. Samantha’s vocals span from A#3 to A4.

Critical Reception
“Subtle Thing” was met with positive reviews from critics. Mike Wass of Idolator wrote “A fever dream of a song that unfurls against mercurial bleeps and beeps, ‘Subtle Thing’ decidedly unusual.” David Watt of Noise wrote “It’s as good as their breakout single and it’s got ‘hit’ written all over it.”

Music Video
On February 22, 2018, the band released a music video for “Subtle Thing.” The video shows Jeremy and Samantha exploring an empty bookstore with multiple portals to other dimensions. The video has been viewed over 290,000 times as of May 2018.