2003 Rock Classic Featured Real Tears in Its Music Video - and Became One of the Best Songs of the 2000s
During the music video shoot for "Maps," the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 2003 single from their debut album Fever To Tell, lead singer Karen O burst into tears while performing what would become the band's signature song, having waited for her then-boyfriend, Angus Andrew of the band Liars, to turn up, as Andrew was meant to make an appearance in the video.
After a three-hour wait, the shoot went on without Andrew, leaving the frontwoman to appear in the video without her partner by her side, backed only by her fellow band members, as they performed on stage for an awaiting audience.
"They were real tears," she later told NME. "My boyfriend at the time was supposed to come to the shoot – he was three hours late and I was just about to leave for tour."
"I didn't think he was even going to come," Karen continued, "and this was the song that was written for him. He eventually showed up and I got myself in a real emotional state."
This surprisingly raw moment, in a shoot with pre-recorded vocals and an - ultimately scrapped - music video concept, proved unintentionally fitting for a frank, agonizing declaration of love that doesn't shy away from its narrator's sheer desperation.
As Karen O performed for a crowd that shuffled around on their feet and fidgeted throughout the performance, the song's simplistic lyrics took a backseat to her candid emotional display and vocal delivery as she hoped to see Andrew one last time before he left to tour. Paradoxically, its simplicity underlined the heartfelt plea of the song: "My kind's your kind/I'll stay the same/Pack up/Don't stray," followed by a repeated "Oh, say, say, say/Wait, they don't love you like I love you/ Wait, they don't love you like I love you/ Wait, they don't love you like I love you."
Should "Maps" have been a more narrative-driven piece lyrically, it would've likely lost its edge as an idealistic, intense indie classic. Backed by a looping singular D note, the composition of "Maps" gives it no place to hide in its vulnerable prayer to its listener.
Despite a modest chart peak of #87 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Maps" has been ranked #101 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, as well as #39 on NME's take on the Top 500. It even served as a basis for two commercial smashes - the Black Eyed Peas' "Meet Me Halfway" used its guitar riff, while Beyoncé's " Hold Up " used the song as a foundation for its lyrics.
"There's just not a lot of bands that have one of their biggest songs as a love song," Karen O reflected during an interview with BBC 6 Musicin 2019. "I'm pretty stoked about that."
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 2:47 PM.