Mirror (Porter Robinson song)

"Mirror" is a song by Porter Robinson, an American musician and music producer. It was released on August 26, 2020 as the third single from his second studio album Nurture (2021). The song was produced by Robinson and features electronically processed vocals written and performed by himself. Robinson has stated that this song was written to explore his struggles with depression between 2015 and 2017.

This article is about the Porter Robinson song. For other uses, see Mirror (disambiguation).
"Mirror"
Single by Porter Robinson
from the album Nurture
ReleasedAugust 26, 2020 (2020-08-26)
RecordedApril 6, 2019 – March 23, 2020
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

The release was accompanied by the opening of an interactive virtual environment on Robinson's website. A music video for "Mirror" was released on September 9, 2020, featuring an animated avatar of Robinson.

Background and composition

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 Worlds (2014) and its subsequent live tour, Robinson found himself stuck in an extended period of writer's block and insecurity about the quality of his work,[3] which led to him falling into depression between 2015 and 2017.[4] During this period, he began work on "Something Comforting", which would be released as the second single from Nurture.[5]

According to Robinson, "Mirror" was written to represent his issues with his mental state and artistic pride. On his motivations, he said "I really wanted to be completely free of shame and fear of what others will think while writing 'Mirror'."[6] The outro, featuring the lines "Sometimes, the inner voice is encouraging, calling for you to run those final few yards...", samples a video from psychotherapy company The School of Life.[7]

Like the other songs from Nurture, this song features a version of Robinson's voice that has been electronically processed to sound more feminine by raising the pitch and adding additional effects.[7] The song is set in E♭ major at 112 BPM.[8]

Release

Along with other singles from Nurture, an interactive virtual environment was opened on Robinson's website to accompany the release of "Mirror".[9]

The music video for "Mirror" was premiered on YouTube on September 9, 2020. The music video was directed by Robinson, and prominently features an animated avatar of him illustrated by Hota.[10] The video shows the avatar guiding the viewer through the woods, which feature animated flowers and trees.[11]

Charts
Chart (2020) Peak
position
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[12] 32

References
  1. 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. Heffler, Jason. "Porter Robinson opens up about overcoming depression to produce Nurture". EDM.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  4. Cameron, John. "Porter Robinson drops 'Get Your Wish' from upcoming album alongside heartfelt letter". EDM.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  5. Cameron, John (March 10, 2020). "Porter Robinson bares his soul on 'Something Comforting'". EDM.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  6. "Porter Robinson talks about the meaning of new album Nurture". The Groove Cartel. April 23, 2021. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  7. 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.
  8. "Mirror by Porter Robinson". Beatport. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  9. Scilppa, Phil (March 19, 2020). "New Porter Robinson website feature allows users to listen to singles off Nurture virtually with friends". EDM.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  10. Goldenberg, Ross. "Porter Robinson shares self-directed visual for 'Mirror'". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  11. 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.
  12. "Porter Robinson Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
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