Kate Bush in London in 2014.Photo: Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
Kate Bushis celebrating after her iconic song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” reached a milestone on Spotify following its association with season 4 ofStranger Thingslast year.
The 64-year-old singer-songwriter took to herofficial websiteon Wednesday to thank her listeners for streaming the track over 1 billion times on the platform.
“A billion streams!” Bush wrote. “I have an image of a river that suddenly floods and becomes many, many tributaries — a billion streams — on their way to the sea. Each one of these streams is one of you … "
“Running Up That Hill” was first released in 1985 as the lead single from Bush’s fifth studio album,Hounds of Love. The song peaked at No. 3 on the U.K. Singles Chart and number 30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming her biggest hit in both countries.
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Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in season 4 ofStranger Things(2022).Courtesy of Netflix
Courtesy of Netflix
The singer-songwriter previously reflected on her career resurgence in a June 2022 interview withBBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour, and praised theNetflixshow’s use of her song.
“I thought that the track would get some attention, but I just never imagined that it would be anything like this,” she said. “It’s so exciting, but it’s quite shocking, really, isn’t it? The whole world’s gone mad.”
“What’s really wonderful, I think, is thatthis is a whole new audiencewho, in a lot of cases, they’d never heard of me and I love that,” Bush told the BBC. “The thought of all these really young people hearing the song for the first time and discovering it is, well, I think it’s very special.”
The Cloudbustingcrooner said she admired howMatt and Ross Duffer, theStranger Thingscreators/producers, employed the song as a method for Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) to liberate herself from the lethal grip of the supernatural antagonist Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
“I think they have put it in a really special place,” Bush said. “I thought, ‘What a lovely way for the song to be used in such a positive way,’ as kind of a talisman, almost, for Max. I think it’s very touching, actually.”
Kate Bush onstage with a microphone.Dave Hogan/Getty
Bush revealed that she lovedStranger Thingsfrom the start, and has liked seeing the actors mature on screen over time.
“It’s lovely because, in a similar way toHarry Potter, where in those early films, they were just little kids,” she said. “And then as the films progress it becomes heavier and darker and those little kids turn into really talented young adult actors, and you have a different connection with something that’s moved through years of watching them grow.”
On her website previously, Bushexpressed her gratitudefor the song’s revived popularity, first after the episode was broadcast and then after it hit the U.S. charts.
“The track is being responded to in so many positive ways,” she wrote. “I’ve never experienced anything quite like this before! I just want to say a really big thank you to everyone in the US who has supported the song.”
source: people.com
