Sacrilege (song)

"Sacrilege" is the first single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' fourth album Mosquito released on February 25, 2013 as a digital download. It was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas and produced by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek and English record producer Nick Launay.

Performances
The band appeared on Late Show with David Letterman on April 5, 2013 to perform "Sacrilege", accompanied by the gospel choir Broadway Inspirational Voices.

Reception
"Sacrilege" was named "Best New Track" by Pitchfork Media February 26, 2013. Dan Martinson stated in his positive review, "Karen O falls for an angel who falls from the sky, the constant clank of Brian Chase's cymbals and Nick Zinner's guitar curlicues evoke "Gimme Shelter" with an exaggerated gospel swing."

Music video
The music video was directed by French collective Megaforce and premiered on March 26, 2013. The video stars English model and actress Lily Cole. The video consists of a chronologically reversed sequence of events outlining the rationale and events leading to a group of people in a small town shooting a man and burning a promiscuous woman (Cole) alive. The band does not appear in the video.

In popular culture
In July 2013, "Sacrilege" was featured in the season three premiere episode of Suits.

In October 2013, "Sacrilege" was featured across the closing scenes of the second episode of The Originals.

The song was used in the September 2023 premiere episode of  Wilderness, played while Jenna Coleman's character lashes out and burns her cheating husband's (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, not present in scene) clothes.