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Mirror (Porter Robinson song)

"Mirror" is a song by American record producer Porter Robinson. It was released on August 26, 2020, as the third single from his second studio album Nurture (2021), by Mom + Pop. The song addresses themes of shame and self-criticism, and Robinson viewed it as a means to overcome his fears of external disapproval. "Mirror" was released to a generally positive reception, and an associated music video was released on September 9, 2020.

"Mirror"
Single by Porter Robinson
from the album Nurture
ReleasedAugust 26, 2020 (2020-08-26)
GenreElectro-pop[1]
Length5:07
LabelMom + Pop
Songwriter(s)Porter Robinson
Producer(s)Porter Robinson
Porter Robinson singles chronology
"Something Comforting"
(2020) 		"Mirror"
(2020) 		"Look at the Sky"
(2021)
Music video
"Mirror" on YouTube

Background and composition

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See also: Nurture § Background, and Porter Robinson § Career

"Mirror" is a song about the costs of being hard on yourself. We all have these avatars that we give to our critical inner voices ... it's about recognizing that most of this criticism is self-inflicted. For years, I was imagining the worst thing a critic might say about my music and looking at my own work as negatively as possible as a way to protect myself from criticism, but it never once served me.

—Porter Robinson[2]

Following the release of his previous album Worlds (2014), Robinson had set high expectations for himself,[3] saying in 2018 that he felt he was "under a lot of pressure to do something akin to a follow-up".[4] However, in the years following the album's release, this led to an extended period of depression and writer's block during which he released very little music.[5][6] According to Robinson, Nurture (2021) was a way of "finding the beauty in everyday and reality as it is".[7]

American Songwriter's Joe Vitagliano felt that "Mirror" addresses elements of Robinson's "shame and fear". Robinson viewed the song a means to overcome his fears and create music without considering external disapproval, saying "So many of the painful experiences I was having with criticism or rejection or failure were imagined."[8] According to AllMusic's Paul Simpson, the song also depicts Robinson "searching inward for validation".[9] The song's ending, featuring the lines "Sometimes, the inner voice is encouraging ... it will all be okay in the end", samples a video from psychotherapy company The School of Life.[10] NME's Ben Jolley felt that the quote was the most reflective of the themes of the album as well as "[Robinson]'s journey as an artist".[11]

Release and reception

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"Mirror"
American Songwriter's Joe Vitagliano noted the contrast between the lyrics and the production, calling it a "sonic atmosphere of solace".[8]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Mirror" was released on August 26, 2020,[12] to a generally positive critical reception. Several reviewers praised the song's production; PopMatters's Chris Conaton said that it has a "strong piano element", but switches to an electronic beat with percussive "digital clicks and pops".[13] Paper's Matt Moen described the style as "lo-fi electro-pop".[1] Contrasting it with the themes presented in the lyrics, DeVille described the song as a "wall of gorgeous sound".[12] Vitagliano also noted this pairing, calling it a "sonic atmosphere of solace".[8] Slant's Charles Lyons-Burt felt that each motif is periodically "dismantled and put back together" into a different one, preventing the song from becoming overly repetitive.[14] Our Culture's Konstantinos Pappis found the song "irresistibly catchy and strikingly intimate" and felt that the songwriting also reflected on the "imaginative spirit" of Worlds.[5] However, The Line of Best Fit's Sophie Walker felt that the song was "impressive in isolation", but became lost in the context of Nurture as a whole.[15]

The music video for "Mirror" was released on September 9, 2020. Directed by Robinson,[16] it depicts an avatar of him guiding the viewer through the woods, which feature animated flowers and trees.[17]

Charts

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Chart (2020) Peak
position
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[18] 32

References

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  1. ^ a b Moen, Matt (January 27, 2021). "Porter Robinson finds hope in new single 'Look at the Sky'". Paper. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021. 'Look at the Sky' carries on in the same lo-fi electro-pop established in the first three singles...
  2. ^ Darville, Jordan (August 26, 2020). "Porter Robinson shares new song 'Mirror'". The Fader. Archived from the original on September 5, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Ochefu, Christine; Simpson, Dave; Snapes, Laura (April 27, 2021). "'If not hope, then what?': the musicians finding optimism in dark times". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "Porter Robinson: 'Calvin Harris was really inspirational for Virtual Self'". DJ Mag. April 10, 2018. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Pappis, Konstantinos (April 29, 2021). "Album Review: Porter Robinson, Nurture". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  6. ^ Walker, Sophie (August 27, 2020). "Ego death". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  7. ^ Jolley, Ben (April 22, 2021). "Porter Robinson: 'I felt convinced that I wouldn't be able to ever make music again'". NME. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Vitagliano, Joe (September 9, 2020). "Porter Robinson opens up about forthcoming record Nurture and how it changed his life". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  9. ^ Simpson, Paul. "Porter Robinson – Nurture". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  10. ^ Hunt, Ryan (September 9, 2020). "'Mirror' from Porter Robinson, the third single off Nurture". Dance Music Northwest. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  11. ^ Jolley, Ben (April 20, 2021). "Porter Robinson – Nurture review: dance don trades bombast for blissed-out beats". NME. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  12. ^ a b DeVille, Chris (August 26, 2020). "Porter Robinson – 'Mirror'". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  13. ^ Conaton, Chris (June 7, 2021). "Porter Robinson's Nurture combines piano, electronics, and big pop hooks". PopMatters. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Lyons-Burt, Charles (April 22, 2021). "Porter Robinson's Nurture revels in a constant state of change". Slant. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  15. ^ Walker, Sophie. "Collecting the fragments of an identity shattered, Nurture sees Porter Robinson rebuilding himself". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  16. ^ Maicki, Salvatore (September 9, 2020). "Porter Robinson lights up a forest in his new 'Mirror' video". The Fader. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  17. ^ Droke, Carolyn (September 9, 2020). "Porter Robinson is an animated forest guide in his glitchy 'Mirror' video". Uproxx. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  18. ^ "Porter Robinson Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
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