The song was originally written and demoed for band's ninth studio album, Monuments to an Elegy (2014), with Corgan noting: "Jeff [Schroeder] and I were the only people in the band at that time and we just couldn’t find the magic. We always thought the song was strong [...] so when we came in, in this situation, the minute we put it in Jimmy Chamberlin's hands, it’s like, 'Oh, there’s the magic.' It got a lot easier after that."[15] Guitarist Jeff Schroeder elaborated: "We didn’t over-intellectualize it and try to write a song that would reintroduce the band. I think that we just played, and I think certain characteristics that are strong points of the band came into play, and so I think that what you hear is very classic Pumpkins, because that’s kind of everybody doing their job and doing it well and it just works."[15]
Music video
A music video directed by Nick Koenig[4] was released on June 28, 2018, containing "classic horror imagery".[16]Rolling Stone described the video as "utterly bizarre", in which lead singer Corgan is "being held captive in an otherworldly asylum."[17] The music video was not released in conjunction of the song's release, despite Corgan teasing a still frame from the video as early as May 2018.[18][19]
Reception
Consequence of Sound had a mixed response to the song, praising Chamberlin's drumming, but ultimately feeling that "'Tarantula' was a far more memorable reunion jam".[14]Billboard described the song's sound as a "chest-out rock song, loaded with grinding guitars, a pounding rhythm section and big fills.[2] The song was described as have "chugging" and "stuttering" sound in the verses building into a soaring and multi-layered chorus, with Corgan singing "Tear down the sun/Bring down the sun/I'm not everyone/I'm not everyone/I'm not everyone."[1][20]Revolver noted that the song sounded more like the band attempting to tap into their established sound and "write a track that's fun" than push the boundaries of their sound artistically.[20]
