Flicker (song)

Composition

Robinson, who considered "Flicker" one of his favorite songs on Worlds, wanted to experiment with soul music samples after becoming a fan of the genre through Daft Punk's Discovery. The result was a hip-hop-style instrumental that he felt was incomplete with only drums and phased samples. The track was not initially planned for the album; later, Robinson used a translation website to incorrectly translate song titles into Japanese, then put the text into a text-to-speech program to create a WAV file, which he cut into a rap.

He then composed the lead melody and chord progression. The text-to-speech voice says "Watashi wa choudo nani ga juuyou ka mitsukeyou toshite iru," meaning "I'm just trying to find what is important to me." The song samples the 2012 anime Ano Natsu de Matteru. Robinson described the track as more of a journey than a pop song, with a structure that goes to many places.

It opens with a summer-y disco guitar before moving into synth blasts, and after two minutes features 30 intense seconds of thick, swinging bass. The pitch shifting of samples was influenced by Jay Dilla. The composition was compared to Boards of Canada by Spin, and the use of soul samples drew comparisons to Kanye West's "The Glory."

Release and promotion

"Flicker" premiered on July 28, 2014 via Vogue magazine as the fourth and final single from Worlds. It was initially planned as the second single after "Sea of Voices," but Robinson replaced it with "Sad Machine" three days before release. He wanted "Flicker" to be the last single because it presented the album's cuter aspect. The song debuted at number 37 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart for the week of August 16, 2014, later peaking at number 34 on the week of August 30.

A remix by Robinson's friend Mat Zo, which Robinson called one of the best remixes he had ever received, was first heard at a Monstercat label showcase and released on September 9, 2015 as a single from the official remix album for Worlds. Billboard ranked it number seven on "The 15 Best Dance / Electronic Remixes of 2015." The official animated music video premiered on August 14, 2014, showing footage of Japan with digital alterations and 8-bit video game effects.

Critical reception

Elissa Stolman of Vice praised Robinson for not being overwhelmed by his influences, though she joked that it was a shame disco was one of them. Derek Staples of Consequence of Sound, in a mixed review of Worlds, praised "Flicker" and "Goodbye to a World" for highlighting Robinson's intricate big room capabilities. AllMusic's Andy Kellman said the track, along with "Lionhearted" and "Years of War," has sections muscular enough to move large crowds. Las Vegas Weekly's Mike Prevatt described the hook as having an emotional payoff. Tatiana Cirisano of Billboard ranked it the tenth best track in Robinson's discography in 2017, calling it Worlds' most intricate, while Megan Buerger wrote that it was the album's most dynamic.