{{about|a song|the ability of animals to perform arithmetic|Number sense in animals}} {{Infobox song | name = Animal Arithmetic | cover = Animal Arithmetic cover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Jónsi | album = Go | released = 24 May 2010 <ref name="emi-release">{{cite web |url=http://www.emimusic.com/blog/2010/jonsi%E2%80%99s-new-single-animal-arithmetic-released-may-24/ |title=Jónsi's new single, Animal Arithmetic released May 24 |date=15 April 2010 |publisher=EMI Music |accessdate=23 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702175912/http://www.emimusic.com/blog/2010/jonsi%E2%80%99s-new-single-animal-arithmetic-released-may-24/ |archivedate=2 July 2011 }}</ref> | format = | recorded = 2009 | studio = | venue = | genre = Pop | length = 3:19 <small>(radio mix)</small><br />3:23 <small>(album version)</small> | label = EMI | writer = Jónsi | producer = Peter Katis, Jónsi, Alex Somers | prev_title = Go Do | prev_year = 2010 | next_title = Revelation | next_year = 2018 | misc = {{External music video|{{ YouTube|RS78K9Y8Xe0|"Animal Arithmetic"}} }} }} "'''Animal Arithmetic'''" is a song by the Icelandic singer Jónsi, the lead singer of Sigur Rós. "Animal Arithmetic" was released on 24 May 2010 as the second single from Jónsi's debut solo album, ''Go''.<ref name="emi-release"/> The song features lyrics in both English and Icelandic. It is the only song by Jónsi to contain explicit language.
==Reception== The overall critical reception of the track was warm. Sam Shepherd, musicOMH reviewer, described "Animal Arithmetic" as a "joyful percussive stomp," while Tim Sendra of allmusic wrote that the song sounds "like the bubbling soundtrack to an awesome training montage in a film where pixies are training to battle fairies".<ref name="musicomh">{{cite web |url=http://www.musicomh.com/albums/jonsi_0210.htm |title=Jónsi — ''Go'' review |date=5 April 2010 |publisher=musicOMH |accessdate=23 April 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409010315/http://www.musicomh.com/albums/jonsi_0210.htm |archivedate=9 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=r1729811|pure_url=yes}} | title = ''Go'' review | date = 6 April 2010 | publisher = allmusic | accessdate = 23 April 2010 }}</ref> ''Under the Radar'' and ''Delusions of Adequacy'' praised the track's "rapid-fire list of daily rituals highlight[ing] near ecclesiastical bliss in the mundane," while the latter also noted its "percussion that sounds like it was culled from a kitchen pantry."<ref name="undertheradar">{{cite web | url = http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/go | title = Jónsi — ''Go'' review | date = 18 March 2010 | publisher = Under the Radar | accessdate = 23 April 2010 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100412131049/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/go| archivedate= 12 April 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="doa-zine">{{cite web | url = http://www.adequacy.net/2010/04/jonsi-go/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110102115839/http://www.adequacy.net/2010/04/jonsi-go/ | url-status = usurped | archive-date = January 2, 2011 | title = Jónsi — ''Go'' review | date = 15 April 2010 | publisher = Delusions of Adequacy | accessdate = 23 April 2010 }}</ref> ''Paste'' Magazine's review noted that the track "this will probably be the track on the record that sends most listeners scrambling for the skip button" but nevertheless praised its playfulness and "clattering along at 120 mph with cymbals crashing."<ref name="pastemag">{{cite web | url = http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/04/jonsi-go.html | title = Jónsi — ''Go'' review | date = 5 April 2010 | publisher = Paste Magazine | accessdate = 23 April 2010 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100408172127/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/04/jonsi-go.html| archivedate= 8 April 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> PopMatters stated that "Animal Arithmetic" is "one of the pair's [Jónsi's and Nico Muhly's] most impressive feats" and also that it "is a master study in balancing structure and chaos."<ref name="popmatters">{{cite web | url = http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/123259-jonsi-go | title = Jónsi — ''Go'' review | date = 8 April 2010 | publisher = PopMatters | accessdate = 23 April 2010 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100411195132/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/123259-jonsi-go| archivedate= 11 April 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> Meanwhile, BBC Music were much less impressed with the song, stating that while being "perfectly agreeable," it "unexpectedly [gets] hijacked by a cacophonous onslaught of instruments."<ref name="bbcmusic">{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/vf6m/ | title = Review of Jónsi — ''Go'' | date = 25 March 2010 | publisher = BBC Music | access-date = 23 April 2010 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100330130418/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/vf6m| archive-date= 30 March 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>
==Track listing== ;Promotional CD single All music and lyrics written by Jónsi.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=J%F3nsi&titel=Animal+Arithmetic&cat=s | title = Jónsi — Animal Arithmetic | date = 19 April 2010 | publisher = Hung Medien and swisscharts.com | accessdate = 23 April 2010 }}</ref> #"Animal Arithmetic" (radio mix) – 3:19 #"Animal Arithmetic" (album version) – 3:23 #"Animal Arithmetic" (instrumental) – 3:21
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:2010 songs Category:EMI Records singles Category:Songs written by Jónsi Category:2010 singles