Propaganda

Timbaland adds a slow, almost hip-hop type beat to this thumping track. The decision to work with the American producer was a conscious attempt by Muse to broaden their horizons and step outside from their usual rock sound. Frontman Matt Bellamy told The Sun the collaboration came from an idea he had while driving, which he recorded into his phone. "We had this sort of Prince thing going on," he said. "My voice is not a traditional rock voice, so with my falsetto I like to go down the Prince route. That is what that song is really. It's influenced by hip-hop and funk."

The Death Eaters are a group of wizards and witches that featured in the Harry Potter series of novels and films. Matt Bellamy is a big Potter fan and gives the Death Eaters a shout-out on this song. Muse drummer Dom Howard, who has never read any of the books or seen the movies told the BBC. "(Matt's) quite into it, and chucked that line in," Howard said. "I thought it was funny that he did, 'cause I had to ask." "I was like, 'What the f---'s a Death Eater?'" he added. "And then found out it was Potter."

Dominic Howard admitted to ABC Radio that he was initially unsure about this track. The Muse drummer was nervous that as it was not the sort of music the band would normally record, and he was worried their fans wouldn't like it. However, he and the rest of the group got a confidence boost from an unlikely person, Howard's mother. "I was driving around in the car with my mum with a very early version of it, and she's like, 'What's this? This is great!'" the drummer recalled. "She's quite a good barometer... just someone who doesn't know tons about music, but gives you an idea of whether it keeps your attention or not. And she was really into it."