SLIPKNOT Hit Streaming Milestone as 'Duality' Tops One Billion Plays On Spotify
The 2004 anthem becomes one of the few metal tracks to cross the milestone.
Summary
- SLIPKNOT’s 2004 single ‘Duality’ has surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, joining an exclusive group of metal songs.
- Frontman Corey Taylor explained the lyrics reflect intense internal conflict and the feeling of being at a crossroads.
- The video, filmed in a Des Moines house with fans, remains a defining moment of SLIPKNOT’s chaotic live energy.
SLIPKNOT’s 2004 single “Duality” has crossed the one-billion mark on Spotify, joining a small group of metal and hard rock songs to reach the milestone.
The track first appeared on the band’s third album, “Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses),” produced by Rick Rubin.
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Released in May 2004, the song helped push the Iowa group to wider recognition while keeping the aggressive edge of earlier material.
The chorus, “I push my fingers into my eyes”, became one of the band’s most recognizable hooks.
Frontman Corey Taylor has described the song’s lyrics as rooted in personal conflict. Speaking with the BBC, he said:
“Lyrically, ‘Duality’ is about standing at a crossroads in your life, looking at the two ways you can go and not knowing which is the right one. You’re so beaten down by the path that you’re on, that you’re actually willing to do something painful to be able to feel something real… It’s that moment when you’ve had enough, and you’re just about to snap.”
The song’s music video, directed by percussionist M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan, added to its legacy.
Shot in a fan’s home in Des Moines, Iowa, it featured the band performing while fans tore through the house. In an interview with The Fader, Crahan recalled:
“The video for ‘Duality’ is a moment in my life that I’ll never be able to forget. The kids came and they were so brutal, and it was beautiful. They were all just fans that loved the band, and they wanted to be a part of it. It cost a lot of money to make, and we had to pay for a lot of damages, but it was worth every penny. We captured real, unadulterated chaos.”
Musically, the track reflected a change in direction. Guitarist Jim Root told MusicRadar the band wanted to expand beyond the unrelenting heaviness of 2001’s “Iowa.”
“We knew we couldn’t just make ‘Iowa’ part two,” Root said. “We wanted to expand our horizons and try new things. ‘Duality’ had this big, anthemic chorus. It was something different for us, but it still felt like Slipknot. It showed that we could be heavy as hell but also write a song that could get on the radio.”
The recording sessions with Rubin were often described by band members as challenging, requiring more attention to song structure and collaboration than previous albums.
Still, the process produced some of Slipknot’s best-known work.
The band released their seventh studio album, The End, So Far, on September 30, 2022, via Roadrunner Records.
This marked their final album with Roadrunner, and was the first to feature percussionist Michael Pfaff, while also being the last to include sampler/keyboardist Craig Jones and drummer Jay Weinberg, both of whom departed in mid and late 2023.
On June 9, 2023, the band dropped the Adderall EP, a six-track release centered around variations of the album track “Adderall,” showcasing a more experimental side with alternative rock influences.
Shortly afterward, on August 18, 2023, they delivered Live at MSG, a live album documenting their 2009 Madison Square Garden concert, available on vinyl for the first time.
That same year, they parted ways with longtime member Craig Jones, with the band quickly replacing him for live shows, though the new member’s identity remains unconfirmed (it’s Jeff Karnowski).
Slipknot marked the 25th anniversary of their 1999 debut with the “Here Comes the Pain Tour”, a North American trek launched in August 2024 featuring a throwback-heavy setlist and culminating at Knotfest Iowa.
They subsequently extended the anniversary celebration across Europe, delivering vintage-era performances.
During this period, Brazilian drummer Eloy Casagrande (formerly of Sepultura) officially joined the band following Jay Weinberg’s departure and a widely publicized “creative decision” split.
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